When Did the Government Start Requiring IDs to Fly.. and Why Did They Do It?

by Gary Leff

Dec 14 2015

Airlines long wanted to eliminate the secondary market in airline tickets, in order to enforce their revenue management strategies. If customers could buy and resell tickets, that makes it impossible for airlines to price discriminate between leisure travelers buying tickets far in advance and less price sensitive business travelers buying close to departure.

But when did the ID rule become a government requirement? Since it happened nearly 20 years ago, I had forgotten the rule’s origins.

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American Changed Mileage Earning on British Airways and Iberia Flights AGAIN!

by Gary Leff

Dec 14 2015

In late September American accidentally published new, reduced mileage-earning rates for discounted British Airways and Iberia tickets on their foreign websites. The changes were supposedly going into effect October 1.

The changes disappeared and then re-appeared on the American website in early November, with an effective date of February 1. So we were given three months’ notice of changes.

Except there are more changes for the month of January only..!

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A New Way to Africa Using American Miles

by Gary Leff

Dec 14 2015

American Airlines doesn’t fly to Africa. American Airlines doesn’t have a lot of partners flying to Africa. As a general matter, American and their partners aren’t ideal for most Africa flying although their Qatar Airways partnership does help here.

Fortunately there’s a new way to use American miles to Africa… and surprising availability for an old way.

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Several American Airlines Flight Attendants Taken to Hospital After Turbulent Descent Saturday Morning

by Gary Leff

Dec 13 2015

Friday night’s American Airlines Dallas – Buenos Aires hit severe turbulence. I heard that flight attendants hit the ceiling and that they were even hospitalized. I asked American about the flight.

Most of the time severe turbulence comes with warning, either from other aircraft or because it isn’t completely sudden. That means the pilot has the opportunity to turn on the seat belt sign and warn passengers. However severe turbulence does happen without warning. And while it isn’t usually a danger to the aircraft, it’s certainly a danger to passengers.

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Lowest Price I’ve Seen on the Gold Standard Noise Cancelling Headphones

by Gary Leff

Dec 13 2015

Road warriors and frequent travelers carry noise cancelling headphones. The noise of the aircraft makes it tough to hear sound from the movies on your device, or music, at any reasonable volume without a good pair of headphones. And they help to tune out the world.

The gold standard Bose QC25 headphones are expensive. Amazon though now has them for the lowest price I’ve seen.

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Air India Fires 3 Co-Pilots Because They Quit

by Gary Leff

Dec 13 2015

Apparently they have a significant problem with pilots leaving the airline. 98 pilots quit to join other airlines between April 2014 and October 2015. Pilots get their training, and then leave to go work for another airline because who wants to fly for Air India?

So Air India has taken the bold step of firing 3 co-pilots who have already left the airline, in a move that they say will somehow deter pilots from quitting.

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New Award Connectivity: Lufthansa Now Flying to the Maldives and Mauritius!

by Gary Leff

Dec 13 2015

Lufthansa has added several new long haul leisure destinations include Mauritius, the Maldives, and Cancun — on top of recent new flights to Tampa and Nairobi.

Flights to the Maldives generally, and with Star Alliance miles in particular, used to be really tough to get as recently as four years ago. There was once-weekly Austrian service from Vienna (that’s now been upgauged to a Boeing 777 and flies twice weekly). Otherwise you’d fly Singapore Airlines or you’d Thai Airways to Colombo, Sri Lanka and buy the short flight to Malé.

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