Category Archives for Airlines.
United may block middle seats on new Airbus jets so the planes can be certified with fewer flight attendants. The move could create a European-style premium economy row, but the real payoff may be cutting crew costs.
Former Delta President Glen Hauenstein explains how Delta turned first class from an upgrade giveaway into a profit center, why low-cost carriers struggle to go premium, and how Delta will address its own product slipping.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom pushed back against a United merger at the shareholder meeting, showing Scott Kirby’s pressure campaign still has not gone away.
Qatar Airways restarts daily Philadelphia–Doha service on August 1, and business class award space is wide open for at least two passengers. Awards start at 70,000 points to Doha, with easy onward pricing to the Mideast, Maldives, Africa, and Asia.
United CEO Scott Kirby still won’t declare an American Airlines merger dead, keeps praising JetBlue as a partner, and now admits United ordered excess aircraft.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom confirms the airline has a new widebody aircraft RFP in the market, after retiring 40% of its long-haul fleet and pivoting back toward premium global flying.
United is adding Netflix Chef’s Table-branded meals to international business class starting August 1, aiming to fix a weak spot in Polaris with preorder-only city-specific menus.
Southwest is restoring cabin jumpseat access for mechanics and other employees after a union challenge, reversing a flight-attendant-only policy with new annual training required, in a conflict between two unions over who gets access to a scarce resource that matters to their quality of life and benefits.
Delta faces a new lawsuit after a flight attendant reported a father comforting his scared daughter as possible human trafficking, questioning the bare bones training airline employees actually get to identify these situations.
United now carries more New York-area passengers than Delta, but its lead is driven by a Newark hub operation and international traffic, not proof it has won the market. There’s a chance they could soon, though.
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 »
