Last fall, Virgin Atlantic moved to dynamic pricing for award travel. Virgin has already devalued this new proposition: they’ve doubled the cash surcharges you’ll pay on these cheapest bookings.
Now they scan cars as they’re being returned – vehicles drive through a camera‑and‑sensor tunnel and get an ‘MRI for vehicles’ to log damage in a way that rental staff never did before. It also finds hard to spot damage such as under the vehicle, uneven tire wear, hairline cracks in the windshield.
Service in the U.S. is sad, and often cabin maintenance is, too. And that gets back to the premium experience that carriers are trying to merchandise. In order to generate a revenue premium you need to offer a product that’s valued at that higher price. Is it sad to say I miss Virgin America’s domestic first class?
It looks like Southwest Airlines is going to start flying to Iceland.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said he wants to fly transatlantic from Nashville, too. And he’s talking up sprucing up the experience and offering a lounge, too.
While many airlines walk away from true first class, some – like Air France, Cathay Pacific, and Singapore Airlines – lean into it. The same is true for Emirates. The market for spending far more than business class isn’t a large one, but it’s lucrative.
JetBlue has launched a huge promotion to celebrate its 25th anniversary, offering up to 25 years of first tier elite status and as many as 350,000 TrueBlue points.
I’ve stayed at the Westin Arlington in the D.C. suburbs dozens of times over the years. It’s close to my office there. And the way this franchise treats guests is indicative, I think, of the larger problem with Marriott:.
United Airlines is reportedly threatening flight attendants with potential termination to discourage them from seeking FMLA leave.
American Airlines has announced a plan to open a new business class Flagship lounge in Miami.
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Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
