Apr 27 2016

I spent a few minutes listening to Delta SkyMiles Karen Zachary this morning recapping the program’s first year having moved to revenue-based earning for flights.

She pitches is as a resounding success, and of course Delta is successful overall relative to its peers. Delta has been successful relative to its peers prior to the change. And they had long viewed the SkyMiles program as the weak spot at the airline internally, or so Delta executives had told me.

Her overarching claim is that the program now awards high spenders more but also provides more value for everyone.

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Apr 27 2016

The TSA considered ending security screening at some of the smallest airports but lawmakers killed the idea.

No one is going to bother wasting a terrorist act on a 19 seat plane out of a market with zero media. And a hijacked 30 seat plane isn’t the same risk to infrastructure that a Boeing 757 is.

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Apr 27 2016

Virgin America has increased elite bonus points-earning. Silvers will now earn a 50% bonus (up from 25%) on points earned through spending on tickets. Golds will now earn a 140% bonus (up from 100%) on points earned through spending on tickets.

Most interesting to me is that award redemption flights will now count towards elite status.

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Apr 27 2016

This video, from Facebook, depicts what is apparently an airport employee smashing a plane after getting fired. The plane is reportedly a Yak-40 belonging to Russian airline UTair. Some are suggesting, however, that it’s a hoax.

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Apr 27 2016

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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Apr 26 2016

British singer Susan Boyle has an unfortunate relationship with airport lounges.

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Apr 26 2016

When Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act in 1978 they put together the political coalition in part by assuaging concerns that small communities would lose their flights. The legislation included a 10 year transition period in which small community service could receive subsidies. That was the Essential Air Service Program, and it was supposed to last only through 1988.

There are routes being subsidized to the tune of a thousand dollars per passenger roundtrip, that see load factors in the single digits, and that while a convenience to those passengers don’t really qualify as ‘essential’.

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Apr 26 2016

SEC filings on the Alaska Airlines acquisition of Virgin America show that there were actually four airlines interested in Virgin America. Alaska was potentially interested at $44.75 a share….and finally agreeing to pay $57 a share.

The Mileage Plan program is said to be key to the merger’s success. Alaska’s Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Harrison who shares the carrier’s thinking on sticking with a miles-based frequent flyer program.

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Apr 26 2016

Silvercar is opening at Newark May 9 at Wally Park. I never rent cars in New York, but if I were headed somewhere other than Manhattan I probably would. I love Silvercar and am always thrilled to see them expanding to key markets.

First time Silvercar users get $25 when referred by someone (for a limited time the referrer gets $50 — double the previous amount). This is my referral link, feel free to leave yours in the comments if you’d like.

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Apr 26 2016

JetBlue had a passenger choose to urinate at their seat. So did an Air India passenger. Now that it’s happened a third time in eight months this is officially a thing.

On Saturday night’s later of two San Francisco – Charlotte redeyes, American Airlines flight AA1944, a passenger urinated on the floor of the aircraft.

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