Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

Canada Transport Minister Defends Making Passengers Give Risky Interest-Free Loans To Airlines

by Gary Leff

air canada plane tarmac
Jun 18 2020

Air Canada, along with other Canadian airlines, hasn’t been refunding tickets when they cancel flights. The Canadian government has backed them, though for flights to or from the U.S. it’s a clear violation of U.S. law.

Telling customers they can only have a voucher, to use later, is effectively an interest-free loan (they hold onto the money until they earn it later) and a risky one (risk that the customer will have an opportunity to fly, and that the airline will still be in business).

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One Airline Requires Passengers To Re-Confirm Their Reservations Like It’s 1962

by Gary Leff

Jun 18 2020

No shows have been huge throughout the pandemic, which is odd, especially during challenging economic times you’d think people would cancel their trips to retain flight credit.

Interestingly one airline is doing something about no shows, by taking a detour to the past. For tickets booked before June 10, for travel July 1 – September 15, passengers have to contact Emirates to reconfirm their flight 21 days prior to departure.

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American’s Supply Chain Breaks Down, Can’t Get Sprite Zero

by Gary Leff

Jun 17 2020

As airlines move away from inflight alcohol to save money, soft drink selection takes on greater importance.

For domestic flights and for international flights departing the U.S. there appear to be ‘supply chain issues’. Flight attendants have been told that while “[o]n June 1, we began transitioning from Sierra Mist to Sprite” individual flights now may have either one but not both. And Sprite Zero may be replaced with Sprite.

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50% Rebate On Air Canada Award Tickets

by Gary Leff

air canada plane tarmac
Jun 17 2020

Air Canada Aeroplan is offerings a 50% rebate on redemptions of Canadian domestic flights and between the U.S. and Canada booked by July 1 for travel between July 1 and October 15, 2020.

Even though the ‘border closure’ has been extended, that actually doesn’t prevent Canadians from flying to the U.S. and of course restrictions on travel could be lifted come late July or beyond. You may think booking an award ticket to Canada now is speculative but that’s fine because Aeroplan rewards are cancellable free through August 31.

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9 Reasons Business Travel Won’t Be Back This Year

by Gary Leff

Jun 17 2020

We’ve had four days in the past week where the TSA reports more than half a million people clearing airport security checkpoints. That’s down from 2.3 to 2.7 million a year ago, but way up from 87,000 a day at bottom.

That’s mostly led by domestic leisure travel. Business travel, on the other hand, is a long way off – and likely won’t return to anything near normal this year. Here are 9 reasons why.

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70% Of Beijing Flights Cancelled As New Outbreak Grows

by Gary Leff

Jun 17 2020

Just yesterday I reported that 3 of the world’s 5 largest airlines right now are in China as the country gets life back to normal and its aviation sector returns to something more like normal ahead of the rest of the world.

Now, though, flights to and from Beijing are being cancelled en masse on Wednesday – 1,255 flights, or 70% of the total scheduled for the day – as the government tries to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak.

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Southwest Is Now The World’s Largest Airline (United Isn’t Even In The Top 10)

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

Last year at this time the four largest airlines in the world based on capacity were all in the U.S. American Airlines was the world’s largest airline, Delta second, followed by Southwest and then United.

The aviation industry has been among the hardest hit by COVID-19. That’s shaken up which airlines offer the most travel capacity in the world. Southwest is now the largest, and three Chinese airlines in the top 5.

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How Does Banning Inflight Alcohol Protect Us From The Coronavirus?

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

Airlines around the world “are suspending all or part of their alcoholic drinks service in response to Covid-19.” But how on earth is this a response to COVID-19?

Where airlines continue to offer drinks what’s the difference between offering tomato juice and offering that tomato juice with vodka? Does the virus spread less effectively through alcohol on longer flights where alcohol may still be offered, or in premium cabins?

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United’s Threat To Ban Passengers Who Refuse To Wear Masks Is “Toothless”

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

United won’t get law enforcement involved or divert a flight. They won’t even threaten the ban to get compliance from the customer. Instead, the flight attendant can report the customer after the flight for an investigation.

If they’re not even going to mention the possibility of a ban when a customer refuses to wear a mask on board, they’re not actually serious about getting passengers to wear masks inflight.

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