Read: Delta CEO Ed Bastian’s Latest Memo To Employees

by Gary Leff

delta coach
Jul 23 2020

Delta CEO Ed Bastian has taken Covid-19 tests several times. The airline is offering testing for all of their employees and everyone is expected to do it. They’re even offering at-home test kits for employees in Texas and Florida. The airline is now up to 120 passengers they’ve banned for refusing to wear face masks on board.

They’re actively promoting police reform and celebrate passage of legislation in Minnesota, and they’re committed to racial equality and justice – though notably unlike American Airlines CEO leading off their earnings call declaring “black lives matter” that’s not part of Bastian’s memo.

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Alliance Upgrades Will Be New oneworld Benefit As Alaska Airlines Becomes Next Member

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Jul 23 2020

Alaska Airlines has formally signed its agreement to join oneworld, and expects to become an alliance member by end of year. While they’ve been talking about joining for two years the plan to do so was only announced in February meaning they’ll be delivering on the promise in under a year rather than the standard expection of 18 months.

Net net joining oneworld should be good for Alaska, it remains to be seen whether it’ll be good for Mileage Plan members.

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Southwest Airlines Won’t Allow Anyone To Fly Whose Disability Prevents Wearing A Mask

by Gary Leff

Jul 23 2020

According to an internal memo the airline is onto the tricks customers are using to pretend to comply with the mask requirement and they’ve got procedures for that. Two year olds will now have to wear masks. And perhaps most significantly, there’s no longer a medical or disability exception to the mask requirement – anyone who cannot wear a mask (or remove their mask themselves) is simply not permitted to fly.

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World’s Best Business Class Saver Award Space Available for Four Passengers From Several US Cities

by Gary Leff

first class beds
Jul 22 2020

Qatar has the best business class product in the world in its ‘QSuites’ — revolutionary suites with doors and movable partitions that allow two and even four passengers to travel together in their own space. Right now there’s strong availability on routes with QSuites especially as we look out to the end of the schedule – March through June 2021 – for four passengers from most of the U.S. cities they serve.

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Two Delta First Class Passengers Teach Us Everything That’s Wrong With Our Response To Coronavirus

by Gary Leff

Jul 22 2020

This is a tale of two travelers. They both started out making a smart decision about their flying during the pandemic. They’re both flying Delta first class, but they look very different.

Is it just the guy who’s in the wrong here, are these two passengers illustrating both ends of the spectrum of American reactions that helps to explain why we’re so polarized and cannot seem to get anywhere?

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