British Airways Flight Crew Behaving Badly in Singapore

by Gary Leff

plane tails
Oct 21 2019

British Airways flight crew have a reputation for being some of the rowdiest in the world, and ‘things to tend to happen’ during Singapore layovers (Johannesburg, Las Vegas, Bangkok, and Nairobi are also well known trouble spots).

Over the summer it was a game of naked spin the bottle that got out of hand in Singapore. Two years ago it was crew running naked through hotel corridors, stealing fish.

Now during a Singapore layover “[s]ome of the crew got plastered, allegedly using drinks smuggled off the BA in-flight trolley” and this led to an altercation in the lobby and a suspension.

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New: 25% Bonus on American Express Points Transfers to Air France KLM

by Gary Leff

klm planes
Oct 21 2019

American Express Membership Rewards is offering a 25% bonus on transfers to Air France KLM Flying Blue through November 30. You’ll need to log into your American Express account to see the bonus (otherwise it’ll show with the standard 1:1 transfer ratio).

I find that Air France’s availability and award pricing is very attractive for US-Europe flying.

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The One Area Where American Airlines is Killing It

by Gary Leff

register
Oct 20 2019

I criticize many of the decisions that American Airlines leadership have made. They’ve managed to anger shareholders, employees, and customers alike. While racking up more debt and worse operating statistics than competitors they’ve also re-started their project to degrade the domestic product.

There’s one area though that they’ve performed at an outstanding level.

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China Now Tells Airlines on Day of Departure if Passengers Can Fly

by Gary Leff

china memorial
Oct 20 2019

China now tells U.S. airlines whether or not China-bound U.S. citizens are allowed to board their planes. What’s new is an Interactive Advanced Passenger Information system (iAPI) that airlines are using to ask the Chinese government for permission to allow each of its passengers onto its China-bound flights. This system will also be used to determine whether a passenger is allowed to leave China.

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The World’s Impression of Singapore Comes From Singapore Airlines

by Gary Leff

Oct 19 2019

When Singapore Airlines gets media for its catering operations, or for its business class product (or first class!) it’s reaching potential customers, sure, but it’s reaching a broader audience that may never fly Singapore Airlines and may never visit Singapore. However it’s projecting the image of Singapore itself as high quality.

A significant amount of public perception of Singapore the country seems to come from Singapore the airline, even among people who have never flown the airline (or who fly it and merely connect through Changi airport).

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Airlines Moving Closer to Personalized Pricing for Airfare

by Gary Leff

man in suit looking at computer screen
Oct 19 2019

While not in use today, the major company collecting and distributing airfares for airlines announced at their annual conference that they’re closer than ever to delivering true ‘dynamic’ airfares that are customized for each person searching for a trip. This is a new way for airlines to increase revenue, by delivering a different offer to each customer based on their willingness to pay.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio Wants Your Next New York Hotel Stay To Be More Expensive

by Gary Leff

Oct 18 2019

De Blasio is proposing to eliminate the ability for new hotels to be built ‘by right’ as long as they conform to zoning laws, and instead require a special permit in “a process that would effectively grant the local City Council member veto power over any new hotel room.”

The largest hotel owners in the city say “they’ll rest easier if the city severely restricts the construction of competing accommodations.”

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