A tribute to Xáat Kwáani (Salmon People) of Alaska

Alaska Airlines unveiled its newest aircraft paint theme yesterday – Xáat Kwáani –
designed by the talented Alaska Native artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl. Xáat
Kwáani means “Salmon People” in the Alaskan Tlingit (pronounced Klink-it) language and refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon and all of us who benefit from their stewardship of the environment.

Using Northwest Coast formline art, the salmon design by Worl is a one-of-a-kind work that
honors salmon, culture, artistic expression, and language. Traditional formline art dates back
thousands of years and is a two-dimensional design style of the Northwest Coast.

“Every time I looked at an Alaska plane, I couldn’t help but visualize the salmon being in
formline, or having some sort of design that represents identity. I can’t help but look at things
and see how to Indigenize them,” said Worl. “I have high hopes this project will encourage
people to learn and embrace Indigenous culture and values.”

Through her art, Worl aims to bring attention to Indigenous culture and to pass on ancestral
values to a new generation.

A Tribute To Strength and Resilience

As a tribute to salmon and its ancestral importance, this aircraft is the first in the country to be named in an Alaska Native language and the first time Alaska Airlines has featured a language besides English on the main door of an aircraft.

“This will be significant to have Indigenous language on an airplane,” says Crystal. “People will see it, they’ll read it, they’ll try to say ‘Xáat Kwáani’ (Salmon People), and they’ll want to know more and be curious to learn about it and want to feel connected to it. I think that’s significant in terms of the relationship we need to make between our languages that need speakers. So, I’m excited to be part of this.”

“Crystal Worl has a love of monumental art — most recently murals gracing the sides of
buildings in Juneau and Anchorage for locals and visitors to enjoy. And we had a large blank
canvas — a 737-800,” said Marilyn Romano, regional vice president, Alaska Airlines. “During
our first conversation, Crystal shared her desire to paint an Alaska Airlines plane — she has
flown with us most of her life. Salmon as a focus was intentional and Crystal shares the
relationship between salmon and Native people through storytelling and artistic design.”

Salmon has a special meaning and significance in the state of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and
along the West Coast. Some travel as far as 600 miles each way, each uniquely adapted to its
particular river system, ocean and watershed environment.

The Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-800 is the first livery of a U.S. airline fleet to have the name of
the plane in an Alaska Native language and the first time Alaska Airlines has featured a
language besides English on the main door of an aircraft.

“This will be significant to have Indigenous language on an airplane,” said Worl. “People will see
it, they’ll read it, they’ll try to say ‘Xáat Kwáani’ (Salmon People), and they’ll want to know more
and be curious to learn about it and want to feel connected to it. I’m excited to be part of this.”

The aircraft will begin flying on May 12, 2023, with an inaugural flight from Anchorage through
Southeast Alaska. First stop of Alaska Airlines flight 62 will be through Crystal’s hometown of
Juneau, the state’s capital, before it continues through Sitka, Ketchikan and Seattle.

What It Took To Create ‘X’aat Kw’aani

Painting a special livery is a delicate job that begins with removing the old paint.  For this special livery, required:

• 117  gallons of paint,
• Four main colors were used: Midnight Blue, Atlas Blue, White and Pink,
• The paint shop was able to complete the entire job in just 12 days and
• To keep the livery protected, a protective coat was applied over the base coats to keep this salmon looking fresh for years.

Here is how the paint shop created this flying mural:

About Crystal Worl

Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl is Tlingit Athabascan from Raven moiety, Lukaax̱.ádi
Sockeye Clan, from the Raven House and is Deg Hit’an Athabascan from Fairbanks, Alaska,
and Filipino. Worl has created several public art installations in Alaska including a design on the
side of Juneau’s Capitol City Fire Rescue ambulance, a steel cut medallion installed in
downtown Juneau, and a 60-foot by 25-foot mural of Tlingit activist Elizabeth Peratrovich on
Juneau’s downtown library building, and last year, painted a mural 125-foot by 48-foot in
Anchorage. In March 2023, Worl designed “The Art of Skateboarding” stamps for the United
States Postal Service that laud the sport of skateboarding — and what Indigenous groups have
brought to the skating culture. Today, Worl lives in Juneau, Alaska, as a co-owner and codesigner of Trickster Company with her brother Rico Worl. Trickster Company promotes
innovative Indigenous design focused on Northwest Coast art and exploring themes and
issues in Native culture.

