Christopher Elliott brings us another ill-informed column this week. This time he’s opining on the new startup idea currently dubbed “Project Roam” which would be a low cost airline based in Pittsburgh. It’s the brainchild of Ed Beauvais. Elliott hypes the project — which doesn’t yet have funding or an operating certificate — as a potential miracle for the industry: But Project Roam promises to be more than a boost to Pittsburgh, and more than a feisty rival to a lumbering legacy airline. The new ideas it brings with it could change the way we think about an airline — and the way airlines think about us. That would benefit all travelers and possibly create a stronger, more customer-friendly airline industry. Here are a few of the more bizarre claims in the piece.First, “Pittsburgh as…
Cutting Back, Getting Hungry
A Pioneer Press article summarizes the moves of major US airlines away from offering free meals in coach and towards a buy on board model. While it’s unlikely that food sales will be a profit center in their own right, the net food cost to airlines is likely to fall. As the article observed, Northwest Airlines alone spent more than $200 million on food last year.
More Bluster from Atlantic Coast
Atlantic Coast Airlines, which operates primarily as a United Express carrier at Washington Dulles (it also flies for United out of Chicago and flies a bit for Delta), has been in a world of hurt lately. They’ve been unable to come to terms with United on their contract, as United is attempting to gain cost concessions as part of its overall bankruptcy proceeding. And in the meantime, Mesa Airlines (whose CEO used to work for and remains close to) Richard Branson, has proposed a takeover.Atlantic Coast is now offering up rumblings about going it alone as a low cost carrier. My take? More desperate posturing. Or at least for their sake, it had better be because a Dulles-based carrier operating regional jets and turboprops and without the muscle of a major carrier and major frequent…
A brewing USAirways controversy
Jeffrey Gitomer wrote a column critical of USAirways and now rumor on the street is that USAirways has banned Mr. Gitomer from flying the airline and confiscated his miles. Word is that Mr. Gitomer says his ban is due to criticizing the airline in print.USAirways responded at length to the editorial, intimating that Mr. Gitomer is a chronic complainer who has been abusive to the airline’s employees for years. Though the response doesn’t say anything about banning the man from the airline, if they did indeed do so another plausible explanation may be that it’s action (perhaps even long overdue) to protect its employees.I’m in no position to evaluate the competing claims, and not all of the story has likely been told yet, but it’s a fascinating developing soap opera.For what it’s worth, Jeffrey Gitomer…
Choo Choo
Amtrak will give you 500 Guest Rewards points for signing up for electronic rather than paper account statements by December 31st.
Northwest Worldperks Signup Bonus
If you’re taking a Northwest flight, be sure to sign up for their frequent flyer program with this link to receive 1000 bonus miles for your first flight and 5000 bonus miles for your second. You have six months to complete the second flight, but you must sign up for this offer by December 15, 2003.
Frequent Flyer Programs Work
They influence purchasing decisions. An interesting statistic: Theunis Potgieter, the senior executive manager at SAA Voyager, says research shows that frequent-flyer programmes influence 30 to 35 percent of consumers who are choosing an airline.
New travel columns this past week (and new catty comments by me)
David Rowell is unimpressed by British Airways business class. Joe Brancatelli offers obvious and/or useless tips for Holiday travel. Chris Barnett offers hopefully the last of a zillion eulogies to the Concorde, with no new observations to boot.
Reading is fundamental
Print this 20% off coupon for in-store purchases at Borders from November 14 – 20.
Edward Arlington Robinson’s Revenge
No miles and points for this, but a text game worth checking out: the Richard Corey Interactive Adventure. This frightens me. (Link via Sasha Volokh.)
