This new American Airlines-JetBlue partnership paints a path forward for American Airlines to grow and compete in New York, one of the key elements that has been missing from its strategy, including from its co-brand credit card strategy. It has the potential to make American Airlines more relevant to cardmembers in the financially-important New York market, just as the Alaska Airlines partnership can help in the Bay Area and Seattle where tech money is significant. Whether or not this succeeds comes down to execution and whether the partnerships grow to their potential.
Airlines
Category Archives for Airlines.
American Airlines Will Now Show Your Flight’s Upgrade List 12 Hours In Advance
Frequent flyers know the feeling of waiting for a ‘battlefield promotion’ at the gate. We have our elite status and upgrade requested, and we’re hovering waiting to see what our chances are.
Now you don’t have to wait until four hours prior to flight to begin refreshing the upgrade list obsessively in the American Airlines mobile app because it now shows your flight’s upgrade list 12 hours prior to departure.
American Airlines Sent 24,285 WARN Act Notices Today – Who’s Getting Them, What’s Being Offered
American Airlines told employees today that revenue was down 80% in June and they believe that’s “better than others in the industry.” And they shared that “demand for air travel is slowing again.” As a result they have to be prepared to slim down staff once government payroll subsidies run out October 1.
They believe they will have 20,000 too many employees at that point, but they’re sending out 24,248 notices of potential job loss. Here how the notices break down by work group, and what (more senior and expensive) employees are being offered as an alternative to leave voluntarily.
American Airlines: Up To 25,000 Employees May Lose Their Jobs Unless We Get More Government Subsidies
Today American is sending WARN Act notices to about 25,000 employees, but they want those employees to lobby for more federal government subsidies to stay on payroll.
American Airlines Re-Opening More Admirals Clubs
On June 22 American Airlines opened 11 Admirals Club and 13 Service Centers where club members can get help with their travel itineraries. Now they’re re-opening 4 additional clubs, including one that was just a service center previously. All re-opened clubs are at American Airlines hubs, while service centers are now strictly at outstations.
Why Furloughs Make Airline Cost Problems Worse
For an airline doing major furloughs the average cost to crew a flight will be higher after the furloughs than it was before. Every flight will have nothing but flight attendants at the top of the scale. Not to mention increased benefits costs from an older workforce.
And that means that ultra low cost carriers are going to have an even bigger cost advantage against American, United, and Delta than they did before.
American Airlines Now Lets You Redeem Miles For A VIP Experience At 20 Airports
Like Delta and United, American Airlines offers a high-touch airport meet and greet service called Five Star. (United’s service is actually outsourced.) What’s new is that American Airlines now lets you purchase their VIP airport service with AAdvantage miles.
After Furloughing 10 Years Of Hires, The Average American Airlines Flight Attendant Age Will Be 56
On a straight seniority basis 8000 furloughs will include every flight attendant under 40 years old and some in the first half of their 40s. And it will include nearly every flight attendant hired in the last 10 years. Every one hired since US Airways management took over, though, can expect to be let go.
Alaska Airlines Considering Replacement For Guest Upgrades
In early March I wrote about ideas they’re surveying about potential changes to the program. Now they’re researching ways to change elite benefits, especially the 4 annual confirmed upgrade certificates given to MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members.
Sadly they appear to be looking at alternatives I’d consider to be less valuable than what they offer today.
Republic Airways, Which Flies For United, Delta, and American, Will Send WARN Act Notices To 40% Of Staff
Republic Airways, a regional airline that flies for American Airlines, Delta, and United, is planning to notify 40% of their workforce that they may be furloughed October 1. Here’s their internal communication plan.











