The End of the Alaska Airlines Partnership is a Delta Devaluation and Delta Did Nothing About It

by Gary Leff

Dec 20 2016

Alaska Airlines is losing its partnership with Delta. In my view that was a better deal for Delta customers — who could earn more valuable miles crediting to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan when flying on Delta, which worked out well especially for discounted domestic first class — than it was for Alaska Airlines customers who couldn’t even book Delta award seats at half the miles for a one way award.

Nonetheless, Alaska is going to great lengths to make sure its customers come out ahead with their acquisition of Virgin America (so a bigger route network on which to earn and burn) and by reducing the cost of domestic economy short haul awards and increasing mileage-earning on partner premium cabin tickets.

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Alaska’s Mileage Plan Members Losing Delta, But Gaining Much More

by Gary Leff

Losing the ability to redeem miles on Delta flights is a small hit. Delta’s transatlantic award availability can be pretty decent especially during low season and on really lightly booked flights.

The real hit is no longer being able to credit Delta flights — especially cheap Delta domestic first class flights — to a Mileage Plan account. It was possible to fly a decent reliable domestic airline in Delta while still earning valuable miles instead of earning SkyMiles.

There’s a big upside to all of this, though.

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Airline Sacrifices a Goat Before Bringing Turboprops Back Into Service

by Gary Leff

Dec 19 2016

Two weeks ago Pakistan International Airlines suffered a crash of an ATR 42 turboprop. After the incident they grounded their ATR fleet, and subbed in C-130 military cargo planes flying passengers on benches because those planes are able to operate at some of the country’s more challenging airports.

Before bringing the ATRs back into service, PIA employees sacrificed a goat next to a plane at the Islamabad International Airport.

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Etihad Announces Layoffs

by Gary Leff

airplane docked
Dec 18 2016

The US airline industry is at an all-time high for employment. US airlines are making a plurality of the world airline profits. Yet Delta, United, and American feel so threatened that they want the US government to protect them from competition by Emirates, Etihad and Qatar — raising prices on US consumers and reducing flight convenience and choice.

Meanwhile in the Gulf, Etihad is announcing layoffs.

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Starwood Ending Caesars Partnership December 31

by Gary Leff

Dec 18 2016

Three years ago — six months after Hyatt and MGM launched what practical amounts to hotel codesharing, with reciprocal earn and burn and elite status matching (that’s being somewhat diluted with the new World of Hyatt program) — Starwood and Caesars teamed up in a slightly less extensive deal.

However the Starwood-Caesars partnership is ending December 31.

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