The pilot of an Iberia flight from Miami to Madrid pushed back the Airbus A330 despite “DOZENS of passengers still waiting to find their seats and stow their bags.”
One passenger, filming the cabin, noted that flight attendants seemed “unconcerned” and wanted to report this to government authorities. In fact, one crewmember is distributing predeparture beverages in the aisle and overhead bins remain open as well.
Airlines and airports tell you to arrive at the airport 2 hours in advance for a domestic flight and 3 hours in advance for an international flight. And then during peak times they warn you to show up even earlier than that. This is insane.
Federal air marshals have gotten together and they want out of the TSA. They want to be real police, and as long as the air marshal service is part of that agency they “feel like they are not performing law enforcement duties.” Instead, they want to be a standalone law enforcement agency with the Department of Homeland Security or, if need be, the Department of Transportation.
Elon Musk tweeted out his frustration, trying to get Starlink connectivity to disaster-affected areas. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responds. And the two connect to solve the issue in real time.
This week, I experienced a range of highs and lows flying American Airlines, from unexpected upgrades and surprisingly tasty inflight meals to discovering that the ambiance of the Admirals Club can surpass the Flagship Lounge’s premium offerings.
Maybe the biggest failure in air travel is something we don’t talk about at all. How is it possible that people are being told to show up at the airport 2.5 to 3 hours before their flight, and that isn’t considered a failure of massive proportions?
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.
Spirit Airlines is in talks with bondholders about a pre-packaged bankruptcy that would allow the airline to reduce debt in exchange for equity. This move would potentially allow the carrier to reject leases on aircraft grounded due to engine problems. Twenty one Airbus narrowbodies are currently in storage (or heavy maintenance) out of 94 with Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbo Fan engines, according to Cirium fleet tracking data.
Out of $3.3 billion in debt, one third of that comes due in under a year, and it must refinance or extend the debt by October 21 under covenants with its credit card processor agreement.
They are asking for 3% – 4% more than what American Airlines flight attendants just won. The bigger percentage increases are for more senior crew, who already earn more. And they are asking for bigger future raises, too.
A first class passenger got violent on Wednesday night’s American Airlines flight 310 from Miami to Charlotte, with other passengers jumping up to subdue the man to protect the female customer next to him, that he appears to have been traveling with.
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 »
