Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

If You Don’t Mind American’s New Domestic Product, Your Standards Are Too Low

by Gary Leff

Apr 27 2021

American’s new domestic coach product is worse than Delta’s. It’s worse than JetBlue’s. It’s worse than Southwest’s. The customer experience just wasn’t a priority. The airline didn’t bother building a cabin mockup before declaring this their standard product and rolling it out. Airline CEO Doug Parker didn’t even try it himself before the decision was made – or even until it was flying for six months.

It has hard seats and less space per passenger, and the airline even took out TVs from the seats.

Continue Reading »

Domestic Travel Bans Have To Be Really Long To Work, And Can *Increase* Virus Spread

by Gary Leff

Apr 27 2021

We tend to look at the success story countries and extrapolate from them, why can’t the U.S. be like Australia? And of course there are reasons like Australia not having to worry about the virus coming in from abroad in as uncontrolled a fashion since the country is an island. But do travel restrictions inside a country, like we’ve seen in Australia where citizens couldn’t travel between states for much of the pandemic, usually work so well?

A new paper out of the University of Chicago finds that domestic travel bans may be counterproductive for controlling spread of Covid-19.

Continue Reading »

Think Business Travel Will Return? American Airlines Isn’t Sending Employees Back To Its Own Office Yet

by Gary Leff

american airlines logo
Apr 26 2021

American Airlines invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a new headquarters, with their old facility bursting at the seams. They’ve since let go of 30% of management staff so don’t need as much space. And those that are left have mostly still working from home.

While they’re re-starting construction on unfinished parts of the new corporate campus, they’re bringing back people gradually, and recognize that some remote work makes sense into the future.

Continue Reading »

Carry On Won’t Fit In The Bag Sizer? American Will Now Charge You To Check It

by Gary Leff

Apr 26 2021

From now on when American Airlines takes your carry on bag at the gate and requires you to check it, you can expect to pay for the privilege – unless you’re entitled to free checked bags with a premium cabin ticket, AAdvantage elite status, or co-brand credit card.

Frequently customers bring more carry on bags than they’re allowed, or bags that are bigger than what’s permitted. Gate agents are supposed to insist that the passenger checks the bag. They used to do this for free, but according to a new American Airlines “Airport Excellence Advisory” agents are now supposed to collect a checked bag fee.

Continue Reading »

Anti-Mask Politician Says Her Constitutional Rights Are Being Trampled After Airline Ban

by Gary Leff

Apr 25 2021

An Alaska Airlines state senator who “has sparred with Alaska Airlines employees over the mask policy” since January has been banned from the airline – although apparently just for 30 days even though mask refusal is supposed to result in an indefinite ban, at least until the end of the mask requirement. It remains to be seen if a temporary suspension will be converted to a longer duration.

Lora Reinbold was recently fined $250 for refusing to properly wear a mask in the state capitol. On Thursday she was captured on video having a disagreement over keeping her mask above her nose at the Juneau airport before a flight to Anchorage.

Continue Reading »

It’s Time To Stop Using The Covid Excuse

by Gary Leff

Apr 24 2021

Marriott hotels – though not only Marriotts – ignore elite breakfast benefits because of Covid-19. In fact you now need to do a lot more research on hotels when considering a booking to find out whether they’re offering the facilities and services that you want and are paying for. No towels for the pool? Blame Covid.

Union boss Sara Nelson doesn’t want flight attendants working on flights because Covid. The CDC, apparently, needs to update its guidance on virus spread to include catching Covid-19 from aircraft galley ovens because the temperature of food is a risk – Nelson thinks flight attendants serving hot food is unacceptable in first class, but wrapped sandwiches are ok.

Continue Reading »

Upgrades On American When Traveling With A Baby Just Got Cheaper

by Gary Leff

Apr 24 2021

When parents travel with a child under two years old, the child doesn’t need their own seat. A so-called ‘lap infant’ travels free when flying domestically. In general for international travel the lap infant will need a ticket, and so the parents have to purchase an ‘infant fare’.

Fortunately as of April 23, 2021 American Airlines no longer requires customers to pay more for their infant ticket when they upgrade which can mean a savings of hundreds of dollars – and a lot of headaches since the process used to be confusing.

Continue Reading »