Category Archives for Airlines.
Shortly after takeoff from Las Vegas, a Southwest captain was struck in the head by the cockpit heads-up display hard enough to leave him seeing stars and vomiting, forcing the flight to turn back.
Passengers on an American Airlines regional flight from the Bahamas say the trip unraveled because the pilots got into a fight after arriving, forcing a cancellation before anyone could leave. Families were kept outside in Caribbean heat for more than 90 minutes, then left to sort out hotels and transportation on their own when the airline finally called the flight off.
American Airlines has started issuing performance grades to flight attendants, using a mix of customer survey data, operational metrics, and internal compliance measures to score how they are doing. That is a meaningful shift for an airline that badly needs better onboard service, but unless those scores eventually lead to real rewards for top performers and real consequences for chronic underperformance, it will not come close to fixing the deeper problem.
Spirit is no longer just asking the government for cash to avoid liquidation. The new twist is that the airline has floated a bailout structure where taxpayers would wind up owning part of the company, turning a desperate plea for survival into a proposal to socialize losses in one of the weakest business models in U.S. aviation.
Airlines all over the world are seizing on high jet fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict to press governments for emergency aid, tax breaks, subsidized loans, and other relief. Spirit’s bailout request is getting the attention, but the whole industry is trying to normalize another round of taxpayer support.
Southwest now charges for seat assignments, but at least some customers who paid extra for a window seat are finding themselves staring at a wall instead. United and Delta are being sued for market and selling these as well.
American Airlines will replace its current 7,000 square foot Nashville Admirals Club with a new 17,400 square foot lounge, with outdoor terraces.
American Airlines stranded an international business class passenger overnight and offered a Motel 6, a reminder that the free hotel an airline gives you after a cancellation may be the last place you actually want to spend the night. If you can front the cost, booking your own room and seeking reimbursement later is often the smarter move — because when airlines pay, they usually buy the cheapest room they can get away with.
Europe is now much closer to banning airlines from charging extra for a standard carry-on bag, with a decisive round of negotiations starting Monday Supporters say this would stop confusing bag rules and protect passengers, but the real effect would be to force airlines to bundle more into the base fare and price-sensitive leisure travelers subsidize everyone else.
Air France canceled a valid last-minute business class ticket after issuing it and charging the card, then told the customer he had 24 hours to call if he wanted to keep the itinerary. He called within hours, did exactly what the airline instructed, and was still told the only way to travel was to buy the same trip again for $1,800 more. Air France doesn’t dispute this, but says they won’t do anything to make it right.
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 »
