Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

American Airlines Moved To Single Agent Boarding Before They Were Ready

by Gary Leff

Why Charlotte Needs Another American Airlines Admirals Club
Aug 30 2021

Single agent boarding is a disaster. The one overwhelmed agent can’t manage boarding and last minute upgrades, clearing last minute standby passengers, and helping customers change seats – let alone answering questions from nervous flyers.

Perhaps even more importantly they can’t manage all the tasks that are part of departure while also scrutinizing carry on bag sizes (American is asking them to now charge to gate check oversized bags) and observe passengers who may already be drunk or under the influence of a substance which means that single agent boarding contributes to greater conflict on board the aircrat and potential flight diversions, too.

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American Airlines Is Playing Whack-A-Mole With Problems As They Come Up (Not Getting Out Ahead)

by Gary Leff

Aug 29 2021

Large organizations have a tendency become bloated and sclerotic. It’s striking that American Airlines cut 30% of its management workforce, $500 million per year in payroll, and has returned to operating most of its flights.

That naturally raises an interesting question, what were they carrying all that staff for in the first place? Shouldn’t they have eliminated these same positions years ago? That would never have worked, and they’re seeing now why it didn’t work so well this time either.

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At Wits End Over Bad Passenger Behavior, American’s CEO Declares “The Customer Is Not Always Right!”

by Gary Leff

Aug 29 2021

Doug Parker says that American Airlines has been investigating 1 in every 300,000 passengers for an airline ban – about two people per day that they “have to decide if they can ever fly American Airlines or not.” That’s a five-fold increase.

Chief Operating Officer David Seymour shared the plan for what’s next: getting government to crack down on airport alcohol sales.

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Here’s The Future Of The American Airlines Philadelphia Hub

by Gary Leff

Aug 28 2021

Brian Znotins, American’s Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning, laid out the airline’s vision for Philadelphia – which is many ways is what is was before the pandemic. Even though American will be able to support more transatlantic flying from New York JFK with their JetBlue partnership, Philadelphia will remain their primary connecting gateway to Europe.

And with smaller and more fuel efficient Airbus A321XLRs coming into the fleet they’ll be able to serve summer seasonal Europe destinations year-round – and more destinations than they’ve served in Europe as well.

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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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