American Airlines Will Furlough 17,162 Employees On October 1, According To Internal Company Memo

by Gary Leff

Aug 25 2020

In the fourth quarter, after CARES Act payroll restrictions lift and airlines can furlough employees, American Airlines plans to operate less than 50% 2019 flying and just 25% of international. They simply have too many people for so few flights, because there isn’t nearly as much demand for air travel.

The airline has calculated that they need 40,000 fewer employees compared to a year ago in order to operate this fall. And they’ve worked out the number of furloughs to take place October 1, detailing them by work group.

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A Trick To Knock 67% Off British Airways Award Fuel Surcharges Right Now

by Gary Leff

airplane bed
Aug 25 2020

British Airways makes a lot of business class award space available, but they’re expensive. Departures from the U.K. incur significant ‘air passenger duty’ and awards also incur fuel surcharges. A roundtrip business class award between the U.S. and U.K. might run $1300 in taxes and fees.

Right now there seems to be a quirk booking awards on British Airways that you can exploit to reduce fuel surcharges (or ‘carrier-imposed surcharges’) by about two-thirds.

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Business Class To Europe For Just 17,000 Miles [Iberia, Chase, American Express Or Transfer From British Airways]

by Gary Leff

stock airline bed
Aug 25 2020

Iberia is offering 50% off redemptions booked by August 30 for travel September 1, 2020 through March 15, 2021. That’s a six and a half month period for travel, and creates an opportunity where we might just be able to travel again – and do so cheap, from just 17,000 miles each way between the U.S. and Europe.

And I just posted about amazing Iberia business class award availability between Madrid and Chicago, Miami, and New York JFK. Often when Iberia discount awards availability is scarce, but that’s not the case here.

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Delta Plans To Mortgage SkyMiles To Raise Cash

by Gary Leff

Aug 24 2020

Past advance sales of large blocks of miles to credit card partners have on balance probably been good for members, borrowing against the program may not be although it’s far from a foregone conclusion.

You’d expect lenders to want a strong program to secure future member interest and an ongoing revenue stream yet in practice that’s not how things usually work out. Still, while Delta has a strong elite program, there’s really not much left to devalue on the earn-and-burn side.

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Delta Furloughs 1,941 Pilots

by Gary Leff

Aug 24 2020

Delta has let employees know that they’re furloughing 1,941 pilots hired July 17, 2017 and later. That’s out of a remaining approximately 11,200 remaining pilots with the company, after accounting for voluntary early departures from the airline.

Furlough letters will be sent out this week.

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Clever Price Discrimination (And Elite Benefits Denial) Strategy From Marriott In North Carolina

by Gary Leff

Aug 24 2020

The Le Meridien and Sheraton in Charlotte are in the same complex. It’s increasingly common for a large hotel to be sold as more than one brand, to appeal to different types of travelers or to people interested in different brands.

However right now it appears that the two hotels are being sold as one. According to reader reports only the Le Meridien is open and people reserving the Sheraton are getting moved to the Le Meridien.

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EPA Approves Chemical To Disinfect American Airlines Planes, But Only For Flights Departing Texas

by Gary Leff

american plane
Aug 24 2020

Since American Airlines only performs electrostatic spraying every 7 days a persistent chemical application is needed (in contrast to other airlines striving to spray between every flight). SurfaceWise 2 will kill viruses for at least a week.

The EPA has approved use of the chemical – but only for application in Texas airports and for flights departing Texas.

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