Tag Archives for emirates.
Emirates finally offers an explanation for why they keep raising the price of awards while also adding $1,600 co-pays when you spend your miles. And the answer is, basically, because once you acquire their miles you’re stuck and they can.
Emirates flight 176 from St. Petersburg, Russia to Dubai caught fire while still on the ground prior to departure. It’s being reported that the fire was in an engine of the Boeing 777, and that passengers were evacuated. The flight currently shows a 3 a.m. estimated departure time, four hours late, but that seems.. optimistic?
Judging from video of the incident I’d have to speculate that it’s not one of the plane’s engines but its auxiliary power unit.
After spending years asking the federal government to violate a treaty with the United Arab Emirates and block Emirates from flying to the U.S., several months ago they entered into a partnership with the Gulf carrier. The partnership does very little so far, but helped make the case for United to launch its own Newark – Dubai flight.
The point in a celebrity campaign is to associate the brand with something. At its worst, the celebrity’s gravitas rubs off, or their likeability. It’s good enough for this person, I’m sure to like it!
But at its best – and nobody does celebrity advertising like Nike – it creates a brand purpose that makes the product a celebrity. Nike celebrates the athletes they have endorsement deals with. They celebrate greatness in sport. And though they’re selling a commodity (shoes, but in many ways airplane seats are similar) they become something consumers want an attachment to as a result.
JetBlue had to go lease slots at London Heathrow from Qatar Airways. And they didn’t just pay cash, apparently. They also had to terminate an airline partnership to satisfy Qatar.
What’s unique here though is that a passenger usually only urinates in the cabin once before being restrained or passing out. They aren’t usually allowed to wait awhile, build up the urge again, and let loose a second time.. let alone a third.
One customer had enough with the misleading advertising claims of airlines, and when they bought a pricey business class ticket and wound up with old seats that didn’t lie flat which were different than what they’d been sold, they sued and won. They’re a hero to everyone who has ever been promised one thing, delivered another, and told by their airline to pound sand.
The test that Air Canada did earlier in the week of new Emirates pricing was simply a bit premature. The new pricing is live. And so are redemptions for first class awards.
Nearly five years ago Emirates started selling “in home check-in” where someone comes to you, weighs and collects your baggage, and prints your boarding passes. Then last summer they started offering this complimentary to first class passengers. And it’s stupid.
Emirates has completed the refresh of the first one of its Airbus A380s and is placing it into service today, January 6, as flight EK3 from Dubai to London Heathrow. The airline has a fleet of 120 A380s, though slightly more than half will receive the interior retrofit.
These planes are receiving 56 premium economy seats, as well a new color palette in business and first class.
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 »
