Category Archives for Airlines.
American Airlines should fix standby by reversing policy changes that make them uncompetitive and inconvenient for customers.
Delta Air Lines says they see weak demand for coach travel right now, but no decline in premium cabin demand. Their executives believe that once passengers fly first and business class, they’ll do anything possible not to go back.
The key to getting the most out of miles and points is having some flexibility. If you can only take a certain flight on a specific day, you’ll take or leave what’s available. But if you can shift your plans and take advantage of the awards that are available, when they come up, you can get orders of magnitude greater value – business and first class for the same price as coach, international long haul for the same price as domestic.
Etihad business class is fantastic. Spending American AAdvantage miles on the product is an incredible value, at 70,000 miles each way between the U.S. and Mideast or even connecting over Abu Dhabi to India, Sri Lanka or the Maldives.
Once you see this mistake on an American Airlines plane, you won’t be able to unsee it – and you’ll begin to notice it everywhere: “Use Seat Bottom Cushiom For Flotation”
Flight attendants will still have to ratify the deal. Pending major surprises though it seems likely, though some flight attendants will believe that they can always do better – that you should ‘never take the first deal’. However starting the click on “40% total economic improvements” in the first year along with retro pay is going to be something most crew will want right away.
Southwest Airlines starts charging for checked bags on May 28th. That’s just days away. And they still won’t say how much checked bags are going to cost!
Surely the systems are already programmed (or are they?) They certainly know the pricing. They just won’t tell customers what to expect.
Memorial Day Weekend bookings made between the end of January and mid-May are actually up 6% year-over year when looking at the Thursday-Monday of the 2024 and 2025 holidays.
In many ways I’m more excited for American Airlines than I have been at any time in the last dozen years. But a lot has to come to fruition to move from quick wins to sustainable improvement that translates into customer preference and economic performance. Still, this represents a huge shift in mindset from where the airline seemed to be a year ago.
Starting June 3, you’ll have to check in earlier if you want to fly United Airlines. In an internal memo, the airline stays that customers without bags will have to check in at least 45 minutes prior to their flight. The current rule is 30 minutes. If you don’t make it in time, you’ll lose your seat.
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 »
