REMINDER: We are one week away from this year’s Dorkfest. Next Saturday, come by In-N-Out at LAX between 11a and 1p. (Assuming it’s like other years, I’ll end up staying later.) We’ll eat burgers, watch airplanes, and talk shop. Oh, and yes, I have a bunch of Southwest swag to … Read the post
Category: Cranky on the Web
United’s New President Shows Why Airlines Hire Insiders as Senior Executives – Skift
Brian Sumers took at look at why airlines hire other airline people to fill their exec needs instead of going outside. United bringing Scott Kirby over to United was what appears to be the catalyst for the … Read the post
United makes good on pledge to improve on-time performance – Travel Weekly
United’s operation has certainly improved, but I cautioned that some of this is due to schedule padding. That’s fine for the short run to get things in order, but it’s not a long term solution (despite it having … Read the post
How do airline computer systems work? – CNN Money
I am no expert on IT, but CNN still wanted to get a better, basic understanding of how airline systems work in light of the Delta mess. I was happy to chime in with that.
Southwest still delaying, canceling flights after technology outage – Houston Chronicle
As Southwest continues to struggle to pull itself together again after its technology outage this week, newspapers continue to report on the delays and cancellations that have piled up. I added my thoughts to this story in Houston.
Bereavement Fares Have Disappeared on Most US Airlines – Associated Press
For anyone who has tried to use one, you’re undoubtedly not surprised to hear that bereavement fares are all but gone. They generally don’t fit into the fare structure that’s out there today, but as I mentioned to the … Read the post
Since 1996, reliable daily arrival of British Airways jet has captivated Phoenix aviation enthusiasts – Arizona Republic
Twenty years ago, British Airways began flying to Phoenix and to this day it remains the only nonstop to Europe (others have tried and failed). It’s amazing it’s been 20 years, mostly because … Read the post
Delta’s new CEO wants you to cut the TSA line – CNN.com
Though the title on this article makes it sound like this is about TSA, it’s really not. This is an article looking more at the challenges Delta’s new CEO Ed Bastian has ahead of him. I remain convinced … Read the post
Taking advantage of airline schedule changes to save money – Associated Press
The AP put together a good article about the positive side of airline schedule changes. We continue to find that some of our Cranky Concierge clients benefit greatly from these things. We just had one this week, in … Read the post
Growth in flights at YNG bucks US trends – Youngstown Vindicator
Youngstown is getting a new airline to fly to Chicago. I spoke to the reporter extensively about how this is doomed, though of course only bits and pieces made the final cut.
5 years later, Continental-United merger still stirs strong feelings – Houston Chronicle
This piece is a look back on how United and Continental have done in their merger, with a Houston focus of course. I spoke with the author a lot about the operational aspects of the merger, and she … Read the post
Hawaii senators want an end to shrinking airplane seat sizes – Associated Press
Apparently Hawaiian lawmakers also think seat size regulation is a good idea, and I was asked to comment. (You can guess what I said, I’m sure.)