Category Archives for Airlines.
British Airways has raised the price of American Airlines and Alaska Airlines award travel up to 3,000 miles. Redemptions now cost as much as 11,000 points more each way – and that comes after a price increase that was put into effect just seven months ago.
On busy travel days flying can be profitable. Your seat has value, and you can sell it. One Delta passenger found themselves on an overbooked flight, and took $2,000 as compensation to take a later flight. That later flight wound up overbooked, too, and they took $3,000 to volunteer for a bump from that one. That’s $5,000 in a day.
A United Airlines passenger thought he was having a horrible travel day. He didn’t know how good he had it – because he was flying United.
The man was connecting. His first flight was delayed for maintenance, but he made it through the airport while his next flight was still boarding.
Delta Air Lines flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York on Tuesday night after a couple dozen people became ill from the “spoiled food” on board. This was airplane food!
Elliott Capital took nearly a $2 billion stake in Southwest Airlines. They are seeking to replace top management and turn the airline into something closer to major competitors like American and JetBlue by charging for bags and creating basic economy fares.
To fend off Elliott Capital from gaining a controlling stake in the carrier, the airline has adopted a ‘shareholder rights plan’ – also known as a ‘poison pill’.
Yesterday a Delta business class award from the U.S. to Europe would have cost 50,000 points and $5.60. Now there are $1,000 surcharges and prices up to 77,500 for non-stop flights. Los Angeles – New York – London can cost 127,500 points.
Hopefully this messaging suggests we’re closer than ever to a new agreement that both sides can live with – and then that the union can sell the contract they negotiate to flight attendants, who have been promised that the wait will be worth it in terms of big raises and full retro pay for four and a half years since their deal became amendable.
With the whole world talking about the President’s debate performance Thursday night, whether he should still be running, and whether he’ll be replaced at the top of the ticket the campaign would very much like a return to normal discourse. So they’re back to talking about middle class pocket book issues. And nobody ever loses points beating up on airlines.
Perhaps the market for premium cabin transatlantic flights has softened a bit. I’ve certainly been hearing this. And Delta is now willing to sell upgrades for even less money than American.
American Airlines and its flight attendants union were summoned to a rare Saturday meeting in Washington, D.C. by the National Mediation Board.
The Mediation Board did not tell the parties that they were being released to ‘self-help’. Instead, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants told its members that negotiations continue.
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 »
