Not all heroes wear capes. Some just write memos to flight attendants … The frustrating window of the Boeing 787 is dimmedThere are many areas where new aircraft technologies will benefit customers, such as: B. quieter engines and better fuel efficiency. However, there is one area where the new aircraft technology is not benefiting customers – namely the Boeing 787’s window dimmers. The Boeing 787 has bigger windows than most other aircraft, which is great. However, Boeing decided to remove the traditional hues you pull up and down and replace them with dimmers instead. These dimmers can be extremely frustrating and this is one of the reasons I choose the Airbus A350 over the Boeing 787. What’s so frustrating about the 787’s dimmers?
I noted my frustration with this recently on a report on United’s 787-9 Business Class. I don’t love the 787’s window dimmer system American urges crews not to “lock” the shuttersAs noted by @xJonNYCAmerican Airlines has sent flight attendants a memo reminding them not to lock the Boeing 787’s window dimmers because “it is important that every customer can control their own experience of a window”. Here is the full memo:
On behalf of me and all the other Avgeeks, THANK YOU! American instructs flight attendants not to lock 787 window dimmers Why do flight attendants control the 787 window dimmers?For anyone wondering why flight attendants would try to control the window dimmers, there arguably two possible explanations:
I have flown millions of kilometers, but I will never take the wonder of flight and the beauty of the world from a height of several kilometers for granted. While I understand that everyone is different, I always find myself in disbelief when people keep the windows completely closed during takeoff and landing, even when they are not watching a show or trying to sleep. Who doesn’t want to enjoy this view ?! Bottom lineAmerican Airlines has been telling flight attendants on Boeing 787 what we Avgeeks have been thinking for a long time but are largely afraid to say – stop checking the 787’s blinds! Whether flight attendants read the memo and / or actually follow it is a different story … Does anyone else love this American Airlines memo as much as I do?
Via https://globalconnekt.com/american-tells-the-crews-to-stop-fiddling-with-787-window-dimmers/
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Norse Atlantic Airways and the Flight Attendants Association have reached a fascinating agreement that is very well thought out. Norse’s flight attendant pre-hire union agreementNorse Atlantic Airways is the airline startup that plans to launch transatlantic flights in the coming months. Think of this as Norwegian 2.0 when it comes to long haul flights, as Norwegian has discontinued long haul flights. Norse is essentially replicating what Norwegian did – the company is planning similar routes, will lease former Norwegian Boeing 787s, and even has much of the same management team. Well, Norse Atlantic Airways and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) have signed a pre-lease agreement for all US-based flight attendants from Norse Atlantic Airways once the airline starts flights. This is hailed as a “historic” deal. According to the announcement:
Here’s how AFA President Sara Nelson describes this deal:
In the meantime, Nordic CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen describes this deal as follows:
Norse will fly former Norwegian 787 across the Atlantic What is the logic for this agreement?You may be wondering why an airline signs such an agreement before even hiring its first flight attendant because we haven’t seen that in a long time (in fairness there weren’t many new airlines). Norse is already facing an uphill battle when it comes to obtaining regulatory approval in the US. The airline requires approval from the Department of Transportation to operate, and a few weeks ago the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Peter DeFazio, asked Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to stop Norse Atlantic Airways from flying to the United States:
There’s no denying that Norwegian took advantage of every available tax and job opportunity, so it’s not surprising that some politicians are taking this opportunity to try to block an airline that is essentially a copy of the previous airline. With the unions on the side of the airline, it’s far more likely that the northerners won’t get too much backlash from politicians. I’m sure Norse doesn’t see this arrangement as ideal, but it is ultimately a small price to pay for the airline, which has a significantly better chance of taking off without major problems. This agreement improves Norse’s chances of being able to take off flights Bottom lineNorse reached an agreement with a flight attendant union before hiring its first flight attendant. The airline has agreed to hire flight attendants in the US directly, rather than as contractors, and will provide further protection against vacation. This is a smart move on the part of Norse as the airline might otherwise have encountered opposition from politicians. I imagine this will help a lot in that regard. What do you think of Norse’s preventive union contract? Via https://globalconnekt.com/the-historic-union-deal-by-norse-atlantic-airways/ Credit where credit is due is an enhancement to the British Airways Executive Club program that many members will benefit from. British Airways guarantees more award seatsUnlike other frequent flyer programs, the British Airways Executive Club guarantees some award availability on every British Airways flight. While the program has high surcharges for air travel on British Airways, you are guaranteed at least a certain number of award seats to be released. There is some fantastic news on this front British Airways has more than doubled the number of guaranteed Avios award seats per flight. These guaranteed seats are all loaded if the British Airways flight schedule starts 355 days prior to departure. This new allocation of seats is permanent (as permanent as anything in the aviation industry can be) and applies to flights from July 28, 2021. As a result, an additional 250,000 award seats will be loaded today to reflect this change. British Airways now guarantees 12-14 award seats per flight Breakdown of British Airways Award Seats per flightOn short-haul flights, you can count on a total of at least 12 award seats per flight::
