Very Cool: American Airlines Texting Elites As They Head To The Airport, May Even Block Middle Seats

a321 aisle
Feb 26 2021

I’ve heard from several Executive Platinum passengers recently who have received texts from Admirals Club agents shortly before they arrived at the airport. These usually welcome them and let them know the status of the club and Covid procedures. The texts aren’t from an automated system – they’re from an agent in the Admirals Club, which I think is a really nice touch.

And it’s gets better.

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Man Wins $180,000 After Slipping In A Puddle Of Bailey’s And Hitting His Head At Heathrow Airport

Feb 26 2021

Andreas Wuchner was checking in with British Airways at London Heathrow airport for a flight to Zurich when he slipped in a puddle of Bailey’s liqueur and hit his head when he came down.

British Airways has to pay him approximately $180,000 in strict liability, and he’s now pursuing additional damages for negligence. It took over three years to get this far.

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American Airlines Is Cold Calling Elite Members To Sell Them Elite Qualifying Miles

economy seats
Feb 26 2021

American Airlines, like many other travel companies, has reduced requirements for earning elite status in 2021. However they haven’t done nearly enough considering that business travel won’t restart for some time.

American Airlines knows this and is cold calling customers, and following up with an email, offering to sell bundles of elite qualifying miles, segments, and qualifying dollars at a variety of price points.

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Fresno And Nantucket Are Coming! Several New Routes Bookable On American Airlines This Weekend

Feb 26 2021

American Airlines is adding several Chicago routes, bookable starting this weekend. The one I’m most excited about is Chicago – Fresno, but there are also surprising additions like Chicago – Nantucket (!) which airlines don’t pay enough attention to even seasonally, with service beyond Boston, New York, Philadelphia and to a lesser extent DC.

Here’s an internal employee update on all the new, resumed, and extended routes out of the Windy City for American AIrlines.

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Boycott Hyatt Movement Growing As Chain Hosts CPAC Conference

Feb 25 2021

Hotels host meetings and events, and generally do not carefully vet the messages that will be shared or the people who will gather at those meetings to make sure they’re consistent with the values of their median customer, consistent with the values of their most vocal customers, or consistent with the values of twitter.

From time to time that becomes a problem, and seemingly becomes a problem for Hyatt (and, oddly, for the Hyatt Regency Orlando) relatively often.

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Two Pilots Convicted In Daring Escape Of Japanese CEO To Beirut

Feb 25 2021

Two pilots and an official with a private jet operator have been convicted in Turkey over the daring escape from Japan of former Nissan, Mistubishi, Renault and Michelin North America head Carlos Ghosn. Meanwhile two flight attendants were acquitted of failing to report a crime. International fugitive Ghosn was once Fortune‘s “Asia Businessman of the Year,” “Man Of The Year, and “10 Most Powerful People In Business Outside The U.S.” His life has been chronicled in Japanese comics. But he was arrested at Tokyo Narita airport in November 2018 for tax evasion and misappropriating Nissan coompany assets. He was granted bail, but re-arrested and released on new charges in April 2019. Renault then uncovered over $13 million in improper expenses he’d incurred. On December 29, 2019 Ghosn left his apartment in Tokyo around 2:30 p.m.…

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