Tag Archives for usairlines.
US airlines reported $4.9 billion in checked bag fees in 2018, up from $4.6 billion in 2017 according to data released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. That’s often taken to mean money they’re making on checked bags but it’s highly misleading.
Airline deregulation was opposed by nearly all US airlines in 1978. It was championed by Senator Ted Kennedy (and his aide now Justice Stephen Breyer) and by consumer advocate Ralph Nader and signed into law by Jimmy Carter.
Bob Crandall was against deregulation then, and he’s against it now in retirement. And he’s blaming it for cramped airline seating. He also calls codesharing a ‘fraud’ to fool people.
China is the next big thing. That was true 15 years ago, and may still be true 15 years from now (without ever actually becoming).
American carriers used to operate two-thirds of the flights between the U.S. and China, and now that’s flipped. And to hear Dr. Zhihang Chi, Vice President and General Manager of Air China North America, tell it “the US carriers are losing interest in the China market.”
The major US airlines offer premium meet and greet services. You can be escorted through check-in and security and from lounge to gate, and you can be met on arrival for connections or escorted to baggage claim.
With tensions running high is appears that several US airline commercial flights are already avoiding Russian airspace.
Today’s American Airlines Dallas – Beijing flight AA263 routed out to Los Angeles and made a stop before being scheduled to continue to China. American Airlines AA125 from Dallas to Hong Kong diverted to Los Angeles as well. So did American Airlines AA187 from Chicago to Beijing.
In December 1994 the Department of Transportation sent a letter to US airlines It said that failure to make award seats available to customers could be a prohibited deceptive practice. They never even thought to address airlines which failed to make award seats available on a route ever.
Passengers aren’t supposed to be able to board the wrong plane. Boarding passes are scanned at the gate. There’s a manifest — airlines know how many people are supposed to be onboard. When passengers are in the wrong seat, there’s usually another passenger assigned that will say something. But it happens. Occasionally one person, or a couple traveling together, wind up in the same city.
Perhaps for the first time ever a majority of people on the plane were flown to the wrong city.
A recent study found that airline check-in kiosks are the least hygienic part of the airport.
So I decided to find out about each airline’s cleaning regimen for kiosks. Or lack of cleaning regimen.
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 »
