Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

The Case Against Post-Covid Business Travel. Will You Ever Fly Again The Way You Used To?

by Gary Leff

airplane seats
Dec 20 2020

With more and more Americans testing positive for Covid-19, and with the first (Pfizer-BioNTech) vaccine already rolling out, we’re likely approaching the final stages of the pandemic. But are we all going to go right back to normal, how things were before?

Now that everyone uses Zoom remote work is better than it used to be. People coming into a meeting by video that’s happening in person used to be second class attendees For a large subset of white collar workers work from home simply works better.

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It’s Easy To Enter The U.S. Illegally, And Not Even Mean To Do It

by Gary Leff

passport getting stamped
Dec 20 2020

Usually a airline employee – not a government official – is all that stands in the way of a plane load of arriving passengers becoming illegal immigrants.

Terminal D at Dallas Fort-Worth is the international terminal, but it’s used for domestic flights too. Whether or not you’re directed to immigration and customs depends on which doors are open or closed when you get off the aircraft.

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American Airlines Meeting Passengers At The Airport To Warn Them Against ‘Throwaway Ticketing’

by Gary Leff

american plane
Dec 20 2020

Airlines have tried to crack down on the money-saving practice of ‘throwaway ticketing’ for years. You buy a flight to somewhere that connects beyond your final destination because it’s cheaper, and just don’t take the flight.

A reader was recently approached by American Airlines customer service staff at the airport and warned against throwaway ticketing. He did it anyway. Here’s what happened.

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Google Offering Direct Booking Of Airfare, Could Change How Travel Is Sold

by Gary Leff

Dec 19 2020

Google is a great source for finding flights and hotels as well as activities at your destination. Eight years ago Google was on the cusp of becoming your new travel agent and the online travel agencies (like Expedia) were trying to get the federal government to stop them.

Until now Google has largely sent travelers to other sites to make bookings.

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There’s No Federal Mask Mandate, But The FAA Is Fining Two Airline Passengers Anyway

by Gary Leff

Dec 19 2020

There’s no federal mask mandate. All U.S. airlines require passengers to wear masks. So most people assume that the only penalties for non-compliance are imposed by airlines. That’s not true.

Airlines only impose penalties, other than asking a passenger not to fly, when enforcing mask rules leads to an altercation. But when an altercation occurs, the FAA can impose penalties too. In other words, you don’t need a federal mask mandate to punish passengers for bad behavior.

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What United Airlines Is Telling Employees About The Passenger With Covid-19 Who Died Onboard Monday

by Gary Leff

united plane
Dec 18 2020

I believe I was the first to report on the passenger with Covid-19 who died on a United Airlines flight on Monday. Initially the airline tried to wave me off the story. Now they’re acknowledging it.

United Airlines flight 591 from Orlando to Los Angeles diverted to New Orleans Monday evening. Passenger aoverhead the man’s wife telling medical personnel about the man’s Covid-19 diagnosis. Here’s what they’re telling employees.

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Which International Flights Won’t Return After Covid?

by Gary Leff

plane tails
Dec 18 2020

International route networks are currently very limited, often only flights that can be supported by cargo with passengers a plus are operating. That’s both because of limited travel demand, with business travel non-existent and a raging virus keeping people at home, and because of travel restrictions and local restrictions too (there have to be activities at a destination happening to make the travel worthwhile).

But which routes are going to come back, and which ones are gone for good?

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Singapore Airlines Brings Back Daily Non-Stops To 3 U.S. Cities – And Its Premium-Heavy Airbus A350

by Gary Leff

Dec 18 2020

Throughout the pandemic Singapore has flown non-stop from Los Angeles. Now they’ve announced daily non-stops from New York, LA and San Francisco and will fly their premium-heavy long range A350 to New York and San Francisco.

There’s going to be a lot of excess business class seats flying all over the world for a long time, and this is a great example of adding capacity ahead of demand which will make this a flyer’s market for some time.

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