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China Now Regulating US Airline Speech, Threatens United and American

by Gary Leff

wall of china
Apr 28 2018

In January China flexed its muscles against Marriott at a time that the US President began making rumblings of a trade war. They shut down Marriott’s booking engines in the country. Marriott Marriott fired an hourly worker who rather innocuously ‘liked’ a tweet about Tiber and even removed a banned book from one of their hotels.

At the time I wrote that China would be cracking down on airlines, too. American’s website for instance listed Taiwan separately from China.

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American’s Great New Meal Choices, Never Have Another Bad Meal Onboard Again?

by Gary Leff

airline food
Apr 27 2018

The kosher meal chicken was flavorful, spicy even, and the smoked whitefish was tasty. The pineapple upside down cake dessert was excellent.

The Muslim meal chicken was the spiciest food I’ve had on a US airline in a very long time, but it wasn’t just heat it was a complex heat. The dessert was a butterscotch tart which was delicious.

American has to be spending more on their special meals than on their regular meals.

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Why Won’t Airlines Increase the Value of Points to Win More Business?

by Gary Leff

american promo
Apr 26 2018

In this morning’s American Airlines earnings call one airline analyst asked, “Why not offer consumers a fair rate [for sale of miles]?” He was seeing some of the high prices charged for miles, and couldn’t imagine anyone taking advantage of those offers. In fact American does sell miles for a lot less than they used to, very regularly. This wasn’t mentioned in response.

Instead the airline talked about the loyalty program’s contribution to the business. But the underlying question really was, why not sacrifice margin for revenue growth?

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British Airways Looks to Reduce First Class Seats (and Not Improve Them)

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Apr 25 2018

British Airways doesn’t have a competitive business class product. On their Boeing 777s seating is eight across, middle seats are especially intimate and passengers in the window climb over the feet of their seat opponents.

BA’s CEO suggests any new business class seat would need to take up more room, and that room would come at the expense of first class.

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Why On Earth Did American Renovate This Admirals Club?

by Gary Leff

world map in lounge
Apr 24 2018

The Dallas Fort Worth A Terminal Admirals Club has been renovated, and I’m not sure it’s better than it used to be. Of course I think that was the one Admirals Club in the system that needed renovations the least in my opinion.

Not everyone agrees with me, because one employee kept walking through the lounge talking aloud to himself and engaging customers marveling at how nice he believes it is.

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American Begins Expanding Flagship First Dining to ConciergeKey Members

by Gary Leff

fancy food
Apr 23 2018

ConciergeKey is American’s revenue-based top level, given to very high revenue customers and those who influence significant business for the airline.

They got priority for upgrades and other waitlists and have myriad other benefits including use of the airline’s business class Flagship lounges when flying domestically and now are being given tokens to visit American’s exclusive Flagship First Dining, too.

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Video: Police Taser Man on American Flight After Racist Tirade, Sexual Assault

by Gary Leff

police tasing man on flight
Apr 23 2018

While American Airlines flight AA2446 from Miami to Chicago O’Hare was still at the gate last night the instigator of a ‘disagreement’ between two passengers was asked to get off the plane. He refused. And in a post-David Dao world airlines now deplane everyone when that happens, rather than starting off dragging the passenger down the aisle.

Now, disagreement is a great euphamism here.

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