United’s Poison Pill: DC Airports Agree Any Airline Adding Flights At National Airport Must Pay $1 Million

Dec 20 2023

Delta Air Lines has been lobbying to modify flight restrictions at Washington’s National Airport, specifically targeting the 1,250-mile perimeter rule that limits long-distance flights. Congress has been looking for a deal to give them something, not not all of what they want. United may have found a workaround so that no airline takes advantage of the new opportunities Congress provides.

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Caught in the Crossfire: How Delta Air Lines Became The Center Of A Political Storm Over Immigration

passport getting stamped
Dec 19 2023

Some anti-immigration Republicans are now calling for a boycott of Delta Air Lines after a commentator filmed the carrier flying migrants from Phoenix to New York.

Normally the complaint is that undocumented immigrants crossing into border states like Arizona and Texas overburdens those states and so they want them moved to New York (or Martha’s Vineyard)?

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The Mayor Of London Is Now Sponsored By United Airlines

Dec 19 2023

Politicians really ought to have disclosures by their names, highlighting whom they represent. For instance in the U.S. we’d have Patrick McHenry (R-Commercial Banking), Amy Klobuchar (D-Delta Air Lines), Chuck Schumer (D-Television Cameras), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Private Equity).

In the U.K. they’ve made real advances along these lines.

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From the Sky to SNAP: How American Airlines Flight Attendants Qualify For Food Stamps

Dec 19 2023

On Monday I wrote about the struggles of American Airlines flight attendants, especially junior crew, who have seen their wages eroded by inflation and whose last pay increase was in January 2019.

Some report lacking gas money to get to the airport, being unable to afford meals (and living off of snacks from the first class snack basket) and not being able to afford Christmas presents. But there’s a lot of confusion over how flight attendants are paid and how much they work.

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Breathtaking Views or Bait and Switch? The Sydney Harbour Marriott’s Upgrade Controversy

Dec 19 2023

The Sydney Harbour Marriott at Circular Quay has many rooms with fantastic views, of the harbor and even the Sydney Opera House, though of course there are simply ‘skyline view’ rooms which are less desirable.

You can imagine how disconcerting it was for Marriott Bonvoy elites to hear from the hotel that if they were staying on property during the “festive season” they would not be entitled to room upgrades.

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From Vine To Decline: American Airlines Drops Printed Wine Lists From Business Class

Dec 19 2023

Printed wine lists are out in American Airlines long haul premium cabins. Instead of a menu listing options, the printed meal menu given to business class passengers now says “We invite you to engage with our flight attendants to learn more about the selection of wines available for your enjoyment.”

Flight attendants, of course, have been given no extra training on the wines being offered. You can ask, and maybe they’ll show you the bottle.

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How Some Lucky Flyers Bagged Business Class Tickets for Just 13,500 Miles – While Others Get Cancelled

Dec 18 2023

On Friday it was possible to book transatlantic business class award tickets on Air France for as little as 13,500 Flying Blue miles each way and in fact in some cases for just 1,500 points (!).

This was an error in pricing. Some people who booked it will get to travel, while others will have their plans cancelled.

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