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Northwest matches — and improves — on American’s change to ticket cancellation policies
Northwest Airlines won’t even require you to cancel your flight before takeoff in order for your nonrefundable ticket to retain value as a credit for future flights.
Free stuff
Get a free sample of Tobasco Chipotle Pepper Sauce and a free sample of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Purchased upgrades
David Rowell says that about $100 cash under the table buys you a business class upgrade on Aeroflot for a US-Moscow flight.
Continental follows American’s Lead
Continental is matching American Airlines’ move to return to the ways of old — making nonrefundable tickets useable as a credit (minus change fee) for up to one year if not used for their original flights.
Enhancing United’s Telephone Customer Service
A United ad referenced a phone number that was one digit off in error. Turned out to be the number of a phone sex line. This happens occasionally. Why is it that the news stories never carry the number?
This is not an Onion story
Edmonton’s anti-smoking law has a truly perverse consequence A “sober bar” that caters to recovering alcoholics was told Thursday to get a liquor licence and start serving alcohol if it wants to let customers smoke. … If they start selling liquor, they’ll be tempting many patrons to return to addiction. “The city is forcing us to promote alcohol as the only way we can keep smoking,” co-owner Tom Charbonneau said. “Other restaurants and bars have that option, but we don’t.” Charbonneau and Lawrence Lathe opened Keep It Simple two years ago to give recovering alcoholics, gambling or drug addicts a bar-like atmosphere without the booze they have to shun. They also hold meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and other 12-step programs in a back room. Most former addicts smoke; it gives them at least…
American Airlines rescinds “use it or lose it” rule
This is basically a return to how things worked a year ago. Under terms of the new policy, customers with nonrefundable tickets must now cancel their flight reservations before their flight is scheduled to depart. When they do, they will have one year from the date their original ticket was issued to reschedule and apply the value of the unused ticket (less any applicable change fee) to their new trip. Tickets must be reissued and travel must commence within one year of the date the original ticket was issued. Here’s how it works: A customer purchases his ticket on Sep. 1, 2003, for travel departing on Oct. 15, 2003. On Oct. 1, 2003, his plans change, and he calls his travel agent or AA Reservations to cancel his itinerary. He will now have until Sep.…
Mobile phone ticketing
With internet booking of airline reservations now in the mainstream, a Malaysian discount airline is introducing cell phone text messaging as a way to book tickets. It takes about 8 messages back and forth. Asian markets are a bit ahead of the US in doing business electronically via mobile phones, but as the technology improves and becomes more mainstream this will eventually take hold in the US as well.As for me, I’m a little skittish because I don’t yet feel comfortable shopping in all the ways that I shop before buying using just a mobile device. It’s a bit too cumbersome still. But I do use my mobile device to check schedules, on time departures, and flight availability. Booking should be next.
Retaining and Selling First Class Seats
USA Today covers something that View from the Wing readers already know — that Alaska Airlines has decided to keep its first class cabin, and USAirways has swapped planes on its shuttle routes to offer first class service. In the case of Alaska, they realized the cutting first class would severely cut into the loyalty of their frequent flyers who generate much of their revenue. Without a first class cabin, there would be little to differentiate them from Southwest Airlines. “For our passengers, especially our (most frequent fliers), it’s really the foundation to the whole loyalty program,” says Tom Romary, Alaska vice president of marketing. “As we did the analysis, we realized there was a major loyalty impact if we were to remove first class.” At the same time, they hope to generate some marginal…
