Jul
18
2021
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.
[Roundup] 2021 Is Just Getting Weird
It’s Absurdly Past Time To Lift U.S. Covid-19 Travel Bans
Jul
17
2021
Travelers are banned from entering the U.S. if in the prior 14 days they’ve been in China, Iran, the European Schengen area, U.K. and Ireland, Brazil, South Africa or India. That’s true even though the U.S. requires testing of everyone entering by air; if the traveler has had a full course of an mRNA vaccine; and is coming from a place with far less Covid-19 than the U.S.
This makes no sense. Americans can go to Europe and they can return – in some cases even if they’re unvaccinated. But vaccinated Europeans can’t fly to the U.S. And this is somehow for our protection?
American Airlines Needs To Do More For Elites Earning Status This Year ‘The Real Way’
Jul
17
2021
Everyone knew that 2021 would be an odd year. It might not be a total loss, like 2020, where American like most everyone else just extended status. However business travel hadn’t returned in the first half of the year in a meaningful way, and much of long haul international travel remained out of reach. Customers who normally made their status on international business class tickets just weren’t doing so, yet no one wanted to lose these customers when their business returned.
With how easy they’ve made it to keep status, the airline now needs to encourage people to actually fly the airline.
R&B Singer Reports Being Threatened Over Boarding With First Class Passengers On American
Jul
17
2021
R&B singer Lyfe Jennings flew American Airlines and recorded his last interaction with the airline as he boarded his flight, being asked whether there would be any issues on the flight – whether he was going to be a troublemaker – after, he says, he was continually questioned over boarding as a first class passenger. He believes the airline’s employees were skeptical that he belonged in first class because he’s black.
Airlines Need To Start With How To Make Customer Lives Easier, And Work Backwards To Policies
Jul
17
2021
Two quick stories about customer focus help me put in context a conversation that’s been happening on LinkedIn among airline executives.
Southwest Airlines Passengers Are Pre-Gaming At An Alarming Rate
Jul
17
2021
Southwest Airlines operates 89% of flights and 92% of seats out of Houston Hobby airport this month, according to schedule data from Cirium. They have suspended inflight alcohol service indefinitely. So everyone is pre-gaming according to state alcohol sales data.
US Airspace Is Managed By Stocking 30 Year Old Parts That Haven’t Been Used In 20 Years [Roundup]
Jul
17
2021
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.
Is The Delta Amex Portfolio Now The Largest, Most Successful Cobrand In The World?
Jul
16
2021
During Delta’s earnings call on Tuesday the airline shared several fascinating statistics, for instance that corporate travel rose from 20% of 2019 levels in March to being 40% recovered in June, and the airline expects to be back to 60% of 2019 levels by September.
Perhaps even more interesting is the detail they shared on their American Express credit card relationship.
American Airlines Pilot Announces He’s God After Kicking Off Anti-Mask Passenger
Jul
16
2021
A passenger had to be removed from an American Airlines flight to Charlotte over their refusal to wear a mask. So far, just like any other day in travel since 75% of airline incidents reported to the FAA this year have involved masks.
But the pilot of this flight followed the passenger’s ejection with a speech to those on board in which he declared himself God on the aircraft as he implored everyone to follow the rules.
Revealing: Marriott CEO Says Workers Make Too Much Money, Don’t Trust Us
Jul
16
2021
Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano makes two points about low wage workers in a recent interview. Amazon pays entry level workers too much, and that’s making it hard for hotels to hire cheap ‘in some markets’. And after mass layoffs in 2020, workers don’t trust hotels as a place to build a long-term career.
