Category Archives for Airlines.
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.
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.
The program’s $5 billion in new debt could create strong incentive for current cash flow versus long-term stewardship and profitability. Of course that is not new in the airline industry, at this time, or at United under Scott Kirby’s leadership in particular.
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?
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.
American Airlines AAdvantage is losing its Argentina co-brand credit card partner. According to an internal American Airlines memorandum reviewed by View From The Wing, Santander Argentina bank “is ending its credit card participation in the AAdvantage program” effective August 13, 2020.
Airlines For America, the major lobbying group whose members include the six largest U.S. airlines, announced today that face mask aren’t just required on board by their members but this time they mean it.
Only it’s not what crew are being told, such as this communication sent to American Airlines flight attendants today.
The extra passenger on board the Boeing 757 was identified when she was found sitting in another passenger’s seat and refused to move. A flight attendant asked for her ID and she “showed them a photo of herself on her phone.”
The FBI didn’t press charged. She has, however, received a TSA ‘warning notice’ “which goes on the woman’s record.”
United Airlines shopped the MileagePlus loyalty program around to lenders to raise cash, and they had to present a lot of internal data as part of the process. Now that the transaction is moving forward, they’ve had to make this data public.
Here’s how the $5 billion loan is going to work, and some facts about the program they hadn’t previously revealed.
By now most people who pay attention to travel, or who are traveling, know that U.S. airlines by and large require passengers to wear masks. Allegiant is an exception.
Here’s an observation, though: they do not provide much guidance on what constitutes a mask. They also do not provide much guidance on how you’re required to wear the mask. And some passengers see a loophole.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
