Qatar Airways Introduces An Offer Better Than Sticking It To Customers On Refunds

by Gary Leff

qatarplane
Mar 24 2020

Airlines are worried about surviving. They have your cash. It may not be legal to keep it when flights are cancelled, but most customers will take what they are offered (future travel credit) and very few will complain to authorities.

Qatar Airways though has a better approach. They, too, want your cash. They want your future travel purchases when travel is again in the cards. They are honoring refunds but if you’ll take a credit instead they’ll give you a 10% bonus for taking a voucher. That’s creative and honors the customer.

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American Airlines Laying Off Employees, Reducing Use Of Contractors, Even If They Get Bailout

by Gary Leff

Mar 24 2020

With fewer flights, American Airlines is consolidating operations at its hubs in order to use fewer contractors. These contractors won’t get help if the airlines get a bailout. And with record telephone wait time, the airline continues layoffs of home-based reservations agents, who won’t get their jobs back with a bailout.

Many employees are scared for their jobs, interacting with customers in close quarters, and fearful to defy their bosses even as flight attendants report positive with COVID-19.

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Two More Airlines Breaking The Law By Refusing To Refund Customers For Cancelled Flights

by Gary Leff

airplane
Mar 24 2020

I’ve written about airlines like JetBlue and United breaking the law by refusing customer refunds. Other airlines like SWISS and British Airways have used trickery to keep customers from being aware of their refund options when purchased flights no longer operate.

Two more airlines have suspended all ticket refunds, and apparently this even includes for customers who purchased ‘refundable’ tickets.

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U.S. Government And Airlines Developing Plans To Shut Down Domestic Aviation

by Gary Leff

airport
Mar 24 2020

Both the government and U.S. carriers are considering a partial or total shutdown of the domestic airline industry. No final decision has been made yet on whether to move forward.

Airlines see themselves losing money. The TSA has been seeing screeners testing positive. Flight crew, too. And air traffic controllers – over the weekend New York airports closed for a few hours while New York TRACON was disinfected after an employee there tested positive for COVID-19. Here are 9 key considerations.

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New Restrictions On Domestic Travelers: Florida Enforcing Quarantine On Arriving New Yorkers

by Gary Leff

Mar 23 2020

According to the Governor of Florida since the “federal government had not put any domestic travel restrictions into place, Florida would take the initiative.”

His order applies to air travel from New Jersey as well. It does not, apparently, apply to passengers arriving from the New York area on connecting flights. It also does not apply to flights from Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Seattle.

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Should You Come Home To The Virus-Embattled U.S. Now, Stay Abroad – Or Even Leave?

by Gary Leff

Mar 23 2020

My award booking partner Steve Belkin was traveling abroad for a month. He and his wife were in Mozambique. Do they come home to the virus outbreak or stay put? Risk infection but access medical care? Lots of Americans abroad faced similar questions, and they came up with a unique solution. Still others are encouraging older Americans to flee. What to do?

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Vietnam’s Bikini Airline Offers Health Insurance Against Coronavirus If You Fly

by Gary Leff

vietjet calendar cover
Mar 23 2020

Is using coronavirus to market airline seats brilliant – good for society, even – or utterly irresponsible? Vietnam has been more aggressive at containment than many countries, more money into the health care system is helpful, and a rebate in the form of health insurance is probably more responsible than a discount on an airline ticket. It’s utterly brilliant.

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Hong Kong Bans Foreigners From Even Transiting The AIrport – And Even Bans Alcohol In Bars, Because Sex

by Gary Leff

Mar 23 2020

Hong Kong has joined Singapore in not only banning foreign arrivals but banning transit passenger arrivals, too, after several foreigners arriving there tested positive for COVID-19. A doctor screening inbound passengers at the airport has tested positive as well there.

To crack down on intimacy as a source of spread, alcohol is being banned from bars though people can still get meals in restaurants.

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First They Will, Then They Won’t: Emirates Zig Zags After UAE Bans Passenger Flights

by Gary Leff

Mar 23 2020

On Sunday Emirates announced a suspension of all passenger flights on Tuesday, March 25. Then later in the day they walked that back announcing that they would continue to fly to 13 countries.

However they will not, in fact, do that because by the end of the day the government of the United Arab Emirates ordered a suspension of passenger flights starting Wednesday.

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