Apr
14
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.
Cathay Pacific Drops Fuel Surcharges
Wyndham Extends Elite Status, Offers Instant Status To Essential Workers
Apr
14
2020
Wyndham Rewards is extending all current elite member status through December 31, 2021. Many of us noted that Marriott was last to extend status, but that’s not true. Don’t forget Wyndham!
Social Distancing, American Airlines C-Suite Style
Apr
14
2020
American Airlines shared a message from their CEO and their President this week, along with photos of these two executives traveling around the system meeting with employees and encouraging them during difficult times for the airline.
Supposedly the photos are examples of the airline’s leadership ‘social distancing’ but they’re sure curious photo picks for that.
American Airlines $300-$400 Travel Package Credits Are Coming To All Elites (Full Details)
Apr
13
2020
As part of American’s plan to extend elite status through January 31, 2022, the airline shared that they would be offering up to $400 credits with American Airlines Vacations.
This benefit will vary from $300 to $400 depending on level of elite status held on June 30. Here’s how it will work.
Delta Changes Its Boarding Process Because Of COVID, But First Class Eliminates The Benefit
Apr
13
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.
American Airlines Extends Elite Status, Gives $400 Credit and Makes Million Mile Status Easier To Get
Apr
13
2020
American Airlines is extending current elite status through January 31, 2022. They’re also making elite status easier to earn this year. They’re extending Admirals Club memberships, and they’re making Million Miler status easier to earn through the end of this year, too.
Many members were getting frustrated not hearing anything about American’s plans to extend their elite status. They earned the benefits through flying last year, and won’t have the full opportunity to use those benefits in 2020, and want to know what their travel with American will be like going forward. American has answered those concerns.
United and Delta Discussing Big Discounted Mileage Sales to Chase And American Express
Apr
13
2020
In the years following 9/11, as airlines struggled, and again during the financial crisis airlines pre-sold miles to their credit card partners at a discount in order to raise cash quickly. United and Delta each pre-sold miles, the former for about $500 million and the latter twice totaling about $1 billion. American did it too with Citibank. These ‘cheap miles’ paved the way for banks to offer big bonuses to consumers both for acquisition and for ongoing spend.
These conversations have started again as a way to raise cash.
Europe May Ban Visitors Until September; Australia Through End Of The Year
Apr
13
2020
It will take some time before international travel comes back in more than a limited way. Countries won’t open their borders all at once, and may impose quarantines or restrictions on entry with greater health checks initially when they do. More onerous procedures will mean less travel overall and fewer flights.
Europe is talking about limiting entry through September, including an especially from the United States, while Australia may not even let its citizens leave their country this year.
Hotels And Airlines Have To Ramp Up Cleaning If They Want People To Come Back
Apr
13
2020
One reason that the economy won’t return quickly to the way that it was is that people’s preferences are shifting. It’s going to be hard to get people to return to movie theaters, concerns, and sporting arenas – places where large groups congregate, and people are forced close together. Restaurants may have to halve their capacity for some time to move people farther apart. These changes in consumer preferences, which will persist once lockdowns lift, will change what products people want to buy and change how companies need to market to them.
Cleaning is going to be an important selling point to bring back travel.
The 1985 United Airlines Pilots Strike Still Brings Out Bitterness
Apr
12
2020
The Summer From Hell was the United Airlines pilot work slowdown in 2000. It was disruptive enough that my own memories of flight delays and cancellations are still fresh.
But it’s the United’s 1985 pilot strike that still engenders bitterness, thirty five years later.
