Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

How Many Flyers Were Elite Before The Pandemic, And How Many Elites Are Flying Today?

by Gary Leff

Oct 26 2020

American Airlines Senior Vice President Vasu Raja explained that: “it used to be that 25% of the people that sat on our airplanes were AAdvantage elites… Today that number is about 15%.”

So how many people would make top status under ‘normal’ requirements this year? Raja says “there’s about 1000 customers out there who would qualify for Executive Platinum under our old rules. 40% to 50% of those were not our customer last year, they were [elites with another carrier].”

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Planes May Be Safe During Covid-19 But What About The Airport?

by Gary Leff

Oct 25 2020

A new study purports to show 59 Covid-19 cases ‘linked’ to a single flight, but that’s somewhat misleading.

Inflight transmission seems to be rare, it certainly isn’t impossible, and someone with a high viral load and lots of shedding may overcome the best precautions. The virus might spread at security, in a lounge, at the gate area, or simply transiting the terminal. It could spread on the jetway as well. Flying is safe, but not totally safe. In many ways, just like going to the grocery store.

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Flight Crew Scatters After Fellow Crewmember Tests Positive For Covid-19, Should They All Quarantine?fter A Flight Attendant Tests Positive For Covid-19?

by Gary Leff

united plane
Oct 25 2020

A London-based flight attendant who worked United Airlines flight UA15 from London Heathrow to Newark on Tuesday tested positive for Covid-19. That flight attendant quarantined at an airport hotel. Eight London crew were supposed to work United flight UA829 from Newark to Mumbai the next day. They were taken off that four-day trip. The next day, I’m told, four of the eight tried to deadhead back to London Heathrow the next day but the flight’s Captain refused to carry them as passengers. So they traveled back on Thursday. Others pass rode back to Europe.

I asked United why passengers from the flight weren’t notified of their exposure and why the other flight attendants were allowed to deadhead back to Heathrow rather than quarantining?

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6 Facts About The U.S. Government Confiscating Cash From Passengers When They Travel

by Gary Leff

hand holding hundreds of dollars in cash
Oct 25 2020

There were no drugs found. There was no evidence of wrongdoing other than carrying the cash itself which is perfectly legal. This was a domestic flight. But did you know you have to declare carrying cash greater than $10,000 when you leave the country – not just when you enter?

Nonetheless the American Airlines passenger won’t get their money back because they had the bad luck of connecting in Charlotte and because the government decided travel to California is presumptively tied to drugs.

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What Businesses Have Employees Flying Now?

by Gary Leff

Oct 24 2020

Following the American Airlines third quarter earnings call on Thursday, senior executives held a ‘State of the Airline’ question and answer session with employees. One of the questions was about which businesses are traveling now?

American’s Chief Customer Officer Alison Taylor, who prior to this summer led sales for the airline, shared who their “largest customers at the moment” are.

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Need To Travel? Costco.com Sells PCR Test Kits With 24-72 Hour Results

by Gary Leff

Oct 24 2020

We have to be making progress when Costco.com is now selling a saliva PCR test online that promises results returned in 24-72 hours.

This isn’t available in Pennsylvania, Nevada, or Maryland, and they can’t ship to Puerto Rico. But it’s something you can buy from Costco as a one-off and you don’t even need to buy a pallet of tests. The price may work for a trip, but for return to normal life we really do need sub-$5 tests, which are certainly possible.

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American Introduced No Charge Standby For All Customers, But The Elite Standby Benefit Is Still Better

by Gary Leff

Oct 23 2020

American Airlines followed United Airlines with its elimination of change fees on domestic and short haul international flights, excluding for customers who purchase basic economy fares. Packaged in with that change was allowing free standby travel for everyone.

There’s still a benefit to being an elite frequent flyer when it comes to standing by for another flight on American Airlines, however, and it’s not just having higher priority on the standby list.

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