American Airlines And JetBlue Launching Northeast Partnership

by Gary Leff

jfk art
Jul 16 2020

This new American Airlines-JetBlue partnership paints a path forward for American Airlines to grow and compete in New York, one of the key elements that has been missing from its strategy, including from its co-brand credit card strategy. It has the potential to make American Airlines more relevant to cardmembers in the financially-important New York market, just as the Alaska Airlines partnership can help in the Bay Area and Seattle where tech money is significant. Whether or not this succeeds comes down to execution and whether the partnerships grow to their potential.

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American Airlines Will Now Show Your Flight’s Upgrade List 12 Hours In Advance

by Gary Leff

flight info
Jul 16 2020

Frequent flyers know the feeling of waiting for a ‘battlefield promotion’ at the gate. We have our elite status and upgrade requested, and we’re hovering waiting to see what our chances are.

Now you don’t have to wait until four hours prior to flight to begin refreshing the upgrade list obsessively in the American Airlines mobile app because it now shows your flight’s upgrade list 12 hours prior to departure.

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American Airlines Sent 24,285 WARN Act Notices Today – Who’s Getting Them, What’s Being Offered

by Gary Leff

Jul 15 2020

American Airlines told employees today that revenue was down 80% in June and they believe that’s “better than others in the industry.” And they shared that “demand for air travel is slowing again.” As a result they have to be prepared to slim down staff once government payroll subsidies run out October 1.

They believe they will have 20,000 too many employees at that point, but they’re sending out 24,248 notices of potential job loss. Here how the notices break down by work group, and what (more senior and expensive) employees are being offered as an alternative to leave voluntarily.

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Passengers Attack 3 Gate Agents When Spirit Airlines Flight Is Delayed

by Gary Leff

Jul 15 2020

Three Spirit Airlines passengers were arrested for attacking three of the carrier’s employees during a delay of Spirit flight WN1004 from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia on Tuesday. The employees all “suffered minor injuries” after the three passengers in the gate area hit staff with “phones, shoes, full water bottles, metal boarding signs and fast food.”

The employees “were also punched and kicked in different sections of their bodies numerous times” according to Sheriff’s department arrest documents. Here’s video of it all going down:

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American Airlines Re-Opening More Admirals Clubs

by Gary Leff

Jul 15 2020

On June 22 American Airlines opened 11 Admirals Club and 13 Service Centers where club members can get help with their travel itineraries. Now they’re re-opening 4 additional clubs, including one that was just a service center previously. All re-opened clubs are at American Airlines hubs, while service centers are now strictly at outstations.

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Why Furloughs Make Airline Cost Problems Worse

by Gary Leff

Jul 15 2020

For an airline doing major furloughs the average cost to crew a flight will be higher after the furloughs than it was before. Every flight will have nothing but flight attendants at the top of the scale. Not to mention increased benefits costs from an older workforce.

And that means that ultra low cost carriers are going to have an even bigger cost advantage against American, United, and Delta than they did before.

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