American Airlines passengers have built Austin into a make-your-own connecting hub, using the ramp-up in Austin destinations and the run-up in prices for flights they’d traditionally take as an excuse to use this smaller, friendlier airport for easy connections and savings. That’s helped achieve record-high load factors for Austin flights, even for the airline’s new routes.
‘Agent Assist’ software is going to clear standby lists earlier on these domestic mainline flights.
That’s going to make it harder to run up to a gate and get on the standby list, getting to your destination earlier. But it’s going to make it easier to upgrade when you do stand by and make it onto a flight.
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.
I reported two weeks ago to expect announcements from American Airlines at the start of June extending systemwide upgrade expiration again and offering further incentives for earning elite status this year.
It appears that the American Airlines IT shop is out ahead of their Corporate Communications team, because systemwide upgrades have already been extended in accounts.
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.
On Ryanair’s flight from Ibiza, Spain to Milan, Italy on May 26th, a woman returning home went into a rage after being asked to wear her face mask properly. The woman in an open shirt, short shorts, and her mask below her face started yelling at passengers who wanted her to don the mask, and spit on passengers as well.
For her part, the woman responded with a video in Italian saying she was ‘frustrated’ and ‘unlucky’ and threatening everyone who distributed copies of the videos they took of her on board.
Everyone thought the pandemic was going to last longer and be worse for the economy, and made plans that they’ve now come to regret. Rental car companies sold off their fleets. Cars are scarce because manufacturers didn’t order the chips they’d need. So we’re looking at long rental car lines, and in some cases sky high prices up to $600 a day.
There’s an easy solution that would help customers, airlines, hotels, and more – but airports are fighting to protect the rental companies and keep prices sky high.
When he returned the car he got an emailed receipt showing he was charged “the full dollar amount of the rental.” When he called customer service he faced “several long holds” but was finally told he was charged because he “did not select the right vehicle type at SFO.”
In other words, he used his point for a standard vehicle. Hertz didn’t have that car, so the points couldn’t be used. Hertz did him a favor by renting him anything at all, but demanded cash for that rental. Only they never told the customer this was happening and that his award reservation wasn’t valid.
Hotels are collaborating with hospitals in India offering vaccine packages and India’s government is cracking down.
By working together with hotels to offer vaccines, Indian hospitals are creating an explicit price. They’re bundling the goods, and that makes it harder to separate how much you’re paying for an included bath robe versus for a life-saving jab.
American Airlines brings back snacks and beverage service in coach on Tuesday, June 1. Alcohol was supposed to return, too, but the airline decided economy passengers are too unruly for that.
The coach snacks are Biscoff cookies, pretzels, and Love Corn. You get presented a choice of two. And you have to pick just one.
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 »
