Ethics is a perenially-important topic in the blogging world, so I’ve always put my code of ethics front and center. First, I have included disclosures of any compensated relationships in the airline/travel industry. Then you will see details about my willingness to accept free or discounted products along with all offers, whether they have been accepted, and whether any blog posts were written about them. My goal is to be an open book here. You can always contact me with questions or comments at cf@crankyflier.com.
Disclosure of Current Compensated Relationships
- I currently have no financial holdings in any airlines
- I am not currently working with or having discussions about working with any airlines or airports
Historical Disclosures
- I was compensated with options to serve on the advisory council for Trippy.com, but the company has dissolved.
- I was paid to write an occasional column for PlaneBusiness Banter from 2013 through 2015.
- My role on the advisory council for Routehappy.com ended in June 2016 and I did receive options.
- I was paid to write a weekly column for the Intuit Small Business Center (which no longer exists) until July 2015.
- I stopped writing for Conde Nast Traveler in 2014.
- Airbus sponsored a series of posts during the week of November 11, 2013. My interaction was limited strictly to their marketing agency.
- On July 30, 2013 I agreed to accept 75,000 TrueBlue points to participate on the JetBlue New Onboard Experience Advisory Board. This panel never succeeded and the points were never awarded.
- Credit card links were removed in 2012 and no further compensation will be earned.
- I stopped writing for CNN.com in 2012, though I do occasionally write a freelance piece.
- My contract to write the Headwinds blog for BNET (now part of CBS) ended in March 2011.
- My consulting work for PASSUR Aerospace ended in August 2010.
- My short term social media consulting project for Long Beach Airport ended in August 2010.
- My content reproduction agreement with BoardingArea.com ended in March 2010.
Code of Ethics
For the purpose of this code, “free and/or discounted products and services” refers to anything above the cost of a meal offered to me for free or for a discount simply because of my status as a blogger/analyst/influencer.
- I only accept free and/or discounted products and services if they are something that I expect will be of interest to Cranky readers. I will not accept them if there is solely a personal benefit.
- When I write about free and/or discounted products and services, I will always disclose on this page who gave them to me, when they were given to me, and when I wrote about them. I will also include the discount amount offered in any post on the products/services.
- I will always write the truth about a product or service regardless of whether it is good or bad. I will never trade favorable press for free and/or discounted products and services.
- I will only accept free and/or discounted products and services if the people offering the product/service confirm that they have read this code of ethics and are willing to abide by the rules that have been set here.
- Just because I have been provided with free and/or discounted products and services doesn’t mean I will write about them. The only criteria for determining whether or not to write about a product is if it will make for a compelling post, good or bad.
List of Offered Free or Discounted Products/Services Since 2018
The following is a full and complete list of trips/flights/gifts/etc with a value of over $100 that have been offered to me along with whether they were accepted or not. This list does not include invitations to events unless a free or discounted product or service accompanied that invitation.
| Company | Offer | Date | Accepted | Blogged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 6 months of elite status to test electronic bag tag | 11/21/2022 | No | N/A |
| Breeze | Seat on inaugural HPN-LAX flight | 10/24/2022 | No | N/A |
| Southwest | Flight to Dallas for media day | 10/11/2022 | Yes | TBD |
| Breeze | Flights to Mobile for A220 delivery + hotel | 10/13/2021 | No | N/A |
| United Airlines | Flight to press event in New York | 10/10/2021 | No | N/A |
