Two 9/11 Hijackers Almost Missed Their Flight. This Agent Deals With The Guilt Of Helping Them On

by Gary Leff

Sep 11 2022

American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington Dulles to Los Angeles was one of four flights hijacked on September 11, 2001. The Boeing 757 was crashed into the Pentagon, killing 59 passengers and crew and 125 in the building as well.

About half an hour into the flight five hijackers stormed the cockpit, sent passengers and crew to the rear of the aircraft, and took control of the aircraft. Impact was at 9:37 a.m. Eastern time. But two of the hijackers almost didn’t make the flight,.

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The Most Frustrating Flaw In The American Airlines Website

by Gary Leff

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Sep 11 2022

The American Airlines website requires me to enter the country for my Known Traveler Number (Global Entry/PreCheck) in order to sell me a ticket. It doesn’t remember the country (United States!) after I’ve entered it.

The website does not give me a field in which to add this for any passenger besides myself when buying a ticket for my family and entering their AAdvantage number. That means every time I try to buy a ticket the website throws an error.

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Delta Runs A Dance-Off For An Upgrade

by Gary Leff

Sep 10 2022

For twenty years I’ve been writing that every article on how to get an upgrade is wrong. There’s no secret phrase like ‘revenue management’. And ‘dressing nicely’ doesn’t usually matter because upgrades with most airlines are based on an algorithm – that may take into account (for instance) your frequent flyer status and the fare you paid.

Then a Delta Air Lines gate agent goes and does this: holds a “dance off” at the gate for an upgrade. And I start to wonder whether everything I’ve ever written about upgrades is wrong?

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Just Because You Make A Reservation At Holiday Inn, Doesn’t Mean The Hotel Exists

by Gary Leff

Sep 10 2022

In September 2021 a reader made a reservation at the Holiday Inn LaGuardia Airport for the nights of August 28th at 27,000 points and August 29th using a credit card free night. The reader shared, “we were so excited to be at the US Open this year, we booked almost a year out at a hotel I’ve stayed at and liked.”

This hotel apparently closed – yet they went into their account to print a copy of their reservation to have it with them on arrival a day before check-in. The bookings were there.

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Starts Monday: American Airlines Systemwide Upgrades Work On British Airways

by Gary Leff

Sep 09 2022

Starting Monday, September 12th American Airlines systemwide upgrades will work on itineraries that include British Airways transatlantic and intra-European flights within Europe.

That means if you book an American Airlines flight across the Pond, and upgrade it, you’ll also be able to upgrade your connecting flight on BA within Europe. And it means as long as you have a domestic American Airlines flight in your itinerary, you can use a systemwide upgrade to move up a cabin on British Airways across the Atlantic.

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