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.

Continue Reading »

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.

Continue Reading »

Buy oneworld Emerald Status And 75,000 Miles For $2300

by Gary Leff

lounge
Nov 03 2020

American’s oneworld partner Finnair is offering up to a 100% bonus on purchased points and will give you elite qualifying miles equal to 25% of the miles you buy, too. What’s more, the Finnair Plus program lets you convert miles into elite qualifying miles as well. As a result you can buy that mid-tier elite status easily and access American’s lounges, or even buy top tier oneworld emerald status.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Is Asking California Voters To Support Affirmative Action

by Gary Leff

united plane
Nov 03 2020

In 1996 California voters adopted proposition 209 which provided that “the State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.” It banned affirmative action.

Today California voters consider proposition 16, to repeal that affirmative action ban. United Airlines weighed in, and they want to see affirmative action in California.

Continue Reading »

Which Airlines Are At Greatest Risk Of Shutting Down Due To Covid?

by Gary Leff

depressed businessman leaning his head below a bad stock market chart
Nov 03 2020

I’ve written that in the U.S. the major airlines at the most risk are American Airlines (by a wide margin) followed by United. American is likely to end the pandemic with over $45 billion in debt to service, far more than their next-closest competitor. And they underperformed the industry financially to begin with. Unsecured American Airlines debt is a risky bet over the coming years.

Looking at “liquidity, solvency, profitability, leverage and recent financial performance” Bloomberg ranked the 8 biggest airline insolvency risks. After significant subsidies, no U.S. or European airline makes the list.

Continue Reading »

Airport Covid-Sniffing Dogs Appear To Be As Accurate As PCR Tests, With Instant Results

by Gary Leff

dog
Nov 03 2020

The Helsinki airport ‘Covid-sniffing dogs’ pilot project has gotten a lot of press, but now we have more robust results.

Ultimately if Covid-sniffing dogs would work, that could allow people to be sniffed on the way into the airport and could also open the possibility of having large events again. It amounts to universal and instantaneous testing, provided that training for both the dogs and their handlers could scale.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Pulls Flight Attendants Out Of Downtown Hotels Over Potential Election Unrest

by Gary Leff

Nov 02 2020

Beginning today, and expected to last for at least a week, United Airlines has stopped overnighting flight crew at downtown hotels in several cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Portland, and Seattle.

The Chicago-based carrier, which has also moved its flight operations out of downtown Chicago to an alternate location, is making preparations for “potential election unrest.”

Continue Reading »

Despite Elite Status, Playboy Playmate Kicked Off Southwest Airlines Over Revealing Outfit

by Gary Leff

Nov 02 2020

Eve Marie is a Southwest Airlines A-List member and companion pass holder. She also identifies herself as a Playboy Playmate. She reports being removed from of a Southwest Airlines flight on Thursday because her top was deemed too revealing.

She was eventually allowed to fly – but only when she covered up with clothing lent to her by a crewmember. Not she’s calling for change at the Dallas-based carrier.

Continue Reading »

You’ll Still Have To Wear Masks On Planes Even When There’s A Vaccine

by Gary Leff

Nov 02 2020

A first generation vaccine, unless it turns out to be both highly effective and widely taken, won’t end the pandemic on its own. I wrote back in early summer that a first generation vaccine, on its own, probably wouldn’t get us out of the pandemic but combined with other measures would make life – and travel – more normal than it used to be. We now have a new study, with new math, backing up this view.

How effective these first vaccines turn out to be, combined with how many people take them, will drive when mask mandates go away. A ‘vaccine only’ isn’t going to do it. We’re going to be stuck wearing masks on planes for some time.

Continue Reading »