Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for February 2021.

American Airlines Flight Attendants Need 50 Years With The Company To Get A Schedule Out Of Phoenix

by Gary Leff

Feb 10 2021

American Airlines isn’t operating as many flights as it used to. They’ve downsized their Phoenix flight attendant base as well. US Airways needed a large contingent out of Phoenix before merging with American, because it was the airline’s only hub west of Charlotte. That’s no longer the case.

Many flight attendants who weren’t furloughed back in the fall have transferred to other cities. Those that remain are only getting assigned to flight schedules right now, versus working reserve, if they’ve been with the company for fifty years. You’d need a start date in the summer of 1971 to avoid working reserve right now.

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Why Requiring Covid Testing For Domestic Travel Could Cost More Lives Than It Saves

by Gary Leff

Feb 10 2021

For the past few weeks the Biden administration has considered requiring a negative Covid test in order to take a domestic flight. However air travel restrictions may actually compromise public health, rather than contributing to it or even being neutral.

If air travel is more costly and comes with greater hassle, people may drive instead of fly, and driving is less safe. More people may die on the roads.

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Alaska Will Join oneworld Next Month, But oneworld Awards Wait Until Summer

by Gary Leff

first class
Feb 10 2021

Alaska Airlines will become the second U.S. airline in the global oneworld alliance, along with American Airlines, effective March 31. But it turns out Alaska Airlines miles will not be redeemable on oneworld airlines that haven’t already been partners in the Mileage Plan program at that time. Instead mileage redemption on new partners in oneworld will have to wait until summer.

In other words Alaska Airlines has rushed the work to join oneworld, and will actually join before it’s done. This means customers will be able to earn miles on new airlines, crediting to their Mileage Plan account – and more airlines will award airlines for travel on Alaska – but customers don’t gain access to spend those miles on more airlines for a few more months.

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United Places $1 Billion Electric Aircraft Order, Invests In Manufacturer

by Gary Leff

Feb 10 2021

United Airlines announced this morning that it has made a commitment of more than a billion dollars to electric aircraft through a partnership with Archer Aviation to develop air taxis for urban markets, while asking the federal government for a multi-billion dollar third bailout.

The deal has United acquiring 200 electric planes that travel up to 60 miles, providing a cost and speed advantage to the airport compared to UberX and helicopters.

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China’s Domestic Air Travel Has Collapsed, Were They Telling The Truth About Recovery?

by Gary Leff

temple
Feb 09 2021

China’s initial Covid-19 outbreak was probably 40 times worse than they reported.

While much blame for lack of transparency is leveed at the national government, early on it’s likely local officials who downplayed the severity of the crisis. Now President Xi relies on projecting an image that China has beaten back the virus and is among the best in the world at doing so. Without this his re-election is at risk. What does a 50% year-over-year drop in air travel after China supposedly beat the virus say?

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Alert: 8+ Delta Business Class Award Seats To Israel For December Holidays

by Gary Leff

Feb 09 2021

Saver awards in business class are wide open flying Delta to Israel for the end of 2021. Israel is likely to have nearly their entire population vaccinated soon, if you’re looking for a place you might bet on opening up to travel for later this year it’s a reasonable bet to make.

Each flight showing availability has between 2 and 8 or more business class award seats available (8 is the most shown even when there are more than 8 available).

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Federal Mask Mandate Could Become Law, And Cabin Crew Given Vaccine Priority In Future Pandemics

by Gary Leff

Feb 09 2021

Airlines already had mask rules before the President directed the bureaucracy to make it a mandate. Penalties aren’t really greater than before (just $250 for a first refusal), and there are more exceptions – for instance airlines now have to allow medical exemptions to mask wearing which American, United, and Southwest didn’t offer before.

The mask order, which runs until rescinded by the CDC or until the Secretary of Health and Human Services rescinds the declaration of a public health emergency, could become a law, and airline workers could be given priority for as-yet-undiscovered vaccines with uncertain benefit profiles in future hypothetical pandemics. In other words, just your average week in Congress.

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