American Airlines On-Time Departures Taken to a New Level of Absurdity

by Gary Leff

Jan 28 2018

American Airlines believes that the number one thing that they can do to make planes arrive on time is to depart on time. So they’ve made it a company priority to the exclusion of most other things to ensure that flights leave exactly on time or even early.

If gate agents don’t bother processing upgrades, let alone coming onboard to move customers up when a first class passenger no shows, that’s acceptable because D0. If seats leave empty with passengers on the standby list that’s ok. If flight attendants don’t have time to offer predeparture beverages in the 30 minutes the flight is boarding that’s fine too.

Continue Reading »

Will Airline Awards Soon Book into Basic Economy?

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Jan 27 2018

I’ve gotten asked increasingly frequently lately now that United, Delta, and American all offer Basic Economy fares (no advance seat assignment, no cancel/changes, no upgrades or extra legroom seats, and in United’s and American’s case no full-sized carry on bag) how soon until saver awards book into Basic Economy?

Continue Reading »

American Can’t Decide If Its Number One Priority is Not Upsetting Employees

by Gary Leff

back airplane tv
Jan 27 2018

Just like the airline’s inconsistent messages over whether they’re a premium carrier (Flagship lounges) or Allegiant (no seat back video, tiny lavatories, 30 inch pitch with reduced recline seats, and Basic Economy) they offer inconsistent messages on pay (bonuses but reduced profit sharing) and expectations (no enforcement of overhead bins, but more work when it matches an airline – rather than customer – priority).

Continue Reading »

IHG PointBreaks Changing, Some ‘Discounted’ Hotels Will Cost 3x As Much

by Gary Leff

Jan 27 2018

IHG Rewards Club has been offering discounted hotel night redemptions for just 5000 points per night for more than a decade.

At the beginning there were some high value hotels included in the discount properties list. Over time there have been fewer and fewer premium hotels. The ‘good ones’ are almost always swept up and disappear from the list within a couple of days. These deals have been so good that in China people were automating PointBreaks bookings and reselling them.

Continue Reading »

Doug Parker Dishes the Inside Story of How Delta Ended Its Interline Agreement With American – And Then Asked For It Back

by Gary Leff

delta plane runway
Jan 26 2018

After American’s earnings calls the company’s executives meet with employees and take their questions. One of the questions was about the restoration of the most important element of an interline agreement between American and Delta, the ability for each airline to put their passengers into empty seats on the other carrier during irregular operations.

And Doug Parker, American’s CEO, wound up and took a swing at Delta…

Continue Reading »

As Alaska Completes Their Merger, Expect Basic Economy & Other Unfriendly Changes

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Jan 26 2018

Mergers create a brief window where customers are largely protected from devaluations. Airlines are distracted by merger integration, and don’t want to make customers feel like the merger will be bad for them right away. Once American Airlines moved to a single reservation system in October 2015 we learned about a gutting of AAdvantage the next month both for elite status qualification and benefits and for their redemption chart, and then the rollout of basic economy the next year.

Alaska Airlines right now has by far the most lucrative US airline frequent flyer program. Their award chart is far more attractive than that of their competitors. And they’re a better airline to fly. That may change.

Continue Reading »