| Southwest Airlines | Winner of 2 roundtrip tickets from random drawing at 2021 Southwest business/agency conference | 5/27/2021 | Yes | N/A |
| Avelo Airlines | Inaugural flight | 4/14/2021 | No | N/A |
| Hawaiian Air | Visit Hawai’i after quarantine ends | 9/29/2020 | Yes | 11/4/2020 11/5/2020 11/15/2020 11/19/2020 11/24/2020 |
| Boeing | 737 MAX Update in Seattle | 11/14/2019 | No | N/A |
| Sun Country | Media Day | 10/1/2019 | No | N/A |
| Hahn Air | Trip to Germany | 9/18/2019 | Yes (canceled) | N/A |
| Embraer | E2 Flight in Florida | 9/2/2019 | No | N/A |
| Korean Air | Trip to Korea | 8/7/2019 | No | N/A |
| United Airlines | Media Day air and hotel | 8/4/2019 | Yes | 10/29/2019 11/4/2019 11/12/2019 |
| Southwest Airlines | Halloween Party Judge | 8/1/2019 | No | N/A |
| American Airlines | Final MD-80 flight to Roswell | 7/31/2019 | No | N/A |
| Hawaiian Airlines | 6 Neighbor Island Flights in One Day | 7/3/2019 | Yes | 9/2/2019 |
| Alaska Airlines | Seattle lounge opening | 6/24/2019 | No | N/A |
| TAP Air Portugal | SFO Inaugural Flight | 5/2/2019 | No | N/A |
| Southwest Airlines | Hawai’i Inaugural Flight | 2/28/2019 | No | N/A |
| Virgin Atlantic | A350 Reveal Event | 2/25/2019 | Yes But Had to Cancel | 4/11/2019 |
| Southwest | Flight to Southwest Rally Las Vegas | 2/8/2019 | Yes | 2/21/2019 |
| Alaska Airlines | Alaska upgraded Airbus event | 1/28/2019 | No | N/A |
| American | Annual leadership conference flights | 1/23/2019 | Yes | 3/4/2019 3/11/2019 3/12/2019 |
| Southwest | Flights for Herb Kelleher Memorial | 1/14/2019 | Yes | 1/24/2019 2/05/2019 |
| Virgin Atlantic | Biofuel Demo Flight | 9/21/2018 | Yes (taken by correspondent) | 10/11/2018 10/18/2018 11/1/2018 |
| Spirit | Orlando Media Tour | 9/13/2018 | No | N/A |
| British Airways | Celebration of 60 Years of Jet Service Over the Atlantic | 8/31/2018 | No | N/A |
| Hawaiian Airlines | Long Beach Inaugural Flight Invite | 5/8/2018 | Yes | TBD |
| Air Canada | Event in Toronto and Vancouver | 4/5/2018 | No | N/A |
| China Eastern | Trip to Bangkok | 3/21/2018 | No | N/A |
| American | Invite to Annual Leadership Conference | 1/15/2018 | Yes | 02/27/2018 |
Historical List of Accepted Free or Discounted Products/Services Prior to 2018
The following are listed in alphabetical order by name of the company that made the offer with the most recent offer for each company being displayed first.
- Air New Zealand – Trip to Auckland for Media Event
- Alaska Airlines – Milk Run from Anchorage to Seattle, offered 4/8/2017
- 72 Hours With Alaska: A Video Preview Of the Milk Run
- 72 Hours With Alaska: Introduction to the Milk Run and Getting to Anchorage
- 72 Hours With Alaska: Aviation in Anchorage
- 72 Hours With Alaska: The Northern Part of the Milk Run
- 72 Hours With Alaska: Juneau and Alaska Seaplanes
- 72 Hours With Alaska: The Southern Part of the Milk Run
- 72 Hours With Alaska: Going Home and Wrapping Up
- Allegiant Air – Paid Speaking Engagement at Airports Conference, offered 3/29/2012
- American Airlines – Annual Leadership Conference, offered 1/9/2017
- American Airlines – Upgraded Paid Return Flight on Salesforce.com Event, offered 3/2/2016
- American Airlines – Annual Leadership Conference, offered 1/19/2015
- American Airlines – Annual Leadership Conference, offered 5/30/2014
- American Airlines – LHR Trip in New Business Class, offered 3/5/2013
- APEX – Flights/Hotel for Annual Convention, offered 4/15/2011
- British Airways – Trip to London for Olympics, offered 6/20/2012
- British Airways – Flight to London for Management Visit, offered 12/2/2010
- Delta Air Lines – Delta Shuttle LAX-SFO Flight, offered 8/22/2013
- Delta Air Lines – Headquarters Visit in Atlanta, offered 8/25/2010
- Visiting Delta
- Delta Brings Me to Visit the Mother Ship (Trip Report)
- Delta Maintenance is Actually Growing and Profitable
- Delta Says It Wants a Better Online Purchasing Experience for Customers
- The Delta SkyMiles Discussion
- Delta Reservations and the Twitter Movement
- Delta’s Marketing Chief Talks About New York, Tarmac Delays and More (Across the Aisle)
- The Delta Heritage Museum is Open to the Public Tomorrow and You Should Go
- Denver International Airport – Speaking on State of DIA Panel, offered 1/28/2010
