Category Archives for Airlines.
Effective March 12 Southwest will let companions on the same reservation as an elite member board with the elite. Companions on the same booking will be assigned boarding numbers at the same time as the elite.
We need to practice social distancing, focus on science-based evaluations of risk, and focus public policy accordingly. Flights from Europe are less of a risk than concerts. Many countries of the world are less of a risk than the U.S. is. And we need flights for cargo, including for the chemicals needed to process COVID-19 tests.
On the heels of the confusing statement by the President ostensibly banning flights from Europe other than the U.K. for 30 days, but really banning entry by non-U.S. residents who have been to the Schengen area of Europe in the past 14 days, the State Department is now warning against all global travel.
My recommendation: It would be a good idea, if you’re an American traveling abroad, for you to arrange to return home as quickly as possible before it becomes more difficult to do so.
The U.S. is discussing banning travel to and from Europe, though they may also opt to warn against all European travel and to impose a quarantine on European arrivals.
I’d avoid European travel at this time simply because it may be more difficult to get back in the event of potential extreme policy responses.
Right now United isn’t thinking about the long run, they’re preparing to survive the short run. Scott Kirby made clear everything else comes later.
Expect to see other airlines shift into that mode – hopefully seeing customers as partners rather than as potential marks for cash.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA administrator from 2017-2019, has been a helpful source on coronavirus. He was one of the first people with a real microphone sounding the alarm about lack of testing in the United States.
He says airlines aren’t doing enough to prevent spread of the virus, focusing on three things he’s seen in his own travels.
At an investor conference this morning, after first talking about coronavirus, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker pivoted to talk about the airline’s operational performance, and growth plans including from new gates coming online in Charlotte and upgauging regional jets next year at Washington National airport.
American just has a real difference in perspective. Parker said they are “not breaking out the distress playbook..that’s not where we are.” I hope he’s right of course. They talked about the effect of sales on bookings, their cash balance as a cushion, and the possible accelerated retirement of the Boeing 757.
United Airlines President and soon-to-be CEO Scott Kirby keynoted the J.P. Morgan 2020 Industrials Conference today. He took a far more aggressive stance on how deep to cut, how bad things can get, than other airline executives. And he was more willing to share specific data on how bad things already are.
Delta has suspended share buybacks and is reducing pension contributions. They have instituted a hiring freeze and are offering voluntary leave to employees with an eye towards reducing staff count through retirement. They are “[p]arking aircraft, and evaluating early retirements of older aircraft.”
They’re also starting to implement $500 million in capital expense reductions, and they’re cutting flights.
United Airlines already announced a 20% cut to its international route network and 10% cut domestically. American is out with route and frequency reductions and I don’t think they are done.
International reduction for summer is 10% (55% reduction in transpacific flying). Domestic reduction in April is 7.5%.
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 »
