This morning I wrote that Air Italy faced an uncertain future – and possible liquidation – after losing 200 million euros in 2019, up from 164 million the year before. The carrier needed more cash, and Qatar Airways which owns 49% of the airline was blocked from taking an additional stsake in the airline by foreign ownership restrictions.
And in fact a decision has been made today to shut down the airline.
Qatar Airways may be looking to buy stakes in 3 more airlines but they appear at risk of losing their investment in Air Italy, as the number two Italian airline is on the brink of bankruptcy. A special shareholders meeting is being held today.
American Airlines Concierge Key and Executive Platinum customers entering the Dallas Fort-Worth Flagship lounge have an option to buy access to the more exclusive Flagship First Dining room when traveling long haul international or on eligible transcon flights for $150 per person. This is a test scheduled to last three months.
All of the reporting about Southwest Airlines employees receiving 6 weeks of extra pay in their paycheck next month turns out to be inaccurate since most of the money is required to go into a retirement account that is separate from employee 401(K)s. That’s good for employee retirement, but not as valuable as cash for those who want access to the funds today.
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.
Hyatt has launched its new promotion, double points after your second stay, with an extra bonus for co-brand credit card customers on weekend stays. Registration required.
While I don’t favor promos that start bonusing after the second stay, double base points from Hyatt is more generous than double base points from Hilton or IHG.
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.
Austin airport has been one of the fastest growing in the United States for several years. This past year they inaugurated 9 new gates. There’s now transatlantic scheduled service to London (Heathrow and Gatwick), Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.
Here are 7 surprising facts about my home airport.
In mid-January I reached out to Hyatt after hearing from several folks that they were unable to book rooms at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar and apply club level upgrade certificates.
Another game of whack-a-mole, and fortunately this is one where the hotel was actually out of compliance with a rule and the chain was able to do something to fix it.
American has an amusing commercial about how much we’ve come to rely on inflight wifi. And American does a great job with domestic wifi, as Delta does and United does not. In fact the major reason I’ve continued to fly American Airlines is because United’s connectivity is so poor (and because Delta’s route network doesn’t work super well for me in Austin).
This new ad could have just as easily been made by Delta, and there it would have been even more persuasive.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
