View from the Wing

Florida Asked All Arriving International Travelers To Self-Quarantine, Then Changed Their Minds

by Gary Leff on March 9, 2020

Mar 09 2020

Florida health officials asked all arriving international travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days. Now they’ve retracted the recommendation.

This recommendation no longer applies only to people who have been in (or in contact with people arriving from) Italy, China, Iran and South Korea. Miami is a primary gateway for flights to and from Latin America, where there are relatively far fewer cases so I’m not sure arriving off a flight from Colombia or Panama is a current risk factor.

American Airlines And Hyatt Introduce Elite Status Challenges

by Gary Leff on March 9, 2020

Mar 09 2020

Last year American Airlines and Hyatt announced a new partnership offering bonus points and elite status challenges.

Both Hyatt and American are back with elite status challenges for 2020.

Why Waiting To Cancel Non-Refundable Travel Plans Improves Your Odds Of A Refund

by Gary Leff on March 9, 2020

Mar 09 2020

There’s little benefit to cancelling a trip now that you aren’t going to take versus waiting until much closer to scheduled departure to do it, and there’s an upside to waiting. You may be able to get a refund later that you cannot today.

United Slightly Relaxes Its New ‘No Refunds When Schedules Change’ Rule

by Gary Leff on March 9, 2020

Mar 09 2020

United has slightly walked back its crazy policy published this weekend not to provide refunds to customers in the event of a schedule change less than 25 hours.

After a swift backlash in social media, United will now let customers cancel and retain a travel credit without a change fee in the event United changes flight schedules 2 or more hours. They’re still applying new rules retroactively to already-purchased tickets.

Coronavirus May Drive Hotel Revenue Down 65% In The Second Quarter

by Gary Leff on March 9, 2020

Mar 09 2020

Already we’re seeing a massive slowdown in travel. It’s scaring travel providers like United to do crazy things. Eventually they’ll need their customers when people travel again but for now United’s customers are the enemy.

How bad could things get for the travel industry? No one is certain, we’re taking stabs in the dark, but one scenario is that worldwide hotels could be down 65% in the second quarter.

One Airline Said They’d Waive Change Fees For Coronavirus. They’re Charging Them Anyway.

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2020

Mar 08 2020

One airline appears to be reneging on their promise to waive ticket change fees – and it’s not even United Airlines. It’s Frontier.

Frontier had said “customers with existing reservations between March 3 and 16 would be allowed to change their flights or cancel them for a flight credit valid for 90 days, free of charge.” A 90 day credit isn’t very helpful if things progress on a medium- to bad trajectory, but this was something.

So Much For Protection, Flight Attendants Forced To Pick Up Trash Without Gloves

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2020

Mar 08 2020

Here’s a note shared by an American flight attendant on Saturday who boarded her flight to find that there were no gloves yet she’s expected to pick up trash from customers. It seems to me that if a flight can’t meet its safety standards it shouldn’t operate until it can, D0 notwithstanding.

It’s not just flight attendants though. Did you know that American’s airport employees aren’t permitted to wear gloves with the carrier’s new uniform standards?

United Airlines: Open Your Wallets If You Want Elite Benefits Next Year

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2020

Mar 08 2020

There’s a theme developing at United: all your money belongs to us. Customers exist to serve the airline, the airline doesn’t exist to serve customers. From refusing refunds to customers even when flights don’t operate the same day, to telling customers they’ll still have to spend as much money on the airline this year if they want elite benefits next year the message is clear: loyalty is one way.

Shameful: Flight Attendants Union Head Politicizing Coronavirus

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2020

Mar 08 2020

Sara Nelson is President of the AFA-CWA, flight attendants union with 50,000 members and part of the national Communications Workers of America. She’s an activist in the left wing of the Democratic Party, a Bernie Sanders supporter, and has been called ‘the most powerful flight attendant in America’ as a rising star in the labor movement.

This Is How Much Travel Is Actually Down So Far

by Gary Leff on March 8, 2020

Mar 08 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.

Florida Asked All Arriving International Travelers To Self-Quarantine, Then Changed Their Minds

American Airlines And Hyatt Introduce Elite Status Challenges

Why Waiting To Cancel Non-Refundable Travel Plans Improves Your Odds Of A Refund

United Slightly Relaxes Its New ‘No Refunds When Schedules Change’ Rule

Coronavirus May Drive Hotel Revenue Down 65% In The Second Quarter

One Airline Said They’d Waive Change Fees For Coronavirus. They’re Charging Them Anyway.

So Much For Protection, Flight Attendants Forced To Pick Up Trash Without Gloves

United Airlines: Open Your Wallets If You Want Elite Benefits Next Year

Shameful: Flight Attendants Union Head Politicizing Coronavirus

This Is How Much Travel Is Actually Down So Far

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