An article about Alaska Airlines appeared in last week’s Los Angeles Times that I think is worth a read. It quotes CEO Bill Ayer as basically saying Alaska is not for sale nor interested in a merger, effectively shunning away any courtship attempt from another carrier or entity. They do have codeshare arrangements with both…
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United Airlines’ rebranding of Terminal 1 at Chicago O’Hare Airport
Today was my first time traveling through Terminal 1 at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport since the United Airlines deflowering rebranding effort, and I thought I’d share a few of my photos in case some of you haven’t yet traveled through ORD. It actually looks very clean & appealing and although I’ve never disliked the disco ball/globe,…
Amenity Kit Review: United Airlines Business Class (Spring 2011)
It’s time for another amenity kit review and I’ve selected the current United Airlines Business Class kit this time around. For a better description of each category, and the 7-point scale for scoring, please review my introduction post here. Bag/Container: The small zippered pouch is made of a metallically plastic material and feels rather cheap…
Your frequent flyer data & complete fare information public knowledge?
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood withdrew a proposal yesterday that would have required airlines to submit passenger frequent flyer program data and complete fare basis code information to the government. The pending rule dated back to 2005 where the DOT had proposed additional data collection measures required of the airlines.…
United Airlines to keep International First Class cabins where appropriate… for now
Last week I posted about the possibility of United being close to announcing whether or not International First Class would remain on the carrier. Yesterday a report surfaced on Bloomberg quoting United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek saying “There are certain markets in which (first class) makes a lot of sense and there are others where…
Vintage Airline Seat Map: Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200
It’s time for another edition of Vintage Airline Seat Maps and I’ve selected a Northwest Airlines Boeing 757-200. Seating 14 passengers in first class and 170 in coach, a couple of things stand out to me as being fairly unique for this aircraft. Whereas most carriers opted to dedicate the section between doors 1 and…
American Airlines & United Airlines protecting their Los Angeles market share
Back in March I blogged about American Airlines’ expansion out of Los Angeles Airport (LAX) and wondered if United Airlines would respond with beefing up service and/or offer bonus mile opportunities. With the exception of bonus miles to Chicago, courtesy of Virgin America’s entry to ORD, no additional bonus offers have come through on United.…
Airline slot swaps, GDS scrutiny, Chicago flying high, Singapore on the cheap & a respectable angry flight attendant
It’s time again for a quick wrap up of noteworthy news items from the airline and travel industry this week, summarized below: Delta Air Lines and US Airways have re-engaged each other for a potential slot swap at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport aimed to align each carrier better with…
Air Transport World webcast summary on responsive airlines
Yesterday I listened into another webcast from Air Transport World entitled “Responsive Airlines: Secrets to Real-Time Visibility and Control.†The theme of this hour long discussion surrounded around how airlines can better manage internal systems & processes when a service disruption occurs, and the steps necessary to get back on track through enhanced technology all…
United Airlines closer to announcement regarding international First Class?
One of the larger merger related unanswered questions between United Airlines and Continental Airlines is the decision on whether or not to keep a three-cabin product offering for international flights. Continental for some time has only offered a “BusinessFirst†product, a hybrid of sorts between First Class and Business Class, whereas United has maintained the…