Australia kept the virus at bay through much of the pandemic, but is seeing more spread than at any time in the past 18 months. They’re in lockdown, and behind most of the West in vaccinations. Australians can’t leave the country, and few residents can even enter. The A380 wasn’t supposed to fly again until mid-2023 ‘at the earliest.’
So who had the Qantas A380 returning to Los Angeles in July on their pandemic aviation bingo card?
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.
American Airlines wholly-owned regional carrier Piedmont has come to an agreement for more pay with its pilots union.
I’ve heard from flight attendants at Piedmont none too happy, because they’ve waited several years for a new contract. Of course pilots are in much greater demand by airlines and harder to replace, and unhappy pilots directly affect an airline’s operation (while unhappy flight attendants ‘merely’ mean unhappy customers).
United Airlines is beginning to roll out cash and points (‘money + miles’) awards on a limited number of domestic U.S. markets. They want to make it possible for customers to redeem a small number of miles and get some value quickly from the program.
Cathay Pacific is currently making business class awards widely available between the U.S. and Hong Kong for up to four passengers, from several gateway cities, in late spring and summer 2022. This allows you to connect beyond Hong Kong to much of Asia. And if you’re uncertain what the future holds, American AAdvantage no longer has award cancellation/redeposit fees.
On Tuesday a woman on a Spirit Airlines flight couldn’t wait to smoke until she got out of the airport. She couldn’t even wait until she’d gotten out of the plane. So while her aircraft taxied to its gate in Fort Lauderdale she lit up at her seat. Of course this happened on a Spirit Airlines flight. In Fort Lauderdale.
United Airlines has told employees they must get vaccinated if they want to keep their jobs. There are certain legally-mandated exceptions, but flight attendants were told that their union wouldn’t help them obtain these exemptions.
No other major U.S. airline has gone as far as United. Delta had required vaccination for new hires. Now they’re doing a lot more.
HotelSlash is a free site that will track your hotel reservations and let you know when prices drop in order to save you money. They also have access to private rates that are lower than what hotel chains sometimes offer.
Back in December I broke the news that American Express was looking at making substantial changes to their premium Marriott co-brand card. There was talk of a $650 fee (or more) to go along with better points-earning, waived resort fees, and even confirmed suite upgrades.
American Express is now surveying a more specific product, that appears to be taking shape.
Early in the Trump administration the U.S. banned electronics like laptops on board flights to the U.S. from certain locations. It was a dumb move that compromised airline safety, because when electronics in the cargo hold catch fire, that’s dangerous. When it happens in the passenger cabin it’s easy to contain.
That’s what yesterday’s Alaska Airlines flight 751 from New Orleans to Seattle reminds us as a cell phone caught fire in the cabin upon landing.
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 »
