View from the Wing

After Winning Credit Card Disputes, Passengers Are Getting Bills From One Airline’s Trustee

by Gary Leff on July 4, 2020

Jul 04 2020

The advice when an airline goes bankrupt is to get your money back for future tickets from your credit card company. If a business doesn’t provide the services you paid for, your credit card company will get you your money back (usually).

German law has an interesting quirk though. Apparently people who pay for services they haven’t received are considered unsecured creditors in bankruptcy, and getting your money back via a credit card chargeback is considered ‘queue jumping’.

Why Southwest and Delta Are Blocking Middle Seats – While American And United Aren’t

by Gary Leff on July 4, 2020

Jul 04 2020

It makes sense why American and United would sell every last seat on a plane customers are willing to buy, why Southwest doesn’t lose as much capping load factors and why doing so – they believe – will help them capture market share, and why Delta would take a more ‘premium’ approach that includes blocked middle seats.

New Australian COVID Outbreak Linked To Sex Scandal In Quarantine Hotels

by Gary Leff on July 4, 2020

Jul 04 2020

Australia has fewer than 8500 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. The country’s success appears to be a combination of effective policy response and luck.

International arrivals of their own citizens required quarantine. But it’s those quarantine facilities that are the site of a new virus outbreak in Melbourne – and also of a sex scandal. Because the guards were having sex with the passengers being quarantined, and exposing themselves to the virus.

Supermodel Chrissy Teigen Versus American Airlines

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

When supermodel Chrissy Teigen has an opinion on aviation, you take it seriously. She’s got the bona fides. This time, though, she’s gone off the deep end calling American Airlines management murderers for selling middle seats on their planes.

Unclaimed Baggage Store Now Online Where You Can Buy Other People’s Stuff

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

When checked baggage gets lost and can’t be reunited with its owner – or someone just doesn’t pick up their luggage – airlines sell the bags after 90 days to the Unclaimed Baggage Center which has built a monopoly in the niche business of selling used items out of luggage.

The store is in Scottsboro, Alabama. They buy bags sight unseen. They comb through the bags to find what to sell, and claim to dry clean clothing they plan to sell and wipe electronics before making those available. The store is a tourist attraction. And now they’re online.

At The Worst Airline In The World, Bribery Will Get You Everywhere

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

Over 30% of airline pilot in Pakistan were found to have fake licenses. But that’s hardly the only scandal. From sacrificing a goat for safety to flying with more passengers than seats (and making customers stand for 1700 miles), Pakistan’s flag carrier is the worst airline in the world.

Now comes a new story about ticket agent corruption that is – it seems – just another day at the airline.

Guess The Airline? Passenger Kicks Agent In Head, Beats Another With Dustpan, Coughs On Cops Saying She Has COVID-19

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

Gate agents reported that she became angry over the fee, and things escalated when they told Ms. Jackson they wouldn’t allow her to fly. That’s when she “threw a bag of shoes at the agents at a service desk…reached over the service counter to hit an agent, …punched [another agent] in the head” and things only got more out of hand from there.

Why Blocking Middle Seats Is The Airline Version Of ‘Building A Wall And Making Mexico Pay For It’

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

U.S. airlines need to block middle seats because their brands don’t convey cleanliness or trust. When you don’t have cleanliness and trust as a brand, you have to massively overshoot on investment to credibly signal ‘this time is different’.

Leave It To Spirit Airlines To Generate Revenue Selling Masks

by Gary Leff on July 3, 2020

Jul 03 2020

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.

Travel Recovery Slows As COVID-19 Cases Grow

by Gary Leff on July 2, 2020

Jul 02 2020

The rate of growth in air travel has slowed. Forward bookings actually fell after 8 straight weeks of growth. And travel searches are down.

After Winning Credit Card Disputes, Passengers Are Getting Bills From One Airline’s Trustee

Why Southwest and Delta Are Blocking Middle Seats – While American And United Aren’t

New Australian COVID Outbreak Linked To Sex Scandal In Quarantine Hotels

Supermodel Chrissy Teigen Versus American Airlines

Unclaimed Baggage Store Now Online Where You Can Buy Other People’s Stuff

At The Worst Airline In The World, Bribery Will Get You Everywhere

Guess The Airline? Passenger Kicks Agent In Head, Beats Another With Dustpan, Coughs On Cops Saying She Has COVID-19

Why Blocking Middle Seats Is The Airline Version Of ‘Building A Wall And Making Mexico Pay For It’

Leave It To Spirit Airlines To Generate Revenue Selling Masks

Travel Recovery Slows As COVID-19 Cases Grow

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About Gary Leff

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