News and notes from around the interweb:
- 8000 free Spirit miles appears to still be available. That’s at least a free flight for the co-brand credit card holders, for everyone else bear in mind that miles expire without account activity after 90 days.
- For $5 ChatAndCut will connect you to an airline right away when hold times are long. Apparently they ‘save a spot in line’ and sell it to you. (HT: Hans M.)
- Etihad is launching a new twitter account to provide customer service to elites. They promise 5 minute response time. You’ll actually have to provide an email to them at socialmedia -at- etihad.ae with a scan membership card, date of birth, postal code and twitter handle in order to use it. They’ll follow you, and then you can follow them back.
- Korean Air earns 40% of its revenue from the 15% of passengers flying in premium cabins. Premium cabins are obviously important to the carrier, but I’m surprised it’s not a more outsized component actually.
- Airports with the most amazing and dangerous takeoffs and landings (HT: World Airline News)
- Cranky Flier on the Malaysia Airlines turnaround plan. They’re a state run airline which has received huge subsidies for their losses over the years, and no complaints from US airlines despite a 1997 Open Skies agreement with the U.S. They’re downsizing, but I’ll still look forward to flying them as long as they retain my favorite satay in the sky.
ChatNCut is not live yet.
In the UK, WeQ4U waits on hold for you and then rings back when you’ve reached an agent: http://www.weq4u.co.uk/
http://www.gethuman.com does the same in the USA. It really works for hundreds of telephone numbers.
While you enjoy making snarky comments about foreign airline subsidies, the reality is that the US airlines aren’t going to complain about subsidies that merely keep failing airlines afloat — which is pretty much the case in ALL subsidy situations not involving Middle East airlines — but will complain when those subsidies are used to aggressively “conquer” the aviation world. Like if Malaysia Airlines turnaround plan involved flying 12 new daily subsidized flights to the USA (the reality, of course, is that Malaysia ended all its USA service due to losses), the USA airlines would complain. That’s why they’re complaining about the Mideast airlines.
This is, of course, nothing more than common sense.
kinda surprised Paro airport didn’t make that video… or did i miss it?