Category Archives for Airlines.
A year ago Aeroplan accidentally announced a partnership with Etihad Airways. That deal wasn’t ready for prime time, but now it’s live. You can earn and redeem Aeroplan miles for travel on Etihad, which is huge in my opinion – especially with no fuel surcharges.
You can combine Etihad flights with Star Alliance airlines in a single award and travel to India, the Mideast, the Maldives and more.
Virgin Atlantic has been looking for – but hasn’t yet received – a government bailout. They’ve presented themselves as insolvent without one.
To conserve cash there are several airline frequent flyer programs that have suspended redemptions, or partner airline redemptions, that would require them to pay out funds. So when Virgin Atlantic’s frequent flyer program went offline due to technology issues, and some bank card transfer partners suspended points transfers (so the points wouldn’t disappear enroute), that raised alarm bells.
Airlines have cut back inflight food and beverage offerings both for social distancing (to reduce passenger – flight attendant contact) and for cost savings. I’ve written that post-pandemic I don’t expect inflight product investment to return right away, as airlines work to repair their balance sheets after borrowing unprecedented sums to stay in business.
Soon though airlines are going to have to differentiate the premium cabin experience to recover, or else they’ll be unable to sell premium fares.
Last week word broke that American was targeting letting go 30% of management and support staff. They were being offered voluntary departure packages, at 3 to 6 months at one-third pay. Hanging around and being terminated later wouldn’t be as good a deal. United meanwhile changed its internal rules so that laid off employees receive no severance.
Southwest Airlines, by contrast, is being really generous with its employees.
Alaska Airlines is offering 50% bonus elite qualifying miles for flights through the end of the year, and also elite qualifying miles for credit card spend.
American Airlines is offering double miles, up to an additional 10,000 miles, for new tickets booked by June 30 and travel by September 30. They’re also promoting a fare sale through June 14 and vacation package discounts to goose summer bookings.
Starting today there are several changes to American Airlines catering: more hand sanitizer and substantial changes to beverage service.
This morning I covered a fantastic story about an interaction between American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, where they connected over issues of race and the challenges confronting our country right now. This story, initially shared by the flight attendant to Facebook, is gaining broad coverage across the internet.
Doug Parker actually shared his version of the encounter as well, first with American’s executive leadership and then with employees on their company intranet. Here’s what he wrote.
Update: American’s new award change and reinstatement fees have been pushed off from June 1 to July 1. That’s an extra month where you can take advantage of waived change fees, booking before the potential for big new costs go into effect.
Yesterday British Airways announced a change to its frequent flyer program purporting to preclude members from taking it to court or participating in any class action lawsuit.
However that would seem to run directly contrary to the express provisions of 14 CFR § 253.10. In other words, it appears that British Airways may be breaking the law.
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 »
