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American Airlines: Double Lifetime Elite Miles For Travel Through End Of Year

by Gary Leff

Aug 03 2020

American Airlines is running a promotion to earn double miles towards lifetime elite status with flying through end of the year. This isn’t double redeemable miles, or double elite qualifying miles, this is just double credit towards earning 1 million, 2 million, or higher tiers of lifetime status.

Here are some reasons they might choose lifetime elite status as an incentive, why American’s lifetime status has been on the decline (and how to fix it), and why you shouldn’t chase lifetime status from a loyalty program.

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American Airlines Employees Are Worried About Losing Pensions, Health Care In Bankruptcy

by Gary Leff

Aug 02 2020

What I keep hearing over and over from American Airlines employees is that they’re worried about bankruptcy. They’re reluctant to take early retirement, and are concerned about their pensions, because they’re afraid the promised money isn’t going to be there for them. And much of that is the fault of Congress as much as the airline itself.

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American Airlines Tells Employees: Furloughs Are Inevitable

by Gary Leff

Aug 01 2020

Major U.S. airlines have tried to shrink their workforces to reflect the new reality of reduced airline demand, offering leaves and early retirement packages to employees in hopes of avoiding furloughs.

On Wednesday American Airlines President Robert Isom told a group of flight attendants, however, that furloughs at the airline are inevitable – even though their cross-town rival has announced they won’t need to furlough anyone this year.

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American’s Best International Routes Are Mexico, Caribbean, and South America

by Gary Leff

Jul 31 2020

Throughout the Covid pandemic American Airlines has focused on connecting flights through its Charlotte and Dallas hubs. It’s pulled back in other markets, like Los Angeles which will no longer be its primary transpacific gateway and New York which was hit by the virus early and now faces travel restrictions (quarantines) for people coming from much of the country.

The airline’s Miami hub, though, represents opportunity going forward because of where they see their best opportunities internationally unfolding.

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September Will Be Worse Than June For Airlines

by Gary Leff

depressed businessman leaning his head below a bad stock market chart
Jul 31 2020

Summer is traditionally peak season when airlines are the busiest. It’s heavy leisure travel season, when people fly internationally to Europe and beyond. And that season ends around Labor Day. Yet air travel this summer has plateaued around 25% of last year’s passenger volumes.

Throughout June things were improving for domestic flying, at least, but the recovery in air travel largely ended after that. Covid-19 cases grew in the United States. Cities and states imposed quarantine requirements for arriving passengers that have kept people away. And we’re approaching the end of peak leisure travel without business travel coming back in behind it to make up some of the difference.

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American Airlines Now Lets Flight Attendants Wear Face Shields In Addition To Masks

by Gary Leff

Jul 26 2020

Back in March an American Airlines flight attendant wrote about her ordeal trying to wear a face shield while working flights. She viewed it as taking precautions to protect herself while some passengers refused to comply with the carrier’s mask requirement. The airline told her she should just go on leave if she felt unsafe, and that she made “customers feel uncomfortable.”

Now American Airlines has reportedly reversed its ban on flight attendants wearing face shields.

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