Chase Becoming 3rd Largest Online Travel Agency To Rival Expedia, Booking.com

by Gary Leff

chasebank
May 23 2023

Chase has been planning ‘the new Chase Travel’ for some time. They even promised it would launch last year. The idea is to bring together all of the disparate assets, from booking to dining to advice, in order to become a force in lifestyle that competes with the biggest players in the space. This is supposed to appeal to affluent customers who will be stickier with Chase’s banking services, and help them grab a greater share of investable assets and card spend.

They provided some data on where they are and where they’re going as part of the bank’s investor day.

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Hilton Announces New Hotel Brand That Doesn’t Have A Name

by Gary Leff

May 23 2023

Hilton has announced a new extended stay hotel brand that’s supposed to resemble an apartment for guests planning visits of at least 20 days. They’re announcing it even before they have a name. For now, it’s Project H3.

I’ve read the release and have no idea how their concept is different, other than a lobby that “allows sight lines from the front desk to fitness, laundry, and a simple retail market” and communal grills and fire pit.

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American Airlines Pilot Comps Drinks For The Whole Flight

by Gary Leff

May 23 2023

The captain of an American Airlines flight comes out into the cabin – into economy, no less – to talk to passengers about their flight delay. He explains what happened, that the aircraft had arrived late from Puerto Vallarta, and he offered that they planned to make up a few minutes in the air if they could. He even offered to take passenger questions. But talking to passengers in person isn’t all that the captain did.

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Airline Passenger Lies Down And Props Their Bare Foot On A Tray Table, ‘This Is Not Your Living Room’

by Gary Leff

May 22 2023

It’s one thing to lie down across a row of seats. It’s another to do it with your shoes and socks off. But it’s something else entirely to prop one of those bare feet up on a try table.

When one airline executive described their new domestic coach cabin – with less legroom, smaller lavatories, and no seat back TVs but faster internet – as a ‘living room experience’ I don’t think this scene from a Seattle – Orange County flight is what they had in mind. You may do this in your own living room, but hopefully not with company over – yet alone in the company of 100 strangers?

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A Federal Judge Didn’t Kill The American Airlines-JetBlue Partnershp, But JetBlue Might

by Gary Leff

May 22 2023

On Friday a federal judge rules that the American Airlines-JetBlue partnership violates anti-trust laws, since they go beyond frequent flyer reciprocity and divvy up which airline flies to a given destination and share revenue.

Most of the coverage of the ruling says that the partnership is over as a result of the judge’s ruling. As a matter of law that’s wrong – there’s plenty of avenue to appeal and drag this out for a long time. But maybe what kills the deal will be JetBlue?

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