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Alaska Airlines Offers 5000 Bonus Miles To New Members

by Gary Leff on January 28, 2021

alaska airlines plane

Jan 28 2021

Airlines are looking for new frequent flyer members and are willing to front bonus miles to get them. Traditional frequent flyers aren’t traveling so much now, and flights have a lower proportion of members than airlines are used to. They need a marketing relationship with the people who are flying, in order to encourage them to fly more and take their credit cards.

With Alaska’s renewed partnership with American Airlines, oneworld membership starting March 31, distance-based earning (not revenue-based!) and pledge not to devalue their award chart without notice they’re likely a strong option for many.

Is American Airlines The Next GameStop?

by Gary Leff on January 28, 2021

depressed businessman leaning his head below a bad stock market chart

Jan 28 2021

On this morning’s American Airlines earnings call, still ongoing, Chairman and CEO Doug Parker opened saying he wasn’t going to comment on recent moves in their stock.

Their stock has been rising with 29% of its float currently shorted and worldwide attention being paid to GameStop.

American’s New Morning Vegetarian First Class Meal Box

by Gary Leff on January 28, 2021

Jan 28 2021

American is ‘evaluating’ whether these trial meal boxes will be rolled out more broadly. Over the summer employees were told we wouldn’t see a return of first class meals as they used to be, but hopefully this isn’t all there will be for awhile. What do you think?

Ghana Threatens To Effectively Ban British Airways Because They Don’t Like London Gatwick Airport

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2021

Jan 27 2021

Ghana’s aviation ministry is continuing the long tradition of African governments complaining about British Airways. This time they’re unhappy that BA plans to operate its Accra flight to London’s Gatwick airport instead of Heathrow. And they are threatening ‘reciprocal action’ against the airline in response.

American Expands Lounge Access To Elites And Business Class On Short International Flights

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2021

world map in lounge

Jan 27 2021

There are fewer of these passengers today, with borders closed and testing requirements in place. Furthermore there’s very little international business travel. And frequent flyers with club memberships have been flying less as well.

So the real fight is for leisure passengers, many of whom haven’t been frequent flyers, and they’re mostly traveling to close-in destinations like the Caribbean and Mexico. And American is expanding airport club lounge access as a result.

Uber Co-Founder Has Started A New U.S. Airline And It Launches Next Week

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2021

Jan 27 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.

Biden Administration May Impose Testing Requirement For Domestic Travel

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2021

Jan 27 2021

The U.S. is now considering requiring testing not just for international travel back to the U.S. but for domestic travel as well.

There may have been merit in this a year ago. Now it’s unlikely to make a big difference. Both in the past, and now, the challenge for effectiveness is availability of cheap widespread at-home tests that people can take every day.

Honeymoon Couple Gets Stuck With $4000 in Vouchers After Norwegian Drops Transatlantic Flying

by Gary Leff on January 27, 2021

airline ticket

Jan 27 2021

I am an advocate of following the rules of a program that you’ve agreed to, and I counsel against selling points and miles because the risks involved generally aren’t worth it (cancelled tickets, shut down accounts, ban from the airline).

In the case of a carrier that shut down its transatlantic operation, that a customer doesn’t intend to fly again, I’m not so sure that taking a haircut on the value of these points to get something out of them isn’t the worst strategy. What do you think?

American Airlines Has Just Issued A Warning To Travel Agents About ‘Hidden City’ Tickets

by Gary Leff on January 26, 2021

Jan 26 2021

a memo has gone out from American Airlines to travel agents, available on its SalesLink platform warning them that the carrier is cracking down on a variety of ticketing techniques, including hidden city ticketing and ‘churning’.

Over the summer I wrote about American directly investigating customers for ticketing practices that violate the airline’s rules, and more recently confronting customers at the airport and demanding passengers pay up for their past sins against the airline. Now they’re warning tagents.

When It Matters, Testing For Travel Is Easy. So Why Won’t Airlines Test Their Own Crew?

by Gary Leff on January 26, 2021

Jan 26 2021

Travel brands are offering Covid-19 testing in order to adapt to the current reality, born out of desperation to win business from Americans in the face of new travel requirements. And it’s a reason crew exemptions are concerning – airlines should be able to adapt too.

In fact I’m told that United Airlines is scheduling U.K.-based crew to work London – Newark – Mumbai – Newark – London, London – Chicago – Delhi – Chicago – London, and London – Washington DC – London. This is roughly 80 UK-based crew entering the US every day exempt from the CDC’s new testing requirement, with the UK one of the epicenters of a new SARS-CoV-2 mutation of concern.