American Airlines Has A Goal: Cancel More Than 1% Of Flights

by Gary Leff

News and notes from around the interweb:

  • Wait, the American Airlines goal is to cancel more than 1% of flights? (From an internal David Seymour memo to employees):

  • United will open its new business class Polaris lounge at Washington Dulles this month, across from the United Club at gate C17. This will be the airline’s first international business lounge open since the start of the pandemic. We’re waiting on a re-opening of San Francisco, Chicago O’Hare, Newark and Houston.

    These are the best business class lounges in the U.S. – with menu-based dining (though the Polaris Burger is overrated) – with far more limited entry requirements than American Airlines Flagship lounges. I’d still take American’s Flagship Dining over them, and Air Canada’s Signature Suites.


    Polaris Lounge Houston

  • Lufthansa will start charging for alcohol in coach on long haul flights

  • Why airlines keep changing their terms and conditions

  • Here’s the American Airlines upgrade offer I see for a short flight later this month. It seems to me they should be able to populate the photo of first class based on actual aircraft in the itinerary (both my flights are on narrowbodies, not widebodies with lie flat seats).

    Oddly though the offer says “No AAdvantage® miles, Elite Qualifying Miles, Segments or Dollars earned” which makes it sound like buying up to first class gets me basic economy restrictions, when they’re actually saying I don’t earn anything for the buy up, which is a questionable decision I understand they’d like to change.

  • Spirit Airlines sponsors the exclusive club level at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. And it’s done up in Spirit Airlines yellow. How is this venue on-brand?

About Gary Leff

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 »

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Comments

  1. They’d like to change the decision to not offer miles and credit for buy ups to first? Then why not just . . . do it? Are they waiting for someone else to do it for them? I would think if they would like to make a change then they should just, make a change?

  2. Gary normally I just sigh at your clickbait titles, but in this instance your title was not what was said and can not be interpreted that way. Completion goal is exactly the opposite of cancellation goal.

  3. I think the way to read that is they were at 95% completion (bad) and their goal was to improve to AT LEAST 98% (better) or something akin to this and they instead hit 99% completion, therefore achieving better than their goal.

  4. @Jim A 99% completion goal is the same as a 1% cancellation goal. Ponder the following: if disaster strikes and you’re forced to either take an action that sacrifices the lives of 20% of a population or take a different action that will save 80% of that population, what would you choose? I’d definitely pick the second, because saving lives is good, just like completing flights.

  6. Their goal was to fly more than 98 percent, not to cancel more than 1 percent. They weren’t trying to cancel more than one percent, just didn’t think only one percent was achievable. I guess they got lucky with weather and crew availability. It’s not like they would cancel flights if they were on target for 100 percent to get to a one percent cancellation rate.

  7. LOL- Great title to the this thread.The spinners are likely financial guys who are amazing with power points.

  8. Is the Spirit sponsored executive club level at the Broward Center a Fight Club? It would make sense given that Spirit’s motto should be Fights on Flights.

  9. They need to start giving some damn refunds to people that cancel their flights, and stop overcharging on baggage. They owe me $700 and I don’t believe their flights are safe at all. Fly Southwest if you have a brain. These people are corrupt, oh and they are struggling with debt, so that’s why they keep your money. Oh not to mention throwing 2 year olds off the plane because she has asthma, and can’t wear a mask. Look up all the complaints, if you have several weeks, or months to read them.

  11. @gary is the reason you have such hate towards AA that you got caught trying to scam the AAvantage desk ?

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