Odd: Marriott Says They’re Fulfilling Suite Upgrade Requests At The Same Rate As Last Year

by Gary Leff

Nov 20 2020

I’ve heard from a number of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum and Ambassador members who have shared that they aren’t getting upgraded like they’re used to. That seems surprising at first. With the hotel industry in an unprecedented crisis of low occupancy, an upgrade should be easier than ever to come by!

I asked Marriott about this, and a spokesperson confirmed that members aren’t being upgraded more frequently this year – but they’re also not having their requests denied more often either. Here’s what’s happening.

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American And Alaska Announce Reciprocal Elite Upgrades, Access To Extra Legroom Coach Seats

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Nov 20 2020

At some point in 2021 “Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members will be eligible for free domestic upgrades on Alaska and MVP Gold 75K will be eligible for free domestic upgrades when traveling on American.” And “[w]hen the long-haul international flights launch” that are part of the partnership, Seattle – London and Bangalore then Alaska’s MVP Gold 75K members will be able to upgrade on American’s international flights. There will be access to extra legroom coach seats as well for top- and mid-tier elites.

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New Christian Airline Launching Next Year

by Gary Leff

judah
Nov 19 2020

Judah 1 has acquired a Boeing 767-200ER and says they’ll have Part 121 certification from the FAA next year. They plan to add 2-3 more large aircraft to their fleet. Their CEO says that God spoke to him and inspired the plan to serve only Christian missionaries and not to charge checked bag fees.

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Mideast Peace: Etihad And El Al Will Codeshare, Introduce Frequent Flyer Partnership

by Gary Leff

Nov 19 2020

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways will start direct flights from the United Arab Emirates to Tel Aviv on March 31, 2021. It has entered into a new agreement with Israel’s El Al for codesharing and a frequent flyer partnership.

This is monumental. Not only will this Arab state airline fly non-stop to Israel, it will all Israel’s flag carrier to put its own code on Etihad flights. That means, effectively, that certain Etihad flights – which all begin with a prayer from the Quran – will also be El Al flights.

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7 U.S. Airlines Threaten They’ll Be Unable To Ship Vaccines Without A Second Government Bailout

by Gary Leff

Nov 19 2020

The CEOs of the 7 largest U.S. airlines told Congress that unless they get a second bailout by the end of the year, don’t expect them to ship vaccines. It’s an idle threat. They’re telling their own workers they’re ready and eager for the vaccine shipping business.

Subsidizing flight attendant salaries makes no sense if you’re talking about readiness of cargo flights. And there are better ways that funneling huge unrelated subsidies to airlines to ensure a business is ready to deliver on a big commitment. Just follow the Operation Warp Speed model and guarantee the purchase of cargo capacity to allow the airlines to plan for it.

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