Europe Preparing To Enable Cell Phone Calling On Planes

by Gary Leff

Nov 25 2022

Most Americans are used to turning off the cell phones in flight, and calling over cell networks usually doesn’t work in the air anyway. But several airlines around the world do allow it, and provide it as a service. And for years planes had Airfones that allowed air-to-ground calling for a fee. There’s very little conflict between passengers when this is allowed.

Now Europe is preparing for 5G service on planes that would make it possible for airlines to permit use of phones in the air the way they’re used anywhere else.

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Plus-Size Model Refused Travel By Qatar Airways, ‘Too Big For Coach’

by Gary Leff

Nov 24 2022

São Paulo-based plus-size model Juliana Nehme took to social media to share the ordeal of being denied travel in economy class on Qatar Airways at the end of her holiday in Beirut.

She says she flew Air France on the way over, but at check-in for her Qatar flight to Doha she was told that she “wasn’t welcome to board because [she’s] fat and…they weren’t going to welcome me on the flight” unless she paid for a premium cabin seat.

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Frontier Airlines Completely Eliminates Telephone Customer Service

by Gary Leff

older gentleman taking a selfie with smartphone
Nov 24 2022

Airline call center hold times often got long before the pandemic, one of the more popular features I’ve covered is ways around long hold times – like calling American Airlines foreign call centers, or ringing up Delta’s close-in travel hotline.

But you can always wait – whether it’s an hour, five hours or 40 hours – to reach an agent to help sort out a problem with your ticket, when your flight is cancelled or maybe your reservation just didn’t get ticketed properly. Always, at least, except at Frontier Airlines which has just eliminated telephone customer service.

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A French Bulldog Got Lost On A Southwest Flight While Its Owner Was Sleeping

by Gary Leff

Nov 24 2022

A passenger’s pet is supposed to remain under their control and not come out of the carrier inflight. Some crews enforce that more aggressively than others. And on a recent Southwest flight, one French bulldog came out – and wandered around the aircraft.

This went on long enough, and the bulldog made it far enough around the aircraft, that flight attendants made an announcement asking whose dog it was? And nobody answered. Eventually, it turned out, that the dog wandered away while its owner was asleep inflight.

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China Southern In Discussions To Join oneworld Alliance

by Gary Leff

airline canada
Nov 24 2022

In 2015 Delta Air Lines made a $450 million investment in Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines. That left fellow SkyTeam member Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines out in the cold. Two years later, American Airlines followed with a $200 million investment (for a 2.76% stake) in Chinese state-controlled China Southern.

China Southern left SkyTeam. They introduced AAdvantage mileage-earning and redmeption and entered into a joint venture with British Airways. BA’s largest shareholder, Qatar Airways, took a 5% stake in China Southern as well.

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How The Big Airline Pilots Union Misleads You For Their Own Gain

by Gary Leff

cockpit with pilot
Nov 23 2022

For years the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the major pilots union, has lobbied for federal rules that make it difficult to become a pilot. Fewer pilots keeps wages high, and gives unions leverage during contract negotiations – they can’t just be replaced if they strike (or if an airline were to lock them out). But with a shortage of pilots, some of those rules have come under scrutiny.

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Brazil Brings Back Air Travel Mask Mandate

by Gary Leff

Nov 23 2022

Brazil is bringing back its air travel mask mandate. They say a surge in Covid-19 cases makes this urgent, but the rule isn’t going into effect right away. It starts Friday, November 25. Paper masks will be permitted as long as they are two-ply in airports and inflight, and there will be no limits placed on inflight service.

They won’t be limiting indoor gather at bars to watch the World Cup.

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When Delta Says SkyMiles Are Low Value, You Should Believe Them

by Gary Leff

Nov 23 2022

Delta is advertising a ‘deal’ between the U.S. and Japan for 121,000 miles roundtrip in coach. And Delta says you can find this special price if you book March 28 – April 5, 2023.

The ‘regular price’ of roundtrip domestic coach awards used to be 25,000 miles. Delta now considers it a ‘discount’ to pay 26,000 points roundtrip for Minneapolis – Los Angeles, a price they say is available January 25 – 31, 2013. When Delta literally promotes how low value their miles are, you should believe them.

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