Expect at least four Club Europe seats per flight On long-haul flights, you can count on a total of at least 14 award seats per flight::
Expect at least four Club World seats per flight It’s worth noting that, in many cases, British Airways makes more award seats available (especially just before departure) as this is just the absolute minimum number of award seats you will see. This is a meaningful, positive changeRedeeming airline miles can be frustrating, and this is especially the case when trying to get award seats for travel beyond prime dates. Many airlines do a poor job of managing expectations and simply don’t open award seats at peak times, at least not in advance. What British Airways is doing here is truly spectacular and, for many, a worthwhile reason to get involved in the program. There will be a major competition for some award seats after 355 days, but knowing that at least four award seats will be made available in Business Class, every flight is an award opportunity. In fairness, there is likely a reason British Airways can justify providing so many award seats while other airlines cannot – that reason is airline-imposed surcharges (better known as fuel surcharges). Yes, British Airways guarantees that there will be four Business Class award seats from New York to London available at the start of the flight schedule, but you will also have to pay $ 54,520.35 in airline taxes, fees and surcharges per person. Okay, I guess this is a glitch (this is the first route I was looking for and these are the fees that really show up?!?) But you pay $ 700 each way for surcharges which is substantial is. Bottom lineThe British Airways Executive Club has increased its award availability guarantee. Members can now expect 12 to 14 award seats, including four Business Class award seats, to be available 355 days prior to departure. This is great policy and I wish we had seen more airlines. What do you think of the British Airways Executive Club increasing its guaranteed award room? Via https://globalconnekt.com/impressive-seat-guarantee-from-british-airways/ An Australian politician has been banned from flying Qantas for six months. This happened after she allegedly cursed Qantas employees and talked about her “p * ssy power”. Denied access to airport lounges creates dramaThis incident occurred at Melbourne Airport on March 25, 2021 and affects Jacqui Lambie, a controversial Senator from Tasmania. Qantas has a Chairman’s Lounge, a lounge reserved for business people, politicians, and VVIPs only (more on this below). Apparently Lambie’s access to the lounge had been blocked due to previous incidents and she wasn’t happy to find out. As she admits, she “blew [her] Great for a Qantas worker who doesn’t deserve it. “She apparently also spoke of her” p * ssy power “(which means more power for her). Initially, there were reports that she referred to the overtly gay Qantas CEO as “Puff”, although it has now been confirmed that this was not said. She vehemently denied this and Qantas even confirmed in a written statement that she “made no homophobic comment in connection with this incident”.
Qantas imposes a six-month flight banApparently, Qantas and the politician “negotiated” what would be a fair punishment (I love the concept of that) and it was agreed that a six month Qantas ban would be fair. I would bet she won’t be invited back to the Chairman’s Lounge when her flight ban is over. ? I think at this point she has to fly Virgin Australia, the only other airline she can fly between Tasmania and Canberra. Lambie apologized, and that’s a good thing. This is what she said:
I’m really impressed that not only is this an excuse for “I’m sorry if you were offended,” but it actually seems to be from the heart, or at least taking responsibility for what happened. It’s not often that we see this from politicians, so at least kudos to them for it. Qantas banned a politician for six months for her behavior What I find funny about Qantas’ Chairman’s LoungeSince we are talking about the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, it is interesting to consider what is considered appropriate and inappropriate in different countries:
To be clear, I am not suggesting that we have higher ethical standards when it comes to politics given the way campaign funding is going in the United States. And besides, we see similar things in the United States, but it just happens under the table and we act wrongly indignant when we find out about it. It’s just a fun difference as no one in Australia seems to pop their eyelids. Bottom lineOne Australian politician was not happy that he was denied access to Qantas’ Chairman’s Lounge only upon invitation, to which many politicians have access. She apparently behaved inappropriately towards a Qantas employee and agreed to a six-month flight ban. She claims she had an exceptionally bad day and takes responsibility for the way she acted so kudos to her for that at least. What do you think of this incident in the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge?
