Category Archives for Airlines.
There are several clues that suggest Singapore Airlines may use their A350 Ultra Long Range to launch Chicago – Singapore non-stop starting in fall 2020.
Every business can do this, cloak their self-interested lobbying in the mantle of benefit for a broader public good. Indeed, most businesses who seek to profit by political rather than economic means do this today. It’s just exceptionally common in the airline industry, where government corruption has run rife on consumer interests for a hundred years.
This is much better than the olden days when everyone on a plane watched the same thing because there were just overhead monitors, and one thing playing on all of them. On an American Airlines flight from Sydney to Honolulu to Dallas back in 1991 they kept playing John Goodman’s King Ralph over and over – and I wanted to impeach the airline’s Vice President of Inflight.
It’s sad that United maintained they weren’t making changes to partner award pricing – and then did so immediately on the very day they eliminated close-in booking fees in cash.
As a general matter they appear to be charging more for close-in redemption of United flights, too – so there’s no ‘fee’ for close-in booking, just a mileage penalty.
In a surprising move – because they’re being more generous with members – American Airlines has changed the rules for expiring systemwide upgrades.
Yesterday I wrote about wide open business class award space on Iberia’s new Washington Dulles – Madrid flight that launches May 1.
This flight can be booked using American AAdvantage miles, with British Airways miles, with Cathay Pacific miles, or any number of other programs (including points transferred from bank programs).
Fifteen years ago most of domestic first class cabins were filled with upgrades. On average about 10% of domestic first class seats were sold for cash. That’s changed.
Upgrades are far tougher than they used to be. American Airlines monetizes about half their domestic first class cabin. But how are the upgrades that still exist obtained? Here’s data that shows how people really get up there.
Back in April American Airlines Senior Vice President Kurt Stache talked about the carrier clarifying its brand purpose and launching a new marketing campaign around it. At the time I was both excited and skeptical.
The ability to use American AAdvantage miles at the saver level without significant fuel surcharges is a relative rarity and worth jumping on.
oneworld carrier Iberia – owned by British Airways parent IAG – is starting new summer seasonal service between Washington Dulles and Madrid five times a week, effective May 1. The flight will be operated by an Airbus A330-300 with 29 business class, 21 premium economy, and 242 coach seats.
Sometimes a pop up lounge is meant to serve a member base where they find themselves during a peak period, sometimes it foretells a future club location.
There isn’t just one pop up lounge strategy, so it’s difficult to know exactly what Delta is doing here, but they’ve run a series of pop up SkyClubs at some smaller market airports.
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 »
