United Airlines just lost a ruling before a federal judge in California, certifying a class action lawsuit by flight attendants who claim information is missing off of their pay stubs – even though the information is provided to them in a separate document.
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.
Lufthansa “regrets the circumstances surrounding the decision to exclude the affected passengers from the flight” but nowhere in their statement do they say the word “Jews.” Instead they simply refer to “a large group” though they at least now acknowledge that this ‘group’ that shall not be named was banned whether or not any individual had acted improperly.
They apologize for “the offense caused and personal impact” while stating their ‘core values’ of ‘diversity and equal opportunity.’ They’re unwilling to simply say anti-semitism is unacceptable at Lufthansa. They felt the need to couch it in terms of their opposition to racism and to discrimination “of any type” though no other type was at issue here.
Not to be left behind, Air France will retrofit 12 Boeing 777s with a new business class offering doors. They expect that it will begin flying in September, first on the New York JFK – Paris route. The planes won’t have first class, so presumably will swap with existing Boeing 777-200 frequencies that do not offer first either.
Brian wanted to propose to his girlfriend. He contacted the Reno airport, and arranged to do it at security. TSA, naturally, has photos. He popped the right right after going through screening. And it appears that she said yes.
We hear about stories of passengers beating up flight attendants, flight attendants having disputes with their airline or union, and flight attendants scolding customers. Maybe they’re kicking off passengers for their attire or – for much of the pandemic – over mask violations.
Most of the time, though, interactions between customers and cabin crew are genuine and human. We just don’t hear about it.
The Bank of America-issued U.S. credit card for Air France KLM Flying Blue has an offer that’s better than any I’ve seen before. And it’s interesting for more than just the bonus miles. It opens up elite status and potentially first class awards, too.
There are certain sounds, sights, and flavors that evoke travel. It wasn’t originally intended this way, but George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue means United Airlines. For years Portico’s ‘white ginger’ smell meant Hyatt Regency, though I suppose Westin’s ‘white tea’ smell is more well-known. The flavor of Tortas Frontera sandwiches is the sine qua non of Chicago O’Hare airport for me.
But maybe there’s a new competitor, because there’s a sound which bellows down the hallways at terminals in Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Las Vegas and Austin that I just cannot get out of my head.
2022 is a weird year. Travel is booming, but only in certain places and only certain kinds of travel. What’s more, the Omicron surge meant the year started off slow for many members. So while we’ll see plenty of frequent flyers earning elite status, there are many still on the sidelines.
Aeroplan is out with a way for members to keep their status through 2023: earn 30,000 points with an Aeroplan co-brand credit card between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. This is on top of elite status accelerators announced in February.
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.
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 »
