This could be the fanciest American Airlines related thing I’ve ever seen … On-board bars, the new retro bar cart from American AirlinesBordbar is a Cologne-based company that every aviation freak should appreciate. The company makes aircraft cars that you can proudly display in your home or office. They’re not cheap, but they’re high quality and ridiculously beautiful. While the company makes “generic” airplane bar carts for consumers, it also has a licensing agreement with Lufthansa and Pan Am. Lufthansa aircraft car Well, the company is now partnering with a third airline – American Airlines! Bordbar’s latest product is a car with the iconic retro American Airlines logo. As described, the car consists of polished stainless steel, a silver anodized frame and over 500 hand-placed rivets. American Airlines aircraft car
American Airlines aircraft car Very nice how much?I’m sure I won’t be the only Avgeek who salivates at the thought of having this in my house. So how expensive is it? Well it ain’t cheap! The American Airlines basic retro cart costs EUR 1,694.11, and shipping to the US costs EUR 195, making a total of EUR 1,889.11. That’s ~ $ 2,300. This does not include possible further customization options for the interior, depending on what you are planning for the bar. For what it’s worth, we’ve seen airline galley wagons sell for less in the past. For example, Qantas recently sold some used 747 galley carts that cost a little over $ 1,000 and were stocked with snacks, drinks, and even pajamas. However, these could not be sent to the USA. Ultimately, Bordbor turned galley carts into art – these are not used, they are specially made for consumers, and the quality reflects that. While they aren’t cheap, they look like a fantastic bar or living room to any Avgeek who can swing them. Bottom lineBordbar makes some of the highest quality galley trolleys. In the past the company had licensing agreements with Lufthansa and Pan Am, and now you can add American Airlines to that list too. This is mighty tempting … if only it was a little cheaper. Anyone planning to pick up one of these galley wagons or do they know where to get a better deal on a car in good condition these days? Via https://globalconnekt.com/fainted-retro-american-airlines-bar-carts-for-sale/
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The Amex promotions program often offers discounts on hotel stays, and we have just seen the return of an offer that I know many luxury hotel lovers will appreciate. With a new targeted offer for Amex offers, you can Save $ 150 when you spend $ 750 + at Four Seasons. This offer is valid on qualifying room rates and rates between May 27th and August 31st, 2021. This is a great offer as it translates into savings of up to 20% on a Four Seasons stay (in the right increments). Note the following terms:
While you must book directly, a Four Seasons Preferred Partner booking does qualify (and if you are booking a Four Seasons hotel be sure to book through the Preferred Partner program as it will give you extra perks like breakfast and an available room upgrade and upgrade more). In the meantime, a booking for Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts would normally not qualify as this is billed directly by Amex these days.
Bottom lineThere’s a new deal on Amex Deals that can save you $ 150 when you spend more than $ 750 on a Four Seasons stay. This is a great deal if you are considering a Four Seasons stay this summer. Also, make sure you book through Preferred Partner for perks like free breakfast, credit, upgrade, and more. Was your account eligible for this Four Seasons Amex offer and are you planning to take advantage of it? Via https://globalconnekt.com/save-for-four-seasons-with-amex-offers/ I feel bad for the passengers and crew, but otherwise this seems well deserved? Belavia’s flight to Barcelona did not go as plannedBelavia is the state airline of Belarus. Yesterday (May 26, 2021), Belavia flight B2869 was scheduled to fly from Minsk (MSQ) to Barcelona (BCN) with 54 people on board. The planned flight of approximately 1,480 miles was performed by an Embraer E195LR, although it did not go as intended. As you can see on Flightradar24, the plane did not land to Barcelona, but where it took off. During the 2-hour, 28-minute flight, the aircraft initially took off the expected route, but as the flight approached the board of Poland it entered a holding pattern. As far as I can tell, the plane circled at least nine times before finally returning straight to Minsk. The flight path for a Belavia’s flight to nowhere So what happenedWe have seen European countries start restricting their airspace to Belavia as it belongs to the government which essentially hijacked a commercial aircraft flying between two other countries. If these restrictions were put in place, you’d think that an airplane just wouldn’t take off. So what went wrong here? According to reports:
