The Southwest Meltdown Continues, I Failed To Follow My Own Advice

by Gary Leff

Dec 26 2022

Southwest Airlines isn’t a niche carrier, for many years they’ve been the largest carrier of domestic airline passengers in the U.S. They may only be the fourth biggest airline, but that’s because their international route network is so limited.

So when Southwest melts down over Christmas, it’s a big deal. And even with Christmas over, the mess continues. Southwest has already cancelled a third of its flight systemwide again today. On Sunday they were closer to cancelling half. Scenes from their terminals have been brutal.

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Eight Pipes-A-Bursting: Christmas In Airports

by Gary Leff

Dec 26 2022

Flights continue to be cancelled nationwide, with more flights cancelled in the U.S. than anywhere else (even China) and more Southwest flights cancelled than any other airline.

Extreme winter weather is the proximate cause. In some cases this has been exacerbated by an airline’s ability to respond to that weather (sufficient staff and systems for recovery). Here’s the email that Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan sent internally to employees on Christmas evening.

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Review: Hyatt Regency JFK At Resorts World

by Gary Leff

Dec 25 2022

Overall the property – from Globalist recognition, to details in the room, to the club lounge – exceeded my expectations.

The Hyatt Regency JFK at Resorts World will be my new go-to for New York JFK airport overnights, and the cost of a roundtrip Uber will be worth it for the speed and convenience compared schlepping over to the shuttle pickup and then waiting for a hotel shuttle.

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Emirates Flight Misses Curfew In Tokyo, Hands Out Sleeping Bags While Passengers Loot The Lounge

by Gary Leff

Dec 25 2022

On December 23, Emirates flight EK319 from Tokyo Narita to Dubai became a miserable experience for 500 passengers and crew on the Airbus A380. The plane went mechanical, and missed taking off before the airport’s midnight curfew by just a few minutes. The airline didn’t bother getting hotel rooms for passengers – or, reportedly, even crew. In fact they told passengers they couldn’t leave the airport, handed out sleeping bags, and directed premium cabin passengers to the lounge for the night.

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Marriott Resort Charges Elites A Cash Co-Pay For Breakfast, Complimentary Doesn’t Mean Free

by Gary Leff

Dec 24 2022

Marriott offers complimentary breakfast at most of its brands to Platinum elites and higher. Hoewver they don’t really say what breakfast means. And some hotels have figured out that the terms and conditions of the Bonvoy program don’t actually define ‘complimentary’ so they interpret it to mean “charged to the customer, but just for less money.” The Tribute Portfolio Royal Palm South Beach Miami is one of those hotels.

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