Via https://globalconnekt.com/qantas-bans-politicians-after-airport-abuse/ A Facebook user named Jennifer shares an amazing experience she had during the spring break at the Crown Choice Inn & Suites in Mackinaw City, Michigan. According to Jennifer’s version of events:
Here is a video of the portion of the interaction that was taped:
Jennifer even posts the police report: As you’d expect, this hotel has taken a hit on TripAdvisor, although reviews have now been suspended due to people not staying at the property. (Tip of the hat to see from the wing)
Via https://globalconnekt.com/video-hotel-owner-resigns-dumb-democrat/ In September 2020, I first wrote about what it looked like Air France was going to install First Class on some upcoming A350s (which is exciting because Air France has one of the best First Class products in the world). While this has not yet been officially confirmed, we now have more details on the theoretical schedule for this event thanks to some new information. Air France’s shrinking premium footprintAir France First Class (known as “La Premiere”) is one of the most exclusive first class products in the world. Historically, First Class was available on the following aircraft:
Air France has just discontinued its entire A380 fleet Air France retired its entire A380 fleet in 2020, leaving more than half of La Premiere’s seats. In fairness, Air France’s first class was much better on the 777 than it was on the A380 so I don’t see this as a huge loss without the cabins being reconfigured. At the same time, I feared that after the A380 First Class was withdrawn, the airline might cut first class completely, as it might have been difficult to justify this with a small footprint. Some Air France A350s are likely to be top-notchIt is believed that Air France will install La Premiere First Class on part of its Airbus A350-900 fleet. Air France has ordered a total of 38 A350s, 11 of which have already been added to the French airline’s fleet. There were questions about when Air France’s first A350 would be delivered with First Class. There is a fantastic Wikipedia page for Air France’s fleet that has been very historically accurate. As a result, Air France’s 20th Airbus A350-900 will be the first to feature a world-class cabin from La Premiere. Air France A350 This aircraft would have the registration code F-HTYT and is already in production. Based on the current delivery schedule, I would estimate Air France will be delivering this aircraft in 12 to 18 months. Let me reiterate that this is all speculation and that Air France, in one way or another, has not confirmed it. Even if it’s true, it remains to be seen: For anyone wondering the original source of this rumor (since last year), it was first revealed on a blog for Air France’s flight attendants union. Allegedly there had been a meeting regarding changes to the A350 configuration. Air France’s flight attendants union was not particularly pleased with the addition of first class to the A350, claiming:
While I can appreciate the frustration in general, this is a common multiple aircraft challenge and I’m not sure any airline has come up with a great solution to this. Air France’s A350 Business Class What could Air France’s A350 first class look like?At this point we are way ahead of ourselves considering how little detail there is, but who doesn’t like a bit of speculation? ? Initially, I would assume that the A350’s first-class cabin will be very intimate, similar to the 777’s. I would suspect that we will only see one row of seats, probably with a total of four seats in the cabin. Air France 777 First Class Air France’s premium 777 product is a genius. The design is quite simple: each seat has curtains to give full privacy to the passengers (and not just a door that is not very high). This is a product that can be easily installed on the A350.
