Using its emergency powers, Los Angeles may “commandeer” hotels that refuse to take homeless vouchers during the pandemic. Luxury hotels like the InterContinental Downtown and Ritz Carlton have pushed back on pleas to house the homeless. Project Roomkey is...
Would You Pay 50% More For An Open Middle Seat?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that face masks are critical, but requiring airlines to block middle seats would be disastrous. Would you pay 50% more for that sense of security? Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and...
United Airlines May Restore Historic Pan Am Fifth Freedom Route
United Airlines has asked for permission to restore a historic intra-Asia Fifth Freedom route it inherited from Pan Am and retired in 2017. United Wants To Fly Cargo Between Hong Kong And Singapore…And Maybe Passengers Too Back in the...
Frontier Airlines Shamed Into Ditching $39 Empty Middle Seat Sale
Frontier Airlines has abruptly abandoned plans to charge $39+ for customers to buy up empty middle seats. Why? Heavy criticism and bad optics. Recall from our discussion earlier this week that any expectation of an open middle seat is...
Airlines Have Every Right To Cut Employee Hours Under CARES Act
I touched on this in my earlier post on American Airlines CEO Doug Parker ridiculing United Airlines for cutting employee hours but I think this warrants a dedicated post. In a nutshell, Congress was either extremely sloppy or did...
United Airlines Backtracks On Mandatory Unpaid Time Off
Rather than further inflame employee tensions and potentially force a showdown with Congress or the Treasury Department, United is backtracking on its plan to force union employees to take unpaid time off. United Airlines Backtracks On Mandatory Reduction In...
The Real Reason American Airlines CEO Unloaded On United Airlines
Want to know why American Airlines CEO Doug Parker called out United Airlines earlier this week for its choice to move some workers from full-time to part-time? Because United Airlines actually read the act. American Airlines CEO Attacks United...
EgyptAir Flies Nonstop From Washington, DC to Iraq
EgyptAir operated a nonstop flight from Washington Dulles to Erbil, Iraq, the first nonstop flight between between U.S. capital and Iraqi Kurdistan. COVID-19 has created some interesting repatriation flights, including a special charter flight operated by EgyptAir from the...
Flight Attendants Gawk As Bloody Fight Breaks Out On Spirit Airlines
Well, it’s nice to see that some things never change. A bloody fight broke out on a Spirit Airlines flight last week that ultimately led to a diversion. We’ve certainly missed those stories lately. But how about the flight attendant...
Lucrative Aeroplan Purchased Miles Promotion, But Timing Is Everything
Aeroplan miles will soon be available for their cheapest price ever. This is the sort of the deal I would jump on in a heartbeat during normal times, but we don’t live in normal times any longer… The Deal:...
Grim Days At United Airlines: Forced Vacations, Huge Layoffs, No Severance
As United Airlines fights for survival, the “other shoe dropped” yesterday: it will not just be frontline employees who feel the pain. Kate Gebo, United Executive Vice President of Human Resources, laid out the news to employees. The extended memo,...
Southwest No Longer World’s Largest Airline
After eclipsing American Airlines to become world’s largest airline by number of seats, Southwest Airlines now finds itself in second place again…with a new airline in the top position. Uneven Adjustment To Worldwide Airline Schedules Last year at this...
Want More Space On An Airplane? Fly Private Or Stay Home…
I’ve had this story on the back burner for a week, but with passenger airline traffic slowly starting to rebound, I think it’s time we had this discussion. Social distancing is impossible an airplane. Sorry. Don’t like it? Fly...
United Closes LAX 787 Base: Is This The End Of Longhaul Flights, Hub Status?
United Airlines will close its 757, 767 ,and 787 pilot base at Los Angeles International Airport. Will United longhaul flights ever return to LAX? Will LAX lose its hub status? Earlier today I covered job cuts and pilot base...
United Airlines Will Ground 757s, 767-400s For “Foreseeable Future”
As United makes painful adjustments to its flight operations in light of prolonged depressed demand, pilots across the network will feel pain. First Step: United Airlines Will Close Many Pilot Bases Earlier today, I wrote about how United is...
Southwest CEO: It’s “Absolutely” Safe To Fly
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly has a message for weary travelers: it’s safe to fly. He was a guest on Face The Nation yesterday on CBS and the very first question asked by host Margaret Brennan was whether it is...
United Airlines Has More Pilots Than Daily Passengers: Staggering Job Cuts Loom
United Airlines is hardly unique having more pilots than daily passengers, but it is the first airline that has indicated how it might handle pilot job cuts once CARES Act funding dries up this autumn. United Airlines Hints That...
Expecting To Travel This Summer? Your U.S. Passport May Be A Big Problem
While a United States passport is not the most powerful passport in the world, it is certainly in the top tier. But with COVID-19 still a growing concern, might U.S. citizens be locked out of the summer travel season?...
Are New American Express Card Benefits Worthwhile?
With travel grounded and travel benefits a primary perk of several cards, American Express got creative this week with new category bonuses and statement credits. But do the new benefits still justify the annual fee? New Perks For American...
United Airlines Unilaterally Reduces Employees From Full-Time To Part-Time Status
After trying to play nice with unions, United Airlines took unilateral action on Friday to shift two work groups from full-time to part-time. Unions are crying foul but United asserts it is still in compliance with the CARES Act....
