Why United is Uncompetitive, and Their Only Hope is Ignorant Customers Who Don’t Know Their Choices

May 11 2017

I was looking at the 3:35pm United Express (GoJet) flight. The $53 fare was for Basic Economy. Customers don’t get preassigned seats, can’t make changes (of course change fees are normally $200, so it’s effectively full forfeiture anyway).

By having Basic Economy passengers board last the airline is able to segregate them and easily ban them from bringing full-sized carry on bags onto the plane.

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Know Your Benefits: Amex Platinum Medical Evacuation Claim on Award Ticket Saves $275,000

May 10 2017

Reader Arthur‘s parents were in Singapore on an award trip he helped to book using Membership Rewards points transferred to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer. Taxes were paid with his father’s American Express Platinum card.

They flew Atlanta – New York JFK on a Delta economy award and then New York JFK – Frankfurt – Singapore in Singapore Suites. During the trip Arthur’s father had a heart attack.

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The Powerpoint Slide American CEO Doug Parker Wishes He Had Never Shown

May 10 2017

The CEO of the world’s largest airline appears to believe that the way you earn more money from customers is to provide the worst possible product which is less attractive than what’s offered by competitors.

Only it’s the exact opposite of what he was telling investors less than two months ago. Here’s the slide outlining American’s path to profitability growth — that they seem to quickly be turning 180 degrees from.

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American Will Offer Less Legroom, But Don’t Worry You Get Less Comfortable Seats and No Seatback Video Too!

May 10 2017

BoardingArea blogger and teenager The Unaccompanied Flyer interviewed American Airlines CEO Doug Parker and asked about the airline’s plans to squeeze more seats into Boeing 737s — meaning less legroom. They’re going from a 31 inch standard in regular coach down to 30 in most seats and even just 29 inches in some rows.

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