Crystal’s expressive designs purposefully blend the old and new. Her work, whether it’s printmaking, painting or public art, recreates and modernizes her ancestors’ stories and explores the relationships and bonds that her people, the land and the animals share with Alaska so that generations learn its importance through traditional formline design, which dates back thousands of years. She says this aircraft will serve as a gateway to represent Alaska Natives, and she’s incredibly proud.

Her grandmother, Rosita Worl, remembers how even as a young toddler, Crystal couldn’t sit still, “The only thing that would slow her down were bright, bold, contrasting colors or patterns. I knew then she was going to be an artist,” she said.

Final Thoughts

Back in 1932, Harvey Barnhill and Linious “Mac” McGee founded Barnhill & McGee Airways. It became McGee Airways a few months later, solely owned and operated by Mac McGee.  Over the past 90 years, Alaska Airlines has gone beyond flying bush planes in Alaska to becoming the fifth-largest airline based in North America.  The airline has never forgotten its Alaskan roots and celebrates the native Tlingit people and the importance of salmon in their lives.  The choice of Alaskan native artist Crystal Worl put the whole thing together in Alaskan style for this tribute aircraft.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Airlines Salmon Livery Celebrates Indigenous Culture & Language.

The Hilton Honors Program

For me, the Hilton Honors loyalty program gives me plenty of value when it comes to earning and redeeming points.  Four features that I find extremely useful are:

• No resort fees are charged on award stays,
• Complimentary room upgrades,
• Executive lounge access and
• The fifth night is free using points on a standard rate room redemption.

There are four levels of Hilton Honors membership:

Shelly and I both have the American Express Hilton Aspire credit card which earns us up to 20 points per dollar spent along with a boatload of other perks.  Hilton Honors lets you purchase up to 80,000 points per year if you need to top off your tank to book an award stay.  Normally, I don’t purchase points or miles because the math isn’t there to entice me.  

The Current Points Purchase Offer

Usually about twice a year, Hilton Honors runs a sale on purchased points with two perks for purchasing:

• Hilton will award up to a 100% bonus on purchased miles and
• Hilton will waive the annual 80,000 maximum point purchase cap and allow you to double the maximum points purchase.

This means that you can purchase 160,000 and receive 160,000 bonus points for a maximum accrual of 320,000 points.  This is the sale that I wait for.  Hilton Honors is running this sale through May 9, 2023.  This sale is being run differently with the Mystery Bonus Points offer.  To make a points purchase, log into your Hilton Honors account and click on Points.  I found that Hilton Honors is now running a two-factor authentication so you will have to enter the six-digit code from the text message they send you.

This will take you to the Let’s get to the Points page

Click on Get Mystery Bonus Points

Click on Reveal Offer to find out what your bonus is from the drop-down box.  My offer was to purchase 160,000 and receive a bonus of 160,000 points for a total of 320,000 points.  Here is my purchase:

Busting The 160,000 Maximum Points Purchase

After purchasing points on my account, I went to do the same on Shelly’s account.  I repeated the steps above and she got a much better result.  Her mystery offer was to purchase up to 240,000 points and receive an additional 240,000 points for a total of 480,000 points.  Were my eyes deceiving me?  I have never seen Hilton run a points sales this big.  I jumped on this offer and purchased her mystery point deal on the spot.  Here is what she got:

Together we received 800,000 points for the price of just 400,000.  I think that a Waldorf Astoria hotel somewhere in the world is calling our names.

No Credit Card Bonus For This Purchase

The only drawback to purchasing points is that the actual seller of the points is points.com.  Most point and mile purchase deals are handled through points.com so the actual points that you receive for the credit card spend are usually earned at the standard rate.  With that in mind, choose the credit card that is most advantageous to you for this purchase.

