Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

After Being Kicked Off American Airlines Over A Mask Slip, This Couple Wound Up On A Private Jet

by Gary Leff

Aug 27 2021

On Thursday a husband and wife were booted off of American Airlines flight 3996 from Miami to Cincinnati, a regional jet operated by American’s wholly-owned regional subsidiary Envoy Air.

Apparently the woman’s mask slipped off her nose as she boarded the aircraft. It slipped off a second time while the plane was still on the ground. So a flight attendant insisted that she wear an airline-provided mask instead. Since she refused, the flight attendant said the only other option was to get off the plane. They wouldn’t do that – so all of the passengers on board were deplaned.

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American Airlines Orders Pizza For Hundreds Of Afghan Refugees Stuck On Plane

by Gary Leff

Aug 27 2021

From Kabul, refugees were sent to military bases in Qatar and Germany, and from there they’re being flown to Washington Dulles on U.S. airlines paid for charter flights under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program. Each person is vetted prior to boarding a flight, and then goes through immigration formalities again in the U.S.

But without documents, there’s been huge bureaucratic delays at Washington Dulles with people waiting 8-12 hours to get off of planes. Flight attendants have been told to pack their own water and anticipate harrowing conditions.

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Transatlantic Saver Business Class Award Space For Whole Family On American Airlines

by Gary Leff

first class cabin
Aug 26 2021

One flight I like right now for redemption is American’s Charlotte – Frankfurt service where I’m seeing 4 business class saver awards on a majority of flights in November and for January through March.

What’s useful about this is the connectivity in and out of Charlotte, much of it pairable with this daily Boeing 777-200 flight.

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Qantas A380s Returning To Service Next Year!

by Gary Leff

qantasplane
Aug 25 2021

Australia kept the virus at bay through much of the pandemic, but is seeing more spread than at any time in the past 18 months. They’re in lockdown, and behind most of the West in vaccinations. Australians can’t leave the country, and few residents can even enter. The A380 wasn’t supposed to fly again until mid-2023 ‘at the earliest.’

So who had the Qantas A380 returning to Los Angeles in July on their pandemic aviation bingo card?

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Piedmont (American Eagle) Pilots Get Big Raise

by Gary Leff

Aug 25 2021

American Airlines wholly-owned regional carrier Piedmont has come to an agreement for more pay with its pilots union.

I’ve heard from flight attendants at Piedmont none too happy, because they’ve waited several years for a new contract. Of course pilots are in much greater demand by airlines and harder to replace, and unhappy pilots directly affect an airline’s operation (while unhappy flight attendants ‘merely’ mean unhappy customers).

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Wide Open Cathay Pacific Business Class Award Space For 4 Passengers From Several U.S. Cities

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Aug 25 2021

Cathay Pacific is currently making business class awards widely available between the U.S. and Hong Kong for up to four passengers, from several gateway cities, in late spring and summer 2022. This allows you to connect beyond Hong Kong to much of Asia. And if you’re uncertain what the future holds, American AAdvantage no longer has award cancellation/redeposit fees.

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134 People Evacuated As Passenger’s Phone Catches Fire On Alaska Airlines Flight

by Gary Leff

Aug 24 2021

Early in the Trump administration the U.S. banned electronics like laptops on board flights to the U.S. from certain locations. It was a dumb move that compromised airline safety, because when electronics in the cargo hold catch fire, that’s dangerous. When it happens in the passenger cabin it’s easy to contain.

That’s what yesterday’s Alaska Airlines flight 751 from New Orleans to Seattle reminds us as a cell phone caught fire in the cabin upon landing.

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