Oct 14 2015

I’m planning to fly American Airlines — on a legacy US Airways route — on Saturday morning. That’s the day when US Airways flights become American flights, and so American Airlines as a single airline will be the largest carrier in the world.

I’m flying out and back to a former US Airways hub city on the day the two airlines are combining as one in order to see the merger integration in action. On the whole airlines do not have a very good track record at this, although indications so far are that American’s is going very well.

I’ll be on a 6 a.m. flight so I can watch the start of the day, I’ll leave security on arrival and poke around, and take in the airport experience as passengers fly and employees operate as American Airlines for the first time.

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Oct 14 2015

I got an email from United yesterday telling me that this year’s new revenue-based mileage earning program is great because on a recent expensive short flight I earned an extra 456 miles.

Only flyers on the whole aren’t better off, earning more miles than behind. And the miles they’re earning are worth less. But if United says they did it for your own good often enough they’re hoping you believe it.

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Oct 14 2015

United announced meal service upgrades today with the biggest changes for domestic premium cabins.

There will be new choices on premium cross country flights between Newark and Los Angeles/San Francisco and in international business class. Domestic first class flights over three hours that depart between 1:30 and 3:59pm will get lunch. And Hawaii and cross country redeye departures will get a meal service.

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Oct 14 2015

Last week I broke the news that Marriott would be introducing four new benefits. Perhaps as a result Marriott decided to tease those benefits a couple of days later.

Here are details on Marriott’s new benefits — including cash and points — including when it makes sense to redeem cash and points awards versus regular free nights.

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Oct 14 2015

A woman gave birth prematurely last week on a China Airlines flight from Taipei to Los Angeles. This is surprisingly common, with a woman giving birth earlier this month on a Jazeera Airways flight (that child will receive free flights until age 18).

The plane was diverted to Anchorage but managed to arrive in Los Angeles only 3 hours late. Meanwhile, the crew did a phenomenal job delivering the baby — and it was caught on video..!

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Oct 13 2015

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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Oct 13 2015

Back in February, the big US airlines — United, Delta, and American — began a campaign to get the federal government to limit flying to the US by the big Middle Eastern airlines Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar.

3 federal agencies have been considering this. The Justice Department, though, has provided guidance on the law and it doesn’t look good for the protectionist requests by the major US airlines.

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Oct 13 2015

American AAdvantage is stacking a purchased miles bonus with a discount through November 13 that lets you buy miles for ~ 2.1 cents a mile.

I assume the two are combined, rather than making a more straight-forward offer, in order to make this sound more exciting and a also a little more opaque in terms of doing the math.

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Oct 13 2015

The Wall Street Journal carried a piece on new gift cards that will be sold in grocery stores and office supply stores that let you purchase stock.

That means you’ll be able to buy stocks — which of course can be easily sold — conveniently, with a credit card, at retail outlets.

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Oct 13 2015

Qantas currently operates the longest flight in the world, Sydney – Dallas, with an Airbus A380.

Emirates is launching Dubai – Panama City as the new longest flight in the world operated by a Boeing 777-200LR.

But Singapore Airlines is poised to take the title when it re-launches non-stop service to the US, most likely in 2018, with new Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft.

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