Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for February 2019.

The Airbus A380 Program May Get Killed Tomorrow

by Gary Leff

airplane docked
Feb 13 2019

As a passenger the Airbus A380 is a special experience. Takeoff rolls are incredibly smooth. While they can pack in passengers densely most operators have offered incredibly luxurious perks on the plane — in part because it can be so much more difficult to fill an aircraft with 600 or more passengers so the cost to use space ‘inefficiently’ is low. No US airline has operated one.

The Airbus board is meeting and – barring a last minute rabbit out of a hat – could announce the end of A380 production as soon as tomorrow. Airbus has been signaling the possible end of the A380 program since 2014.

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Marriott Bonvoy Launched Today, Replacing Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest

by Gary Leff

outside marriott hotel
Feb 13 2019

Marriott has officially launched a new name for its loyalty program today. There’s no more Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards, or Starwood Preferred Guest. There’s now only Bonvoy.

We knew what Rewards meant. That’s all about earn and burn. Preferred Guest was all about how a loyal member is treated. Bonvoy literally has no meaning. It is not a word.

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Delta Calls Cops on Downgraded Law Professor Who Claims He Was Assaulted By Pilot

by Gary Leff

delta plane
Feb 12 2019

University of Arkansas Law School professor Khaled Beydoun is claiming he was assaulted by a Delta Connection regional jet pilot after flying from Atlanta to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport on Delta flight DL5325 operated by Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Airlines.

The man was upgraded to first class based on his Platinum status but then downgraded to extra legroom coach. He says it’s because of his race. He then had words with the captain, whom he claims proceeded to ‘grab him by the neck’ and call the police on him.

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Hilton Confirms: New Top 120,000 Points Redemption Level For Only One Hotel So Far

by Gary Leff

Feb 12 2019

Earlier I wrote about Hilton’s new highest priced award. Up until this week no hotel cost more than 95,000 points per night. That’s been the maximum since Hilton increased some of their most expensive hotels like the Conrad Koh Samui in Thailand (all stand-alone villas) from 50,000 to 95,000 during high season in 2013.

When they eliminated award charts 2 years ago we were told that hotels wouldn’t get more expensive, that the top rates in place would apply but pricing might go down.

Now with the opening of the Waldorf Astoria in the Maldives we’re seeing standard awards there pricing at 120,000 points per night.

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American Airlines Appears to Be Entering a Death Spiral at New York JFK

by Gary Leff

plane model
Feb 12 2019

American today could have been a real player in New York. Instead the world’s largest airline doesn’t seem to know what to do – or if they should do anything at all – with the nation’s most important air city.

They don’t serve New York JFK – Zurich. They don’t serve Frankfurt. Or Munich. Or Amsterdam. Or Tel Aviv. Or.. Denver. And they keep cutting markets.

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When Hilton Eliminated Award Charts They Promised Top Prices Remained 95,000 Points. Why is One Hotel Charging 120,000?

by Gary Leff

Feb 12 2019

The new Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is open and bookable on points. And it prices at 120,000 points per night for a standard room.

We don’t yet see hotels like the Conrad Maldives, Conrad Bora Bora, or Conrad Koh Samui pricing at over 95,000 points per night. But Hilton is no longer anchored to a 95,000 point maximum. At least that is how it appears at first blush. I’ve reached out to Hilton, hoping to learn that this is some sort of mistake.

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Academy Award Nominee Jessica Chastain Takes Up Flight Attendant Pay Justice on Twitter

by Gary Leff

Feb 11 2019

Actress Jessica Chastain is aghast that flight attendants aren’t ‘getting paid’ during boarding, they are working, how can this be legal she wants to know?

The Academy Award nominee isn’t alone. Several flight attendants who read this blog feel they shouldn’t have to serve predeparture beverages since they ‘aren’t getting paid’.

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