American Airlines has gone for an injunction against their mechanics’ union, accusing them of a work slowdown leading to “650 flight cancellations and more than 1500 maintenance delays” affecting 125,000 customers, according to a letter sent to employees. They contend that the degree of issues they’ve faced would be “one-in-one billion” if left to chance rather than the result of “concerted activity.”
Delta’s New Austin Club Has a Sky Deck — and It’s Gorgeous
Delta’s new SkyClub in the Austin airport opens Tuesday morning. It’s gorgeous on the inside, features more substantive food options than the United and American clubs in the same airport, and features an furnished outdoor observation deck area with misters for the summer heat and heat lamps for the few days each year it’s cold.
For an outstation hoping to become a focus city like Austin this new club is an absolute winner — and will be a draw for flying Delta.
The Weirdest Things You Can Buy in an Airport
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.
Why Hong Kong’s Rejection of Cathay Pacific Advertising is a Show of Strength for Beijing
Hong Kong’s airport and mass transit refused to display a Cathay Pacific ad which depicts two men walking on the beach holding hands with a slogan ‘move beyond’.
While this highlights continued lack of tolerance for homosexuality in Hong Kong, and backlash as societies undergo transformation, it also signals a broader discomfort in Hong Kong with social movements as Beijing asserts its influence over the increasingly less independent region.
A Ticketing Loophole That Lets You Save Money on Airfare Without Breaking Any Rules
Throwaway ticketing – buying a ticket to a different city than the one you’re actually traveling to in order to save money – is against the rules at most airlines. It’s against the rules, that is, unless you get your ticket issued in Italy with certain airlines, which turns out to be surprisingly easy to do.
Oscar Munoz and Ed Bastian Offer Two Competing Visions for Airline Customer Service
It’s a mistake to start with the operation rather than the customer. It’s also a mistake to start with competitors rather than customers. Understand what your customers need, and use that to make decisions around how best to provide that.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker’s Advice to Graduates
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.
This Airport Chair Workout Will Make You Look Like an Idiot Before Getting You Arrested
Shape magazine wants you to be a terrible airline passenger. They aren’t asking you to take off your socks and clip your toenails while resting your feet on the arm rest of the passenger in front of you. Instead they want you to take up a ton of space in the gate area and stand on the airport’s chairs.
Four Amazing Award Redemptions Thanks to 2 Bank Programs Offering Transfer Bonuses at the Same Time
A couple of days ago I wrote about Delta One business class suites to Asia for as little as 47,000 points each way with availability for 4 or more and sometimes even 9 passengers per flight.
Now two transferable points programs are running transfer bonuses to Virgin at the same time. In addition to a 30% bonus transferring American Express Membership Rewards points to Virgin Atlantic through July 1, points transfers from Citi ThankYou Rewards to Virgin Atlantic receive a 30% bonus through June 22.
Hotel Discount Deal Comes With All Meals, Premium Scotch and Champagne
Hotels and resorts that make their money on gambling or in-house services want to fill their properties, and keep guests on property. Old School Vegas did this by treating guests well, especially their big spenders. And they did this through lavish buffets and shows offered at surprisingly affordable prices.
Mohegan Sun, the Connecticut casino hotel a couple of hours from Boston and about three hours from New York, has a cheap rate that comes with decadent meals and unlimited top shelf alcohol. It shouldn’t be hard to eat and drink more than the cost of the room on any given night, and that’s the sort of value proposition only old school casino hotels can offer.