Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

Delta’s Big Move in Austin: Questionable New Flights as American Airlines Cedes Ground

by Gary Leff on December 15, 2023

keep austin weird

Dec 15 2023

While American shed highly unprofitable flying, they had been using pretty much all available windows for swing gates, gates that could be used for flying by any carrier. And that blocked others from significant expansion.

With their recent moves opening up the field I speculated that could mean Delta making good on its promise to create a focus city in Austin. They’ve been willing to stick by unprofitable flying like Seattle, buoyed by strong performance of their interior hubs and their lucrative American Express deal, making a bet on long-term performance.

Southwest Airlines Is Tempting Fate Over Another Christmas Meltdown

by Gary Leff on December 15, 2023

Dec 15 2023

Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan is tempting fate over another Christmas meltdown promising on Thursday that “it will never happen again.”

Bob Jordan should really “go outside, turn around three times and spit” so that he doesn’t “tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing.”

United Airlines Cuts Back On First Class Meals

by Gary Leff on December 14, 2023

Dec 14 2023

United Airlines is pulling back on meal service in domestic first class. Starting January 1, United Airlines will only serve meals up front on flights of 900 miles or longer.

The Truth About The Startup Selling Those $111 Private Flights

by Gary Leff on December 14, 2023

Terribly Named Flewber Offers Private Flights for $400 One Way ($700 Roundtrip)

Dec 14 2023

Kinect Air sells open legs on private flights, and lets you schedule private flights online, all without a membership fee or even registering first. They’re being touted as a company that lets you fly private for $111. But the real innovation is online booking and confirmation, and working with operators of less expensive aircraft.

Cathay Pacific Brings First Class Back To New York JFK, And Awards Are Available

by Gary Leff on December 14, 2023

first class bed

Dec 14 2023

Cathay Pacific just announced the return of first class service to New York starting March 31, 2024, with their flights CX830 and CX831 offering the Boeing 777-300ER forward cabin.

What’s more, first class award space is available using Cathay Pacific’s Asia Miles program.

It’s Back: Mileage Awards For World’s Best Business Class Are Wide Open

by Gary Leff on December 14, 2023

first class beds

Dec 14 2023

Qatar has one of the best business class product in the world in its ‘QSuites’ that offer doors and movable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space. Their QSuite is a fantastic hard product, and service and food in the air are outstanding.

A month ago award space opened wide up. It went away, but on a handful of routes it is back in a big way.

New Award Search Lets You Find The Best Mileage Seats To Anywhere, Across A Month At A Time

by Gary Leff on December 14, 2023

Dec 14 2023

All of a sudden Point.me has improved what they’re offering to let you search more than one date and even more than one destination at once using their new ‘Explore’ feature.

Southwest Airlines Will Give A Whole Row Of Seats – Free – To Overweight Passengers

by Gary Leff on December 13, 2023

Dec 13 2023

Southwest used to say that if you need an extra seat and there’s one available, they won’t charge you. Now they’re willing to give up revenue from ticket sales to accommodate. One plus-sized advocate cheers them on.

Unusual Travel Hack Tested: Southwest Airlines Bags Fly Free And The Solo Pickleball

by Gary Leff on December 13, 2023

Dec 13 2023

At Southwest Airlines each passenger gets two free checked bags. Some people don’t want to leave a benefit unused. Sure, you could check your pickleball in your luggage. But if you’ve only got one bag to check, you could also send the pickleball off on its own as your second free checked bag – and see whether it makes it, gets caught in the airport baggage system, or bounces away?

Taking Trash Collection to New Heights: A Flight Attendant’s Glamorous Debut!

by Gary Leff on December 13, 2023

Dec 13 2023

A flight attendant with South American airline LATAM was working her first flight, and getting hazed by fellow crewmembers. For passengers, it was more than a little flair – turning trash collection into an elegance extravaganza for her rite of passage.

Picture this: a cabin aisle turning into a runway, where the simple act of collecting trash was performed with an extra touch of grace and humor.

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 »