Airlines

Category Archives for Airlines.

American Wants Employees to Understand Why They’re Offering a Worse Product to Many Customers

by Gary Leff on February 16, 2018

Feb 16 2018

Kerry Philipovitch, American’s Senior Vice President of Customer Experience defends the idea of Basic Economy fares in the latest “Tell Me Why” podcast aimed at the airline’s employees.

She says that without Basic Economy “we’re going to see our most price sensitive travelers leave us” — as though stripped down fares are necessary to offer low fares, and even though immediately after she explains that American had been offering fares that match ultra low cost carriers before Basic Economy.

American is Removing Business Class Seats from Some Boeing 777s to ‘Standardize’ Product

by Gary Leff on February 16, 2018

Feb 16 2018

American Airlines has myriad aircraft in different configurations from legacy American Airlines decisions before the merger and from US Airways, and a series of individual decisions along the way. Customers can luck out with better aircraft for passenger experience and worse aircraft.

They’re making efforts to standardize the fleet where they can, and that means the 13 Boeing 777-200s with 45 business class seats will each be losing 8 seats up front.

The EPA Administrator Flew Emirates Business Class and That’s Just Fine

by Gary Leff on February 15, 2018

Feb 15 2018

Earlier in the week I wrote about the pretty outrageous domestic first class fares the EPA Administrator travels on. He’s loyal to Delta even when the federal government has awarded a city pair contract to another airline. And he pays full fare first even for the Delta Shuttle between New York and DC.

There’s been much hand wringing though over his flying Emirates business class Milan – New York in June. That’s wrong. Here’s why.

Alaska Airlines Quickly Rolls Back Limits on Last Minute Partner Award Booking

by Gary Leff on February 15, 2018

Feb 15 2018

Loyalty fraud is a costly issue for programs. A lot of it originates in China.

The challenge though is limiting the cost of fraud without undercutting the value proposition of the program to legitimate members. That’s what I highlighted earlier in the week with Alaska’s new policy of prohibiting booking awards within 72 hours of travel on Cathay Pacific, JAL, or Hainan Airlines.

Buy Miles at 1.47 Cents Apiece from Star Alliance Program LifeMiles

by Gary Leff on February 14, 2018

Feb 14 2018

Star Alliance member Avianca LifeMiles is selling miles with up to a 125% bonus.

They bonus miles purchases very frequently. Sometimes selling miles for even less than the 1.47 cents apiece under this deal, for instance at the end of November they were selling at 1.35 miles apiece.

United Pilot Takes Pictures of the Engine, Tells Air Traffic Control “Roll the Fire Trucks”