Could we see Air France developing a new product? I suppose we haven’t seen much innovation when it comes to the first class of the A350, although we haven’t seen much else. Malaysia Airlines was the only airline to install First Class on A350, and that product has since been renamed Business Suites. While Malaysia Airlines has doors in the cabin, the seats feel pretty tight, so personally I prefer the Air France concept by far. A350 Business Suites operated by Malaysia Airlines
I don’t know of any top-notch products in existence that would otherwise make sense on the Air France A350, but who knows, some très chic is probably being worked on behind the scenes. Starlux Airlines is also planning to install First Class on its A350, which will be delivered from the beginning of 2022. In addition, Lufthansa is planning to install First Class on some of the upcoming A350s. Bottom lineWhile we have to wait for the full details, it seems increasingly likely that Air France intends to install its premium product La Premiere on some A350s. The current theory seems that the airline will begin installing first class for the 20th Airbus A350 delivery, which I would expect in just over a year. We hope that this information is correct and that Air France’s first class will live on for the long term. It’s interesting to see that both Air France and Lufthansa are reportedly planning first class cabins on A350 when it was previously an aircraft in which airlines avoided first class. I think this reflects the airlines that are retiring larger planes but are still seeing first class demand. What do you think of Air France, which is installing First Class on the A350? (Hat tip to Clem) Via https://globalconnekt.com/report-air-france-will-install-first-class-on-a350/ Several co-branded Hilton Honors Amex cards offer a free weekend night certificate, either as an annual benefit (like the Hilton Aspire Card) or as an incentive to spend money on a card (like the Hilton Surpass Card). There is some great news as some of these certificates have again been renewed. In this case, the expiry of the Hilton Free Night Certificates issued before May 1, 2020 will be extended. These should expire earlier on August 31, 2021, but are now valid until January 3, 2021. To just summarize the expiration dates of the pending Hilton Free Night Certificates:
While in the past these were weekend-free night certificates, those issued until at least the end of 2021 can be used for stays on any day of the week and not just on weekends. This gives tremendous flexibility to these rewards. This post is everything you need to know about redeeming Hilton Certificates for Free Weekend Nights. Redeem your free night at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Bottom lineHilton Honors just extended the expiration date of some 2020 night credit card-free certificates that should expire in late August 2021. These have now been extended until the beginning of 2022. In general, Hilton Honors did a fantastic job expanding the benefits during the pandemic, and the Free Nights Certificates are a great example of that. I loved the flexibility of being able to redeem it for stays any night of the week. Are you taking advantage of the latest free Hilton Night Certificate upgrade? Via https://globalconnekt.com/hilton-extends-credit-card-free-night-awards/ We have to mark this as “developing” for now, but it looks like Cold War aviation may be brewing … Many countries are imposing sanctions on Belarus after the country essentially hijacked a Ryanair 737 that was flying between Athens and Vilnius. At that time, Belavia was banned from using European Union airspace and airlines are also being warned against using Belarusian airspace. We knew Russia was on the Belarusian side, although a big question was what that would mean in practice, especially as far as aviation is concerned. Well, we may have our answer, and it may be pretty petty – Russia may block some inbound flights avoiding Belarusian airspace. This was first noticed when Air France’s flight from Paris to Moscow was canceled yesterday. It was explained that this was “for operational reasons related to the bypassing of Belarusian airspace, which required a new permit from the Russian authorities to enter their territory”. Today’s Air France flight on the route has also been canceled, and tomorrow’s flight has already been proactively canceled. This wasn’t a one-time (or triple, I suppose) thing either. The same thing happened today with Austrian Airlines on their flight from Vienna to Moscow. When airlines change their routes they have to submit new flight schedules and Russia simply chooses not to approve them as usual. It doesn’t seem to have any other reason than being petty, for there is no other logical justification. It should now be made clear that flights to other Russian destinations are going as usual, some flights to Moscow are going normally and that we only have limited data points so far and therefore cannot say anything definitely. But if this is what it seems, it wouldn’t really surprise anyone. Things are escalating and if this continues it could potentially have a massive global impact on aviation. At the moment, Russia seems petty about flights to Moscow, but the country could eventually impose a reciprocal flight ban (which it would view as such) and block its airspace for any airline registered in a country that has its airspace to Belarus blocked? This could take the form of simply not approving flight plans, rather than a general ban. Russia is a huge country and has one of the “most important” airspaces for airlines operating in all types of long haul markets, as well as all the restrictions that come with that. I’m not saying that will happen, but neither can it be ruled out. Bottom lineRussia appears to be blocking some flights that choose to avoid Belarusian airspace by not approving modified flight schedules. Only