Nov 30 2016

United debuted their new Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare in the old club and first class lounge space at gate C18 today. This is a business (and first) class lounge. It is not a Star Alliance Gold lounge and not a United Club.

There’s a trend towards modestly improving membership-based lounges and substantially improving business class only lounges at least at United and American. As with changes to frequent flyer programs the best service and benefits go to those spending the most on a given trip, not over the course of a year or a lifetime.

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Nov 30 2016

Airlines have been trying to goose lagging stocks with share buybacks. Fundamentally airline stocks haven’t performed because there’s little chance of significant profit growth and spending cash to retire shares underscores that: it suggests that there’s no more profitable investment in front of the business, which suggests it’s not a strong growth play.

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Nov 30 2016

British Airways is looking to automate its service by getting passengers to swallow a pill that will communicate your needs to their crew.

The idea is to adapt technology currently in use in hospitals which, for instance, monitors whether patients take their pills so that cabin crew can stay up to speed with everyone onboard. This seems to go to great lengths to make sure customers don’t press the flight attendant call button.

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Nov 29 2016

American is temporarily re-branding their existing Flagship lounges as International First Class lounges as it prepares to introduce brand new business and first class Flagship Lounges in the coming months.

That’s because these new Flagship Lounges are going to be a new concept, rolled out as renovations to existing lounges and new builds are completed starting this spring. We’re going to see New York JFK opening first in a few months, followed by LAX by mid-year.

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Nov 29 2016

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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Nov 29 2016

Up until now if you wanted to redeem GarudaMiles for travel on their own flights you had to endure “award redemption in six easy steps.” Roughly speaking Garuda Indonesia’s frequent flyer program thought it was Korean. North Korean.

For all intents and purposes the introduction of online redemption makes Garuda Indonesia an actual partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards, not merely a theoretical one.

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Nov 29 2016

US airlines haven’t offered premium economy products on their own flights. American’s new premium economy, launched on the Boeing 787-9, is the first.

US airline frequent flyer programs haven’t offered the option for redeeming miles for premium economy.

Interestingly Delta SkyMiles is the first of the major US frequent flyer programs to offer premium economy redemption.

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Nov 29 2016

Elaine Chao, former Labor Secretary and former Deputy Secretary of Transportation, will apparently be nominated to become Secretary of Transportation.

She’s also former President of the United Way and a former board member of Northwest Airlines. Prior service at DOT includes a stint as deputy administrator of Maritime Administration.

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Nov 29 2016

United’s new business class Polaris soft product goes live December 1 and I spoke with Maria Walter, Managing Director of Product and Brand Strategy, about the roll out.

She emphasized how they’re viewing Polaris as more than just the seat. It’s the onboard service, food and amenities as well as lounges on the ground as well.

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Nov 29 2016

Yesterday a passenger on United’s flight UA1892 from New Orleans to Houston pulled the emergency exit door over the wing of the Boeing 737 on arrival and jumped out.

Apparently the flight’s early arrival meant it didn’t have a gate open.

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