With Belavia increasingly facing airspace restrictions, it should come as no surprise that something like this happened. I think, if anything, the surprise is that Belavia did not proactively cancel this flight as restrictions were imminent and this plane could potentially get stuck in another country. At this point, Belavia appears to have canceled all flights to the European Union for Thursday and Friday. Belavia has canceled all European Union flights in the coming days Bottom lineYesterday Belavia, the national airline of Belarus, operated a flight of about 2.5 hours to nowhere. The flight was supposed to go to Spain, but France closed its airspace to Belavia just minutes before the plane took off. Apparently the pilots were only made aware of this when they were about to enter Polish airspace. At this point they entered a pattern on hold. If only Belarusian air traffic control would scrutinize the closed airspace warning as carefully as the propagation of imaginary bombing attacks (to be fair, I recognize that these decisions were made at higher levels) … (Hat tip to Josh) Via https://globalconnekt.com/belavias-2-5-hour-flight-from-minsk-to-nowhere/ KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced a long-haul expansion for this winter, although new destinations don’t necessarily have to be added in the way you’d expect. KLM’s intercontinental expansion in winter 2021For the 2021 winter season (which runs from October 31, 2021 to March 26, 2022), KLM will expand its network where recovery is expected to be the fastest. The airline is expanding the following six destinations:
KLM’s new long-haul routes for the winter season 2021 How KLM adds flights to OrlandoAs you can see, Orlando is KLM’s only new long haul destination in the US. This is combined with the Miami service, a market that KLM has long served (although it has been closed due to coronavirus). The flight is operated on Mondays and Saturdays with the following flight schedule: KL625 Amsterdam to Orlando departure 11.15am arrival 3pm The flight operates on Thursdays and Fridays with the following flight schedule: KL629 Amsterdam to Miami departure 10.40 a.m. arrival 2.40 p.m. I am always fascinated by the strategy behind these triangular routes:
If anything, I think what surprises me is that KLM doesn’t think there will be enough demand for both routes independently this winter. Provided the travel restrictions are lifted (which I think is a safe bet) and with Florida wide open, I have a feeling Europeans will be flocking to Miami this winter. You have certainly done pre-coronavirus, and I’m sure this will only be more extreme post-coronavirus. I wouldn’t be surprised if Florida gets more capacity. Interestingly, this is not the first such triangular flight we’ve seen in this market. Before the corona virus, TUI also operated a route from Amsterdam to Orlando to Miami to Amsterdam. KLM will roll out the service in Orlando Bottom lineKLM announced an intercontinental expansion this winter that will make Orlando its newest travel destination in the US. The airline will simply add Orlando to their existing Miami service. This is a safe way to add a minimal risk target. It will be interesting to see if the triangle service will be maintained in the long term, whether Orlando will eventually get a direct flight, or whether the Orlando service will be discontinued altogether. It’s a shame that you can’t book KLM exclusively between Orlando and Miami! What do you think of KLM’s new Orlando triangle route? Via https://globalconnekt.com/klm-expands-orlando-service-with-new-triangle-flight/ Hawaiian Airlines has just started a gift card promotion. This is possibly the best scenario for airline promotions as you get a benefit from spending money with the airline without committing to a specific trip. We saw Hawaiians offer this promotion about a year ago too, although suffice it to say it could be more interesting now as people start to travel on a broader basis. Hawaiian Airlines is offering 5x miles on gift cardsThrough May 31, 2021, Hawaiian Airlines is offering 5x HawaiianMiles for every dollar spent on digital gift cards. This is possibly a solid advertisement:
