Category Archives for Airlines.
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.
As of today Gulf Air is a new mileage earn and burn partner of Air Canada Aeroplan. Gulf Air is Aeroplan’s 8th new airline partner in the last 14 months and the program says to expect “additional airline partners in the months ahead.” Those Amex and Chase points are getting more valuable thanks to Aeroplan transfers.
Two professors from Northwestern University attempt to determine “the value of space during a pandemic” by looking at the revenue premium earned by Delta Air Lines for blocked middle seats. They put it at $23.
While BA isn’t going to be mistaken for Qatar Airways business class, ANA’s new business class, or EVA Airways, it’s much improved. Whereas a couple of years ago it made sense to avoid British Airways even in favor of its joint venture partner American Airlines (for better seats and semi-functional internet on long haul) that’s no longer the case on many routes. British Airways is becoming flyable again.
United has been paying a guy to hold up a sign at its hubs, thanking passengers. But labor is tough to come by these days, and it looks like they’ve figured out how to to leverage underutilized space to get their messages across to customers:
American Airlines accidentally filed $0 fares in 31 different domestic markets on Tuesday. They caught it quickly, and didn’t ticket the fares. Here’s American’s internal memo on how the fares are being handled.
The airline has has said that we’ll see hot meals on trays “gradually return” over “the next several months” and also that regional carriers are going to offer real food on flights over 900 miles, similar to when mainline flights receive meals.
There’s a photo going around from an internal American Airlines meal display of dishes under consideration.
There won’t be any cocktails in coach on American Airlines, at least until 2022. And you can blame the Biden administration’s transportation mask mandate for that.
In the U.S. view, Chinese limits on U.S. airline flights are a violation of the air services treaty between the two countries. So when the Chinese government served notice on United Airlines that “five passengers who traveled from San Francisco to Shanghai tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21” and that United would face limits on its flying as a result, that provoked an international trade incident.
On Wednesday’s American Airlines flight AA1822 from Philadelphia to Charlotte, customers got the first glimpse of a new first class product especially for legacy US Airways A320 aircraft. Seat 3D is extra premium, it comes with a foot rest:
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 »
