News and notes from around the interweb:
- Many of you will be familiar with the American Airlines attempts to push travel agencies to move to ‘new districtibution capability’ for booking tickets. They restricted the lowest fares to only that platform. They threatened not to award miles for tickets issued by agencies that didn’t make the shift. And then they backed off. They lost too much business (notably, most of the bookings from people redeeming Amex and Chase points through travel portals).
Former American Airlines revenue exec Cory Garner lays out how United is pushing the same thing – with new features that will primarily be available for those making the shift – carrot rather than stick, but one agencies will want to jump on so that they can offer features to their clients that competitors will have.Of those available today, the two of most import are split tender and omni channel servicing. The former means the traveler can use the company’s form of payment for everything that’s in policy, and their own for anything that isn’t (e.g., more legroom, upgrades). The latter means the customer can create a booking in their hashtag#TMC and service in the direct channel, or vice versa, without degrading servicing, reporting, or duty of care. This is a fundamental capability for a world in which more bookings leak into the airline direct (or hashtag#AI direct connect) channel.
Of those coming in 2026, I predict credit pooling will be the killer app. For those using modern channels, it will be the end of the unused ticket. Corporates will have a centralized pool of unused funds from which to purchase tickets for any traveler. With every killer app, the heat rises on channels that have not yet fully replumbed on NDC.
- The American Airlines AAdvantage E-shopping and Delta Airlines Skymiles Shopping portals have launched card-linked, in-store offers remember that AAdvantage mileage-earning this way counts 1:1 towards status.
- Portguese regulators pushed Ryanair to agree to continue printing paper boarding passes at the airport for free for anyone who checks in online.
- SAS EuroBonus introduces lifetime Diamond status after 10 years of Diamond. The Diamond level is 11 years old.
- Amex Now Requires SSN to Add Authorized Users “Previously you had up to 60 days from the date the Card is issued to provide Social Security Number (SSN) or International Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for an authorized user. If you did not provide their Social Security Number within 60 days, the Additional Card Member’s Card will be canceled. But you could still use the card during those 60 days.”
- 250 Rove Miles for taking a survey on which transfer partners they should add
- Oakland airport asks 9th Circuit to vacate order prohibiting it from changing name to ‘San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport’
- Victims’ Families Ask the Fifth Circuit to Overturn the Dismissal of the Criminal Case Against Boeing They have outstanding counsel, but the argument seems to be that the court believed it was obligated to side with Boeing, but it actually had discretion, and it should use that discretion to reverse itself. That seems like a long shot.
Ok, so, United tries ‘carrots’ where American tried ‘sticks.’ I remain skeptical that such ‘pooling’ is going to help passengers, rather, gonna help corporations, but, I guess that’s how it goes when traveling OPM (Other Peoples’ Money). The real question, for @Tim Dunn, is what is Delta gonna do, now that United is ‘changing the game’ (or is that all mere ‘puffery’ by your competition, Tim). After all, Delta was the last of the three major U.S. carriers to fully commit to NDC.
Your last update, “Victims’ Families Ask the Fifth Circuit to Overturn the Dismissal of the Criminal Case Against Boeing,” is a ‘long-shot,’ not because they’re wrong, rather because this administration let Boeing off the hook. The government had a literal guilty plea, a significant compensation scheme for the victim’s families, and real mechanisms for future accountability, yet, #47 gave Boeing and its execs a get-out-of-jail-free card. Sickening.
The OAK people whining about not being able to include “San Francisco” in the name of the airport are like people from Fort Worth whining about people referring to DFW as “Dallas.”
@Brian L. — Yeah, reminds me of the whole Newark (EWR) being referred to as ‘New York/Newark.’ Yeah, it’s one of the three major NYC airports (then again, we do also have HPN, ISP, and SWF, all within 30-60 miles of the city. Likewise, London has LHR, LGW, LCY, LTN, STN, and SEN all within about 40 miles, all technically referred to as ‘LON’ if you search for them on many flight search engines. And Los Angeles area has 5, LAX, BUR, LGB, SNA, ONT, all within 40 miles, too. But, let’s be real, most folks fly via SFO, JFK, EWR, LHR, LGW, LAX.
For ‘OAK’ to go from ‘Oakland International Airport’ to ‘San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport’ (in 2024, before it was challenged), and now, ‘Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport,’ adopted by the Port of Oakland’s Board of Port Commissioners in July 2025. What an odd rivalry between neighboring cities. Then again, there’s also SJC, San José International Airport, which hasn’t even bothered to try to include the ‘Bay’ or ‘San Francisco’ names, even though SFO, OAK, and CJC are all about 30 miles away from each other and only two are technically ‘on the bay.’
Maybe Oakland could change it’s name to “San Francisco Bay City of Oakland” to strengthen the name change of it’s airport.
Given the talk of Eurobonus being folded into Flying Blue blue next year, I’m not sure that Diamond for Life is going to stick around very long…
@jns — I thought you’d’ve gone with ‘Oakland “Sanctuary City” International.’ (Recall Ordinance No. 13515.) Or, perhaps, they’d prefer ‘San(s-Tech-Bros) Francisco Oakland Airport.’ (Or, have those ‘types’ all flooded back into the Bay from Texas now that the pandemic is over…)
@Patrick — That would kinda would make sense, actually. Sorta like how Avois is the shared loyalty currency for several airlines (BA, IB, QR, AY, EI, VY, LM).
Ugh. Too much *would.