Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

Airline Lobbyists Changed Bailout Language To Create Loophole That Let Them Reduce Employee Pay

by Gary Leff

May 09 2020

Despite taking CARES Act payroll protection subsidies from the federal government, airlines including Delta, United, and JetBlue have cut worker hours. This means that employees receive less pay, and airlines spend less on payroll, despite requirements not to furlough workers or reduce rates of pay through September 30.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said “I was there when we were working on CARES and that wasn’t the intent or meaning of it.” Parker is right, that wasn’t how the CARES Act was supposed to work. The original language – that got changed – has now been leaked.

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The Administration Wants the CDC To Do Temperature Checks At Airports. The CDC Said No.

by Gary Leff

May 09 2020

The executive branch wants to give the CDC a mission: checking temperatures of airline passengers at 20 airports. The CDC, though, declined saying it wasn’t likely to be effective (due to asymptomatic spread) and it may not be legal. They responded to the Department of Homeland Security “Please kindly strike out CDC from this role.”

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Qatar Airways Firing Pilots – And Sending Them A Bill

by Gary Leff

May 09 2020

Here’s a dismissal notice one pilot reported receiving from their airline. Qatar Airways terminated them effective immediately, and is paying seven days of severance in lieu of notice.

If that was the end of the story it would be unfortunate, but part of the grim reality that aviation and the world are facing today. However that wasn’t the end. Qatar sent the pilot a bill for $162,000.

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American Airlines CEO: We Don’t Match Low Fares, Will Charge People More Who Must Travel

by Gary Leff

american plane
May 09 2020

This past week American Airlines CEO Doug Parker hosted a Crew News question and answer session with employees. He’s been doing town hall-style employee chats since he was CEO at America West and this was the first one done virtually. Instead of live questions, he had an executive who framed ‘frequently asked questions’ from pilots, and separately from flight attendants.

In the flight attendant session Parker laid out American’s philosophy on pricing which is that they will match low fares in the market, but they will not lead discounting. And he explained they won’t even always match fares anyway – because the people who have been traveling recently are the ones who need to regardless of the fare.

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Some Thoughtful People Think We’ll Be Living Our Normal Travel Lives This Summer

by Gary Leff

May 08 2020

For better or worse – and opinions in the comments here are split – many well-known commentators are convinced that Americans will be mostly living their normal life by this summer.

That means traveling – and it perhaps even means socially-distanced Disney World in the manner of Shanghai Disney with limits of 20% of capacity and very frequent cleaning.

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American Airlines Introduces Earn and Burn Reciprocity With Brazil’s Gol

by Gary Leff

May 08 2020

Let’s mix metaphors for a second. After a game of airline partner musical chairs in South America, everyone is solidifying the relationship with their new dance partner.

Delta began mileage earning and redemption with LATAM a month ago and just signed their joint venture agreement. Now American Airlines has introduced frequent flyer reciprocity with new partner Gol, based in Brazil, which Delta used to own a stake in.

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Yes – It May Finally Be Time To Plan Travel Again

by Gary Leff

May 08 2020

The Points Guy ran a video by Brian Kelly arguing “against any unnecessary travel at all.” I’m not persuaded, and hashing this out publicly should help people make up their own mind.

It can certainly make sense to do limited domestic travel this summer if you aren’t living in a coronavirus hotspot, aren’t heading towards one, and are not in a high risk group (and do not live or work with people that are). I’m not telling anyone that they should travel for leisure but the argument doesn’t hold that no one should.

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Mystery: Man Struck By Southwest Plane Landing in Austin Airport Last Night

by Gary Leff

southwest plane
May 08 2020

Southwest Airlines flight WN1392 from Dallas Love Field with 53 passengers and 5 crew on board landed in Austin Thursday night at 8:12 p.m. The plane struck and killed a man on runway 17R, despite seeing him there and – according to the airline – maneuvering to avoid him, though air traffic control audio doesn’t seem to support that explanation.

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