Woman Arrested and Daughter Sent to Child Protective Services After Complaining About Vomit in Seat

by Gary Leff

fake barf
Apr 25 2019

In our post-9/11 world airlines have quickly turned customer service problems into law enforcement problems. A customer creating a “disturbance” might really be creating a “distraction” for bad people to do bad things. It doesn’t matter how unlikely this is, especially prior to departure while still on the ground. The culture of precaution and ‘not being too careful’ has granted huge deference to the judgments flight crews make in the instant. And it’s allowed prejudice and ego to trump good sense.

How many times have we seen a passenger act concerned with a flight attendant moving their carry on bag in the overhead, and being asked in response, “Are we going to have a problem?”

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American Airlines Cuts Back on Special Meals

by Gary Leff

airline food
Apr 25 2019

I told you that ‘simplicity’ was the direction American was headed with their catering, and I’ve also written that the option to pick a good meal seemed too generous. So it shouldn’t surprise that there are significant cutbacks in the special meal program.

The Asian Vegetarian, Hindu, and Muslim meals are all the same thing, they just list the options separately. No more meat, then, with Muslim meals. The diabetic meal won’t get steak anymore, now it’s chicken. And meals will be frozen rather than fresh with a one year shelf life. Yum!

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American Airlines Seat Coupons (and Seat Coupon Challenges) are Here

by Gary Leff

airplane cabin
Apr 25 2019

Two months ago I wrote that American would be introducing ‘seat coupons’, so that non-elites and Gold members could earn preferred seat assignments on American Airlines instead of having to pay for these seats.

Seat assignments — even the most undesirable ones, if a non-elite wants them in advance — can come at a premium. So ‘coupons’ to get them without cost or at a discount at some level have value.

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THIS is What Delta, American and United are Running to President Trump Afraid Of?

by Gary Leff

qatarplane
Apr 24 2019

At some level if a US airline cannot compete against an Italian one, a ‘government-controlled’ one no less, they probably shouldn’t be in business. And shouldn’t they worry about how about half of their passengers feel when they’re flattering the President as election season heats up?

What they’re so worried about – and running to the President for protection from – is an airline in Italy with 15 planes that’s just suspended winter service from Los Angeles and San Francisco – and that cancelled Chicago service before it even began.

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American Will Still Protect You If You’re Flying on Separate Tickets and Things Go Wrong

by Gary Leff

american airline plane
Apr 24 2019

It’s usually risky to fly one itinerary on separate tickets. That’s because when you’re on one ticket, if you face a flight delay or cancellation the airline responsible for the irregularity has to get you to your final destination. But if you’re on separate tickets they usually don’t have to do anything more than get you as far as the end of the ticket you’re flying on.

Fortunately — in a world where little seems to go the way of the customer — American Airlines has a policy of taking care of customers connecting on separate tickets as long as one flight is with American and the next is with either American itself or a oneworld partner. And I’ve confirmed that this policy is still in force.

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United is Repainting All its Planes in a New Look — That Was Just Leaked

by Gary Leff

united plane
Apr 24 2019

Nothing renews an airline like new planes but absent a giant plane order there always seems to be the thought that the airline can be refreshed by painting planes. It’s a years-long process and costly to undertake.

Ultimately though what United is unveiling is just an evolution. So for me at least it doesn’t induce a strong reaction at all, which is good compared to so many other attempts. But that leads me to wonder why bother at all?

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