For an airline doing major furloughs the average cost to crew a flight will be higher after the furloughs than it was before. Every flight will have nothing but flight attendants at the top of the scale. Not to mention increased benefits costs from an older workforce.
And that means that ultra low cost carriers are going to have an even bigger cost advantage against American, United, and Delta than they did before.
Like Delta and United, American Airlines offers a high-touch airport meet and greet service called Five Star. (United’s service is actually outsourced.) What’s new is that American Airlines now lets you purchase their VIP airport service with AAdvantage miles.
On a straight seniority basis 8000 furloughs will include every flight attendant under 40 years old and some in the first half of their 40s. And it will include nearly every flight attendant hired in the last 10 years. Every one hired since US Airways management took over, though, can expect to be let go.
In early March I wrote about ideas they’re surveying about potential changes to the program. Now they’re researching ways to change elite benefits, especially the 4 annual confirmed upgrade certificates given to MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75K members.
Sadly they appear to be looking at alternatives I’d consider to be less valuable than what they offer today.
Republic Airways, a regional airline that flies for American Airlines, Delta, and United, is planning to notify 40% of their workforce that they may be furloughed October 1. Here’s their internal communication plan.
At the end of May things were looking really good for summer travel, and American tried to place limits on its change fee waivers. Since the beginning of the pandemic airlines have allowed a change fee waiver on ticket purchases, so that customers faced with uncertainty would have greater comfort buying travel.
As forward bookings have softened, though, and competitors haven’t followed American’s lead in restoring the ‘no changes’ rule to Basic Economy fares American too has backed off.
The International Court of Justice just ruled that the air blockade of Qatar by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (but primarily by the UAE and Saudi Arabia) is illegal, by determining that the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization – which already found it illegal – has jurisdiction.
A class action settlement over iPhone device performance is expected to pay out $25 per person who registers.
Hilton has now updated their rollover nights program, all nights earned in 2020 will count towards earning elite status in 2021 for your 2022 elite level.
If you already stayed 10 nights in January and February, 2020 those nights will start off yuor elite earning next year. If you stay 5 more nights this year you’ll begin 2021 with 15 elite nights.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
