Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

American And Alaska Advance Partnership, Reciprocal Mileage Earning Starts Today

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Apr 01 2020

Alaska Airlines is planning to join the oneworld alliance and is scaling its partnership with American Airlines back up. Here’s some inside scoop on why American had been cutting ties with Alaska, and how they changed their mind.

The rejuvenated partnership continues to build even in difficulty times. As of today you can now earn redeemable miles credited to one airline when traveling on the other. This doesn’t yet extend to earning elite status miles (that’s still limited to codeshare flights), but that will change as Alaska advances towards oneworld membership.

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What Should Loyalty Programs Do While People Aren’t Traveling?

by Gary Leff

Apr 01 2020

Loyalty programs need to stay relevant. When people aren’t traveling, they aren’t engaging with the brand. Expect co-brand credit card applications to fall. There will be fewer new customers, and perhaps even more people than usual will cancel cards when annual fees come do. Both the number of active members of a program will drop and the size of the credit card portfolio will decline as well. The volume of card spend is likely to fall in recession.

Yet loyalty programs are key to a travel brand’s resurgence. What should they be doing?

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With Few Passengers, One Airline Resorts To Selling Its Inflight Meals Online

by Gary Leff

Apr 01 2020

With world supply chain disruptions and all of the food I’m not able to get at the grocery store – I haven’t been able to get decent bacon in weeks – I could see meal delivery services finally taking off, after spending so long burning through investor cash. I’d happily pay for Singapore Airlines laksa or ANA ramen at home.

Frozen Canadian airline Thai food, though, seems like more of a stretch.

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Elizabeth Warren And Bernie Sanders Demand Airline Ticket Refunds

by Gary Leff

bernie sanders
Mar 31 2020

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and several Senate colleagues including Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and 6 others, announced a letter to the CEOs of major U.S. airlines demanding “every company to issue full cash refunds to all customers who cancel their flights during the COVID-19 crisis.”

They don’t just want refunds for passengers whose flights are cancelled, they want refunds for everyone. But they’re a little late, grandstanding after they’ve given up any leverage by voting for the $58 billion airline bailout.

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American Airlines Will Fly Even Less In May, Considers Retiring Another Arcraft Type

by Gary Leff

american plane
Mar 31 2020

American Airlines thinks their May schedule – targeted at 20% of its normal domestic flying and 10% of international – will be closer to demand. That’s what airline President Robert Isom told flight attendants in an online question and answer session on Friday.

With less flying they’re looking at retiring not just Embraer E-190s, Boeing 757s and 767s, but also Airbus A330-300s. Currently 135 of the airline’s 150 widebody jets are parked. Yet they’re still planning to take delivery of new 737 MAX and 787 aircraft this year.

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Will American Airlines Furlough Employees Once The Bailout Money Runs Out?

by Gary Leff

Mar 31 2020

The $58 billion airline smash and grab bailout comes with several restrictions, including maintaining service to cities that already have flights and no employee furloughs through September 30.

In an employee ‘crew news’ session on Friday, airline President Robert Isom told flight attendants that once government restrictions on furloughs lift after September there are a number of things that will help to shrink employee numbers before getting to furloughs. Pilots, though, he was willing to tell that furloughs aren’t in the card.

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American Airlines Now Offering Employees Leave At 25% Pay And Full Benefits Or Early Retirement

by Gary Leff

Mar 30 2020

Two weeks ago American was asking flight attendants to take leave with no pay. Unsurprisingly they didn’t have enough takers. Pilots, however, could take leave or early retirement at about two-thirds pay.

American is now offering paid early retirement and paid leave across the company, not just for pilots, though of course the leave options aren’t as generous as what pilots receive.

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Delta Sky Magazine Lays Off Its Entire Staff

by Gary Leff

Mar 30 2020

Delta’s current inflight magazine Delta Sky launched in 2009. The magazine was outsourced, published by MSP Communications. It used Delta’s brand, was distributed on Delta aircraft, and Delta’s media team promotes it on the Delta.com website. It’s always been presented as Delta’s.

However writers were not Delta employees. Now they’ve lost their jobs.

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