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.
On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, an Embraer ERJ-190 aircraft, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, during an attempted emergency landing. The flight, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, was enroute from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it diverted to Aktau due to adverse weather conditions.
Air France KLM Flying Blue is offering awards on short-distance Delta flights for as few as 1,500 miles (and just 4,000 miles in first class). Compare Delta for similar flights and you’ll find prices of 15,000 or more in coach, and over 30,000 miles for first class.
For a currency to continue to be attractive, it needs to deliver value – managers can’t just focus on sales to third parties, they have to focus on the customers who ultimately want the miles. And they want it because of the travel possibilities that it opens up, from redemptions to treatment with the airline. It’s important not to forget that the programs can actually create loyalty to the airline itself and not just to the in-wallet plastic; actually putting butts in seats and at a premium.
For banks like American Express, Chase, and Capital One, lounges sell credit cards. For airlines, lounges bring in revenue. They sell tickets. They keep customers loyal and spending more to do so. They also bring in revenue from… selling credit cards. And they bring in revenue from partners (unless they’re in oneworld, where partners don’t pay each other for lounge access in the same way).
Customers no longer buy tickets just on schedule, price, and perceived reliability. Airline seats are no longer just commodity products.
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.
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.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker will resign on January 20, the day of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Whitaker was appointed by President Biden and confirmed in October 2023 for a five-year term. Aviation watchdog JonNYC reports on word that JSX CEO Alex Wilcox is a finalist to run the FAA.
Starting January 1, 2025, United will introduce Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée champagne in Polaris business class along with 3 additional new wines: Freemark Abbey cabernet, E. Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Luca ‘G Lot’ chardonnay.
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 »