Final Thoughts

Normally, I pass on purchasing both points and miles because the math just isn’t there.  I buy Hilton Honors points once a year when they offer a higher points purchase cap with a 100% bonus on purchased points.  This sale is different, your offer might break the 200% sale purchase cap and allow you to buy at a 300% purchase.  Remember that there are no resort fees charged on award stays and the fifth night is free at the standard award rate.  If you are a Hilton Honors elite member, ask for a complimentary room upgrade upon check-in.  This offer is scheduled to end on May 9, 2023.  Don’t let this sale get away from you.

Read the rest of this article at Buying Hilton Honors Points With Huge A Bonus Offer. We Did It!.

which airlines are helping families and which ones are not.

It’s A Good Idea

Keeping families together should be the rule and not the exception.  It shouldn’t have to be an additional expense to parents to do this.  There are valid reasons for keeping families together:

• Children need supervision,
• If there is an emergency, there is an adult there to assist,
• Some children have anxieties about flying a need their parents and
• There is the possibility of stranger danger when children are seated apart from their parents.

Airlines should realize that everybody will be better off when families are seated together and just do the right thing.  Airlines are reporting record-setting profits so this should be a no-brainer – just do the right thing.

Airline Family Seating Dashboard

A parent who purchases airline tickets for a family should receive a guarantee from the airline that it will seat the parent and child together without fees or a last-minute scramble at the gate or having to ask other passengers to give up their seats to allow the parent and child to sit together. On February 1, 2023, Secretary Buttigieg announced the Department’s plan to launch a dashboard that displays which airlines guarantee family seating. Since then, some airlines have stepped up to guarantee adjacent seats for young children traveling with an accompanying adult at no additional cost.

The DOT launched a new tool that is now live to help parents identify which airlines are working to keep families seated together during flights.  The dashboard so far shows ten U. S. airlines:

• Alaska
• Allegiant
• American
• Delta
• Frontier
• Hawaiian
• Jet Blue
• Southwest
• Spirit and
• United

The dashboard has a simple display for showing which airlines are using family-friendly policies:

• Airlines with a green check mark have family-friendly policies and
• Airlines with a red X do not.

DOT is not satisfied with airline statements that they will “make efforts” to seat families traveling with children together at no additional cost. The Department urges all airlines to guarantee family seating. DOT will update the dashboard above to provide air travelers with clear information about the airlines that commit to delivering adjacent seats for a young child and an accompanying parent and those that do not.

The dashboard will serve as a bridge to help families while the Department advances a rulemaking to ensure airlines seat young children adjacent to a parent or other accompanying adult. In addition, the President has called upon Congress to fast-track the ban on family seating fees so that DOT can take action to stop those practices more quickly than through rulemaking.

Limited Conditions

There are certain conditions that apply to these family-friendly policies.  If you need help sitting together, you need to know the limiting conditions ahead of time.

When using an airline that assigns seats, the airline can condition its guarantee on each of the following:

1. The child and accompanying adult are on the same reservation;
2. Adjacent seats are available at the time of booking in the selected class of service;
3. Aircraft is not substituted for smaller aircraft;
4. Adult either chooses seats for the entire reservation or skips seats for the entire reservation and does not make changes to seat assignments once assigned to them; and
5. It is physically possible based on seat layout to seat the number of young children traveling next to the accompanying adult(s).

When using an airline with an open seating policy, the airline can condition its guarantee on the following:

1. The child and accompanying adult are on the same reservation;
2. Accompanying adult notifies the gate agent of the need for adjacent seats prior to the start of boarding; and
3. It is physically possible based on seat layout to seat the number of young children traveling next to the accompanying adult(s).

Tips for Families

Understand the airline’s seating policies.

