Fight At The Las Vegas Airport!

by Gary Leff

Nov 05 2020

A fight broke out at the Las Vegas airport on Wednesday. They’re near slot machines, and not a gate, so it doesn’t appear to be passengers losing it over their flight. And there’s no reason to suspect it’s election-related.

What’s amazing is that there are actually two fights and they’re happening simultaneously beside each other. First you see a passenger in green going ‘fists of fury’ on a passenger dressed in brown, but notice to the right that there’s another group – a passenger in a black and red shirt doing his best Rowdy Roddy Piper on another passenger in all-black.

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Emirates Ending First Class Awards Booked With Partner Miles April 1, 2021?

by Gary Leff

first class seats
Nov 05 2020

Alaska Airlines sent out a program update to Mileage Plan members informing that “Beginning April 1, 2021, Emirates will no longer allow partner access to First Class award bookings.”

It’s possible that this restriction – no first class awards with partner miles – is for Alaska Airlines only. However that’s not what this update says.

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American Airlines Rolls Out Offers To Buy Higher Elite Status For Cash

by Gary Leff

Nov 05 2020

Every year, for many years – perhaps two decades – American Airlines offers the opportunity to buy status to members who haven’t quite requalified, and in recent years has offered an opportunity to buy up to the next level as well.

The offer is back this year, at around the same time, but just feels different. Didn’t requalifying for status based on your flying this year? Your status is being extended anyway. So the only relevant question is whether you want to buy up to a higher level.

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Vaccine Tourism Will Be A New Trend In Early 2021

by Gary Leff

Nov 04 2020

Even if there’s an emergency use authorization for a vaccine in the U.S. in December it’s likely late in the second quarter before it’s available for most Americans. Will you wait until June for a vaccine, when you can get one somewhere else in the world if you have the ability to travel and the money to buy one? Would you take a trip to Dubai to get a vaccine six months earlier?

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No, Airline Bailouts And High Debt Don’t Have To Mean Frequent Flyer Devaluations

by Gary Leff

Nov 04 2020

Andrew Kunesh writes at The Points Guy website that a second airline bailout may mean frequent flyer program devaluations, and calls for legislation providing for the bailout to require airlines “not to devalue their loyalty programs until government funds are paid back.”

However there’s no fundamental reason that a bailout means loyalty program devaluation, any such restrictions are likely to be toothless in any case, and aren’t going to make it to the top of any legislator’s or regulator’s agenda.

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Full Pay To The Last Day: Southwest Union Tells Cabin Crew Not To Worry About Furloughs Notices

by Gary Leff

Nov 04 2020

Publicly the flight attendants union has been saying no to concessions, and also implies to members that the airline won’t go through with furloughs – that WARN Act notices will be nothing to worry about. That’s a dangerous position. It suggests Southwest is bluffing and will pay to remain fully overstaffed, while its competitors have succeeded in downsizing and when the airline has publicly told investors they’re unable to do that.

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