Is this promo worth it?If you fly Hawaiian Airlines on any frequency it can be good business. Personally, I don’t particularly like HawaiianMiles – I think they’re worth about a dime each. For me, this means a 5% return on gift card purchases. This doesn’t take into account the value you would get from spending credit cards or the miles you would actually earn flying. I suppose this is better than nothing, although this is probably a case where I’d rather hold onto my money. Of course, Hawaiian frequent fliers may feel differently. Bottom lineHawaiian Airlines is offering 5x miles for the first $ 4,000 worth of gift cards you purchase. For someone who flies Hawaiian Airlines frequently, this could be good business. (Hat tip to frequent flyer bonuses) Via https://globalconnekt.com/hawaiian-airlines-is-offering-5x-miles-on-gift-cards/ In early 2021, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways formed a strategic alliance in the northeast. Up until that point, mutual mileage accrual was only available on codeshare flights, while it has now been rolled out system-wide, which is really exciting. Earn American AAdvantage miles with JetBlueYou can now earn eligible and redeemable miles from the American AAdvantage Elite for traveling with JetBlue. When it comes to earning redeemable miles, JetBlue is the first American AAdvantage partner where you earn miles based on your spend, not a percentage of your flight distance. In fact, miles accruing will reflect what you would get from American:
When it comes to elite qualification, members collect between 100 and 300% elite qualification miles per mile flown, depending on the fare class, with the exception of basic economy. Meanwhile, elite qualifying dollars are earned based on ticket cost, just like Americans. Note that in all cases where income rates are based on expenses, the base price and fuel surcharges apply, while government-imposed taxes and fees do not apply. Earn American AAdvantage miles on all JetBlue flights Earn JetBlue TrueBlue points on AmericanYou can now earn JetBlue TrueBlue Elite qualification and redeemable points for traveling with Americans. Again, the points-earning ratios pretty much reflect what you would make with JetBlue:
As always, base rates and fuel surcharges are considered eligible expenses, while the government does not collect taxes or fees.
I accept this reciprocity of loyaltyI’m really impressed with the launch of this loyalty partnership between American AAdvantage and JetBlue TrueBlue:
Personally, I would say that this is the best scenario when it comes to earning miles each other. And I have to say, American AAdvantage looks pretty appealing as it can earn miles on both Alaska Airlines and JetBlue for a great price. I look forward to earning AAdvantage American miles on my JetBlue Mint ticket Bottom lineAmerican and JetBlue have reciprocal miles earned on their networks, and the miles earned are excellent. Members typically earn miles and qualify to travel on the other airline at the same pace as their own airline. What do you think of the AAdvantage & TrueBlue Miles Earning Agreement? Via https://globalconnekt.com/american-jetblue-add-reciprocal-mileage-earning/
We’ve seen a lot of fairly empty long haul flights due to the pandemic, and we’ve even seen stories of some single-passenger flights, although these usually involve smaller planes. However, this is the first time I remember seeing a story of such a large aircraft with only one passenger. Emirates flies with one passenger from Mumbai to DubaiA traveler uploaded a video of flying from Mumbai to Delhi on an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER and he was the only passenger. This flight is reported to have taken place on May 19th, although I’m not sure about this schedule – I got the impression that Emirates had previously banned outbound passengers from India. In the roughly two-minute video, the traveler states that he usually doesn’t make videos, but that he “felt special” because he was the only passenger on the Emirates flight to Dubai. In the video you can see the passenger being escorted down the jet bridge to the door of the aircraft (as he was the only passenger) and once on board he is greeted enthusiastically by several crew members who clap for him. The captain even comes out and says, “We usually do a big PA announcing the flight details, but since it’s the only one here on board, I’ll give it to you.” The passenger jokes that the last time he did a charter it was a 50 seater (if I get him right). The crew then gives him a tour of the three-cabin aircraft, which has a total of 354 seats. It is not entirely clear which cabin the passenger booked in and which cabin the passenger ultimately flew in. While I understand that there are usually strict rules for free upgrades, I think this is one case where it would have been appropriate to bump him into a premium booth if he wasn’t already in one. ? You can watch the video here:
Why should Emirates operate this flight?Some may wonder why Emirates would bother operating a single passenger flight. Well, the logistics of international aviation these days is pretty complicated:
While chances are Emirates wasn’t just rolling in the dough with just one passenger, I suspect the situation wasn’t as bad as it looks. Bottom lineIt sure has been a wild ride for the aviation industry over the past 16 months. We have seen many flights that were emptier than usual, although an Emirates 777 flight with just one passenger must be something of a record. That must have been a cool experience for the passenger!
