Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

American Expected to Further Gut its Partnership With Alaska Airlines

alaska airlines plane
Jul 19 2019

This makes little sense from an American Airlines standpoint. The airline has largely walked away from the New York market and has only a limited presence in the Bay Area and Pacific Northwest. It’s unclear why they’d want to reduce their relevance to Bay Area customers even further, as Delta builds up not just Seattle but a focus city in ex-American Airlines hub San Jose.

Continue Reading »

Are British Airways First Class Passengers About to Start Asking to Downgrade, Because Business is Better?

airplanebed
Jul 19 2019

BA is introducing their first refurbished Boeing 777 with business class suites with doors October 27th flying London Heathrow – New York JFK, The Boeing 777 has first class, and will continue to in the new configuration.

However BA’s current first class seat is wholly uncompetitive. The current first class product has no doors for privacy, while the new business class will offer this.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Planning to Offer Free WiFi

united-plane
Jul 17 2019

Free internet underscores that the economics of bundling are when a the marginal cost of providing a product to an additional customer is near-zero, it makes more sense to charge for it as a package rather than separately. That’s how cable companies maximize revenue.

The mantra of ‘unbundling’ which has been accepted as gospel in the airline industry for the past decade doesn’t always make sense.

Continue Reading »

The Actual Order a Judge Signed Against American Airlines Mechanics is Shocking in One Specific Way

american-airlines-plane
Jul 17 2019

It’s a minor point in the ongoing saga between American Airlines and its mechanics, but just how one-sided does the judge in the case between American and its mechanics think the argument is over a work slowdown? How convinced is he by the evidence American Airlines put on? The judge signed the exact draft order that American Airlines wrote for him telling mechanics to get back to work.

Continue Reading »

American Airlines Knows Their Lifetime Status is Weak, Considers How to Fix It

american airlines
Jul 16 2019

American AAdvantage used to have one of the most generous lifetime elite status programs, but three changes to the program have made it less valuable. Meanwhile Delta and United have improved their offerings over the years. Both airlines are now more generous with lifetime loyalty than American, and when a program is less generous than Delta that’s saying something.

One well-regarded source, however, suggests that the airline recognizes this and is considering solutions to improve lifetime status.

Continue Reading »

American Airlines is Right, Passengers Don’t Deserve Seat Back Entertainment

airline cabin
Jul 16 2019

Many customers think that American is wrong, watching entertainment on their phones isn’t the same as a seat back screen if they even know they have to download the American Airlines app prior to takeoff in order to do so. Planes with seat back video look newer and fresher, while even brand new aircraft without screens look old and cheap — there’s a reverse halo effect that can drag down premium revenue too.

However I’ve finally been convinced that American was right. Passengers don’t deserve seat back entertainment. And all it took was one short video going viral on twitter to show me that was the case.

Continue Reading »