I blogged about it separately, but American Airlines unveiled a new identity today, ahead of any announcement regarding a merger with US Airways. The intro video is #avgeek spectacular, in my opinion. Delta Air Lines officially announced a new Medallion Qualifying Miles requirement starting in the 2014 program year. I shared my thoughts on it…
Would This American Airlines Livery Have Been a Better Choice?
In the odd chance you haven’t already heard, American unveiled their new livery and logo today. American will no longer be able to sport a polished aluminum look as some of the new fleet types on order are made of composite materials, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. And so, at 9:00 a.m. CST today, American…
Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: January 16, 2013
The FAA issued an airworthiness directive requiring U.S. airlines to ground Boeing 787 Dreamliners until the aircraft is proven safe to fly. Meaning, United must ground its current fleet of six 787s until the battery issue (and possibly others) are resolved. Meanwhile, the FAA is seeking to ban pilots from using their portable electronic devices…
My Thoughts on Delta’s Likely SkyMiles Program Changes
Delta Air Lines published upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program earlier today. Whether it was deliberate or an error, the page has since been taken down from Delta’s website. But not before an astute Flyertalker captured the details, as shown below. [Updated 1/17: Delta has indeed announced the MQD portion below this morning] Earning Medallion…
Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: January 15, 2013
Oy, more 787 issues as an All Nippon Airways (ANA) jet makes an emergency landing in Osaka. This is breaking as I type, so further details will certainly emerge. United Airlines will lay off 472 workers at Newark Liberty Airport. A spokesman at United confirms it’s due to outsourcing of cargo operations, but adds the…
The First Airline in 2013 Changing to a Revenue-Based Frequent Flier Program Is…
Well, it’s happened. The first frequent flier program to officially change to a revenue-based accrual model in 2013 is… Sun Country’s Ufly. Yeah, not earth-shattering at all for most readers. And in doing a little background on the program, it appears the previous incarnation of Ufly was more akin to the former Southwest system where…
Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: January 14, 2013
I plan to bring back this once-regular post here on Frequently Flying as I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoys a quick snippet of notable airline, hotel and travel industry news of the day. It’ll be back as often as possible pending work, travel and other distractions. As advance notice, I’ll be flying…
Amenity Kit Review: Iberia Business Plus
I mentioned in my last review that I’m running a bit light on current-generation amenity kits – donations are accepted 😉 – so I dug deep into my bins and found this Iberia business class offering from 2007. For a better description of each Amenity Kit Review category and the 7-point scale for scoring, please…
And the Winner of 5 United Drink Vouchers Is…
First, I absolutely love how many of you left some rather clever comments. I particularly enjoyed the ones mentioning duct tape! Commenter #82 ended up being drawn by the trusty random number generator: Congrats to Walt! I’m emailing you now. Cheers and Bon Voyage!
Quick Reminder: Enter Now for 5 United Airlines Drink Vouchers
If you enjoy a cocktail when flying United, be sure to enter my giveaway of 5 beverage vouchers by clicking here. I’ll be drawing the lucky winner tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. PST, so be sure to leave a comment on that post (NOT this one!) for your chance to win. Have a great weekend everyone!…