Via https://globalconnekt.com/emirates-boeing-777-flies-with-one-passenger/ Greece was recently opened to tourists from around the world, although all passengers are required to fill out a passenger search form prior to their arrival. Given that I’m currently on a trip to Greece, I wanted to share how it works – how complicated is it to fill out the form and what’s the experience like when you land in Greece? Who can visit Greece?Greece has been more or less open to visitors from all over the world since mid-May. To enter, visitors must have either a negative coronavirus test, vaccination, or recovery from coronavirus:
Of course, be sure to visit the official website of the Greek government as the entry restrictions could change again. How does Greece’s passenger search form work?All passengers traveling to Greece must complete a passenger search form prior to departure. This form must be submitted no later than 23:59 (local time in Greece) the day before arrival. The good news is that this form is pretty simple as it took about 10 minutes to fill out the entire form. I would argue that the process is a lot easier than the UK Passenger Search form. One great thing is that if you are traveling as a group, one person can fill out the form and then add more people to the form. Now let’s go through the actual passenger search form process. First, you want to register an account by entering your email address and then choosing a password. Then you will be asked to agree to a few things including the fact that you have read the Greek coronavirus logs, that you are being honest, and that you only submit one form per family per household. You will then want to make it clear that you are going to Greece (unless you are a Greek citizen or permanent resident, in which case you will also need to fill out the form when you leave the country). You will then be asked to provide details on how to get to Greece. If you are flying, you will need to provide your flight details, including all connections within Greece. You will then be asked if you have proof of vaccination, negative coronavirus test, or proof of recovery from coronavirus to enter the country. Since I chose the vaccination option, I was asked which country I was vaccinated in and which vaccine I received. I was then asked for a variety of personal information, including name, gender, age, and passport information. Next, I was asked for my address in Greece – you should list all the places you will be staying for the first 14 days of your stay. You will also need to provide emergency contact information. Finally, you have the option to add travel companions to your passenger search form. First you have the option to add family members and then you have the option to add non-family travel companions. I’m really glad Greece has this option as you only need to fill out one form per group. And that’s it – at that point you will be taken to a page where you can view your submitted passenger search form. You will immediately receive an email confirming that you have submitted this. On the day of your arrival in Greece at midnight (or maybe a few minutes later) you will be emailed a QR code that will allow you to enter Greece. This email had the following subject line:
By the way, it is probably time they updated the email. Although most of Greece’s lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the email stated:
What happens when you land in Greece?What is the arrival experience like when you arrive in Greece? I was prepared for utter chaos, not for any reason, but because I was planning the worst and hoping for the best. Fortunately, this fear was unfounded. We landed at Athens International Airport (ATH) and upon arrival followed the signs for immigration. I think the country used firefighters to help with the entry process. All passengers had to queue for firefighters to scan QR codes and check vaccination cards (we showed our CDC cards and that was the trick). That was it – the whole process took less than a minute. QR code & immigration controls upon landing in Athens From there we just got into the standard immigration queues which took maybe 15 minutes to get through. The immigration officers didn’t ask for our vaccination cards or QR codes. It was a painless arrival process. I hope it stays that way, although of course I would notice that we are traveling well before the midsummer tourist season and I think this may not go as smoothly in July. Bottom lineAnyone traveling to Greece must complete a passenger search form prior to travel, which must be submitted at least the day prior to arrival. The good news is that this form is easy to fill out and you can even use one form for a whole group traveling together. The arrival process in Greece went smoothly for us – firefighters checked our QR code and CDC cards, and then we just went to the normal immigration queue. We hope this process will remain as easy as this, even as the number of tourists increases. If you have traveled to Greece since the country reopened to tourists, what was your experience like? Via https://globalconnekt.com/how-to-fill-out-the-greek-passenger-search-form/ I’m not sure whether to be impressed or dismayed by United’s significant reward that it is even necessary … United offers up to 13 hours of wages for vaccinationUnited Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) reached an agreement this week on vaccinations for pilots:
