News and notes from around the interweb:
- American Airlines has applied for blanket authorization to codeshare with IAG-owned Spanish low cost carrier Vueling. Once this goes through we may start to see some interesting connections on paid tickets through Barcelona – and some big surprises for American’s business class customers transferring to Vueling flights. On the other hand maybe they don’t think there’s much of a product difference between American and Vueling these days? At least this will make it possible to earn AAdvantage miles on connecting flights to Spanish resort cities. (No redemption, presumably, at this time.)
- Alaska Airlines lounge in Portland leaves Priority Pass November 1, following the September departure of Seattle lounges. Capers Cafe and Westward Whiskey remain options for Priority Pass cards not issued by American Express.
- Marriott Courtyard has added Beyond Meat to their Bistro Bar menu (HT: margarita girl)
- Big devaluation of intra-Asia Singapore Airlines awards
- American will no longer charge airport ticketing fees on multi-passenger reservations when paper vouchers are being used as part of the payment. If the voucher doesn’t cover all passengers on a reservation American has charged an airport ticketing fee when presenting the voucher in person. Since Monday, October 14 that fee no longer applies to such tickets.
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian reminds us of the importance of taking care of each passenger. This was the intention behind American’s old ‘We Know Why You Fly’ campaign, that each person is their own story.
Notes like this are my favorite. People helping other people because it’s the right thing to do. A nice reminder for us to not become too busy with our own lives and priorities that we forget how to be human.
As far as I know, The Alaska Lounge in PDX had the “No Priority Pass visitors” sign permanently set up outside the door. Over my 8+ visits over the last 2 years I never even tried to get it.
Capers is good though.
Vueling? Think again D0. Late flights and late bags is my experience in September. We all know how clear air, & ceiling unlimited can cause massive flight delays! And of course if a flight is delayed 1 hour, Vueling can’t be expected to board bags for me and 30 others LIS-BCN passengers, especially with 2 hour check in. Of course with 4-5 round trips/day Vueling shouldn’t be expected to deliver bags for 3.5 days after we landed, and of course they can’t be expected to honor documented claims for replacement clothes.
You know now that I write this, they would easily blend in with AA culture & performance.
@delta… nice try, but the experience I received is basically hit or miss, nothing consistent. At JFK, the gate was closed so early even s Delta pilot commented”you closed the gate early”.
Then, when getting reticketed, one employee was nice and accommodating, and the supervisor, who was not nice nor accommodating earlier, noticed that we were back 30 minutes later being treated much nicer by her subordinate. Too late mean supervisor, she got us our tickets.
It doesn’t take much secret shopper work to find the rude employees. But you have to look and not expect customers to report them on surveys that generate so many useless results in exchange for a chance prize (has anyone ever won a survey reward orize?).