Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

One Brave American Airlines Employee Just Told Management How to Fix the Airline

by Gary Leff

delta plane
Apr 15 2018

There was a time that Delta was an also-ran. American Airlines was the leader in the industry, the brightest minds started at American and learned their craft and then went on to run other airlines. Even a mere decade ago it seemed United did its best to copy American, at least with frequent flyer promotions.

Now the unquestioned leader in the US airline industry is Delta. They’re the most profitable and delivering better operational reliability than their largest counterparts. And everyone just assumes they’re smarter.

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Airlines Starting to Avoid Russian Airspace After Syrian Bombings

by Gary Leff

map of ocean
Apr 14 2018

With tensions running high is appears that several US airline commercial flights are already avoiding Russian airspace.

Today’s American Airlines Dallas – Beijing flight AA263 routed out to Los Angeles and made a stop before being scheduled to continue to China. American Airlines AA125 from Dallas to Hong Kong diverted to Los Angeles as well. So did American Airlines AA187 from Chicago to Beijing.

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Despacito Qik Prevents American Airlines Agents from Helping Customers

by Gary Leff

register
Apr 14 2018

A veteran gate agent in Miami asked American Airlines CEO Doug Parker at last week’s employee town hall about the user interface Qik that she’s required to use — instead of working directly in Sabre like she used to — and she calls it “a Pinto car… it does not perform to the standard we’re used to. Qik is not efficient” and she says in Miami they call it “despacito Qik.”

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Holly Hegeman Speaks to American Employees About the Airline’s Dark Days

by Gary Leff

obi wan
Apr 14 2018

The latest American Airlines employee podcast interviews Holly Hegeman. She talks about how she got involved covering the airline industry, doing consulting for Bob Crandall and doing the airline’s annual report with him.

I’m pretty sure I found Flyertalk.com in 2001 from a link on Holly’s PlaneBusiness website so in some sense I owe the start of my journey — which began reading Thomas Petzinger’s Hard Landing over 20 years ago and by traveling as a newly minted frequent flyer and that was accelerated through my association with Randy Petersen — to Holly.

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American Airlines CEO: Why You May Not Have a Gate When You Land

by Gary Leff

airport
Apr 13 2018

This past week American Airlines CEO Doug Parker held an employee question and answer forum in Miami. A pilot there expressed his frustration at delays, saying that they’re measured in “dog minutes” because each minute feels like seven. They finally get on their way and arrive at their destination only to find that they have no gate.

Parker offered an explanation for how and why they run into a lack of gates.

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REPORT: Emirates Cutting Flight Attendant Staffing and Service

by Gary Leff

emirates airline cabin
Apr 13 2018

Emirates still offers angled business class seats on most of its Boeing 777s (and they have more 777s than A380s). They’re cutting back flying to many destinations based on demand. They’ve cut many service elements of their inflight product and sought to monetize things like lounge access.

And now just like American Airlines reduced flight attendant staffing on its Boeing 777-200s, treating premium economy as just a part of regular economy, Emirates too is reducing onboard staffing.

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