Category Archives for Airlines.
CEO Akbar al Baker said they’re considering several new acquisitions, speaking at the Qatar Airways/CAPA Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit in Doha.
Under consideration are stakes in Rwandair, IndiGo, and Royal Air Maroc – in addition to increasing their ownership position in LATAM.
Bringing a child under 2 years old on a plane with you is free for domestic flights if you don’t buy them a seat. However when you travel internationally an infant without a seat needs a ticket, and those can be expensive even when you’re redeeming miles for your own flight.
When you book an award and add a lap infant, some programs charge you 10% of a paid ticket. That’s standard for United, Delta and American. If you redeem miles for a $6000 business class ticket, the lap infant costs you $600 plus taxes.
I’ve written about American’s process for selecting a new business class seat to debut on the Boeing 787-9s slated for delivery beginning in 2023. I’ve argued that the most likely seat is their current Super Diamond seat, adding doors. And a second option – the Adient Ascent seat – leaked.
However it seems that people who are part of customer focus groups looking at American’s new seat options are reporting that there are actually 3 seats under consideration, and some may even be suggesting they’ve been shown four seats.
American is looking at installing a new business class seat. The timing is expected to coincide with the arrival of new Boeing 787-9 planes into the fleet in three years. They’re focus grouping two options now.
I recently wrote that I believed the seat they would choose is the current Super Diamond seat they’ve been using, with doors added. We now also know the second option they’re considering.
With Meghit done, and now after an interminable wait Brexit done as well, the U.K. is turning to new trade agreements where necessary in order to replace those they’d been covered by while part of the E.U. Indeed, the U.K. needs a deal with the E.U. along with myriad other countries.
The former U.K. ambassador to the U.S. has been a part of discussions, and has insight into both sides of discussions.
Now the airline has an official name, Breeze Airways, and has announced plans to fly by the end of this year. They’re currently applying for a government operating certificate and they’re hiring. They’ve re-affirmed plans to launch with non-stop service in markets that do not currently have direct flights.
Neeleman promises ‘the World’s Nicest Airline’.
By beating the airline’s internal goals for “D0” or exact on-time departures, employees will get at least a $50 bonus under American’s ‘Grand Slam’ bonus program. American employees can earn up to $200 a month based on the airline’s operational performance when the airline beats Delta, United, and Southwest for the month in four areas.
The conniving 14 year old gets short shrift in all of the legal maneuvering. He was being watched by his grandfather and “asked his grandfather to go to Starbucks to get him a Frappuccino.” While the grandfather was gone the boy went to the airport. He was apparently in league with him mom who bought him a ticket to New Orleans. The father, alerted to the plan, called the police and drove to the airport before the flight took off. Southwest let the boy travel.
A Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737 touched down in bad weather at Istanbul’s second airport (Sabiha, code SAW) after flying from Izmur, Turkey. Flight PC 2193 overran runway 6 and hit the airport’s perimeter wall. The plane broke into 3 parts. An engine that separated caught fire.
There were 183 passengers and crew on board. It took nearly five hours to free everyone from the wreckage. One person is reported to have perished, and 157 taken to area hospitals. All six crew on board were injured.
American Airlines flight AA1528 from San Juan to Philadelphia was delayed 7 hours and 45 minutes on Monday when pilot Mathew Stapula didn’t show up at the airport. He was killed outside a San Juan strip club early Sunday morning. American sent a new crew member to operate the flight.
The strip club was the scene of another fatal shooting in late September.
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 »
