American Airlines Will Begin Requiring Passengers To Wear Face Masks

by Gary Leff

Apr 30 2020

To show how quickly things are changing – the modern day equivalent of one being as a thousand years and a thousand years one day – it was only Monday that American announced flight attendants would be required to wear masks and that starting May 1 they’d begin to roll out complimentary masks for customers as an option, subject to supply chain and operational constraints.

Indeed it was just six weeks ago that American still disciplined flight attendants who wore masks.

Continue Reading »

Trivago And Other Booking Sites Want A Bailout From Google

by Gary Leff

Apr 30 2020

Trivago, which is majority-owned by Expedia, along with 7 other companies wants Google to stop trying to collect on first quarter ad spending. These companies bought advertising, sold travel, but in many cases the trips didn’t happen – so they aren’t seeing revenue from those sales.

These companies are looking to the German government for bailouts, and want a bailout from Google as well because these companies would otherwise “be forced to use government loans to pay their debts.” German taxpayers would, in effect, be sending money to Google.

Continue Reading »

6 Things I Learned During The American Airlines Earnings Call

by Gary Leff

Apr 30 2020

American Airlines lost over $2.2 billion in the first quarter, even though things didn’t begin to go south until March. They’re pulling in new cash everywhere they can, cutting costs, and expect not to have any difficulty securing not just payroll protection grants from the U.S. treasury but also subsidized loans.

Those financial metrics aren’t what I’m most interested in at this point, nor the $40 billion in debt they could soon be carrying. Those issues are well covered elsewhere. I wanted to highlight 6 other things last may get less play in broader coverage.

Continue Reading »

Jetstream Music Festival: 23 Airports Will Livestream A Concert On May 6

by Gary Leff

austin airport food court
Apr 30 2020

Airports across North America – 22 in the U.S. and one in Canada – will be bringing you JetStreamFest, the JetStream Music Festival, on Facebook Live beginning May 6 at 6 p.m. Eastern time. The event, hosted by my home town Austin airport which features live music throughout the year during normal times, will feature local musicians from each participating airport’s city. “Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World. Typically, we have 31 live performances across 7 stages in our terminal. Live music and supporting our local artists is who AUS is, even during the difficult times,” said Jacqueline Yaft, Chief Executive Officer of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. “Airports are known for bringing people together, and we want to continue doing so even when you can’t travel. Virtual music is a great way to…

Continue Reading »

American Airlines Had The AAdvantage Program Appraised, And It’s Worth At Least $30 Billion

by Gary Leff

Apr 30 2020

As part of raising funds on the private market and from the U.S. government, the airline had its unencumbered assets appraised. Parker reported that the value of these assets came back at $10 billion “excluding the AAdvantage program.”

During the airline’s earnings call Parker was pressed on what appraisals found the AAdvantage program to be worth.

Continue Reading »

Delta’s Lawyers Tell The Government Air Travel Is Unsafe and Should Be Limited. Say What?

by Gary Leff

Apr 30 2020

Delta lawyers submitted a filing to the Department of Transportation in which they make the case that travel is unsafe and flights should be limited if at all possible.

That’s not the position Delta takes in public or emphasizes with employees. But it’s a convenient argument to make when they’re trying to reduce their service obligations under the federal airline bailout.

Continue Reading »