2 Groups That Have The Roughest Time In The New American Airlines Status Program

by Gary Leff

british tail plane
Oct 29 2021

It’s one thing to say that American Airlines doesn’t want a $15,000 a year flyer, who doesn’t also engage in the program in other ways, to have top status – since those other activities are often more profitable to American.

It’s another, I think, to say that whole classes of members are shut off from much of the new program based on their geography, or that new millennial flyers they supposedly want to attract have a higher hurdle to clear for status than older business travelers who last had to meet standard criteria for status in 2019.

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Marriott Letting ‘Real’ 2022 Ambassador Members Gift Platinum Status

by Gary Leff

Oct 28 2021

With Marriott extending everyone’s elite status for next year, there are plenty of members getting a status gift – recognizing that once-loyal guests haven’t had their business travel start back up, and especially those whose travels normally taken them abroad including to Asia.

On the other hand there are members who have spent countless nights with their head in beds in 2021. They’ve given Marriott their stays and it turns out they didn’t need to do this in order to keep their elite tier for 2022.

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American Airlines CEO Speaks Out After Passenger Broke Crewmember’s Nose On Cross Country Flight

by Gary Leff

Oct 28 2021

We can punish bad actors – and we should – but there seems to be a combination of factors that lead American to have to deal with this issue more than others. Yet aside from lobbying for punishments, American’s approach has largely been to lobby for airports not to allow vendors to sell alcohol to go any longer. It’s always struck me as sort of stupid that places do this, but it doesn’t seem to be a factor driving American to experience problems more often than others.

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Why Does American Airlines Have So Many More Passenger Incidents Than Other Carriers?

by Gary Leff

Oct 28 2021

After another flight diversion following a flight attendant assault, I have to wonder why is it that so many passenger incidents – this one seemingly worse than most – seem to occur on American Airlines? They’re much larger than Spirit, to be sure, carrying far more passengers. But why do they have more inflight crazy than Delta, United and Southwest? I don’t know. There are several hypotheses I’ve entertained that don’t quite fit perfectly.

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Man Acquitted After Spending Three Months Living In Chicago O’Hare Airport

by Gary Leff

airport
Oct 27 2021

He spent October 19, 2020 – January 16, 2021 in the airport because he was afraid of Covid-19. He had flown to O’Hare but didn’t continue onto India as he’d planned. He relied on the kindess of strangers who picked up meals for him, and he talked to passengers about Buddhism and Hinduism.

The man was charged with felony criminal trespass for his time in a restricted area of an airport. And he’s now been acquitted, without having to submit a defense.

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