The Worst Airline Complaint I’ve Ever Seen — Where Simple Steps Could Have Made It All Better

by Gary Leff

american plane
Oct 20 2017

Things go wrong when you travel. The most important thing is always safety, and while it’s frustrating when there are mechanical delays or flight diversions I’d always prefer to take the delay than push forward.

I wish that airlines did a better job communicating when things go wrong. However it’s often a game of telephone with two cups and a string. There’s uncertainty about the situation, about the plan to fix it, and between plenty of moving pieces — actually fixing the plane, what alternatives are available, and this all takes time to sort through.

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SAD: Kimpton Karma Rewards Being Folded into IHG, Here’s What Happens to Points and Status

by Gary Leff

hotel room
Oct 20 2017

Ultimately this move is good for IHG Rewards Club members (more redemption options), not good for Kimpton Karma Rewards members (sanitization of what’s unique about their recognition program). It’s difficult to get too worked up over it though since we’ve know this was coming.

We’ve had 3 years to go through all the various stages of grief. So it’s time for acceptance.

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US Wants to Bring Back Electronics Ban: Forbidding Laptops From Being Checked as Luggage

by Gary Leff

Oct 20 2017

In the spring the US banned laptops from passenger cabins on US-bound flights from several airports,
requiring that electronics with lithium ion batteries be checked as baggage instead. They did this even though it was widely acknowledged to be dangerous.

Now the U.S. wants a new electronics ban — this time forbidding large electronics from being checked as luggage.

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Strategy: Delta Makes Its Inflight Product Better Even as Its Mileage Program Gets Worse

by Gary Leff

Oct 19 2017

Delta claims to earn a revenue premium over its competitors, arguing customers will pay more to fly Delta. And stock markets seem to prefer airlines that treat their customers well.

It’s clear what kind of bet they’re making. They’ll experiment and try to find the things that will cause customers to prefer Delta overall and pay more to fly their product than competitors.

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United’s Earnings Call: Re-Banking Hubs Sells Credit Cards, and They Aren’t Really Devaluing MileagePlus

by Gary Leff

united credit card
Oct 19 2017

I think that Scott Kirby destroys customer experience. Any investment that can’t be proven on a spreadsheet doesn’t get made or at a minimum is given short shrift in consideration.

But no one is more interesting to listen to on earnings calls. He’s generally more candid than other executives, and extremely thoughtful.

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