Search Results for "basic economy".
Austin airport is experiencing record passenger growth, and the terminal needs to grow along with it. So the city’s solution is to use eminent domain to acquire property they already own, by cancelling a lease that they themselves signed. It’s a strange use of the government takings power, which underscores that the city never keeps its word and anyone investing $12 million dollars in a city project does so at their own risk.
A woman took to the internet to gauge whether she was overreacting. Her husband often travels alone with his best friend, but this time invited her along. He bought her a ticket in coach, while he buying tickets in first for himself and his friend. The man explained that she flies coach because the woman – a stay at home mom – has “no job” even though she reports they’re easily able to afford first class.
They left the kids with the wife’s mother, and got ready to travel, which is when she learned she’d be in economy and he wouldn’t.
Six weeks ago union leaders called for airlines not to resume stock buybacks, even though airlines are not on the verge of resuming stock buybacks (they have too much debt to pay down, and we’re in a rising interest rate environment making it more important to do so).
Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon writer Chase Mitchell took to social media to share his bizarre experience flying American Airlines from Los Angeles to Philadelphia on Friday. Conspiracy-minded people need to drink less on airplanes.
I have offered many focused criticisms of American Airlines over the past several years. I’ve long been of the belief that there is no U.S. airline with more potential to be better than it is today. But in the interest of fairness and balance I wanted to offer 5 reasons to be genuinely excited about American Airlines. They are the airline I fly most, and I’ve been at least an Executive Platinum member of their AAdvantage program for more than a decade.
They’re considering putting doors on their narrowbody lie flat business class seats. And this seat would balance their desire for a top shelf product without taking up a lot of real estate on the plane – they could literally manage to offer less than 35 inches of pitch (distance from the same point on two seats) because of the angling of the seats even as they do just one seat on each side of the aisle since each seat turns into a bed facing outward at an angle from window to the aisle.
The seat would basically back up against the window. That means passengers would all ‘have’ windows but it wouldn’t be easy to look out the window. Instead their back would largely face the window with their feet facing the aisle. Seats would be positioned at an angle in a herringbone pattern. The Collins Aurora seat resembles the Thompson VantageSolo seat which JetBlue uses for their new Mint product.
U.S. airlines agreed not to buy back stock until September 30, 2022 as part of their government bailouts during the pandemic. It would have been unseemly to pick taxpayer pockets and immediately turn around and distribute those same funds to shareholders.
Now that the buyback restriction is about to end, unions don’t want airlines to spend money that way, arguing that the funds should go into the operation instead (paying workers more, natch).
Normally I’d be inclined to pick up Qantas tickets in coach for the short 1 hour 20 minute flight, using my American AAdvantage status for priority check-in and boarding, lounge and extra baggage. But those were pricing at around $300 in economy for the one way trip while Virgin Australia was asking $200 for business class.
And I was really curious to see what Virgin Australia was like after having been acquired out of bankruptcy (“administration”) by private equity.
While I’d love to be able to visit American’s Flagship Dining – if those do open again – I’m not often flying American three-cabin first class, indeed they don’t offer it on many routes at all. And the American Express Centurion Dining in Hong Kong inside the Centurion lounge there is limited to Centurion cardholders. And I’m not shelling out the initiation fee and annual fee for a Black Card, even if I could finagle an invitation!
Just as with award availability where the best product is the one you’re able to book, the very best lounge is the one you have access to – provided they’re hitting the marks on seating, power, and food.
Not to be left behind, Air France will retrofit 12 Boeing 777s with a new business class offering doors. They expect that it will begin flying in September, first on the New York JFK – Paris route. The planes won’t have first class, so presumably will swap with existing Boeing 777-200 frequencies that do not offer first either.
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 »
