United is already taking significant steps to reduce spending in the face of coronavirus. They’ve instituted a hiring freeze, they’re delaying raises for non-union employees, and they’re reducing their flight schedules.
Now they’re refusing to give customers refunds even if they change schedules so the flights you buy operate on a different day.
Like Delta (Sky Bonus) and United (Perks Plus), American Airlines has a small business program. It’s designed for companies that aren’t going to have corporate-level agreements with an airline that come with discounts or rebates. Instead they offer points redeemable for travel and services from the airline.
The good news is that even some of the smallest businesses can join and can ‘double dip’. The traveler earns frequent flyer miles as usual, and the company earns points in the separate Business ExtrAA program on top.
It’s important for an airline or hotel chain to be able to use the loyalty program to goose travel, rather than just giving away the store without travel. So how do we understand status extensions, versus taking a wait and see approach and maybe using a double qualifying offer later in the year?
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Self-serve snacks go away, recycling is being reduced, and passengers aren’t going to be putting their virus-laden hands in the bread basket or the snack basket. The reminder here that alcohol in mini bottles is not a disinfectant apparently needed to be said? If it’s less than 60% alcohol it’s not going to help. American Airlines doesn’t serve Everclear.
Last fall LAX banned taxis and ridesharing services from picking up passengers curbside. Passengers were bused to an off airport lot where they’d meet their ride. (The lot is actually an easy walk from the Southwest terminal 1.)
Initially after banning curbside pickups chaos ensued but after enlarging the lot and getting better signage the process wound up being merely inconvenient.
Keep planning trips, there will be great deals – far better than what we’ve seen so far – but don’t make non-refundable plans. Frequent flyer redemptions are usually the most changeable. Coronavirus and the economy are going to get worse. Some airlines will fail, and others may merge. It’s wise to begin preparing.
At the end of the day the most important thing is to keep living life, while being flexible to adapt to new information.
We’re well past where it makes sense to offer flexibility only to new ticket purchases. Qatar is not only extending their flexible change policy to existing, already-purchased tickets they’re providing the option to take a travel voucher good for a year from date of issue – customers aren’t limited to traveling within a year of their original ticket purchase.
Different airlines and hotel chains are taking different approaches to the coronavirus – not just to the falloff in travel, but to making sure traveling with them is a safe experience for their guests. I reached out to several airlines and hotel companies to ask about changes to their cleaning practices in response to the virus. I was surprised by how varied the responses were.
I’m much more likely to have confidence in the airlines and hotel chains that signal they are taking the spread of coronavirus most seriously.
The American Express Centurion Lounge LAX opens Monday in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and features a spa, celebrity chef meals, and more.
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 »
