Jun 15 2017

At the American Airlines annual stockholders meeting yesterday, airline Chairman and CEO Doug Parker noted that they earn less revenue for flying similar distances than their two largest competitors. That means, he suggests, they have low hanging fruit to improve their financial performance. All they have to do is catch up.

That’s why, he says, they’re moving from a strategy of producing the most available seat miles at the lowest possible cost to one where they earn a revenue premium by investing in their product.

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Jun 15 2017

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.

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Jun 14 2017

The Chairman of China’s Anbang Insurage Group, which owns the Waldorf=Astoria New York and other hotels in the U.S. and which tried to buy Starwood ultimately being outbid by Marriott, has reportedly been detained.

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Jun 14 2017

On Friday I reached out to American Airlines because they were collecting carrier-imposed surcharges when using AAdvantage miles for British Airways awards even on an itinerary where there are no such surcharges.

And there’s already a resolution — great responsiveness on American’s part for their members.

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Jun 14 2017

Hyatt informed its hotel owners last week that it intends to terminate its distribution agreement with Expedia. This is a negotiating tactic to drive down the commissions it pays.

If they don’t reach a new agreement by July 31, then on August 1 we’ll see Hyatt properties disappear from Expedia and related brands (Hotels.com, Orbitz, Hotwire, Travelocity, Wotif).

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Jun 14 2017

A week ago two passengers joined the Mile High Club in their seats while onlooking passengers filmed it (and flight crew refused to get involved).

Here’s the not totally safe for work video — and the rest of the story.

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Jun 14 2017

You know how some kids just have to touch the stove when their parents tell them it’s hot?

Right after an announcement that passengers shouldn’t touch the emergency exit door unless it’s an emergency a passenger on Xiamen Airlines flight MF8118 on Monday opened an exit door deploying the slide — because she was ‘curious’. She faces detention and significant costs.

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Jun 14 2017

Etihad launched San Francisco – Abu Dhabi in November 2014. They reduced frequency on the route to 3 times weekly back on February 1. Now they’re eliminating the route entirely October 29.

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Jun 14 2017

Surveillance video shows 71 year old Ronald Tigne shoved to the ground by a United Airlines customer service agent.

He says he asked the employee “for a new boarding pass because the one he had was garbled” but that the agent replied, “Can’t you see we’re busy?” (though the agents weren’t helping other customers at the time). Mr. Tigne told the agent to “wipe that smile off his face” and the agent is said to have responded, “I’ll kick your…” and that’s when he shoved the man to the ground.

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