Category Archives for Airlines.
The reasons I’ve seen pundits give for why airfares are so high are usually wrong. Travel hasn’t fully returned to 2019 levels, so why have prices risen so much? Fuel prices can limit which flights operate profitably, but fuel isn’t the current binding constraint on supply. And it’s not just a desire of airlines to make back the money they lost during the pandemic.
Instead it’s something far more nefarious.
Here’s video of a Delta pilot crawling through the window of a Boeing 737. Apparently if you’re locked out of the cockpit you can use the window that can be opened from the outside to get in.
Occasionally readers question why doors are necessary in business class, going so far as to suggest doors make a seat feel claustrophobic. It’s a more expensive value proposition for airlines. Why has everyone seemingly jumped off this cliff?
Southwest offers more legroom in coach than competitors, but there’s no seat back entertainment and no seat power. The lack of power for your devices is a big deal on connecting itineraries and longer flights, such as Southwest’s service to Hawaii. That’s going to start changing.
Southwest has also selected ViaSat to provide internet for its new delivery aircraft In the meantime they’ve swapped out the hardware from their existing internet provider on 40 of their Boeing 737s to improve internet speeds, and they’ve been testing free wifi on those aircraft. Half of Southwest’s fleet is expected to have the new hardware for faster internet by the end of the year.
United Airlines just lost a ruling before a federal judge in California, certifying a class action lawsuit by flight attendants who claim information is missing off of their pay stubs – even though the information is provided to them in a separate document.
Lufthansa “regrets the circumstances surrounding the decision to exclude the affected passengers from the flight” but nowhere in their statement do they say the word “Jews.” Instead they simply refer to “a large group” though they at least now acknowledge that this ‘group’ that shall not be named was banned whether or not any individual had acted improperly.
They apologize for “the offense caused and personal impact” while stating their ‘core values’ of ‘diversity and equal opportunity.’ They’re unwilling to simply say anti-semitism is unacceptable at Lufthansa. They felt the need to couch it in terms of their opposition to racism and to discrimination “of any type” though no other type was at issue here.
Not to be left behind, Air France will retrofit 12 Boeing 777s with a new business class offering doors. They expect that it will begin flying in September, first on the New York JFK – Paris route. The planes won’t have first class, so presumably will swap with existing Boeing 777-200 frequencies that do not offer first either.
We hear about stories of passengers beating up flight attendants, flight attendants having disputes with their airline or union, and flight attendants scolding customers. Maybe they’re kicking off passengers for their attire or – for much of the pandemic – over mask violations.
Most of the time, though, interactions between customers and cabin crew are genuine and human. We just don’t hear about it.
2022 is a weird year. Travel is booming, but only in certain places and only certain kinds of travel. What’s more, the Omicron surge meant the year started off slow for many members. So while we’ll see plenty of frequent flyers earning elite status, there are many still on the sidelines.
Aeroplan is out with a way for members to keep their status through 2023: earn 30,000 points with an Aeroplan co-brand credit card between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. This is on top of elite status accelerators announced in February.
Former American Airlines flight attendants union President Bob Ross had previously argued, in effect, that he shouldn’t be singled out among past union Presidents for financial impropriety, and that his improper financial practices had been approved by his subordinates.
Now he’s arguing, among other claims, that the accusations against him are all part of Sara Nelson’s plot to grow her power base.
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 »
