Archives: May 2009

Southwest: Revenues vs. the Brand

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 29

In the grand scheme, Southwest’s revenue decisions May 29 on pets and unaccompanied minors isn’t a major deal. Quick recap: You can now bring “Fluffy and Fido” along under your...

Best boutique hotels in major cities?

Posted by: Dean Foust on May 26

When it comes to my own business travel, I'm guilty of sticking with the boring-but-predictable major hotel chains, and never experiencing any of the boutique hotels that offer a little...

American's frequent flier changes

Posted by: Dean Foust on May 26

Since some readers come at this blog not through our home page, but through other links, guess there’s no harm in mentioning that I wrote a story on American Airlines’...

Please Upgrade the Standby List

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 26

I had an up-close-and-personal view of the standby list on Memorial Day, entangled at Washington’s Dulles Airport after a missed connecting flight. I made it home from Europe the same...

The Economics of Pilot Pay

Posted by: Dean Foust on May 17

I’ve learned over the span of my life that there are three topics you broach at your own peril: Politics, religion, and airline pilot pay (at least with pilots). I...

American Unshackles the Miles

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 12

Kudos are in order for American Airlines’ (AMR) decision to give members of its frequent-flier program new flexibility on using those miles. The second-largest U.S. airline will now let travelers...

Delta's Rich Pay Days

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 11

Delta Air Lines’ (DAL) board clearly values both CEO Richard Anderson and President Ed Bastian. In a year when the company acquired Northwest, and a nasty recession ate into travel...

Boeing Spruces up the 737 Interior

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 05

I’ll admit there a few planes I often dread boarding, and the 737 is one of them. This workhorse of domestic fleets is the most popular commercial airplane in history...

Will you catch Swine Flu on your next flight? Probably not.

Posted by: Dean Foust on May 04

What’s the risk of catching the Swine Flu virus on an airplane? Not as great as many fear, if a lot of the information that’s circulated on the Internet in...

Is Seniority Killing the Airline Industry?

Posted by: Justin Bachman on May 04

For decades it’s been a maxim of the airline industry that workers are captive, bound by a seniority system that doles out the choicest wages and work schedules. Seniority is...