• You can obtain information about an airline’s family seating policies directly from the airline. This information may be available on an airline’s website. Some airlines provide important advice on their web pages about what to do or not do when booking a flight to best ensure young children will get a seat next to an accompanying adult. If you cannot find this information on an airline’s website, you may also contact the airline through its reservations to request this information.
• To best ensure that your family sits together, shop for tickets that allow you to reserve specific seats on your flight or consider airlines that guarantee fee-free family seating for all fare types.
  • Note, basic economy fares are often lower fares and may not provide consumers with the ability to select a seat.
• If you are traveling with a child with a disability who you are assisting during the flight to perform a function that is not required to be performed by airline personnel, for example assisting with eating, and you self-identify to the airline, the airline is required to provide you a seat next to your child in the class of service that you purchased. Airlines may not charge for such adjoining seats.
  • Advance notice or early check-in requirements may apply, so check with the airline about its policies as soon as possible before your trip if you plan to request a seating accommodation on the basis of disability.
• All airlines may allow a child under two years old to be held on a person’s lap during the flight; contact your specific airline for more information on its policy as the required age of the person holding the child varies by airline.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) encourages all passengers traveling with children under two years of age to use a government-approved child safety restraint system or device. For more information, please visit the FAA’s Flying with Children page.
• FAA regulations prohibit children under 15 and passengers caring for small children from sitting in exit row seats. Please contact your specific airline for more information on its exit row policy.

Book your ticket as early as possible.

• The earlier you book your family’s travel, the more likely it is that you will be able to reserve seats that are next to each other.
• If you tried to book your tickets early, and seats are not available together, contact the airline through reservations to ask whether additional seats will become available later.

Book children on the same reservation as adults.

• Airlines generally know travelers belong to one party only if all the passengers are on the same reservation record.
• Airlines assigning or reassigning seats give priority to parents and children on the same reservation.

Contact the airline directly through reservations if your family was not able to obtain seats together or if you are unsure about the status of your seats.

• Ask the airline how it may be able to accommodate your family in advance of your flight or at the airport.
• Discuss with the airline your concerns about a child in your party being seated alone. Even if the airline is unable to seat your whole family together, they may be able to assure you that each child is seated next to an adult family member.
• If you booked parents and children on different reservations, contact the airline as soon as possible to ask if the party can be put on the same reservation record or have their reservations cross-referenced in the booking notes.

Confirm reservations that are not booked with the airline.

• If you did not book your travel directly with an airline, obtain or confirm your seat assignments directly with the airline as soon as possible before the day of travel. This can be done either on the airline’s website or over the phone by contacting reservations.

Confirm reservations and seat assignments before going to the airport.

• You may wish to confirm your seat assignments before you would normally go to the airport as your seat assignments could have changed after booking due to an aircraft substitution with a different seating arrangement. If your seat assignments have changed, you can contact the airline to ask for help.

Plan to arrive at the airport early on the day of your flight

• Arriving early will give your family and the airline more time to address any seating-related issues.
• Airlines will do what they can at the airport to help families who self-identify to their agents as needed to sit together. Even if the airline is unable to seat the whole family together, they may be able to assure you that each child is seated next to an adult family member.

Final Thoughts

This just isn’t a good idea, the ultimate concern is the safety of children flying, especially on long-haul flights.  The airlines are making record-breaking profits, they can help out families travel without breaking the bank.  The family-friendly dashboard will help parents see which airlines are family-friendly.  Maybe those airlines with the red X’s will adopt a family-friendly policy.

Read the rest of this article at New DOT Dashboard Helps Flying Families To Sit Together.

In The Beginning . . .

Northern Pacific Airways is the latest attempt by Rob McKinney to launch another airline.  He has previously taken over the formerly bankrupt regional Alaskan carrier Ravn.  Ravn may be a part of this story as I will explain later.  

The premise of Northern Pacific was to be a budget carrier from the U.S. to Asia flying from the lower 48 states via Anchorage, AK and then on to Toyko, Japan or Seoul, Korea.  The concept was to apply the Icelandair transatlantic model to flying across the Pacific Ocean to Asia.

