Airlines Ban Passengers For Bad Behavior That Takes Place On Other Carriers

by Gary Leff

Nov 27 2021

In September Delta Air Lines proposed that passengers banned from any airline over mask violations should be banned from all airlines. Of course each airline has its own standard for adding passengers to such a list.

And that’s something American Airlines CEO Doug Parker pointed out in response to an employee question this past week at an internal Crew News session with executives, a recording of which was reviewed by View From The Wing. Yet where there’s egregious behavior that becomes public, airlines will ban a passenger even when their actions took place on another airline.

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US Bans Travel From Southern Africa Over New Covid Variant

by Gary Leff

passport getting stamped
Nov 26 2021

In the face of the new Covid-19 variant identified in South Africa, the U.S. is banning travel from South Africa along with Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.

This only applies to non-citizens (U.S. citizens can’t spread the new variant?). And it doesn’t start until Monday (we’ve asked the virus to wait before spreading because of the holiday weekend).

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Europe Shuts Down Travel From Southern Africa Over Fears Of New Virus Mutation That Escapes Immunity

by Gary Leff

Nov 26 2021

While we’ve seen virus variants, we haven’t seen rapid mutation that escapes immunity and also involves greater fitness – so that the virus spreads faster and in vaccinated and previously infected populations.

This variant has multiple spike protein mutations that could help it become more transmissible and also evade immunity. Whether this variant becomes dominant or not, it’s suggestive that there are more mutations in the virus that are possible – countering prevailing wisdom that significant mutation wouldn’t be possible while continuing to infect humans.

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Inflation Is Rampant In Travel Even When Prices Don’t Appear To Be Rising

by Gary Leff

zimbabwe currency
Nov 25 2021

Perhaps the one area where higher prices and scarce inventory have followed the traditional path in travel is rental cars where if you can rent a car it’s expensive and then you have to hope there’s a car there when you arrive. Hotels and airlines are just providing you less, while not charging you proportionately lower prices, and so inflation isn’t as obvious.

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American Airlines Has An RFP Out For A New Inflight Meal Partner

by Gary Leff

Nov 25 2021

Before the pandemic American Airlines had partnered with Zoës Kitchen on branded meals. That partnership has expired. I’m not sure any restaurant chain would be interested in putting their name on an American Airlines Turkey Pastrami sandwich.

Based on a discussion with airline employees this week it sounds like American Airlines is open to cobranding their meals with non-traditional food businesses, perhaps ghost kitchens, or maybe a meal kit delivery service like HelloFresh?

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