Category Archives for Airlines.
Frequent flyers know that checked baggage is never a good idea. It can get you arrested even when there’s nothing illegal inside. They say there’s only two kinds of luggage: carry on and lost. It turns out there’s a third, “accessory to a crime.”
Singapore Airlines took two of their latest configuration Airbus A380s and turned them into a popup restaurant. They offered tickets for “Restaurant A380 @ Changi” yesterday and their two planned dates (October 24 and 25) sold out in 30 minutes.
So Singapore is extending the concept, offering the restaurant for a longer period, and has also created a waitlist.
The largest U.S. domestic airline is already a significant player in both the Houston and Chicago markets. They’re doubling down by extending service to a second airport in each city. Just as they’re taking American Airlines head on in Miami, they’ll be taking on United (Houston Intercontinental) and United and American (Chicago O’Hare) at those major carrier hubs.
Sean Doyle, the CEO of Aer Lingus, will be the new British Airways CEO – with Aer Lingus’ Chief Corporate Affairs Office Donal Moriarty becoming Aer Lingus interim CEO. Meanwhile the group’s low cost long haul carrier CEO Fernando Candela will become IAG’s “Chief Transformation Officer” (will one of the transformations be the demse of LEVEL?). Cruz will remain non-executive Chairman of British Airways.
Last week I wrote that airline rules don’t seem to apply to the rich and powerful after Mike McCaul, the fifth wealthiest member of Congress who is in a tight reelection race, flew Washington Dulles to Austin without a mask over his face.
He said it fell off when he was asleep. But new video has surfaced that calls that into question, and suggests the Congressman likely should be banned by United Airlines.
It seemed notable that American Airlines brought former Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland onto its board. He led Northwest through bankruptcy and into a merger with Delta. American itself is the most vulnerable of the major U.S. airlines.
I had forgotten just what Steenland’s tenure at Northwest was really like though.
It’s a complicated question whether travel restrictions are good policy in a pandemic. The World Health Organization was strongly against them. Many countries adopted them. They seem to have helped in some places and not others.
I’m going to express an unpopular view, and perhaps draw significant hate in the comments. But I don’t think a nationwide transportation mandate imposed by the CDC is the best way to approach mask compliance. And I’m an advocate of masks and have been since long before the CDC found religion on this issue. Here’s why.
Norwegian Air, the low cost carrier, was struggling before the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s already been bailed out by the government, but that’s not enough. Now they’re in talks with the government over nationalization.
So now, with global travel depressed, seems like the perfect time to start another Norwegian airline, of course!
Yesterday American Airlines added former Northwest Airlines CEO Doug Steenland to its board. Steenland led Northwest through its bankrutpcy and merger with Delta.
This seems significant.
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 »