So what has happened to this upstart airline in the last 13 months?  It comes down to bad timing and bad luck.  The airline was hit by three major obstacles:

• The collapse of airline travel during the peak of Covid,
• Increasing fuel prices and
• The inability to fly over closed Russian airspace due to the Ukraine war.

The aircraft lack the ability to fly to Asia from Anchorage without flying over Russian airspace.

Take Two

Last August, Northern Pacific Airways applied to the DOT for authority to fly from Ontario, CA (ONT) to Mexico.  Where in Mexico?  CEO Rob McKinney applied for a “blanket request” to operate in Mexico but did not offer any specific destinations. However, he said Central America is also on the table, saying, “we ask for more than we need and then figure out the details later.”

At this time, the airline had a maintenance base and flight crews at Ontario airport with aircraft sitting on the ground.  The plan was to fly passengers to Mexico destinations during the winter months.  

Take Three

Let’s roll the dice this time and fly to Las Vegas!  This time is different, you can actually buy tickets to fly on Northern Pacific Airways.  Now the airline will officially take flight and fly a limited schedule between Ontario (ONT) and Las Vegas, NV (LAS).  The airline will fly Boeing 757 aircraft with departures to LAS on Fridays and return flights to ONT on Sundays.  

The first thing that I noticed is that Northern Pacific Airways tickets are not sold on their website.  Not selling tickets on the airline website is not necessarily bad but I do find it a bit odd.  The tickets that I found were being sold by OTA websites.  They are having to compete with Frontier Airlines for the same market.

The search results show the flights are being operated by Ravn Alaska.  It would appear that Northern Pacific is flying under the DOT operating authority of Rob McKinney’s regional carrier, Ravn Alaska.  Here are the details of a sample itinerary departing Ontario on June 2, 2023 and returning from Las Vegas on June 4, 2023.  In this sample, Northern Pacific Airways does sell cheaper than Frontier Airlines.

Final Thoughts

I like a good story where the underdog succeeds.  Hopefully, this time, Rob McKinney can get the Northern Pacific Airways 757’s off the ground making revenue flights.  More competition is always good and the hope is for the airline to expand its limited route map and schedule.

Read the rest of this article at Northern Pacific Airways To Finally Take Flight In June.

Avelo Airlines announced yesterday it is continuing to expand its national network with the addition of three new destinations: Brownsville-South Padre Island, Texas; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. With the addition of these three new markets, Avelo will now serve 35 destinations across the U.S.

• Avelo’s four new exclusive routes will provide affordable, convenient and reliable nonstop air service to Los Angeles (BUR) and Orlando
• Brownsville / South Padre Island will be Avelo’s first home-state market
• Avelo to offer the only nonstop flights to both SpaceX’s Los Angeles headquarters and Florida’s Space Coast from SpaceX’s South Texas spaceport
• Introductory one-way fares start at $49

Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said, “Avelo is growing again. The addition of these three new destinations and four new exclusive nonstop routes exemplifies our commitment to bringing affordable, convenient and reliable air service to unserved and underserved communities across the country. We are confident the low fares and smooth travel experience we are introducing to these three new communities will inspire their residents to travel even more. As a Houston-based company, we are especially excited to welcome our first Texas market to Avelo’s network.”

Two new Burbank routes: Brownsville-South Padre Island and Colorado Springs

From its base at Los Angeles’ most popular airport – Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR) – Avelo will offer exclusive nonstop service to Colorado Springs Airport (COS) and Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO). Avelo will begin serving COS on May 3 and operate three-times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Avelo will begin serving BRO on May 17 and operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Introductory one-way fares between BUR and COS start at $49* and fares between BUR and BRO start at $89*.

With the addition of these two new routes, Avelo will expand its affordable, convenient and reliable service to 10 popular destinations from BUR. BRO and COS join Boise, Idaho (BOI); Pasco Tri-Cities, Washington (PSC); three Oregon cities: Bend/Redmond (RDM), Eugene (EUG) and Medford/Rogue Valley (MFR); and three other California cities: Sonoma/Santa Rosa (STS), Eureka/Arcata (ACV) and Redding (RDD).

