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.
The future of American Airlines premium lounges is in question. Their international business class Flagship lounges have been closed for 9 months, and won’t re-open until international business class demand returns.
Inside three of American’s Flagship lounges are Flagship First Dining facilities, sit down dining rooms with cooked-to-order menus and private bars for first class passengers. They served Krug champagne, but the Krug is being sold off at a discount in nearby Admirals Clubs.
About about 10:30 a.m. on Monday morning two passengers on Delta Air Flights flight 462 from New York LaGuardia to Atlanta opened an emergency exit door on the Airbus A321 after pushing back – and exited the aircraft down the slide with their large service dog.
Now that the second airline bailout is done – the CARES Act contained $50 billion plus invaluable tax relief for U.S. airlines – United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is already positioning for a third bailout. United Airlines is telling the employees they’re recalling from furlough to expect to be furloughed again after March.
Three medical professionals on board administered chest compressions before the fire department arrived to the scene and removed the man to a hospital, where he passed away. There’s now video from onboard the plane during the time he was being treated by passengers.
EMTs among the passengers put themselves at risk to treat the man, whose mask had been removed, but that had been given an oxygen mask from the aircraft. One of them has since fallen ill with Covid-like symptoms.
For parents of two year olds who have difficulty maintaining a mask throughout their flight, fly Delta which permits young children in that situation to be exempt from the requirement.
Flying Delta is exactly what the family did next but, oddly, without their daughter. They “had to get down to Palm Beach” but the two year old stayed home and mom Instagrammed a beach shot.
President Trump is asking about what airport will be named for him once he leaves office. However he’s concerned that whatever airport is chosen, it needs to be nice enough. He didn’t accomplish the infrastructure investment he campaigned on, but worries that a dilapidated airport will bear his name.
Grover Norquist raised a ton of money for the ‘Reagan Legacy Project’ to have something named for Ronald Reagan in every state. Trump has reportedly hoped for an organized effort like that around renamings for him.
If you’re going to travel, wear a good mask that fits and learn how to use it. N95 masks are available, and increasingly so, I do not believe you should be wearing a cloth mask in the airport or in other crowded settings.
With Four Seasons Hotels even about to launch new elite rewards, it’s become clear: loyalty holdouts lose out. The principles of loyalty marketing apply to all travel businesses, and to other industries too.
How much it makes sense to invest in a customer depends on a product’s margins, and the extent to which elite benefits versus rebates matter to a customer depend on their profile and subjective preferences – but the basic principles are the same across customer groups and even industries. What form the program takes can vary, but recognizing and rewarding customers matters.
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.
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 »
