Qatar Airways Announces Record $632 Million Loss

by Gary Leff

qatarplane
Sep 18 2019

Qatar Airways announced a loss of 2.3 billion Qatari riyals (US$632 million) for the fiscal year ended March 31, for a -4.8% margin. That’s their second straight year of losses and ten times the loss of the prior year.

The airline basically gets a pass on its financial performance while the country is being blockaded by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt. That eliminates travel to 20 destinations in the region, and forces the airline to take circuitous flight routes – increasing fuel costs and flight times (and making the carrier’s schedules less desirable for customers).

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Which U.S. Airlines Have the Dirtiest Water?

by Gary Leff

Sep 18 2019

The New York City Food Policy Center tested for coliform bacteria as well as E. coli. They looked at the number of violations at each airline of the EPA’s s Aircraft Drinking Water Rule.

Study authors recommend not drinking any way water that didn’t come from a bottle, not drinking on board coffee or tea, and not even using water from the lavatory to wash your hands. Please wash your hands!

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Vietnam’s Bikini Airline Looks to Fly Longer Routes With New Airbus A321XLR Order

by Gary Leff

vietjet calendar
Sep 17 2019

Six years ago the airline was fined 20 million Dong over unapproved inflight entertainment. It wasn’t a problem with the installation of a seatback video system. Instead, 5 bikini-clad candidates in a local beauty contest performed a dance onboard the airline’s inaugural flight to Nha Trang. The 3-minute show had not been approved in advance, it was deemed a violation of aviation and security regulations. And the airline was fine — the equivalent of $959.

Since then they’ve branded themselves the bikini airline.

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Hotels Are So Scared of Airbnb They are Lobbying to Kill the Entire Internet

by Gary Leff

Sep 17 2019

Hotel industry lobby group the American Hotel and Lodging Association sponsored a push poll to support eliminating or undermining protections of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

As the lobby shop – which represents “9 of the 10 top U.S. hotel brands” including Marriott, Hyatt, IHG, and Hilton – explains, “Online web sites and social media platforms have claimed that CDA Section 230 gives them protection from any third-party user publishing information or content to their website.”

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Customers are Won and Lost One at a Time

by Gary Leff

delta plane
Sep 16 2019

You’d think that an airline like Delta has so many customers, how can a single interaction with one of them matter for the bottom line?

But you have to remember that Delta has over 80,000 employees. Not every one of them interfaces with customers, although most things that nearly every one of them does has an effect on customers. And employees are in contact throughout their days, each and every hour they’re at work, in some cases as many as 250 days a year.

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One Passenger Shared How Bad American Airlines Service in International First Class Has Become

by Gary Leff

Sep 16 2019

When American Airlines CEO Doug Parker famously said his airline would never lose money again, he also said it’s difficult to offer a better product than competitors, because competitors will match the product. As a result it’s the company’s culture and employees that will give them an advantage. It seems like he has work to do.

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