Is Domestic First Class Air Travel For The Poors?

by Gary Leff

economy seats
Jun 21 2023

Airline domestic first class isn’t a marker of wealth, since a large subset of passengers able to pay for air travel can pay for first class as well as it often isn’t that much more. But it hasn’t really ever been a marker of wealth.

Twenty years ago 90% of seats up front were going to upgrades, which frequently meant business travelers who weren’t poor by any stretch but often in the middle rungs of the corporate ladder. Who is flying up front has changed a bit, especially with managed business travel still down, but it hasn’t matched the mythology of the product in decades.

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Canadian Border Officials Imprison American Airline Employee For A Week On False Drug Charges

by Gary Leff

canada flag
Jun 21 2023

This was a failure of U.S. authorities – suspecting someone as a drug courier over behaving like an airline employee. It was a failure of Canadian authorities, arresting someone based on a fallible test and locking them up for a week while slow-walking a real test. And it was a failure of the passenger, who didn’t secure legal representation (though as a 22 year old kid on an airline income that’s not surprising).

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Citi AAdvantage Executive Card Fee Increases: Some Published, More To Come

by Gary Leff

Jun 21 2023

Back in the fall I wrote that Citi would be ending the benefit of no annual fee authorized users with Admirals Club access, and likely raising the annual fee on the card itself as well. The ability for a single $450 annual fee to generate 11 cards (primary plus up to 10 authorized user cards) each with the ability to enter Admirals Clubs and also bring up to two guests was simply too good a deal.

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Using Elite Benefits After Your Status Expires

by Gary Leff

Jun 20 2023

If your status is ending, consider booking as much future travel as you can, because some of your benefits will likely apply to trips booked before your status expires for trips that occur after.

You can book extra legroom coach seats with your status, where that benefit applies, and those seat assignments will usually stick. And here’s an interesting wrinkle with checked baggage, too.

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Heartbreaking: Photo Of Cancer-Stricken 4 Year Old Found Behind Aircraft Lavatory Mirror

by Gary Leff

Jun 20 2023

A Frontier Airlines mechanic was working to replace a lavatory mirror on a ten year old Airbus A320 (registration N228FR) acquired in 2015 from now-defunct Monarch Airlines in Tampa back on February 20th. He saw something behind the mirror that looked like a postcard. He read it, and – he says – he was “blown away.”

He had found a photo of a 4 year old girl named Grace Kelly riding an airplane, and on it was a note from her grandparents.

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Frontier Airlines Is In A Lease Dispute – And 10% Of Its Planes Are At Risk [Roundup]

by Gary Leff

Jun 20 2023

News and notes from around the interweb: Hyatt is offering double points starting with your second stay in Europe, Africa, the Middle East & Asia Pacific from July 1, 2023 – September 15, 2023. Registration required prior to first stay. Frontier Airlines is in a lease dispute with Wells Fargo over 10% of its aircraft Follow your dreams. When you follow your dreams they can really take off…Kevin Ray quit his job and started watching planes full time. How is planespotting a job? His @airlinevideos became a YouTube hit. From @cbssaturday: pic.twitter.com/2lYGIkgV8P — Kris Van Cleave (@krisvancleave) June 17, 2023 15% bonus on transfers from Citi to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles through July 22, 2023. Cathay Pacific will hire more cabin crew from mainland China continues Hong Kong’s turn inward, remember that mainland bosses already…

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