Travel Is Going To Be Really Inexpensive, And Then More Expensive For Awhile

by Gary Leff

gary leff selfie
Jun 16 2020

There’s likely to be greater variance in what happens to fares than we’re used to, because airlines build their schedules guessing what demand patterns are going to look like and those may be more volatile than we’re used to – airline revenue management tools are more likely to “guess wrong” than in the past because they’re dealing with new situations they haven’t encountered before.

Hotels are a different story. While hotels can leave entire floors closed to save on cleaning and heating and air conditioning costs during periods of low demand, it’s harder to mothball capacity.

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Southwest Is Now The World’s Largest Airline (United Isn’t Even In The Top 10)

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

Last year at this time the four largest airlines in the world based on capacity were all in the U.S. American Airlines was the world’s largest airline, Delta second, followed by Southwest and then United.

The aviation industry has been among the hardest hit by COVID-19. That’s shaken up which airlines offer the most travel capacity in the world. Southwest is now the largest, and three Chinese airlines in the top 5.

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How Does Banning Inflight Alcohol Protect Us From The Coronavirus?

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

Airlines around the world “are suspending all or part of their alcoholic drinks service in response to Covid-19.” But how on earth is this a response to COVID-19?

Where airlines continue to offer drinks what’s the difference between offering tomato juice and offering that tomato juice with vodka? Does the virus spread less effectively through alcohol on longer flights where alcohol may still be offered, or in premium cabins?

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United’s Threat To Ban Passengers Who Refuse To Wear Masks Is “Toothless”

by Gary Leff

Jun 16 2020

United won’t get law enforcement involved or divert a flight. They won’t even threaten the ban to get compliance from the customer. Instead, the flight attendant can report the customer after the flight for an investigation.

If they’re not even going to mention the possibility of a ban when a customer refuses to wear a mask on board, they’re not actually serious about getting passengers to wear masks inflight.

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Airlines Say They’re Going To Start Enforcing Mask Wearing. That’s Not What They’re Telling Crew.

by Gary Leff

Jun 15 2020

Airlines For America, the major lobbying group whose members include the six largest U.S. airlines, announced today that face mask aren’t just required on board by their members but this time they mean it.

Only it’s not what crew are being told, such as this communication sent to American Airlines flight attendants today.

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No Ticket, No ID, No Problem For This Delta Passenger

by Gary Leff

delta plane
Jun 15 2020

The extra passenger on board the Boeing 757 was identified when she was found sitting in another passenger’s seat and refused to move. A flight attendant asked for her ID and she “showed them a photo of herself on her phone.”

The FBI didn’t press charged. She has, however, received a TSA ‘warning notice’ “which goes on the woman’s record.”

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