As Elite Status rules continue to shift, is there really any greener grass out there? With United’s latest changes announced we brought in Ed to get a fresh take.
DLD 499: Ramble on
- September 5, 2024
- Tagged as: A321neo, A321XLR, A350, Air China, Air India, Alaska Airlines, Bilt Rewards, Boom Supersonic, C919, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta Air Lines, Department of Transportation, DOT, elite status, Frontier, Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines, Ireland, ITA Airlines, Japan, jetblue, JFK Airport, KLM, Lufthansa Group, Malaysia Airlines, merger, Mint, New York City, Norse Atlantic, pilot shortage, Rapid Rewards, regulators, Russia, SAS, SkyTeam, Southwest Airlines, Star Alliance, TAP Air Portugal, TATL, Transatlantic, United Airlines, Vistara, XB-1
Another week, with plenty of random thoughts from the guys…
Join us on another jaunt through the juicy world of aviation gossip, airline route news, and loyalty relaunches.
DLD 472: Bags and buses and out of business
- February 29, 2024
- Tagged as: Aeromexico, Air Canada, American Airlines, Avelo, Breeze Airways, Bus, Delta Air Lines, elite status, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Guam, GUM, Haneda, HND, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, JFK, JFK Airport, joint venture, Landline, Lynx, payments, points, Qantas, routes, Spirit Airlines, Tel Aviv, TLV, Tokyo, Toronto, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Viasat, wifi, YYZ
More baggage talk, plus buses, and an airline is out of business.
DLD 464: Got Status?
- January 4, 2024
- Tagged as: AirBaltic, Australia, Boeing, China, credit cards, elite status, Flying Blue, FlyingBlue, HiSky, India, Japan, livery, Norse Atlantic, Norwegian, routes, SAS, slots, South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, train, Trip Report, Turkish Airlines, UAE, Wideroe
As 2023 comes to a close we’re talking about status earned, how we value it, and what the year ahead holds.
DLD 462: Cool connections and an unlikely airspace plan
- December 14, 2023
- Tagged as: A330, Airbus, airports, American Airlines, Barcelona, Beluga, Cancun, cargo, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, elite status, engines, Goose Bay, Greenland, hyatt, Japan, Las Vegas, NATS, Nuuk, San Francisco, SEA, Seattle, South Africa, Taipei, TPE, Trip Report, United Airlines, United Kingdom
Maybe it’ll work, but there are some half-baked plans being bandied about. And we’re not a fan of that unless they’re our half-baked plans.
DLD 454: Is there such a thing as real loyalty program enhancements?!?
- October 18, 2023
- Tagged as: 737 MAX, American Airlines, AMS, Amsterdam, ancillary fees, Beond, Bermudair, carbon offsets, Delta Air Lines, economy class, elite status, Emirates, engines, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Haneda, HND, ITA Airlines, Italia Trasporto Aereo, Japan, jetblue, JFK Airport, KLM, loyalty, Mosaic, points, Portsmouth, premium cabin, promotions, PSM, Rapid Rewards, Rolls Royce, routes, slots, Southwest Airlines, Tokyo, TrueBlue, United Airlines
Can loyalty programs actually make changes that seem to make things better for customers, without taking benefits away elsewhere? Tune in to find out.
DLD 450: Wait, there’s now lounge elite status??
- September 21, 2023
- Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737 MAX 8, 757-200, A350, Allegiant, American Express, Boeing, co-brand, cobrand, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, elite status, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, lounge, lounges, medallion, merger, Mexico, Mexico City, New York City, podcast, premium cabin, Premium Economy, seating, seats, Sky Club, SkyMiles, slots, Spirit Airlines, Swiss, Trip Report, United Airlines, Upgrade, Vietnam Airlines
Delta made waves with its SkyMiles/SkyClub rules changes last week. Plus, new seats, new routes, and an end to revenge.
DLD 448: ¿Cual Aeropuerto?
- September 7, 2023
- Tagged as: A380, ancillary fees, bankruptcy, China Southern, Corendon, Cuba, Delta Air Lines, El Al, elite status, Ethiopian Airlines, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Haneda, HND, jetblue, Lufthansa, Mexicana, Mexico, Mexico City, Monarch, Oneworld, PDX, Portland, Qantas, Qatar Airways, routes, Tokyo, Virgin Australia
Picking an airport in Mexico might be a bit more challenging later this year. Plus flying whales and more Tokyo.
DLD 447: Too much red
- August 31, 2023
- Tagged as: 737 MAX, 787-10, 787-9, A350-1000, Aer Lingus, Airbus, American Airlines, Atlantic Airways, Avios, Boeing, China, El Al, elite status, FAA, Faroe Islands, Federal Aviation Administration, Finnair, frequent flier, frequent flyer, jetblue, merger, Monarch, Porter Air, Qantas, revenue-based, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Trip Report
How much money can a one-plane airline lose in just two months? More than just about everyone involved expected.