News notes from around the interweb:
- Inside Delta’s command center the week the coronavirus devastated the airline industry
Face masks: A shipment of 500,000 was on its way, but delayed after part of the order was stolen off a supplier’s truck, supply chain manager Scott Boyd said the vendor told him. “By the end of the week Minneapolis will have more masks in their warehouse,” he said. “The truck was broken into, but they assured me 250,000 are still coming.”
- El Al putting 80% of workforce on unpaid leave and British Airways is preparing for layoffs. Meanwhile La Compagnie which flies Europe – New York in all business class has grounded itself since most Europeans cannot enter the U.S. presently.
- Pakistan is shutting its land borders and limiting international flights to just 3 airports it was mere days ago that the Qatar Airways tie-up was looking so good for American Airlines in part because of the 7 destinations Qatar serves in Pakistan… Poland, Denmark, Slovakia and Ukraine are closing their borders too.
- MGM Resorts announces layoffs, closures, ‘several’ employees with coronavirus
- Quit the Orwellian language: We get that extreme measures we may not like are going to be imposed as airlines struggle. Don’t tell us they’re changes we’re going to like. The latest example comes from Qantas which is suspending a travel agent incentive so that agents have “a better opportunity to succeed when the market picks up again.” Huh?
Separately broad marketing spend without clear metrics or direct ties to results may make sense to dial back – but incentive-based payouts would seem to be the last thing an airline would want to cut right now.
- Air Tahiti Nui’s Paris flights will bypass Los Angeles. These are primarily focused on French citizens who, coming from France, cannot enter the U.S.
- More United route cuts.
Good evening. Airline executives have told me, broadly, that Latin America has held up OK. But given #COVID19 is global now, that’s unlikely to last. @united is making these cuts, according to note to employees. pic.twitter.com/vcGamADv7L
— Brian Sumers (@BrianSumers) March 14, 2020
Sounds rather like the great toilet paper theft in HKG to me….
Yet, MGM won’t cut rates (including resort fees). I currently have a FHR rate booked at the Delano which includes a spa credit. I wonder if I’ll get something else since the spas will be closed.
@Jack :My personal maid told me awhile back that MGM doesn’t change the comforter between guests. Insist on it.
I’m not sure what you are planning to do here because all the buffets are closed, all the shows are dark, thousands have been laid off, and do you really want to be handling cash or chips?
Ask Gary for my number. Give me a call and you can come over and play with my cloned dogs and I’ll deal 21 to you. No limit.
@Jack: I have more booze than the casinos because I stocked up during a sale, so there’s that too.
Also, no toilet paper needed. I have bidets. Automated bidets!
Sounds like fun?