photo courtesy: Wall Street Journal I always get a kick out of bloviating Senators and this week will feature a doubleheader on Thursday, when the Senate examines the Continental-United merger. …First up, on Thursday, is a full hearing of...
UPDATE: Homeless Man Living off Frequent Flyer Miles Lands Job
Remember the homeless man who was living off his frequent flyer miles? He finally found a job. Jim Kennedy, a 46-year-old California man, weathered the recession by using his one-million-mile-plus stockpile of hotel and airline points to keep a roof over...
AA Flight Attendants: We are NOT the highest paid and least productive in the airline industry!
Yesterday, I blogged about AA’s assertion that its FAs are the highest paid and least productive in the airline industry. Not surprisingly, the AFPA doesn’t agree and offers this response: Convincing?
American Airlines’ Flight Attendants Authorize Strike
What is it with OneWorld and strikes? First BA, now AA? American Airlines flight attendants authorized their union leaders today to call a strike against the second-largest U.S. carrier if they are freed from further negotiations. About 97 percent...
$200 Voucher for Lost Dog on Delta
While I’d never entrust my dog to an airline, unless I was flying with Captain Flanagan, I’d expect a little more than a voucher and a reimbursement of the cost of my pet carrier. Losing luggage is one thing,...
Another Strike on the Horizon for British Airways
As if the ash clouds weren’t bad enough… PARIS — A union representing 13,500 British Airways cabin crew members voted Monday to hold a further 20 days of strikes beginning later this month, part of a protest of cost-cutting...
Hawaiian Airlines Wins Approval for New Honolulu-Tokyo Haneda Route
Hawaiian Airlines will begin daily service from Honolulu to Tokyo Haneda this October, after winning approval for the new route from the DOT on Friday. With the "Open Skies" pact signed by the US and Japan last December, Hawaiian,...
"Divorce Court" Awards Husband 257,041 Miles
Divorce Court TV judge Lynn Toler awarded 257,041 miles to a husband who successfully argued he had spent his own miles on the couple’s travel and should be reimbursed. The wife complained that they had traveled the world, but...
More Power to the TSA?
Faisal Shahzad, the man who attempted to detonate a car bomb in Times Square earlier this week, almost made it out of the country. It wasn’t until he drove to JFK, checked in, cleared security, and boarded his Emirates...
CO/UA Merger: Disappointing Livery and a New Slogan: "Let’s Fly Together"
Check out the official United-Continental merger website. “Work hard. Fly right.” and “It’s time to fly” weren’t great slogans, but “Let’s Fly Together” is a lame and uninspired slogan of the new combined carrier. It’s not even cute. Even...
United Will Buy Continental for $3.2BN
Numerous media outlets are reporting that the UA-CO merger has been finalized. UAL Corp, parent of United Airlines, will buy Continental Airlines Inc. for $3.2 billion, forming the world’s largest carrier in a merger that further shrinks the embattled U.S. airline industry...
United Records First Operating Profit since 2000
It’s been a decade since United reported a first quarter operating profit, but in a sign that the airline industry is recovering, UA reported a $58MN operating profit today. Still, UA lost $82MN or $0.49/share overall–a big improvement over...
New Obstacle in United-Continental Merger
With both CAL and UAUA rising (though United is rising more quickly), a new roadblock has arisen in merger talks: …The two sides disagree over the value of the share prices that would be used to calculate a stock...
In dealing with Eyjafjallajokull, who should go first? Stranded or confirmed passengers?
When it comes to irr/ops, should stranded passengers displace confirmed passengers? I watched a news story this evening about how airlines are dealing with stranded passengers, some who have been waiting for more than a week to cross the...
More Cutbacks at Spirit Airlines–No More Seat Recline
Competing with Ryanair in a race to the bottom, Spirit has announced another "enhancement" now appearing on select A320s: Spirit Airlines, the air carrier that recently announced a $45 fee for carry-on bags, has launched another change that may...
Merge By May? United and Continental Talks Heat Up
“I WANT CO!” image courtesy Wall Street Journal We all knew the “talks” between US and UA were just a ruse: Negotiations between UAL Corp.’s United Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc. are picking up pace, with parties believing a merger...
United Delays Launch of Dulles – Lagos, Nigeria Route
Bad news for those of you who took advantage of UA’s introductory fares to Nigeria: United Airlines said it will delay the start of planned flights to Lagos, Nigeria, because of regulatory issues. The flights had been set to...
When the Money Runs Out: Living on Airline Miles
With millions of miles in the bank, Ryan Bingham could live off his frequent flyer accounts for months. Others, must resort to more desperate measures. There are two kinds of business travelers. Those who have a goal in mind...
United Eliminates Free Standby for Premier Executives and Below
United will eliminate free unconfirmed standby starting on April 28. Passengers wishing to take an earlier flight will be charged $50 if they clear the standby list. Passengers can still confirm a seat on an earlier or later flight...
Diplomat Jokes About Shoe Bomb After Smoking in Lavatory on DCA-DEN United Flight
Here’s a hint: if you decide you want to smoke in the lavatory, don’t cover it up by claiming you were trying to detonate a shoe bomb. A Qatari diplomat who caused a security alert aboard a United Airlines...