- Emirates Airline – VIP Flight to Nowhere on the A380, offered 7/9/2008
- Farelogix – Media Day, offered 1/2/2013
- Grand Velas Riviera Maya – Wendy Perrin WOW List Summit, offered 12/1/2016
- Emirates Airline – Inflight Preview of “Living in the Age of Airplanes”, offered 3/23/2015, accepted by freelance writer
- Emirates Airline – Flight to Dubai, offered 7/14/2011, accepted by freelance writer
- ExpressJet Airlines – Trip to Tucson for Two, offered 5/11/2007
- Hawaiian Airlines – Global Media Day, offered 6/29/2015
- Hawaiian Airlines – Visit to Headquarters in Honolulu, offered 3/27/2014
- 72 Hours with Hawaiian: Flying to Honolulu in Extra Comfort
- 72 Hours with Hawaiian: A Unique Headquarters Setup, Flying Hawaiian’s Very First Airplane
- 72 Hours With Hawaiian: Across the Aisle From President and CEO Mark Dunkerley
- 72 Hours with Hawaiian: Meeting with Execs, Flying ‘Ohana by Hawaiian
- 72 Hours with Hawaiian Airlines: The Honolulu International Airport Modernization Plan
- 72 Hours With Hawaiian Airlines: Talking to Flight Ops, the Ride Home in First Class
- Honeywell – International Media Day, offered 4/24/2014
- JetSuite – Private Jet is Long Beach to Orange County, offered 10/21/2009
- Korean Air – 72 Hour Trip to Korea for Management Visit, offered 5/7/2013
- 72 Hours With Korean Air: Getting to Korea (Trip Report)
- 72 Hours With Korean Air: Jin Air, Je-Dong Farm, and the Tech Center (Trip Report)
- 72 Hours With Korean Air: Headquarters, Duty Free, Catering, and a Medical Center (Trip Report)
- 72 Hours With Korean Air: The Impressive Incheon Airport and the Flight Home (Trip Report)
- Lufthansa – Trip to FRA for A380 Inaugural to SFO, offered 3/25/2011
- Pearl Resorts – Discounted Hotel Stays in French Polynesia, offered 7/24/2008
- Qantas Airways/Airbus – Flight to Nowhere on A380, offered 11/27/2007
- Sabre – Invite to Airline Technology Exchange, offered 4/5/2017
- Silk Air – 737 Delivery Ceremony in Seattle, offered 1/20/2014
- Southwest Airlines, VisitBurbank, San Jose Airport, Sacramento – 9 Airports, 1 Day adventure where swag was given at every stop (mostly small things, but VisitBurbank did give a night at the Burbank Marriott along with theme park tickets)
- Southwest Airlines – Flights to Seattle for Rollout of New Interior, offered 5/31/2016
- Southwest Airlines – Media Day, offered 8/12/2014
- Southwest Airlines – Media Day, offered 10/14/2010
- Southwest Airlines – Schedule Planning Competition Trip to Dallas, offered 3/6/2009
- Travelport – Ignite Conference (paid for hotel only), offered 8/12/2014
- Travelport – Dublin for Travelport Meetings and CAPA Conference, offered 3/12/2013
- United Airlines – Invite to Final 747 Flights, offered 9/18/2017, accepted by freelance writer
- United Airlines – Flight Attendant Training in Houston, offered 6/10/2015
- United Airlines – Visit to Headquarters in Chicago, opffered 10/30/2013
- A Day With United Management: Getting There and Back (Trip Report)
- A Day with United Management: Elite Status, Mileage Devaluation, and Increasing Change Fees
- A Day with United Management: The New Website, Flying the Friendly Skies, and the Product Promise
- A Day with United Management: Fleet Changes, Cleveland, and the Operations Center
- A Day with United Management: Brand Standards, Flying the Friendly Skies Again, and Sales
- United Airlines – Last United 737 Flight to SFO and Return, offered 10/27/2009
- US Airways – Media Day and Leadership Conference, offered 3/12/2013
- Across the Aisle From US Airways’ Planning Chief on The Importance of LA and New York to American … and More
- Across the Aisle from US Airways CEO Doug Parker on The Importance of Employee Communications (Part 1)
- Across the Aisle from US Airways CEO Doug Parker on Important Product Features, Asia, and oneworld (Part 2)
- The Best Slide I’ve Seen Showing American/US Airways Merger Benefits to Mid-Size Cities
- A Trio of US Airways First Class Seats (Trip Report)
- US Airways – Media Day, offered 3/7/2012
- US Airways – Media Day, offered 3/2/2010
Historical List of Declined Free or Discounted Products/Services Prior to 2018
The following are listed in alphabetical order by name of the company that made the offer with the most recent offer for each company being displayed first.
