A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
The Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa is an archetypal ‘resort factory’ with friendly staff. It’s got a great location directly across the street from the beach. And the location can’t be beat when traveling with a four year old, from easy access to restaurants to a zoo just around the corner.
Ultimately the hotel served its purpose well, and we had a great trip because we were visiting with family and taking advantage of the kids of activities that are available on Oahu and not as much on other islands. But the property doesn’t treat elite members well, and management isn’t proactive or even very responsive to issues.
Surely the seat next to you, if left empty, is fair game for use right? You can spread out a bit. Not everyone shares this view, including an American Airlines flight attendant who reportedly scolded a new mom for putting her 4 month old in the empty middle seat beside her while pumping breast milk.
So where does American Airlines stand? The topic was addressed at a recent meeting between executives and pilots in Dallas (a recording of which was reviewed by View From The Wing). CEO Robert Isom began by saying they have enough on their plate with current aircraft deliveries and Vice President Brian Znotins explaining why they don’t want the Boeing 787-10.
United dropped Air Wisconsin and gained more Mesa. Neither is a great experience, but the trade seems to align with United’s network strategy and American’s cost strategy. The Mesa bankruptcy stalking horse that had been much-discussed likely played a role in the ability for Mesa and American to terminate, since if they didn’t Mesa wouldn’t be able to continue ‘losing $5 million per month’ and therefore American’s ability to insist on either specific performance or penalties wasn’t sustainable indefinitely.
The Hotel June West LA was my recent choice for an LAX airport hotel. It offers stylish public space, spartan rooms and indifferent service.
At a meeting with pilots in Dallas on December 9th, a recording of which was reviewed by View From The Wing, Chief Operating Officer David Seymour spoke about Boeing delays and quality control issues that are holding back the airline’s ability to grow its schedule.
American Airlines dropped Los Angeles as its gateway to Asia. The remaining long haul flights American operates from LAX are to joint venture partner hubs – Tokyo, Sydney, and London.
American Airlines was losing money on it’s Los Angeles – Asia flying before the pandemic because, they believe, these markets were too competitive. And South America doesn’t work for them out of LA, either. So they’re focused on domestic flying. That makes their LA-based pilots, who don’t have the opportunities to fly widebodies, unhappy.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Reader GrumpyToTheLeft, an American Airlines Executive Platinum and British Airways Gold Guest List member, shares his story in a guest post about phantom award availability and Alaska Airlines and it’s a great reminder as you go about booking your own awards.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
