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US and Qatar About to Announce Settlement in Open Skies Dispute

by Gary Leff

qatarplane
Jan 29 2018

This will eliminate an area of friction between the U.S. and Qatar, and allow Delta to claim victory, without Qatar Airways having to give up anything of significance.

Since the agreement covers only Qatar and not Emirates or Etihad it’s unclear what the future of the Delta, American, and United campaign looks like. Qatar is likely the most subsidized of the 3 carriers. Qatar’s CEO is the most likely to say offensive things. So they’ve been the target of US airline racist attacks. Will they be emboldened by progress, or stalled by the removal of their juiciest enemy?

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Will Airline Awards Soon Book into Basic Economy?

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Jan 27 2018

I’ve gotten asked increasingly frequently lately now that United, Delta, and American all offer Basic Economy fares (no advance seat assignment, no cancel/changes, no upgrades or extra legroom seats, and in United’s and American’s case no full-sized carry on bag) how soon until saver awards book into Basic Economy?

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Doug Parker Dishes the Inside Story of How Delta Ended Its Interline Agreement With American – And Then Asked For It Back

by Gary Leff

delta plane runway
Jan 26 2018

After American’s earnings calls the company’s executives meet with employees and take their questions. One of the questions was about the restoration of the most important element of an interline agreement between American and Delta, the ability for each airline to put their passengers into empty seats on the other carrier during irregular operations.

And Doug Parker, American’s CEO, wound up and took a swing at Delta…

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Delta Came Back to American Hat in Hand to Be Able to Re-accommodate Customers

by Gary Leff

people walking through airplane cabin
Jan 24 2018

This morning we learned that Delta and American re-started their interline agreement allowing each airline to book seats on the other carrier in the event of irregular operations. It’s limited to this re-accommodation function, but that’s what customers primarily care about and it’s the key item Delta refused to allow in September 2015.

Here’s how that happened.

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Delta Eats Crow, Partially Restores Interline Agreement With American Airlines

by Gary Leff

delta plane runway
Jan 24 2018

Two years ago Delta and American eliminated their interline agreement the most basic level of airline cooperation. That’s the agreement necessary to allow flights on the two airlines to exist on the same time, and that’s necessary for one airline to put its distressed passengers on the other carrier — without literally walking over with a credit card to buy a passenger a ticket.

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Delta Backing Off Campaign Against Gulf Carriers to Focus Mostly on Qatar

by Gary Leff

qatarplane
Jan 19 2018

Delta, American and United for three years have argued that the US government needed to take a protectionist stance against Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. They’ve argued it’s unfair, they shouldn’t have to ‘compete against governments’ which is a rather strange position. Because if they can’t even compete against government airlines what good are they?

After failing to get what they want over the course of 3 years, Delta’s CEO in an interview appears to shift focus — arguing we shouldn’t lump the 3 Gulf airlines and that Qatar’s business model is different.

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Delta Cracking Down on Emotional Support Animals

by Gary Leff

turkey in airline cabin
Jan 19 2018

Delta announced that starting March 1 they’ll be requiring new advance documentation for passengers bringing ’emotional support animals’ on board their aircraft.

Basically they say the whole fake emotional support thing has gone too far. Delta carries 250,000 service and support animals each year — up 86% since 2016. And we’re not just talking about trained dogs, “[c]ustomers have attempted to fly with comfort turkeys, gliding possums known as sugar gliders, snakes, spiders and more.”

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