News and notes from around the interweb:
- Former American Airlines Vice President infers that the unions expect CEO Robert Isom to be replaced – that’s why they’re calling for his ouster, they want to be seen as having had influence in the decision.
- Get paid $2,510 to stay 4 nights on Calala Island this works with Hilton Honors award stays.
- Cash out Bilt Cash dollar-for-dollar for cash at Walgreens but only in California and limited to $10/mo.
- Thousands of people tried to scam Bilt for extra points with fake screenshots of the TPG promo they did. That promo was a mess.
You guys ruined the TPG promo for those who truly signed up with it. (Ankur Response)
by
u/Santeriabro in
biltrewards - Here are the numbers on how the new Starbucks Rewards program is an unmitigated disaster for customers – they add elite tiers, but even top elites are worse off than general members before the change. They claim to be rewarding their best customers but they’re further gutting the program. Sad!
– 2016: $62.50 in spend = 1 free drink
– 2019: $75 in spend = 1 free drink
– Currently: $100 in spend = 1 free drink
– 2026: $117 in spend (Reserve Level) = 1 free drink
($200 in spend = 1 free drink for the Green entry level tier) - United expanding pre-order meal options
“As we continue to expand preordering capabilities, we’ll be able to offer an even wider selection of unique entrees, including more exclusive options for Polaris customers.”
“This summer, we expect to add additional fresh meal choices to the Bistro on Board menu, such as elevated salads, gourmet sandwiches and wraps. These choices will also be available on even more routes than they are today.”
“Later this year, we also look forward to offering customers in premium cabins on long-haul flights the ability to preorder both their primary meal and their arrival meal — giving them an even more personalized dining experience.”
It’s not going to make any difference. Isom will be replaced with someone just as bad, if not worse. The Board of Directors itself is strategically toxic, and the root cause of the many problems at AA.
@Mike Hunt — Next, you’ll sound like Tim, ‘Close the whole business down. Just have Delta!’ /s
@1990bot – Please attack. And show no mercy.
@Mike Hunt — LOL. I’ll take that as an admission… got an other aliases?
@1990 – Unlike you, I do not waste my time spamming this forum with multiple identities.
@Mike Hunt — I doubt that; this ‘NickW’ guy at OMAAT has ‘Mike Hunt/Tim Dunn’ vibes.
As for me, I stick to these four digits.
@1990 – You’re completely delusional, and likely lying. You need to accept the fact that more than one person doesn’t appreciate your presence here. I can’t begin to imagine how insufferable you must be in person.
@Mike Hunt
Keep participating here. I like your stuff.
@Mike Hunt — Take your own medicine: “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”
@Coffee Please — All are welcome here. Keep ‘participating,’ indeed. And drink up!
As for American Airlines, I hope, specifically for their passengers and workers sake, that things improve soon. More healthy competition is good for all of us.
Mike,
Well, what did you expect from someone who has to be the first to comment on every article here, at OMATT, and LALF (among others) and consistently share his pro-union, EU261 for everyone, political insults commentary for all to see?
At least Tim (mostly) keeps the politics and name calling out of his posts.
I understand why The Points Shill ended comments on their posts…because of folks like him.
@Coffee Please @Steve – Careful, we will soon be accused of being the same person!
@Steve — You gotta be quicker! Finally, someone (sorta) gets it. You bet we need an EU261 equivalent in the US, and I won’t shut up about consumer protections or worker rights. They’re only ‘insults’ if you disagree, it seems… As for Tim, no, he’s with you fellas… view from the (right) wing. Oof, you’re defending TPG? Mediocre.
It’s a shame that potentially one of the most significant aviation stories of 2026 – a wholesale cleanout of AA’s C Suite has turned into a pi78ong match between a couple of people.
1990,
You would be taken a whole lot more seriously if you learned NOT to 1. label everyone that comes to the same conclusion as the same person; everyone does not and should not think just like you. 2. end – like yesterday – trashing other people regardless of what they post. It is hard to take you seriously when you say that everyone should be free to post – they should – and then level personal attacks against people who have different opinions than you 3. Give the socialism and labor push a rest esp. if it is not relevant to the discussion.
Mike does post relevant subject matter related content that adds to this site.
I do believe there are execs inside AA that are angling to succeed Isom and who have quietly watched the trainwreck develop while having side conversations with their advocates on the board which, while complicit in AA’s two decade plus long downfall, doesn’t really want to see a company fail that they oversaw.
Too many at AA have been content that AA could simply just hover above the surface. It is UA’s vicious attack at ORD that has spurred some to realize that it is not a given that AA can survive without major changes given the bleeding that will happen at ORD.
Gary is right; unions love to jump on something that was going to happen and claim they made it happen.
AA might or might not be able to turn itself around w/o deep cuts but yesterday would have been a great day to pull out all the stops and figure out if it can work.
Cranky’s article yesterday discussed some of the strategies that AA might employ to turn itself around.
The issue is that the BOD needs to be in it for the long haul. AA has a lot of little to medium size problems that result in being uncompetitive. From not having rampers available when a plane pulls in, usually late to a hub with connections, to in some cases an inferior product.
Sure, AA could get rid of Oasis and have better domestic first meals-or at least the quality of what was offered pre COVID. When incidentally those seats were filled mostly for free. But will it result in higher fares?
Not every solution is going to work out financially, particularly in the airline industry where the flying public has been led to believe you can have PanAm Clipper Service for Frontier fares. Just look at any travel blog.
What Delta has understood better than most is that its the loyalty program that makes the money, and you continue to earn loyalty by having a very good operation. Self perpetuating cycle. Sure we’ve got some new D1 lounges, but most of the bread and butter loyalty is not about that. Folks spend on their Delta Amex cards because the brand is more powerful than the points.
UA potentially understands that message but it does not have the smoothest relationship with its loyalty partner in Chase and its operations are only so-so (and EWR is a perpetual mess).
AA for some reason decided to pull away from high earner cities when it thought that it would emulate a low cost model (hello Oasis). It’s why they have brand new planes without extra legroom seating. And when things pivoted away from low cost models making any sense (5+ years ago), apparently no one told the entire C-suite at AA. They just are coming around to realizing that operations are table stakes (thanks Gary) and that you need to invest in high earner cities (ORD) and a route network that adds some intrigue (although that we’re dreaming list from yesterday was clearly too little too late).
Do I think it’s too late for AA? Nope. But they need to clean house. Promoting from within is not going to do it.
@Tim Dunn — No one is that ‘serious’ on here, yourself included. Doesn’t make it any less fun. Also, ‘fun’ how @Mike Hunt on here, and @NickW on OMAAT, seem to align with your opinions… hmm.
@Peter — Yes, Delta-Amex is the driver; United-Chase less-so; American-Citi even less. Lately, I’ve been saying, and it seems to be the unspoken truth, that these airlines aren’t profiting off flying anymore; whereas elsewhere it may be subsidies, in the USA, it’s all about the loyalty programs, the ‘banks with wings’ model, which is nearly completely unregulated, so much so, that AAL is pretending it makes no-money, and therefore cannot possibly pay its people better, when in reality, it’s all just an accounting trick. Who’s winning? Clearly, C-Suite, unless they get booted. Some shareholders. Banks? Probably.