Does The End Of Middle Seat Blocking Mean Passengers Don’t Value Covid Safety?

by Gary Leff

Feb 12 2021

Does airlines moving away from blocked middle seats mean people don’t really value Covid safety? If we did, it would be profitable for airlines to continue limiting capacity.

Different airlines take different approaches to seat blocking, and each seems rational from their own perspective. Delta may be benefiting now from it since they’re the only one left really doing it. However as air travel recovers the cost of maintaining blocked middle seats rises, so it won’t last, because customers don’t seem to value it enough to cover this cost.

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United Airlines Not Returning To New York JFK In February After All

by Gary Leff

Feb 11 2021

United Airlines admits it made a mistake leaving New York JFK six years ago. They’ve been trying to get back in, and the pandemic gave them a chance. They announced service but delayed it last month. Now they’re delaying it again, and scaling back their initial flying to both San Francisco and Los Angeles to less than daily. There’s no word yet on whether they’ve found permanent flying rights from the airport, either.

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American Airlines Flight Attendants Need 50 Years With The Company To Get A Schedule Out Of Phoenix

by Gary Leff

Feb 10 2021

American Airlines isn’t operating as many flights as it used to. They’ve downsized their Phoenix flight attendant base as well. US Airways needed a large contingent out of Phoenix before merging with American, because it was the airline’s only hub west of Charlotte. That’s no longer the case.

Many flight attendants who weren’t furloughed back in the fall have transferred to other cities. Those that remain are only getting assigned to flight schedules right now, versus working reserve, if they’ve been with the company for fifty years. You’d need a start date in the summer of 1971 to avoid working reserve right now.

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Why Requiring Covid Testing For Domestic Travel Could Cost More Lives Than It Saves

by Gary Leff

Feb 10 2021

For the past few weeks the Biden administration has considered requiring a negative Covid test in order to take a domestic flight. However air travel restrictions may actually compromise public health, rather than contributing to it or even being neutral.

If air travel is more costly and comes with greater hassle, people may drive instead of fly, and driving is less safe. More people may die on the roads.

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Alaska Will Join oneworld Next Month, But oneworld Awards Wait Until Summer

by Gary Leff

first class
Feb 10 2021

Alaska Airlines will become the second U.S. airline in the global oneworld alliance, along with American Airlines, effective March 31. But it turns out Alaska Airlines miles will not be redeemable on oneworld airlines that haven’t already been partners in the Mileage Plan program at that time. Instead mileage redemption on new partners in oneworld will have to wait until summer.

In other words Alaska Airlines has rushed the work to join oneworld, and will actually join before it’s done. This means customers will be able to earn miles on new airlines, crediting to their Mileage Plan account – and more airlines will award airlines for travel on Alaska – but customers don’t gain access to spend those miles on more airlines for a few more months.

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