Category Archives for Airlines.
Southwest Airlines filed its annual 10-K with the SEC and it contains disclosures about the carrier’s Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program – related to how much travel is being done with miles, and what that tells us about how they’re recovering from disastrous service during the holidays.
A viral video shows Delta Air Lines requiring a carry on bag to be checked at the gate – promising that if the bag is damaged the airline is responsible for that. The bag comes back with scuff marks.
This highlights the difference between what an airline considers damage and mere everyday use. However the traveler is particularly put out by the scuff marks because this is a Louis Vuitton bag and that’s no longer pristine.
United’s MileagePlus program offers the most generous lifetime elite benefits. What United has gotten really good at in the past couple of years is recognizing lifetime achievement in the moment and making it special.
Award travel on Delta is now 17.6% higher for SkyMiles members who do not have an American Express co-brand. That’s because having a co-brand Delta Amex (Gold and higher) comes with ‘TakeOff 15’, a 15% discount on Delta award travel. Those without the card pay 17.6% more miles than those without it.
Delta gained control of a full gate at Dallas Love Field under a legal settlement last summer, and will begin fully utilizing it in June.
Meanwhile Delta is finally going to grow in Austin. I broke the news they planned a focus city in my home town nearly five years ago. Growth here, delayed by the pandemic, is finally beginning.
Delta Air Lines, in its internal communications, is highlighting not just how much they’re paying out to employees in profit sharing – they’re highlighting how much better Delta employees have it than those who work for their largest competitors.
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant was arrested on January 28 after allegedly attacking guests – shirtless – wit a toilet plunger in a crew layover hotel in Des Moines, Iowa while pulling the fire alarm and partially flooding the property.
What TakeOff15 says is you only get the best value out of your miles if you’re a co-brand cardmember. They’re giving even less value to the median member of the SkyMiles program, who doesn’t have the card. And they don’t seem to be concerned that this will erode brand loyalty.
The federal government is preparing to sue to block JetBlue’s acquisition of Spirit Airlines. They’re paying a 40% premium over what Frontier Airlines was offering. And they even have to pay a lot of the money if the deal doesn’t close.
JetBlue is ramping up the P.R. side of the fight releasing a video that tells their story about how growing their airline is good for consumers.
While it’s taken them a long time to get started replacing current cabins with new ones, the first plane – a 25 year old Airbus A319, registration N801UA – is in the shop for the retrofit.
The project will finish in less than 3 weeks, and then a 25 year old Airbus A320 goes in for work. Together these two will serve as prototypes for their respective fleets. And a photo of the retrofit process has leaked.
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 »
