Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for July 2019.

Nigerian Social Media is on Fire Over a Man Who Refused to Switch Seats With an Elder

by Gary Leff

Nigerian Social Media is on Fire Over a Man Who Refused to Switch Seats With an Elder
Jul 06 2019

Seat switching etiquette is – I think – fairly well established, at least here in the United States. You’re entitled to the seat on your boarding pass. If someone prefers a seat other than the one to which they’re assigned they should ask politely, but it’s entirely up to the person with the desired seat whether or not to switch. They can say no for any reason, or no reason.

If you want to switch seats it pays to have a generally desirable seat. Don’t offer me a bulkhead window seat in first class, or a middle seat by the lavatory in coach. If you have a poor seat and you’re asking to switch be extra nice, have an extra good reason, and even consider offering something (find a Coasian solution: offer your worse seat plus cash).

Continue Reading »

Park Hyatt New York Proves Why Hotel Loyalty Makes Sense

by Gary Leff

Park Hyatt New York Proves Why Hotel Loyalty Makes Sense
Jul 06 2019

I’ve reviewed this property several times, and a review (there’s a great pool!) isn’t the point of this post. Instead it’s elite benefits on a simple trip that I didn’t have to go halfway around the world to take advantage of.

There’s an important lesson for airlines, too. Increasingly airlines treat you based on how much you’re spending on a given ticket. But when you’re spending a lot on a ticket, at least when it’s not transatlantic business class where you need a night’s sleep before going straight to work on the other end, you may not even care much about the treatment. Real loyalty is secured on cheaper stays or points redemptions when you’re creating moments with family.

Continue Reading »

There’s Nothing Wrong With Flying Economy, Just Choose Your Airline Wisely

by Gary Leff

There's Nothing Wrong With Flying Economy, Just Choose Your Airline Wisely
Jul 06 2019

I recently spent a few hours in a Qantas coach seat onboard on of their Airbus A380s. I came away amazed by the experience. The seat itself was comfortable and well padded. I can’t say enough about the importance of padding, something that many modern ‘slimline’ seats designed to squeeze half an inch of space per row and make it possible to add more seats to the plane compromise on.

I fly Southwest Airlines all the time. Southwest has a motto ‘we do short better’ and Southwest coach is great for up to 3 hours or so. I wouldn’t love to fly them to Hawaii, but I’ll gladly jump on their Washington National – Austin flight since they’re the only one that can legally fly it and it saves me a connection.

Continue Reading »

RUH ROH: Now There’s a Problem With the 737 MAX’s Auto Pilot

by Gary Leff

airplane flying
Jul 05 2019

Details on the conditions under which the auto-pilot won’t promptly disengage aren’t yet available. However crucial seconds may matter in an emergency and this item is listed among critical issues Boeing must address. The FAA is looking to re-certify in conjunction with other major regulators, so EU insistence effectively means that Boeing has to solve this problem before the plane can fly again in the U.S. as well.

Continue Reading »

Southwest Airlines Will Status Match Over and Over and Over!

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Jul 05 2019

Southwest’s status match offer isn’t once in a lifetime. Under the terms they’ve described I should be able to status match using my American Airlines status once my current Southwest status expires, and do that each and every year.

As long as Southwest runs this offer, provided they honor its terms, elites with any US airline should be eligible for continued Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards A-List status — you just need to let your Southwest status lapse before applying again.

Continue Reading »

Airline Agrees to Launch New Route, Then Demands Bigger Subsidies Right Before First Flight

by Gary Leff

Airline Agrees to Launch New Route, Then Demands Bigger Subsidies Right Before First Flight
Jul 05 2019

Even by my standards Mexican low cost carrier Volaris has extreme chutzpah. Back in February they entered into a 12-month agreement to receive subsidies and fly twice-weekly between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico.

They started selling the flight. However last week the airline told the cities that unless they coughed up an additional $32,000 per roundtrip the service was off.

Continue Reading »