Cranky Flier

Cranky on the Web (Nov 2 – 6)

The Cranky Flier — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:09:40 GMT

Cranky Concierge watches your back – Hartford Courant More on Cranky Concierge. It’s picking up steam. Delta Air Lines Rips Into International Association of Machinists – BNET The IAM has postponed its representation efforts for Delta’s...(read more)

Win a Southwest Flight Schedule Signed by Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett with a Tribute to Timetables

The Cranky Flier — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:00:59 GMT

If you’re an airline dork, you love timetables. It’s just the way it’s always been. And with Southwest finally issuing its last timetable this year, the era of printed timetables in the US has come to a close. I asked Southwest for a...(read more)

SkyWest to Start Flying for AirTran in Milwaukee

The Cranky Flier — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:28:09 GMT

You cheeseheads may still be hurting from your second Favre-related beatdown this year, but you can rejoice that you now have yet another airline coming to town. SkyWest (yes, the regional airline) will begin flying for AirTran in Milwaukee. It’s...(read more)

Midwest Airlines Stops Flying (Its Own Planes)

The Cranky Flier — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:00:15 GMT

This may seem like a footnote to some, but just two days ago, Midwest officially stopped flying its own aircraft. That doesn’t mean, as we all know, that the Midwest brand is going away. It just means that now it is nothing more than a brand. So...(read more)

If You Want to Try Wifi Onboard, You’ll Have Plenty of Free Chances

The Cranky Flier — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:31:13 GMT

It’s no surprise that when you make something completely free, people use it a lot more often than if you make them pay. Duh. And that’s why it’s not surprising to see airlines scrambling to find a way to offer wireless internet for...(read more)

JetSuite Launches New Private Jet Charter Operation and I Go For a Ride (Trip Report)

The Cranky Flier — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:56:27 GMT

I know very little about private jet chartering. I’ve never done it, and in fact I’ve never even been on a private jet. So when PR guru Gareth Edmonson-Jones (formerly of Virgin Atlantic and JetBlue) asked if I wanted to learn more about the...(read more)

Cranky on the Web (October 26 – 30)

The Cranky Flier — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:51:16 GMT

Continental Joins Star Alliance Tomorrow – BNET Continental is in no-man’s land as they end their SkyTeam participation and prepare for Star Alliance. Ontario’s Air Traffic Glut Draws Anger Toward LA – BNET Ontario’s traffic...(read more)

Midwest and Frontier Start Swapping Airplanes in the Middle of the Day

The Cranky Flier — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:46:23 GMT

We’ve talked about how Republic’s acquisition of Frontier and Midwest has given the carrier tremendous flexibility in moving its airplanes around between its different subsidiaries. We’ve already seen announcements that Frontier will...(read more)

United Retires The 737 (Trip Report)

The Cranky Flier — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:08:56 GMT

Yesterday was something of a flashback for me. When United offered just a couple days ago to give me a seat on the last 737 flight before retirement, I figured, yeah why not? You’d think I would have been more excited, but I have mixed emotions...(read more)

Lufthansa Gets a Gold Star For Going Above and Beyond

The Cranky Flier — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:44:47 GMT

I’m going to be taking United’s last 737 flight today from LAX to San Francisco and then I’m turning right back around, so if anyone will be at either end, please come say hello. Of course, wasting half my day sitting on an airplane...(read more)

How Did Those Northwest Pilots Miss the Airport?

The Cranky Flier — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:31:14 GMT

It has been plastered all over the news, but I wanted to wait a little until we had more information on what happened. Now that the NTSB has released its early findings, let’s talk. This is a mess. You know the story – Northwest 188 from San...(read more)

What I Told the Airline People at the Frequent Flier Conference

The Cranky Flier — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:46:45 GMT

Thank you to everyone who commented, emailed, and tweeted about what you wanted to see from the airlines regarding loyalty programs. I joined with Nicholas Kralev from the Washington Times on Friday morning up on the stage to tell the crowd what you said...(read more)

Cranky on the Web (October 19-23)

The Cranky Flier — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:59:10 GMT

United Learns That Some People Don’t Want Free Upgrades – BNET United has now made upgrades free for all elites, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy. They’re taking away benefits as well. Slight Gains in Premium Traffic in...(read more)

Southwest Boosts Denver and St Louis

The Cranky Flier — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:56:02 GMT

I know I just wrote about Southwest yesterday, but the news keeps coming. This time, it’s not a new city but rather, putting a couple of existing cities on steroids. Both St Louis and Denver are growing. One of these, I like a lot. Wanna guess which...(read more)

Tomorrow, I’m Telling Airline Marketing Folks What Customers Want – So What Do You Want?

The Cranky Flier — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:19:48 GMT

I mentioned yesterday that I am attending the ARAC FFP Mega Event this week and that I’d be speaking tomorrow. Well, it turns out that I could use your help. This event is attended by industry people – the same people who are responsible for...(read more)