- Air Canada – Invite to Roll-Out of New Premium Experience, offered 11/16/2017
- Air France – Trip to Paris for New Coach Upgrade Announcement, offered 9/6/2013; FlyerTalk Event in Paris, offered 3/27/2012
- Air New Zealand – Inflight Focus Group, offered 2/27/2013; Flight to Seattle for 777 Delivery Flight, offered 12/7/2010
- Alaska Airlines – Flight to Merger Closing Event, offered 11/10/2016; Havana Inaugural Flight, offered 11/10/2016; Technology Demo Flight, offered 3/29/2015
- Allegiant Air – Media Day, offered 3/7/2016
- American Airlines – Invite to Fly Snowball Express, offered 11/29/2017; Invite to Media Day, offered 8/7/2017; Invite to Flagship Dining event, offered 4/21/2017; 737 Delivery Flight, offered 5/17/2011
- ANA – 787 Flight From Seattle, offered 6/18/2014
- British Airways – Invite on 25th 787 Delivery Flight, offered 9/6/2017; Flight to London for BAinvesting4U Launch, offered 3/20/2017; A380 Inaugural LAX to London, offered 7/22/2013; A380 Delivery Flight, offered 6/10/2013; Trip on LCY-JFK Service, offered 5/6/2009; Trip on OpenSkies, offered 2/5/2009; Trip to Opening LHR T5, offered 12/27/2008
- Cathay Pacific – Flight to Hong Kong for New Seat Event, offered 10/27/2010
- Delta Air Lines – Invite to Customer Experience Showcase 2017, offered 8/29/2017; Invite to Media Day, offered 3/30/2017; Havana Inaugural Flight, offered 11/11/2016; Media Day, offered 3/18/2016; Inside Delta Blogger Experience, offered 4/25/2014
- Etihad Airways – 787/A380 Launch Event in Abu Dhabi, offered 11/26/2014
- Etihad Airways – 787 Delivery Ceremony in Seattle, offered 9/15/2014
- Expedia – Invite to Partner Conference, offered 11/10/2015
- Frontier Airlines – 21st Birthday Party Flight to Vegas, offered 6/23/2015
- IATA – Annual General Meeting, offered 3/24/2014
- Icelandair – Media Trip to Iceland, offered 3/30/2011
- Icelandair – Northern Lights Flights, offered 3/19/2015
- JetBlue Airways – Fly to NYC to Meet with Management, offered 6/11/2015; Inaugural Wifi Flight, offered 11/19/2013
- KLM – New Business Class Seat Flight NYC – Amsterdam, offered 9/6/2013
- Korean Air – Invite to Incheon Terminal 2 Opening, offered 12/13/2017
- LAN – 787 Inaugural, offered 8/13/2012, uninvited due to space limitations; Trip to Peru for SFO Launch, offered 5/10/2010
- Lufthansa – 747-8 Media Trip to Frankfurt, offered 12/11/2012
- MAXjet – Free Roundtrip LAX to London, offered 5/10/2007
- Qatar Airways – Invite to 787 Delivery Ceremony at Boeing, offered 10/1/2015; Flight for oneworld Entry Ceremony, offered 10/7/2013; 787 Inaugural to Doha, offered 10/23/2012
- Royal Air Maroc/The Moak Group – 787 Delivery Event in Seattle, offered 11/15/2016
- Southwest Airlines – Invite to 737 MAX Rollout, offered 8/16/2017; Trip to Oshkosh for AirVenture, offered 6/28/2012; Trip to Cabo for SNA Inaugural, offered 5/16/2012; 737-800 Inaugural, offered 3/27/2012; Flight to Chicago and Oshkosh, offered 7/14/2010
- Star Alliance – Round the World Trip, offered 6/15/2009
- SWISS Airlines – Trip to Zurich for SFO Launch, offered by 2/23/2010
- TAAG Angola – 777 Delivery Ceremony, offered 6/3/2011
- TAP Air Portugal – Invite to Retro Livery Flight, offered 6/26/2017
- Turkish Airlines – Flight for SocialTrippin Event, offered 10/25/2013
- United Airlines – 777-300ER Polaris Demo Flight, offered 1/25/2017; Flight to NYC for Media Event, offered 5/20/2016; New First Class Seat Roll-out, offered 8/27/2015; Visit to Reopening of Concourse E at SFO, offered 1/18/2014
- US Airways – Media Day, offered 2/28/2011
- Viva Air – Invite to inaugural Viva Peru flight, offered 3/29/2017
- WestJet – Bombardier 500th Q400 Celebration, offered 6/3/2015
- WOW Air – Trip from Baltimore to Bristol, UK, offered 4/21/2016