Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

Air India is Asking Crew to Stop Upgrading Their Friends to Business Class

by Gary Leff on March 29, 2018

Mar 29 2018

Air India is warning staff that they’ll get in trouble if they keep upgrading friends and family to business class. The Chairman of the airline sent a memo to employees, It has come to my knowledge that operating crew carry out upgrades to business and first class unofficially during the flight for their friends and relatives. This is viewed seriously. …It is reiterated once again that officials/crew members responsible for all such unauthorised upgrades shall face strict disciplinary action. Air India Boeing 787 Apparently the concern is just that putting friends and family into empty business class seats trades off with selling onboard upgrades. I hadn’t been aware that Air India allows onboard upgrades for a fee. That opens a whole different avenue for crew corruption. I imagine that passengers are far more likely to…

El Al Sues Israel Because Saudi Arabia is Letting Air India Use Its Airspace

by Gary Leff on March 28, 2018

Mar 28 2018

El Al is suing the government of Israel — the Civil Aviation Authority, the Prime Minister, and the Transportation Minister. They’re also suing Air India.

That’s because Saudi Arabia (and not the government of Israel) is allowing Air India to traverse its airspace on flights between India and Israel.

American Airlines CEO: Why I’ll Never Give You as Much Flexibility as Southwest Does

by Gary Leff on March 28, 2018

Mar 28 2018

At last Thursday’s American Airlines employee Q&A with management, someone asked American’s CEO Doug Parker how to talk to people who prefer Southwest over American ‘for their flexibility’.

Doug Parker told the employee “well you’ve got to find some new friends, first of all.” But he also did a fantastic job explaining how American thinks about its business, and its pricing strategies.

American Employee Says They’ll Fly Any Plane That Flies, No Matter the Condition

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

At American’s employee town hall last week a 26 year Dallas-based flight attendant asked if “any airline strives to be number one other than from the bottom line standpoint and for our shareholders?”

He said it “used to be nice” at the end of a flight “when people weren’t so crammed in” so he wanted to know “Do we strive to be number one at all or are we just striving to fill every seat and the bottom line?”

Here’s What American Didn’t Tell You In Their New Latin America Service Announcement

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

American Airlines sent out a press release today touting new service to Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America. There are several new routes. There are new flights that didn’t make the release. But they didn’t talk about the service they’re eliminating…

Air New Zealand Launching Non-Stops to Chicago!

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

At the beginning of February I shared the strong rumor that Air New Zealand would announce Auckland – Chicago non-stop. They’ve just done that, and alongside United has announced their San Francisco – Auckland will become year-round rather than seasonal.

HOP! Goes “Pop” as Air France Regional Flight Lands With Cracks and Holes in Fuselage

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

Sunday’s Air France regional HOP flight A5-235 from Paris-Orly to Aurillac experienced a loud noise that could be heard inside the cabin. It turned out there were large cracks and holes in the plane’s fuselage.

Sleeping passengers were awakened by the noise on this 265 mile domestic flight.

American Confirms They’re Planning Lie Flat 757s on Transcon Routes

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

Earlier this month American Airlines maintained that they hadn’t decided whether or not to put Boeing 757s with lie flat seats on domestic routes or not, even as their competitors roll out more domestic flights with lie flat seats up front.

It’s been expected for awhile that American would respond to this competition, and indeed they’ve taken some 757s off of international routes, but they wouldn’t say they’re adding them to the domestic schedule. Nonetheless they are now saying privately that this is what will ultimately happen.

Today an EVA Air Hello Kitty Jet Starts Flying to Los Angeles

by Gary Leff on March 27, 2018

Mar 27 2018

Starting today EVA Air flies a Hello Kitty jet on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Los Angeles – Taipei.

There are special boarding passes and baggage stickers, Hello Kitty crew uniforms, and the seats are transformed into Hello Kitty with headrest covers and pillows. Meal service features utensilves, cups, and napkins that are Hello Kitty. The lavatories are stocked with themed toilet paper.

No Discretion: American’s CEO Wants Pilots to Do What They’re Told and Leave Exactly On Time

by Gary Leff on March 26, 2018

Mar 26 2018

A DFW-based captain asked American Airlines CEO Doug Parker about ‘D0’. He said the airline’s emphasize on exactly on-time departures, and the processes around questioning decisions and following up when they miss exact on-time departures “feels punitive on all the people.”

Airlines

Air India is Asking Crew to Stop Upgrading Their Friends to Business Class

El Al Sues Israel Because Saudi Arabia is Letting Air India Use Its Airspace

American Airlines CEO: Why I’ll Never Give You as Much Flexibility as Southwest Does

American Employee Says They’ll Fly Any Plane That Flies, No Matter the Condition

Here’s What American Didn’t Tell You In Their New Latin America Service Announcement

Air New Zealand Launching Non-Stops to Chicago!

HOP! Goes “Pop” as Air France Regional Flight Lands With Cracks and Holes in Fuselage

American Confirms They’re Planning Lie Flat 757s on Transcon Routes

Today an EVA Air Hello Kitty Jet Starts Flying to Los Angeles

No Discretion: American’s CEO Wants Pilots to Do What They’re Told and Leave Exactly On Time

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