How much money are we talking about? United’s pilot pay scale is $ 352 an hour, so some pilots could charge up to $ 4,600 for vaccination (to be clear, that’s the absolute highest pay for the largest aircraft and seniority, as well as the most pilots earn significantly less). The union leader has stated that ALPA is focusing on “encouraging maximum voluntary participation rather than such a mandate” that requires pilots to be vaccinated. For a context:
United pilots could get thousands of dollars for the vaccination Vaccine uptake in the industry is surprisingly lowYou would think (hope?) That airline employees would be among the first to get vaccinated. Vaccines allow our lives to resume, and the aviation industry in particular relies on widespread vaccination (just look at the current border restrictions). What surprises me is that the data we’ve seen actually suggests that airline employees in the US are only being vaccinated at a slightly higher rate than the population average. For example, a few weeks ago the CEO of Delta boasted that more than 60% of Delta employees received at least one dose of vaccine, which was barely above the adult population average. I heard the numbers are similar for other airlines. I can understand the concept of incentivizing vaccinations early on when it took some effort to get an appointment. But at this point you can get vaccinated just about anywhere, so I wonder how many incentives like this will move the needle. I would think most people fit into one of two camps when it comes to their vaccination philosophy:
Is United relying on there to be a significant number of pilots who have an opinion somewhere between the two? I recognize that some people are in the “wait and see” camp when it comes to getting vaccinated, but realistically we’d be talking for years and years and again that just seems like a bad risk calculation. Or does United hope that unvaccinated pilots fall into the category “I don’t want to get a microchip, but 13 hours of wages are 13 hours of wages”? Will this incentive lead to reluctant pilots being vaccinated? Bottom lineUnited Airlines doesn’t prescribe vaccines to employees, but rather provides the greatest incentive we’ve seen from an airline (at least to my knowledge). United is offering pilots up to 13 hours of vaccination wages, which could translate into thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, other United employees who interact much more with customers are getting very little. What do you think of United Airlines’ vaccination incentive for pilots? Via https://globalconnekt.com/united-gives-pilots-a-huge-incentive-to-vaccinate/
At the weekend, a Ryanair flight between Greece and Lithuania was diverted to Belarus in order to arrest a journalist. Belarus claimed it received a bomb hazard because of this flight, blaming the diversion. However, it is pretty clear that the Belarusian government essentially hijacked the flight to apprehend an enemy. Belarus has received a tremendous backlash from the international community for this, so the government has done everything in its power to justify what happened, including blatant lies, including blaming Hamas. The Belarusian government has now released the ATC audio of the incident. The government also claims that a fighter jet was only deployed after the Ryanair pilots made the decision to divert to Belarus. It is worth noting, however, that this ATC audio has not been verified by a third party, nor has the history of when the fighter jet was deployed. Here is the audio, as reported by Reuters:
This transcript sounds reasonable enough most of the time, which does not mean that some things may not have been left out, but that it does not sound out entirely. The Belarusian authorities also claim they tried to contact Ryanair’s Lithuania office by phone but were unable to contact anyone. That sounds believable too. ? Even so, this story is still complete nonsense:
Bottom lineIt seems to me that Belarus thought it could arrest a foreign journalist and let him fly under the radar, but the government is clearly getting a lot more backlash than expected. It is interesting to see how the Belarusian government tries to back up its story, from being guilty of Hamas to the publication of the alleged minutes of the discussion between pilots and air traffic controllers. I’m curious what justification comes next … Via https://globalconnekt.com/transcript-between-belarusian-atc-and-ryanair-pilots/ |
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