Elliott Capital took nearly a $2 billion stake in Southwest Airlines. They are seeking to replace top management and turn the airline into something closer to major competitors like American and JetBlue by charging for bags and creating basic economy fares.
To fend off Elliott Capital from gaining a controlling stake in the carrier, the airline has adopted a ‘shareholder rights plan’ – also known as a ‘poison pill’.
American Express will open a Centurion lounge at Tokyo Haneda airport. It will be on the fourth floor of terminal 3, and is slated to open next year. The lounge is be approximately 7,350 square feet with seating for 122 passengers.
It looks as though Delta is refusing to let a child sit in the seat they’d purchased for the child but that’s not true. The passenger was technically in the wrong here – though the airline handled it badly, and ultimately compensated the customer.
I hadn’t even realized there was a new Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Premier Visa Signature® Credit Card for U.S. customers until reader M.E. flagged it for me. And it’s sure a strange one!
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Yesterday a Delta business class award from the U.S. to Europe would have cost 50,000 points and $5.60. Now there are $1,000 surcharges and prices up to 77,500 for non-stop flights. Los Angeles – New York – London can cost 127,500 points.
Three years ago American Airlines promoted a hypothetical maybe order for electric aircraft using taxpayer bailout funds. Now they’re promoting a hypothetical maybe order for hydrogen-fueled aircraft while positioning themselves as unable to afford higher wages for flight attendants.
Airline caterer Gate Gourmet may face a strike at the end of the month, as the National Mediation Board released union UNITE HERE from negotiations and into a 30-day cooling off period. The caterer says they’ve made an “industry-leading offer” that the union has rejected.
Hopefully this messaging suggests we’re closer than ever to a new agreement that both sides can live with – and then that the union can sell the contract they negotiate to flight attendants, who have been promised that the wait will be worth it in terms of big raises and full retro pay for four and a half years since their deal became amendable.
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 »
