My trip from Cotonou, Benin all the way back to Los Angeles yesterday was surprisingly smooth. I flew from Cotonou to Istanbul via Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on Turkish, connected to London on Turkish, then flew from London to Los Angeles...
United’s Schedule Change Policy: Refunds Will Come…In One Year
With United Airlines facing financial uncertainty like it has at no point in company history, United will defer schedule change refunds for a period of one year from date of booking. I’ve covered the schedule change saga in depth....
TSA Waives Liquid Ban…For Hand Sanitizers
You can now take bottles of hand sanitizer as large as 12 ounces when going through a U.S. airport security checkpoint. TSA loosened the rule in light of anxiousness over COVID-19. Here’s the full statement from the TSA: TSA...
United Airlines Projecting 20-30% Load Factors And Warning Unions Of Cutbacks
In a sobering letter to employees, United warned of plummeting demand, more flight reductions, and a need to reduce payroll expenses. The memo came from outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz and incoming CEO Scott Kirby and paints a bad and...
USA Travel Ban Extends To UK, Ireland
The Schengen Area ban on non-resident travel to the United Sates is expanding to include the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, effective Monday evening. Vice President Mike Pence shared the news at a press conference earlier this afternoon....
The Only Thing We Have To Fear Is Fear Itself…
It has been quite a week, hasn’t it? My week started at Frequent Traveller University in Washington, DC followed by a pair of United flights from Washington National to Cape Town via Newark. Less than a week later, the...
Ironic: Delta Asks For Government Aid (But This Is Different…)
In a sobering note to employees, Delta CEO Ed Bastian shared about the sudden and rapid collapse in demand that is posing the greatest threat ever to face Delta Air Lines. Now Delta wants a handout from Uncle Sam....
Denmark Closes Border: What Country Is Next?
The Kingdom of Denmark sealed its borders earlier today for a period of one month, blocking most foreign nationals as it attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19. Will this happen across Europe and around the world? Per Danish...
United Airlines Reduces Service To Latin America, Halts Buenos Aires
The spread of COVID-19 in Latin America has depressed demand for airfare in a region that was until recently better insulated than Asia and Europe. United Airlines is responding by a series of suspensions and frequency reductions. United Suspends...
First Impressions: Air France A350 Business Class
I enjoyed a lovely flight from Paris to Toronto onboard the new Air France A350-900. The food and service was excellent onboard, cementing Air France as one of my favorite airline soft products. Air France used the same seats...
What European Routes Will American, Delta, And United Cut?
With a ban on foreign nationals entering the United States who have visited the Schengen Area over the last 14 days set to go into effect at midnight tonight, U.S. airlines are re-adjusting schedules to Europe in anticipation of...
United Rescinds Onerous Schedule Change Policy, But It’s Still 3X Worse Than Before
United Airlines (as I predicted) rolled back its onerous (and downright unethical) schedule policy that only explicitly permitted refunds if the schedule change was 25 hours or more. But in its place United still has a rule that is...
My Travel Dilemma…Wait Or Return To USA Now?
I may be spared from the European travel ban, but I’m not looking forward to a potential quarantine upon reaching the USA… I listened to President Trump’s speech last night from the bed of my hotel…in Accra, Ghana. My...
United Airlines Suspends Service To Italy, Reduces Service To Israel
United Airlines will suspend service to Italy and reduce service to Israel in light of developing threats and government bans. United Suspends Service To Italy With Italy on nationwide lockdown and all but essential services like grocery stores and...
How U.S. Airlines Are Responding To New European Travel Ban
Last night, the USA announced sweeping and unprecedented new travel restrictions against foreign nationals who have visited the Schengen Area over the last 14 days. How are U.S. airlines responding to this new travel ban? For details on the...
USA Bans European Travel For 30 Days Effective Friday, UK Excluded
In an Oval Office speech to the nation, President Trump announced the USA would suspend all commercial and cargo travel from Europe for 30 days for non-Americans, effective Friday. The United Kingdom and Ireland, which are not part of...
United’s Doomsday Strategy May Lead To Kirby Kutbacks…
Earlier today I wrote about United’s aggressive steps to combat an unprecedented drop in demand and revenue. But what might some of these measures mean for customers? Are Kirby Kutbacks Coming? Incoming United CEO Scott Kirby has been a...
United Airlines Enters Survival Mode
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst is a catchphrase United is aggressively embracing in light of continued uncertainty over domestic and international travel. In a startling keynote address at the J.P. Morgan 2020 Industrials Conference yesterday, incoming United...
Emirates Emphasizes Cleanliness Over Glitziness
Emirates has produced a new promotional video it will now show before the safety video onboard its flight, showcasing the efforts it is taking to keep aircraft lean. It’s a change of pace from the carrier’s usual appeal to...
Lufthansa Battles LOT Polish Over Condor Acquisition, Climate
Lufthansa has condemned LOT Polish Airlines’ proposed acquisition of Condor, stating that it represents “dubious, competition-distorting” state interference by Poland. In a combative charge that takes a page out of Delta’s longstanding playbook against Qatar Airways, Lufthansa labeled LOT...
