Category Archives for Airlines.
American Airlines hasn’t had an ongoing status match or challenge program since launching Loyalty Points as the new way to earn status, where most AAdvantage activity counts and no longer just flights.
However they’ve brought back status challenges, called Instant Status Pass, and these will now be based on how many Loyalty Points you earn (whether from credit card spend, online shopping etc.) and not just how many trips you take.
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways is raising its pet in cabin fee from $200 to an incredible $1500 on October 15. This fee can be paid in cash or miles at a per-mile value of just below $0.007 (which is itself awful). And even if you buy a separate seat for the animal, you still pay the pet fee. That extra seat is even mandatory in premium cabins.
A woman took to the internet to gauge whether she was overreacting. Her husband often travels alone with his best friend, but this time invited her along. He bought her a ticket in coach, while he buying tickets in first for himself and his friend. The man explained that she flies coach because the woman – a stay at home mom – has “no job” even though she reports they’re easily able to afford first class.
They left the kids with the wife’s mother, and got ready to travel, which is when she learned she’d be in economy and he wouldn’t.
Is better inflight food a post-pandemic change? Is the difference between first class and business class really bigger than ever before? I’m not so sure. Here’s the real difference between premium cabins.
There’s a new shared premium check-in area and revamped larger joint premium lounges with a dedicated premium path directly to the lounges.
Flagship First check-in is being enlarged, renovated, and rebranded, since it will be used for both BA and American. Lounges are being redone as well, with a total capacity for 1000 passengers. The most premium lounge – replacing First Dining – will include a champagne bar, a sit down dining room and a fireside lounge.
What American has accomplished is to turn curbside bag check from an expense (they paid employees to do it) into a revenue generator (they get a cut of the fees received from the franchise).
The project is Recycle Russia: “Russia’s fighter jets and helicopters terrorize Ukrainians. They kill with bombs, missiles, and salvos. Ukrainians defend their homeland and turn Russian war machines into scrap. We recycle this scrap into luggage tags. The money we raise goes to support Ukraine’s defenders.”
In March I wrote to expect Lufthansa to introduce a new first and business class product next year and that first class would be suites with doors initially on the airline’s 10 new Airbus A350-900 aircraft to be based in Munich.
We now know a bit more about the products.
A week and a half ago I wrote about leaks that Lufthansa would change how their elite status is earned in 2021. That’s now confirmed. Here’s some of the details.
American Airlines flight attendants have a generally weak union. Sara Nelson’s larger Association of Flight Attendants has eyed coming in and taking over. AFA-CWA even sent masks to legacy US Airways flight attendants during the pandemic, telling me they still consider those crewmembers to be members of their union.
It’s no wonder that they aren’t seeing the concessions they’re after from American Airlines in contract negotiations.
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 »
