May
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.
What It’s Like Working As a Flight Attendant During COVID-19
Bizarre: American Airlines Spending Now To Add Seats To Planes, Only To Spend More To Re-Do Them
May
08
2020
American continues to spend money they do not have in order to squeeze more seats onto planes that they cannot sell. American is densifying aircraft to prepare for a future in which passengers demand the ability to buy more space for themselves.
That’s odd enough. Once they complete this retrofit, they go do it again to fix the flawed first class they continue to install.
Yes – It May Finally Be Time To Plan Travel Again
May
08
2020
The Points Guy ran a video by Brian Kelly arguing “against any unnecessary travel at all.” I’m not persuaded, and hashing this out publicly should help people make up their own mind.
It can certainly make sense to do limited domestic travel this summer if you aren’t living in a coronavirus hotspot, aren’t heading towards one, and are not in a high risk group (and do not live or work with people that are). I’m not telling anyone that they should travel for leisure but the argument doesn’t hold that no one should.
Mystery: Man Struck By Southwest Plane Landing in Austin Airport Last Night
May
08
2020
Southwest Airlines flight WN1392 from Dallas Love Field with 53 passengers and 5 crew on board landed in Austin Thursday night at 8:12 p.m. The plane struck and killed a man on runway 17R, despite seeing him there and – according to the airline – maneuvering to avoid him, though air traffic control audio doesn’t seem to support that explanation.
Airports Are Asking For A Second Bailout, After We Lit The First $10 Billion On Fire
May
07
2020
The CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives told Congress that $10 billion is the minimum that airports want in a second bailout, and they aren’t even coming first offering to clean up corruption at airports including Atlanta, Detroit, and Washington Dulles and National and New York LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark.
The first $10 billion, which distributed funds to 3200 airports, became such a mess that some airports received 25 to 50 times their annual expenses.
One U.S. Airline Is Making Money, Taking Government Bailout Funds Anyway
May
07
2020
SkyWest flies as United Express, American Eagle, and Delta Connection. They’re a large passenger airline operating regional jets and they actually made money during the first quarter. That’s because the major airlines largely pay them for capacity whether there are passengers or not.
How Restrictions On Arriving From A Coronavirus Hot Spot Works In Texas
May
07
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.
This Morning’s Unprecedented Air Canada Deal Gives Me New Hope For Travel
May
07
2020
I’m more excited about air travel today than I have been in a long time, and it’s all because a promotion Air Canada ran became so frustrating, the incredible demand for Aeroplan’s first-ever mileage sale offer.
And that was before Aeroplan decided to award even more bonus miles than they had promised.
You CAN Get A Refund Even If You Already Accepted A Voucher For A Cancelled Flight
May
07
2020
Early on in the pandemic I told you to wait to cancel your travel plans. Two months ago I suggested that future plans shouldn’t cancelled right away because if the travel provider cancels on you then you’ll be entitled to a refund, while if you cancel plans when a flight is still operating all you can get is a voucher.
Many consumers were duped by airlines into taking vouchers when entitled to a refund. It’s not too late for them to get their money back.
What Doug Parker Should Say To American Airlines Employees And Customers Right Now
May
07
2020
American Airlines hasn’t been perfect, but it’s charted a path different from United and even Delta through the pandemic. They’ve generally honored refunds for cancelled flights, rather than choosing to illegally conserve cash the way United and others have attempted to do, and they’re plotting a course to avoid employee furloughs.
But they’re not capturing the value from these moves because they’ve failed to craft a narrative for the airline around being a better company, that frames them as the underdog and motivates employees and generates customer loyalty going forward. American Airlines can change that.
