The problem that American faces at LaGuardia — and this hampers all of their shuttle flights, not just Chicago — is that their operations are now consolidated out of the Central Terminal (also known as ‘Terminal B’). And while construction at the airport has been a disaster all around, nowhere more so than for passengers at the Central Terminal. Put another way you really don’t want to land at LaGuardia’s Central Terminal.
Airlines
Category Archives for Airlines.
Possible Midair Collision On Takeoff From Moscow, All Passengers Believed Dead
May the 65 passengers and 6 crew onboard Saratov Airlines flight 6W-703 operating a domestic flight from Moscow Domodedovo to Orsk rest in peace.
The Antonov 148, registration RA-61704, reportedly collided with a helicopter at around 6000 feet. However reporting on the crash appears to be inferred from video and has not been confirmed.
American’s Front Line Employees Think Getting Rid of Seat Back Entertainment is a Very Bad Idea
Yesterday I wrote about American’s “Tell Me Why” podcast with Senior Vice President Kurt Stache. He laid out the airline’s plans for satellite internet and explained why the airline is getting rid of seat back video screens.
American employees comment internally on these discussions. It always amazes me how frank they are. Union protections and management promises notwithstanding I don’t think I’d be so forceful in my criticisms of management as American’s employees often are in these forums.
United Eliminating Bloody Mary and Mimosa Carts and Wine Carts from Polaris Business Class
United is eliminating their mimosa/bloody mary carts and wine carts from Polaris business class effective May 1.
That should speed up service, which is great. It should also reduce consumption, which is great for United’s costs.
Did Southwest Steal $25,000 in Donations From a Mechanic They Fired?
An arbitrator ordered that a Southwest Airlines maintenance worker be re-instated and given back pay — minus funds he received during the time he wasn’t employed by Southwest.
That means his income from a job with an aviation school credits against the wages he would have earned. And it includes $25,000 donated to him via a GoFundme page.
Airlines Tell DOT They Want Consumer Protections Eliminated – There’s Little Reason for Alarm
The Department of Transportation asked what rules should be repealed and airlines responded with their Christmas lists. Most of what they ask for won’t happen, and some of it is actually worth considering.
Seattle Flight Turns Around Because of Naked Passenger
Alaska Airlines flight AS146 from Anchorage to Seattle took off early this morning but turned around and returned to Anchorage because of a naked passenger.
The plane departed at 1:29 a.m. and returned to Anchorage at 3:47 a.m. The airline explained the delay as “due to a passenger not following flight attendants’ instructions.”
1750 Rapid Rewards Points Worth $24.50 for $35 Flower Order
A couple of days ago I wrote about the great mileage offers on flowers that abound around Valentine’s Day. There are 30 miles per dollar offers with United, Delta, American, and Hawaiian.
I noted at the time that you could get a flat 1000 Rapid Rewards points for spending $29.99 or more (plus shipping) at 1-800-Flowers. And that’s pretty good for Southwest. However there’s a new even better offer out of 1750 Rapid Rewards points.
Saudi Arabia Allows Flights to Israel to Use its Airspace
As I pointed out with the launch of the blockade against Qatar last June, there’s a huge shift going on in the Mideast.
While conflict with Israel gets the most press in the U.S., the primary conflict is between Saudi Arabia (along with Turkey) seeking Sunni influence in the region and working to counter Shia Iran. The conflict in Syria, for instance, is largely a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudis have fought Iran-backed rebels in Yemen over the past several years.
This Internal “Tell Me Why” Podcast Taught Me Two Things About American Airlines
American’s new ‘Tell Me Why’ podcast is live with its third episode. While it’s geared towards employees and posted to their internet Jetnet system it’s also available on iTunes.
For the third episode Vice President of Communications Ron DeFeo interviews Kurt Stache, American’s head of marketing who used to run AAdvantage, about the airline’s inflight product and mostly inflight entertainment.