A New Reason for American Not to Offer Predeparture Beverages

by Gary Leff

lavatory
Mar 16 2019

There are two things American Airlines believes affects premium passenger perception of service: flight attendants referring to them by name, and offering predeparture beverages.

American Airlines flight attendants are inconsistent about offering beverages prior to push back. And there’s no consequence if they don’t. If they don’t consider themselves to have time, they can skip it.

One flight, though, finally had a good reason not to offer them — and even to skip most inflight beverage service too.

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Loophole to Buy Some Southwest Flights Over Half Off Through End of Month

by Gary Leff

southwest plane
Mar 16 2019

Southwest Airlines does not charge customers change fees. However if you change your flight you take your original ticket cost and use it as a credit to buy a new flight. Southwest is apparently now waiving any increase in fare when you change flights.

And that lets you buy a cheaper ticket than the one you want to fly, and just change to your preferred trip — but that original booking must be in March.

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British Airways Teases Their New Business Class Seat With Photos

by Gary Leff

person sleeping airplane bed
Mar 16 2019

British Airways pioneered lie flat seats in long haul business class. The seats weren’t wide or private, but they were classy with blue fabric and brown leather. I actually liked the old lie flat business class seat that I flew a decade ago (‘New Club World’) more than the current iteration that feels like a sea of impersonal corporate cubes (‘Next Generation Club World’).

The current seat is well overdue for a refresh. The basics of the current seat began rolling out in 2006.

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You Expect Way Too Much From Marriott, Cut Them Some Slack

by Gary Leff

outside marriott hotel
Mar 16 2019

Starwood customers simply aren’t used to Marriott customer service, and they think what they’re experiencing is something wrong with the program. Marriott, for its part, doesn’t see as much wrong as customers do because they are delivering normal service.

When you have a frustrating interaction dealing with Marriott over a simple matter you may think you’re getting Bonvoyed when really you’re just dealing with Marriott.

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World’s Worst Airline Plans to Fly Non-stop to the U.S.

by Gary Leff

pakitstan international airlines
Mar 15 2019

Pakistan International Airlines, the worst airline in the world, stopped flying to the US in October 2017 after 55 years of service.

Their flight used to operate Lahore, Pakistan – Manchester, UK – New York JFK. They weren’t allowed to fly non-stop to the U.S. for security reasons. The US government wasn’t comfortable with a plane load of passengers getting screened in Pakistan and flying to the States.

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American Airlines Pilots Union Telling Members to Refuse Trips to Venezuela

by Gary Leff

maduro
Mar 15 2019

American Airlines is the sole remaining US carrier serving Venezuela and there are few other airlines flying in and out of the country as well. As the nation has fallen apart, with mass shortages, rampant crime, and inflation over 5000%, American Airlines had found their Venezuela routes extremely profitable — because there was so little air service left.

With flight crews getting robbed by bandits airlines fly crews out of the country rather than overnighting, and try to refuel elsewhere as well.

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Smuggler Turned Boeing 777 Lavatory Into a ‘Pot’ of Gold

by Gary Leff

gold bangladesh
Mar 15 2019

12kg of gold was found behind the mirror in the lavatory of a Biman Bangladesh flight from Dubai on arrival in Dhaka on Monday. You might even say that lavatory was a pot of gold.

Smuggling gold into Bangladesh is incredibly common. Spot prices are high and it’s a common destination for illicit funds being taken out of the Gulf region and also parts of Asia as we learned when a North Korean diplomat was discovered trying to bring $1.4 million in gold into Dhaka.

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