The United Airlines flight attendants union, AFA-CWA, is telling crewmembers to pack (1) a flashlight and (2) latex gloves, so they can search for bedbugs during their trips. The union also reports cabin crew at Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Hawaiian, Spirit and others including American Airlines wholly-owned regional carriers Envoy Airlines, Piedmont, and PSA. Members are being told to be vigilant about bedbugs, not only at international carriers flying to Paris, where infestations have gotten the most attention lately. Check the mattress for bed bug remains That means looking at the corner of the mattress, seams, and labels Crew are advised that while the headboard is a place they can be found, not to actually remove the headboard because they could be liable for damage. Flight attendants are also advised to use hard sided luggage rather…
Amex Refreshes Premium Hilton Card, And The Changes Are… Ok?
Hilton’s premium co-brand is interesting because it straight up comes with Honors Diamond status, though I view Hilton Diamond as worth less than similar status at Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG (no guaranteed late check-out from Hilton or IHG, even, but at least IHG offers confirmed suites).
The premium card is also the only one where Hilton spend is more rewarding that putting it on an alternative card.
American Express Raises Fee On Main Hilton Card, Makes Product Worse
There are folks who will come out ahead – those who already have unlimited Priority Pass and will get the full $200 per year value out of the statement credits – but overall judging the pure value of the card I don’t think this is a net improvement. It’s still a good value product but I don’t see this refresh as an improvement.
6 Things I Learned On The American Airlines Earnings Call Today
They’re in a bit of a pickle because they don’t have the financial strength and performance to absorb higher labor costs, and may be tempted to squeeze elsewhere. But this constrains revenue growth potential, and makes for an even bigger problem. As a high cost airline they also need to be a high revenue airline, which means offering a better product not just a reliable domestic schedule.
Oops: Airline CEO Gets Shirtless Massage During Management Meeting
Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia, shared a photo of himself chairing a management meeting. Shirtless. While getting a massage.
Passenger Dries Her Laundry On Cross-Country Southwest Airlines Flight
On Wednesday morning, a Southwest Airlines passenger on a cross country flight departing from Oakland hadn’t finished her laundry and dried “her clothes by hanging them on the window shades.”
The airline responded to the customer who shared this on social media, saying “Orange you glad it wasn’t underwear?”
Requests For United Airlines Status Matches Are Up “Dramatically” With Delta Gutting SkyMiles
While neither American nor United targeted disaffected SkyMiles elite, who felt they were being fired as the airlines employees told complaining customers to stop being poor, CNBC’s Leslie Josephs asked during the question and answer period of the earnings call whether United has seen an uptick in status match requests.
Delta Announces Rollback Of Severe SkyMiles Changes
After Delta’s evisceration of elite qualification rules for next year, announcing the end of earning status by miles and flights flown; moving entirely to dollars spent; and increasing the amount of spending required for status substantially, as well as severely restricting access by premium credit card customers to its lounges, Delta acknowledged that they had moved ‘too quickly’ by ‘pulling the band aid off all at once’ and promised to moderate their changes for the coming year.
Five Months to Decades: How Red Tape Paralyzed Oakland Airport’s Expansion
Oakland’s airport took a mere five months to build. Now adding 16 gates could take decades, if it’s ever able to happen.
Today Southwest Airlines controls the vast majority of traffic at the airport that was dedicated by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 and was the site of Amelia Earhart’s final trip departure. It hasn’t seen investment in fifteen years. And locals are going to use all of the levers of process to make sure it doesn’t see any, any time soon.
New Capital One Retail Miles Redemption: Stuff Like Airpods, Tumi Bags Up To 40% Off [Roundup]
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.