Tag Archives for american airlines.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker’s whole career is built on government subsidies. His airline is the most vulnerable to bankruptcy. So when the chips are down they’re playing the game that’s worked out best for him: threatening small cities where American Airlines has a virtual monopoly on air service, and announcing cuts to 15 cities that impose pain on 28 different Senators.
A ‘clean extension’ of the CARES Act means another $5.8 billion for American, a lot more money than they’d save with furloughs, and then we’ll be back to laying off employees again April 1 when it’s no longer election season.
Matthew Klint asks if American’s plan to drop ‘up to 30 cities’ without CARES Act money is ‘just a ruse’. It’s not, though the timing of leaking the story to Leslie Josephs was clearly designed as a tactic to push for a second government bailout.
Last month American Airlines fired their Cleveland airport General Manager for using his security badge to bypass TSA screening and board a flight, and having someone else skip security to bring him his laptop charger.
Recently American reminded all of its employees not to skip TSA screening checkpoints when traveling. But the requirement for vetted people to go through regular security is dumb.
A woman was denied boarding in Phoenix by American on Wednesday since she wouldn’t wear a mask. That’s when the passenger went Brazil hotel clerk on the gate agent.
Perhaps NSFW needs to be NSFH(ome) with small children, given the language in this video if you turn sound on.
It’s been clear for months that airlines need to continue waiving change fees in order to convince customers to buy tickets. Otherwise their plans are just too uncertain to pull the trigger on travel.
American’s policy has been extended, applies to award travel even next year, and the airline will allow name changes on business travel tickets.
David Harris, Jr., whose book title describes himself as a black conservative, posted a livestream refusing to wear a mask on American Airlines. With a wink and a nod he suggested that a medical issue with a mask was enough to exempt anyone from the requirement. It was clear he didn’t have a ‘real’ medical need. Indeed he had a photo of himself on Instagram wearing a mask.
He’s posted a new video to twitter showing the airline turning him away for his past mask altercation, and he’s shocked that no one from the airline told him he was banned.
American Airlines has added back more flights than Delta or United. They also appear to be pricing more aggressively, something that United CEO Scott Kirby has publicly said he will not do.
Under American’s revenue-based model low prices also bring inexpensive award inventory. Often that’s only true for connecting flights but right now it seems to be true even for premium cabin international non-stops.
This week American Airlines introduced “trip credits” which are automatically generated and sent by email for the unused value of a ticket. Trip credits have a ticket number and are valid for a year from date of issue. They work just like the old eVouchers did… with a catch.
In re-opened clubs a full bar is offered where permitted by local regulation, and packaged snacks are offered. They’ve added plexiglass shields at reception and at service desks, and in some cases foot-operated door openers for restrooms. There are also hand sanitizer stations and floor decals to promote social distancing.
American Airlines lounges will re-introduce hot food August 12 and food for sale August 19.
People get kicked off of planes for lots of reasons. Often alcohol is involved. Recently the refusal to wear a mask has been a point of conflict, but with months feeling like years now this reason seems ‘so July’.
Instead the most 2020 reason to get kicked off a plane is now wearing a mask that’s offensive.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
