Monthly Archives for June 2024.
While American Airlines and Southwest Airlines have used all their lobbying might to try to get the federal government to shut down competitor JSX – because JSX offers a product that consumers prefer to their own – the origin of the fight against JSX stems from the big pilot union. And it wasn’t even JSX they were really concerned with.
The American Airlines experiment in selling direct, and pressuring travel agents to adopt technologies (that don’t always work well) in order to offer ancillary sales like paid seat assignments – as well as a decision to back away from managed corporate discounts – didn’t just mean reduced revenue for the airline. It may also have been securities fraud.
American Airlines recommends arriving at the airport two hours before departure for domestic flights, and three hours for international flights. United Airlines recommends the same thing.
This week the Austin airport publicized recommendations to show up two and a half hours early for domestic flights and three for international. And Austin’s airport, while busy, has check-in desks right next to security, and the gates just past the checkpoints. There are no airport trains, and very few long walks. So what gives?
Southwest Airlines doesn’t pre-assign seats. Once you board you can take any open seat. There’s no rule against saving seats for other passengers. And it’s perfectly acceptable to subtly discourage other passengers from sitting beside you, though if they want to take the empty seat next to you they can. In this Hunger Games world of Southwest Airlines seat selection there’s basic game theory to defend and expand your turf – from saving seats, to boarding early, and figuring out whom you may want to sit next to you (if someone has to).
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
American is now rolling out buy back offers to AAirpass members. As with the other ConciergeKey buy backs, the offer is made by phone (with follow up email) rather than as an e-mail with online enrollment.
You can’t smoke on a plane. You can’t vape, either. Sometimes passengers sneak a drag in the lavatory – but disabling lavatory smoke detectors can cost you a fine up to $2,000.
Occasionally passengers just flat out smoke out in the open. One Delta Air Lines passenger decided to vape on the jet bridge prior to boarding. That’s not allowed, either. Do you think someone this brazen abstained for the rest of the flight?
An American Airlines customer flew beside an obese passenger. It was a full flight and they could not move. They did not get to use their entire seat, because the other passenger spilled over into theirs. Does American owe them compensation?
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
American Airlines has business class lounges at New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Miami and Dallas – Fort Worth. They’ve been promising a lounge for their primary transatlantic gateway, Philadelphia, for many years and it’s finally in sight.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
