Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

United Airlines Is Asking California Voters To Support Affirmative Action

by Gary Leff

united plane
Nov 03 2020

In 1996 California voters adopted proposition 209 which provided that “the State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” It banned affirmative action.

Today California voters consider proposition 16, to repeal that affirmative action ban. United Airlines weighed in, and they want to see affirmative action in California.

Continue Reading »

Which Airlines Are At Greatest Risk Of Shutting Down Due To Covid?

by Gary Leff

depressed businessman leaning his head below a bad stock market chart
Nov 03 2020

I’ve written that in the U.S. the major airlines at the most risk are American Airlines (by a wide margin) followed by United. American is likely to end the pandemic with over $45 billion in debt to service, far more than their next-closest competitor. And they underperformed the industry financially to begin with. Unsecured American Airlines debt is a risky bet over the coming years.

Looking at “liquidity, solvency, profitability, leverage and recent financial performance” Bloomberg ranked the 8 biggest airline insolvency risks. After significant subsidies, no U.S. or European airline makes the list.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Pulls Flight Attendants Out Of Downtown Hotels Over Potential Election Unrest

by Gary Leff

Nov 02 2020

Beginning today, and expected to last for at least a week, United Airlines has stopped overnighting flight crew at downtown hotels in several cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Portland, and Seattle.

The Chicago-based carrier, which has also moved its flight operations out of downtown Chicago to an alternate location, is making preparations for “potential election unrest.”

Continue Reading »

You’ll Still Have To Wear Masks On Planes Even When There’s A Vaccine

by Gary Leff

Nov 02 2020

A first generation vaccine, unless it turns out to be both highly effective and widely taken, won’t end the pandemic on its own. I wrote back in early summer that a first generation vaccine, on its own, probably wouldn’t get us out of the pandemic but combined with other measures would make life – and travel – more normal than it used to be. We now have a new study, with new math, backing up this view.

How effective these first vaccines turn out to be, combined with how many people take them, will drive when mask mandates go away. A ‘vaccine only’ isn’t going to do it. We’re going to be stuck wearing masks on planes for some time.

Continue Reading »

Doug Parker: American Board’s Lack Of Airline Experience ‘Has Impact On Deliberations, Ability To Understand’

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2020

The subject of Steenland’s addition to the American Airlines board came up at the end of the carrier’s ‘State of the Airline’ question and answer session with employees following their third quarter earnings call, and Parker explained that Steenland was added for his airline experience – something the board previously lacked – and not for a 15-month mechanics strike where he called management and replacement workers “the dream team” of maintenance groups.

Continue Reading »

Official American Airlines Black Lives Matter Pins Now Available, See Them On Your Next Flight?

by Gary Leff

Oct 30 2020

American Airlines courted controversy when they began allowing employees to wear makeshift ‘Black Lives Matter’ pins.

The official Black Lives Matter pin is now available for American Airlines employees. It’s called “Stand for Change” and “celebrates the diversity of our team members and our customers.” It must be ordered by any employee who wants one by November 13.

Continue Reading »

After DOT Complaint, American Airlines Puts Its Terms And Conditions Back On Website

by Gary Leff

Oct 30 2020

American Airlines has relented and put its full tariff or ‘terms and conditions’ back onto its website after a Department of Transportation complaint.

They had removed the the legalese entirely in favor of a plain language FAQ-style conditions of carriage page. But the contract of carriage incorporated the tariff by reference, customers effectively agreed to it when they purchased a ticket, but the airline had removed those rules from a place customers could easily see it. That document matters.

Continue Reading »

Six Boeing 747s Flew To The Netherlands For Storage And Weren’t Permitted To Leave.

by Gary Leff

Oct 30 2020

There’s no ‘security issue’ with a 747 taking off from the airport, which was allowed until Lufthansa brought theirs there to store. In tactics one associates more with New Jersey than The Netherlands, Lufthansa doesn’t want to do dismantling work with the on-site company, so the government wouldn’t let them leave. Now that there’s been public scrutiny however it’s been deemed ‘a mere paperwork issue’ and the supposed safety issues have gone away.

Continue Reading »

Coach Passengers May Now Use The First Class Lavatory On United Airlines

by Gary Leff

lavatory
Oct 29 2020

Airline lavatories are usually pretty simple. To be sure some passengers fail to use them, sometimes they’re inoperative and sometimes other passengers stink them up, but for the most part they work the same way. The only thing that confuses passengers is which one are they allowed to use?

This long-controversial question has been settled on United Airlines: to reduce bunching of passengers waiting in line for the loo, they may now use any lavatory on the plane. This is a coronavirus distancing measure.

Continue Reading »