It’s a familiar problem at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): with intense competition, an airline finds profit margins thin, making the carrier more likely to seek routes with higher margins. The latest cutback comes from American Airlines, with a...
A Battle For Control On Air France 11
Our resident captain, 121pilot, brings us expert analysis on the recent Air France 11 incident, which we first covered here. What Really Happened Onboard Air France 11? As regular readers of Live and Let’s Fly will recall, on April...
Delta Air Lines’ New Boarding Pay Will Greatly Benefit Junior Flight Attendants
In a move that it hopes will deter flight attendants from unionizing, Delta Air Lines will pay flight attendants during boarding, a revolutionary change in the U.S. aviation industry that will lead to pay bumps, particularly for junior flight...
Why I Think The Mask Mandate On Airplanes Will Be Extended Again
Sadly, I now predict the mask mandate will be extended on airplanes at least once more…and I have public polling, recent statements from government officials, and the city of Philadelphia to demonstrate why I’ve arrived at this point. Mask...
JetBlue CEO Speciously Defends Merger With Spirit Airlines
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes has made an impassioned argument that we do not have to sacrifice great service for low fares. But nothing in life is free and his comments concerning a proposed JetBlue – Spirit Airlines merger fail...
Before Buying Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Should Get Its Own House In Order
The strange move by JetBlue to bid for Spirit Airlines yesterday caught most by surprise, and for good reason: the merger makes little sense on so many levels. Importantly, JetBlue should get its own house in order before it...
The Problems For Russian Airlines Are Just Beginning
With harsh sanctions continuing and no end in sight to the quagmire in Ukraine, Russian airlines are preparing to deploy cannibalistic tactics in order to survive the year. Russian Airlines Prepare To Cannibalize Spare Parts – Let The Problems...
Will U.S. Carriers Add Fuel Surcharges To Award Redemptions?
Let me put it this way: if they can get away with it, U.S. airlines will certainly tack on fuel surcharges to award redemptions. But it likely won’t be in same manner as British Airways and Emirates. Facing Higher...
Will The The Mask Mandate On Airplanes Be Extended?
As COVID-19 numbers continue to drop and masking requirements are lifted in even more “blue” states, will the federal mask mandate on airplanes and other modes of transportation expire on March 18, 2022? Will U.S. Mask Mandate Be Extended...
Airlines Actually Fear FAA, Not 5G
As airlines warn of devastating consequences over an expanded 5G network set to rollout soon, their real fear is not over the new wireless technology, but how the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is addressing it. Airlines Fear FAA...
World’s Safest Airlines In 2022? I’m Skeptical Of The List…
AirlineRatings.com has published its list of the 20 safest airlines in 2022 and media outlets around the world have run with it, but I’m not running with it. I can’t even figure it out… I’m Not Convinced About World’s...
Does 5G Cause Airplane Interference?
We’ve heard a lot about 5G and airplane interference in the news this week and I want to break down the issue as simply as possible. Put simply, the entire controversy is government dysfunction at its finest and there...
You Didn’t Give Us Taxpayer Funds Fast Enough – How Airlines Are Defending Delays And Cancellations
A note to Congress from America’s most prominent airline lobbyist helps us to understand why we experienced so many delays and cancellations in 2021: we just didn’t get airlines taxpayer money quickly enough. Oh yes, and security breaches. How...
Money + Miles Awards At United Airlines: Good Concept, Bad Value
The concept of applying miles toward the value of your purchased ticket is a blast from the past at United Airlines and an intriguing one. But there is virtually no value under the current iteration of this redemption option....
Five Ways United Airlines Can Secure The Next 40 Years Of MileagePlus
United Airlines is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its MileagePlus loyalty program. I’ve been a member for the majority of that time and the program has benefited me tremendously over the years. The tens of thousands of dollars in...
A Misleading CDC Study On Middle Seat Blocking
Don’t be fooled by the headlines or lead paragraphs in other media outlets: the latest CDC study promoting vacant middle seats on airplanes fails on so many levels to grapple with the issue in a meaningful way. Pointless CDC...
Now the Mainstream Media Realizes Airline Bailouts Weren’t Necessary…
It only took the passage of a $1.9 trillion economic relief passage including tens of billions of dollars in airline subsidies, for a New York Times opinion to question the wisdom of such spending. A Critical Look At Airline...
The Incredible Value Of Frequent Flyer Programs
The pandemic has clarified one issue we long-suspected but now have numbers to back-up: airlines are in the loyalty business to make money and those frequent flyer programs are the reason why airlines performed so well financially prior to...
Federal Mask Mandate On Planes Is Regress, Not Progress
Late on Friday night, the Centers for Disease Control issued its new order for wearing masks on airlines, which Live and Let’s Fly already covered in detail. The mandate creates broad new exceptions that will embolden poor behavior on...
Will The Death Of Change Fees Cause Airline Bumps To Surge?
In a huge and unquestionably positive development for travelers, major U.S. airlines have eliminated change and standby fees. Will a practical effect of this new policy be an uptick in oversold flights and airline bumps? Light Airline Loads Are...
