Category Archives for Airlines.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigated an earlier complaint, was unable to resolve it, but found sufficient merit to issue a “Right to Sue” letter so the federal government has found some merit in the arguments thus far. Winning this case would represent an existential threat to airline unions. It seems a long shot, however.
It turns out what while aviation’s contribution to global emissions has been growing as worldwide air travel has grown (pre-pandemic), it hasn’t increased in relative importance. Between 2000 and 2018 aviation has steadily accounted for about 3.5% of climate-affecting emissions, and that includes commercial and cargo flights, according to a new study from climate scientist David Lee and Manchester Metropolitan University.
What’s especially interesting though is just how aviation appears to affect climate. It’s contrails that matter most – water vapor and exhaust forming ice crystals.
A British Airways flight attendant is now a registered sex offender after peering over a London Heathrow airport restroom stall with his phone in order to “watch a man urinate.”
In the mid-1990s nearly one quarter of Aeroflot employees were working for Russian intelligence services and the country’s spy agencies diverted ticket revenue for their clandestine projects, creating a dedicated source of revenue outside of the government’s appropriations or oversight.
Now it’s Russia complaining that its Aeroflot executive in London was spying.
With a vaccine for Covid-19 seeming like a real possibility next year, but taking time to roll out broadly across the population, companies whose activities bring large groups together are working to figure out how to do that faster. One way is through technology to ensure that everyone congregating indoors is likely to be free of the virus.
Following American AAdvantage announcing reduced qualification levels for elite status earned in 2021 last month, United MileagePlus is out with its 2021 elite qualification rules and they’re layering on four different boosts towards status along with making it easier to earn confirmed upgrades for those continuing to fly beyond the 1K level.
Taken together lower status requirements, a hard start for current elites towards status, along with bonus qualifying spend for status in the first quarter, and a relaxed restriction on using credit card-earned elite qualifying spend towards top status United has laid out ways that status will be easier to earn than ever this year.
Airlines will need to figure out how much airflow they can maintain while applying de-icing fluid to aircraft with passengers on board.
Furloughs don’t just disrupt the lives of those who lose their jobs. They’re just the most obvious people affected.
Pilots get bumped down to flying smaller aircraft, and from captain to co-pilot. Flight attendants though are really displaced too. That’s because senior flight attendants, used to working the best trips, wind up back on reserve.
Qatar has one of the best business class product in the world in its ‘QSuites’. These are revolutionary suites with doors and movable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space. Right now there’s fantastic award availability booking for late summer and fall 2021 for Qatar’s QSuites product – out of several U.S. cities – with four business class seats available.
Traditionally non-stop cross country flights in premium cabins are tough to get but that is a lot of premium cabin inventory at a time that business travelers aren’t flying. Or – perhaps this is an early mistake on United’s part that won’t last. But every single day between the February 1 start of service and the end of the airline schedule 11 months from now has numerous business class saver award seats open.
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 »
