Cranky Jackass

In general, I find that airlines do a far better job of running their businesses than most give them credit for. But that doesn't mean they don't do dumb things. When that happens, I award them the Cranky Jackass award.

The first Cranky Jackass was awarded a month after the blog launched. It was given to United which had limited access to Economy Plus. Since that time, I've awarded it sparingly, trying to save it for things that truly deserve the award.

Sun Country Earns the Cranky Jackass Award for Giving No Options to Stranded Customers

Apr 17, 2018 | 38 Comments

When it comes to major weather problems, I’m a pretty forgiving person. Weather wreaks havoc on an airline, and recovery … Read More

A Cranky Jackass Award for American’s 737 MAX Torture Chamber

May 4, 2017 | 95 Comments

Unlike many of you, I’ve been a fan of traditional airlines increasing density on airplanes over the years. It made … Read More

American, Delta, and United Earn a Cranky Jackass for Forcing Travelers to Overpay for Multi-City Trips

Mar 31, 2016 | 62 Comments

I’ve made a conscious effort over the last couple years to pull back on awarding too many Cranky Jackass awards. … Read More

American Has Been Selling Main Cabin Extra Seats That Have No Extra Legroom

Oct 29, 2015 | 41 Comments

[There is a new post with more information on this. The impact is less than originally thought.] If you’ve bought … Read More

Delta Earns a Cranky Jackass Award for Requiring Several Week Advance Purchase to Book Low Level Domestic Awards and Not Telling Anyone

Feb 9, 2015 | 39 Comments

You may have seen elsewhere that Delta has decided to stop publishing all award charts. That’s bad, because it makes … Read More