Airport Self-Serve Kiosks Now Demand Tips When Buying Snacks

Oct 05 2023

Nearly everyone on a flight has paid a different price for an identical seat going to the same destination. Different people have different willingness to pay. Airlines have become good at figuring out how much they can charge each customer for each flight.

Why shouldn’t airports get in on some of the action. And the simplest way to do it is just to ask a customer, did we charge you too little? Would you like to pay more?

Continue Reading »

Once A Maverick, Southwest Airlines Turned Into A Creature of Government Cronyism

planes docked at airport
Oct 05 2023

No matter what you think of JSX even (and they are fully legal, achieve high safety standards, and deliver a quality product), it’s embarrassing to see one-time maverick Southwest Airlines having turned into a creature of cronyism. They’re using the government to shut down competition at Dallas Love Field the way that major airlines in the 1970s tried to use government to shut down competition from them.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Flight Attendants Union Thinks Their Own Members Are Rubes

Oct 04 2023

The United Airlines flight attendants union, AFA-CWA, has seen its negotiations with the airline drag on. They’ve been without a new contract since the last one become amendable in August 2021. And they have been talking up strikes.

Keyed to the airline’s announcement of an order for 110 new planes, flight attendants union President Ken Diaz put out a statement suggesting the airline is prioritizing planes over people.

Continue Reading »

Star Alliance Member Scandinavian To Join Delta-Air France Transatlantic Joint Venture

SAS plane
Oct 03 2023

With Lufthansa tied to United and Air Canada, Air France KLM tied to Delta, and British Airways tied to American the transatlantic market has become far more concentrated inside of “metal neutral, anti-trust immunized, revenue-sharing joint ventures.” There are only a handful of players across the Pond operating with significant frequency outside of the one of these deals.

Continue Reading »

Plus-Sized Travel Advocate Demands Wider Hallways In Hotels And Larger Elevators

Oct 03 2023

Back in April, Jaelynn Chaney started a petition demanding additional free seats for plus-sized passengers which, she acknowledged, would mean that everyone else would have to pay more to accommodate her.

Now she’s back with demands for hotels. She wants wider hallways; larger elevators; and retrofits to bathroom toilet seat, shower heads, and sturdier beds. And she thinks it’s discriminatory for hotels not to stock bathrobes up to size 6XL.

Continue Reading »