BOOK NOW: American Airlines Transatlantic Business Class Award Space

by Gary Leff

airplane first class
Jan 23 2018

American Airlines has been uniquely stingy making award space available on its own flights. I value American miles, but really just because I can book awards on partners like Cathay Pacific and Etihad.

Over the past few years there have been availability ‘dumps’. There will be a day or two or sometimes just a few hours where tons of international business class award space opens up on American flights. We haven’t seen that in many months, but are seeing it again right now.

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Court Takes Airline NIKI Away from British Airways, Gives it to Race Driver Niki Lauda

by Gary Leff

Jan 23 2018

NIKI was driven into insolvency with the collapse of air berlin and withdrawl of support from Etihad. It was expected that the Austrian carrier would go to Lufthansa (specifically their low cost subsidiary Eurowings), but European competition regulators shut down that possibility.

Ultimately British Airways parent IAG was left as the lone remaining company seeking to negotiate a purchase of assets.

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Do Hotels Make You Prove You’re Eligible for AAA or Corporate Discounts?

by Gary Leff

AAA renewal
Jan 22 2018

Five years ago a couple of commenters noted being asked to show their AAA card at hotel check-in when staying on a AAA rate. I have never seen this happen myself.

Later that year when AAA sent me a renewal notice with the card I asked readers whether I should just pocket that to show ‘just in case’ or actually pay for the membership, universally the sentiment was ‘you use the discount you pay for the membership.’

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For Domestic First Class Meals Quality is Better Than Quantity

by Gary Leff

Jan 22 2018

Years ago there was a story about former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall having olives removed from first class salads, saving $40,000 a year. Small savings add up across all an airline’s flights and passengers. So carriers are often very careful about their pennies in catering.

In the spring of 2001 United replaced steak at lunch with gourmet cheeseburgers. Today’s inflight burgers on domestic airlines are much smaller and I find with lower quality meal. They keep figuring out ways to push the savings envelope farther.

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