News and notes from around the interweb:
- 5 Reasons to Choose Points Over Cash, a post I wrote for USA Today
- Dallas Morning News reporter Terry Maxon will be retiring at the end of this coming week. And he’s offering stories and remembrances on their aviation blog. This morning he tells tales of former Southwest Chairman and CEO Herb Kelleher. At the same time, he appropriately gives a nod to Lamar Muse, the airline’s CEO from 1971 launch through 1978 who has been mostly forgotten.
- A Look Inside the Chase Lounge at the US Open
- Congratulations to Fly & Dine blog who has an article in American’s inflight magazine, American Way, which was newly redesigned this year.
- With Lufthansa facing an average of a strike a month, Air France has its French pride at stake and appears not to want to be outdone: They’re threatening a 10% cut in long haul flying if they don’t get a labor agreement which aims toward $2 billion savings. There could be as many as 3000 layoffs. No doubt passengers will bear the brunt of this conflict in the not distant future.
- American will leave its US Airways Tempe, Arizona headquarters building when its lease expires at the end of 2016. Right now there are only 500 people working in that 240,000 square foot building. Those working in the building will be accommodated in other local facilities, but it’s one more marker of the end of an era.
AF sucks. Of the major western international carriers, I rate them the worst. Aloof French service and angle lie flat. No thanks. Id be fine if they went belly up.