British Airways Launching Pittsburgh Service and Inaugural Business Class Awards Are Available

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Jul 25 2018

Pittsburgh was abandoned as a hub by US Airways starting around 2004. Twenty years ago they flew to about 120 destinations from Pittsburgh. By the end of the decade they had only half that number of flights and were using just 10 gates.

The airport has attracted new service from low cost carriers, but is no longer a hub. They haven’t had service to London since US Airways eliminated Gatwick service in 2004. Today the only transatlantic flying from Pittsburgh is seasonal Frankfurt service (Condor), seasonal Paris service (Delta) and year-round Reykjavík flights (Wow Air).

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More Detail on What Air Canada Buying Aeroplan Would Look Like for Members

by Gary Leff

lounge desk
Jul 25 2018

This morning I wrote that Air Canada made an offer to buy Aeroplan at a $2.25 billion valuation.

Aeroplan was spun off from Air Canada 13 years ago. It’s a separate, independent business that’s part of Aimia, a loyalty company which several other interests as well. Air Canada announced last year that they were going to start their own program and no longer work with Aeroplan.

Here’s more on what the proposed deal for Air Canada to re-acquire the Aeroplan program would look like.

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Air Canada Proposes Buying Back Aeroplan, Instead of Competing Starting in 2020

by Gary Leff

air canada plane tarmac
Jul 25 2018

This would allow Air Canada to start with all of Aeroplan’s members, instead of starting from scratch. It would take the pressure off of Air Canada to offer as rich a value proposition to members in order to compete with Aeroplan.

There’s a certain irony to spinning off the program, realizing income, driving down the value of that program and then acquiring it on the cheap.

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American Airlines Doesn’t Update Customers About Delays Even When Fuel Spills Out of the Wing

by Gary Leff

plane fueling up
Jul 25 2018

It’s been over 3 years since I wrote about American’s ‘Goldilocks Problem’ boarding planes too early (before stated boarding time on boarding passes) and updating customers about delays too late.

I find that American won’t post flight delays until boarding time for an aircraft, even when those delays are blindingly obvious. And they won’t update delays until revised departure times have passed. Even when fuel is spilling onto the tarmac.

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Should Most People Ditch Airline Miles as Credit Card Rewards?

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Jul 24 2018

When it comes to domestic awards airlines are rarely going to give you 2 cents a point in value. And you’re still stuck hunting and pecking for award space rather than taking the flights you want.

As award charts devalue, and airlines charge more and more points for awards (especially when saver seats aren’t available) while paid tickets have often gotten cheaper using points to directly pay for travel makes more and more sense. In an era of regular $300-$400 roundtrips to Europe it can still make sense to pay for travel with credit card points even when it no longer makes sense to do so with airline miles.

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Thanks to Reader Help I’ve Got My New Travel Laptop, the HP Spectre X360

by Gary Leff

laptop
Jul 24 2018

I’ve been using an HP Spectre X360 and I think it’s great. A couple of months ago I asked for reader advice on getting a new laptop. I use one machine so it has to be able to function at home and on the road, for work and for watching movies on planes.

Battery life matters a lot, I carry it everywhere, and I want to be able to open it and even use it in coach.

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