a limited number of flights are currently affected. However, if this escalates, it could have a significant impact on global aviation. Russia is clearly on Belarus’ side, so this is one opportunity for Russia to stir the pot. While we’re not there yet, I don’t think we can rule out Russia, which is imposing widespread airspace restrictions. What do you think of Russia blocking flights that avoid Belarusian airspace? Via https://globalconnekt.com/russia-blocks-flights-avoiding-belarusian-airspace/ But that escalated quickly … The EU sanctions against Belavia Belarusian AirlinesThe European Union has imposed sanctions on every airline from Belarus. This mainly affects Belavia Belarusian Airlines, the state airline of Belarus. With these sanctions, Belavia cannot operate to airports in the European Union or to the airspace of the European Union. We are gradually seeing that these sanctions are being implemented by individual countries. For example, a Belavia plane made a 2.5 hour flight to nowhere yesterday. The plane was supposed to fly from Minsk to Barcelona, but after taking off the pilots learned that they were not allowed to use French airspace. All of this is in response to the Belarusian government essentially kidnapping an escape between Greece and Lithuania in order to arrest an enemy of the corrupt government. The EU has introduced sanctions against Belavia Belavia cancels routes until October 30thBelavia announced today that the national carrier will be canceling a dozen routes between May 27 and October 30, 2021 due to flight bans. This includes flights between Minsk and the following destinations:
Belavia’s canceled European routes This includes the entire network of the airline to the European Union. While Kaliningrad is in Russia, the reason for this cancellation is that the airport is virtually inaccessible without using European Union airspace. If you look at the schedule, you’ll find that Belavia actually zeroed availability for most of these markets by the end of the summer schedule (which runs through the end of October). What’s surprising about Belavia’s flight cancellations?It is no surprise that, given the sanctions in place, Belavia is currently canceling flights to the European Union. However, I’m a bit surprised that the airline is canceling a dozen routes for more than five months as this is drastic. Obviously, the airline and the government see no chance of a solution here soon, otherwise I cannot imagine the flight schedule being canceled so far away. That suggests this could get very ugly … So many people will not be able to enjoy Belavia’s on-board catering! Bottom lineBelavia Belarusian Airlines canceled a dozen routes (mainly to the European Union) by October 30, 2021. This certainly indicates that the Belarusian government is expecting an extended battle here, which at first glance is not a great surprise under the circumstances. Are you surprised to see Belavia cancel flights until October 30th? Via https://globalconnekt.com/wow-belavia-is-canceling-flights-for-months/
Marriott Bonvoy has changed its Points Advance program. Some people won’t be happy about this, but I think it’s a completely fair change, and if anything, it will be a positive development for many members. What is the Marriott Points Advance feature?In some cases, Marriott Bonvoy has a points advance feature that allows members to make an award reservation at a hotel even if they do not have enough points to complete the stay. The way it works is that you just make one booking and then there is no reward certificate attached. As long as you earn or purchase required points at least 14 days prior to check-in, you’re good to go. If you do not have the required points 14 days later, your reservation will be canceled. This is intended as a gesture of goodwill and ultimately also keeps people sticking to the program. If you’ve booked an award stay at a hotel you’re really looking forward to, the more likely you’ll be on the program and keep earning points. What’s changing with Marriott Points Advance?Effective immediately, Marriott Points pre-reservations can only be made 60 days from the time of booking. Otherwise they will be canceled. As previously:
Why is Marriott changing its Points Advance Policy?It is stated that Marriott has seen an increase in Points Advance bookings at some of the most popular resorts, many of which are being canceled. Apparently around 25% of all award bookings at some of the most popular Marriott Points resorts are advance reservations. This may disadvantage members who would otherwise book with their points. This also has an economic impact on the properties as many stays are canceled just two weeks later and it is difficult for some destinations to resell rooms at this point. Personally, I think this is a fair and perhaps even overdue change to the policy. Marriott’s Points Advance feature is one of the most generous in the industry, and I believe this has been taken advantage of (of course, members shouldn’t be held responsible – they were playing by Marriott rules). Ultimately, it is better for members who actually have enough points to redeem if Award Nights are not speculatively reserved in this way. Bottom lineMarriott adds restrictions on Points Advance reservations. In the future, you will need enough points for your reservation either 60 days after booking or 14 days before check-in, whichever comes first. This is because Marriott canceled the number of reservations for points in advance within two weeks, making it difficult for some hotels to resell these rooms. Personally, I am in favor of this change as it should make more rewards available to those who actually intend to complete stays. What do you think of the change to the Marriott Bonvoy Points Advance Policy? Via https://globalconnekt.com/marriott-bonvoy-is-adjusting-the-point-feed-feature/ |
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