News notes from around the interweb:
- The United Airlines bankruptcy took three years and three months and is generally regarded as the longest airline bankruptcy. The Thai Airways bankruptcy could take twice as long, up to seven years.
- Buy Etihad travel vouchers with a 50% bonus through June 24. This is like pay now, get a one-third discount later. And I don’t see the Al Nahyan family letting Etihad go under (merging with Emirates would be the fallback). You can redeem starting August 1 and the voucher will be good for two years.
- Israel is backstopping the issuance of new shares in El Al which could leave the country owning as much as 60% of the airline.
- The U.S. Postal Service is launching a loyalty program for shipping.
- Re-certification flights for the Boeing 737 MAX may happen this month
- Hawaii is considering new limits on short-term rentals like Airbnb in order to get tourists out of neighborhoods they intend for locals. Come, spend your money, but you’re not welcome here!
- British Airways will sell its art collection to raise cash in contrast Air India is unable to sell their collection because employees already stole it.
@Gary – I think the Hawaii moves are actually pretty sensible. How else do avoid becoming like Venice, where residents are driven off by short term rentals?
@Gary – Your vendetta against Hawaii seems petty and unfounded. What did Hawaii do to hurt you?
Hawaii has a duty to protect its residents. It also has a native population of Hawaiians that was almost wiped out due to the introduction of measles and leprosy, which were brought to the Islands. Other native peoples that reside in places such as Alaska or the Navajo have been very hard hit by the disease due to the lack of adequate safeguards. Beyond that, Hawaii’s healthcare system has extremely limited capability of handling a flood of Covid 19 patients (the high cost of living has resulted in shortages of medical professionals). Since the airlines would not allow someone with Covid 19 to leave and the typical hospitalized patient stays twice as long as someone hospitalized with the flu, the actions of Hawaii make total sense.
Any idea on the Etihad travel vouchers, what category is the purchase for credit card spend? I’d assume I’ll fly on Etihad sometime in the next two years, for 33% off… Also seems like an easy way to meet the credit card minimum I need to hit by August…
Dude: Why do you have such a hard on for Hawaii?? The bias in your Hawaii “coverage” is extraordinary. Live there for a few years and perhaps, God willing, your perspective would be a tad more enlightened. As our mothers used to say: “If you have nothing nothing nice to say,……………. Let it go and cover more credit card deals.
@Scott Rost – I’m just reporting what they’re doing, if you think that makes them look bad maybe your beef is with the politicians they’re electing.