New IHG Rewards Club Members Earn A Free Night After Two Stays

by Gary Leff

skyscrapers in city
Jul 30 2020

IHG is offering U.S. residents who join the program by September 30 and complete two qualifying stays by January 31, 2021 a free night worth up to 40,000 points that must be redeemed by April 30, 2021.

Similarly, joining their Intercontinental brand’s Ambassador program by November 15 (which is a paid program) and staying just once at an one of their premium brands (Intercontinental, Kimpton, Regent but not Fairmont) by January 31, 2021 earns a free night worth up to 40,000 points that must be redeemed by April 30, 2021. Ambassador benefits are even improved this year and next.

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Delta CEO Calls 17,000 Departing Employees “Heroes”

by Gary Leff

Jul 30 2020

Seventeen thousand Delta Air Lines employees, with an average of 25 years of service, have taken early departure packages according to a new internal memo from the carrier’s CEO Ed Bastian.

Even with this many people leaving the airline, Bastian says it helps them towards their goal of minimizing furloughs – it’s not, it seems, enough to eliminate layoffs.

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What Decisions Does An Airline Board Of Directors Make?

by Gary Leff

Jul 29 2020

Former Spirit Airlines CEO Ban Baldanza walks through what issues are decided solely by management at an airline (in his experience) and what questions rise to the level of discussion by the Board of Directors.

There are clearly things that fall under the board’s purview – mergers, hiring and firing the CEO – and things that clearly don’t like which aircraft to schedule on a given route. But where’s the line?

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The Worst Airline in America Has Been Acquired Out Of Bankruptcy With Plans To Start Anew

by Gary Leff

via air plane
Jul 29 2020

Via Air had an F-rating from the Better Business Bureau and 71% of TripAdvisor reviews that were poor or terrible (at the time even Allegiant was only 27% negative and Southwest Airlines 6%).

In May 2019 they didn’t show up for an inaugural flight at a new airport and no one knew why. They weren’t returning calls from customers or even the airport.

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