Two new Orlando routes: Brownsville / South Padre Island and Charlottesville

From its base at Orlando’s most convenient airport – Orlando International Airport (MCO) – Avelo will offer exclusive nonstop service to Brownsville / South Padre Island and Charlottesville Albemarle Airport (CHO). The MCO to CHO route will begin on May 3 and operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays with introductory one-way fares starting at $49**. The MCO to BRO route will begin on May 17 and operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays with introductory one-way fares starting at $69*.

With this announcement, Avelo will now serve 11 nonstop destinations from MCO, joining Binghamton, New York (BGM); Dayton, Ohio (DAY); Dubuque, Iowa (DBQ); New Haven, Connecticut (HVN); Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU); Wilmington, Delaware (ILG); Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM); and two Michigan cities: Kalamazoo (AZO) and Lansing (LAN).

Avelo is the only airline flying all four routes which will operate on Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. Customers can make reservations at AveloAir.com.

Connecting SpaceX employees and families

When Avelo inaugurates service at BRO in May, it will be the only airline providing nonstop service to both SpaceX’s LA headquarters and Florida’s Space Coast from SpaceX’s South Texas spaceport. SpaceX is expected to attempt its first Starship orbital flight next month from its Boca Chica Star Base – located 20 miles east of BRO.

Introductory Fare Terms And Conditions

To launch service to these new markets, Avelo has very low, one-ways fares beginning at $49.00.  These fares are subject to the following conditions:

*Very low, one-way fares include government taxes and fees. Fares start at $49 between BUR and COS; at $89 between BUR and BRO; and at $69 between MCO and BRO, fares must be booked by March 2, 2023. Travel must be completed by September 6, 2023. Fares are available on a limited number of flights and seats. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply. A $20 charge per seated traveler applies to all bookings or changes made through Avelo’s Customer Support Center. For full terms and conditions, please see Avelo’s Contract of Carriage.

**Very low, one-way fares include government taxes and fees. Fares start at $49 between MCO and CHO, fares must be booked by February 28, 2023. Fares are available on a limited number of flights and seats. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply. A $20 charge per seated traveler applies to all bookings or changes made through Avelo’s Customer Support Center. For full terms and conditions, please see Avelo’s Contract of Carriage.

Final Thoughts

I have to admit it, I didn’t give this airline a chance, launching during the pandemic.  Despite the odds, Andrew Levy uses the narrow-body workhorse 737 and flies out of under-utilized airports.  Avelo with its solid business plan continues to add new routes and cities at a fast pace.

If the flight schedules work for you and you can take advantage of the introductory fares, you will save some money.

Read the rest of this article at Avelo Airlines Announces Three New Destinations Adding TX, VA, CO.

Horizon Air

Before I can tell the story of this remarkable regional aircraft, you have to understand how Alaska Airlines came to operate the Q400.  The Alaska Air Group Inc. operates as:

• Alaska Airlines mainline operating Boeing 737 and the remaining A321NEO aircraft from Virgin America,
• Horizon Air, the wholly-own subsidiary operating regional and feeder flights for Alaska Airlines and
• SkyWest operates flights on behalf of Horizon Air flying E-175 regional jets.

Horizon Air began in 1981 operating a single turboprop aircraft.  As Horizon grew, it caught the attention of Alaska Airlines which purchased Horizon in 1986.  Alaska Airlines is unusual because they own its own regional airline.  Most major airlines fully contract out regional flying to SkyWest, Mesa or Envoy.  Horizon Air works on a capacity purchase agreement contract with Alaska Airlines.  The final four Q400 aircraft will fly their final flights today for Alaska Airlines.

Horizon Air will exclusively fly the E-175 regional jets with first, premium and economy seating.

If you missed my story on the history of Horizon Air, you can read it here.

The Aircraft That Came From Canada

It was nearly a hundred years ago, there was a British aircraft manufacturer call De Havilland Aircraft.  In 1928, they established a division in Canada called De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd.  De Havilland Aircraft of Canada produced aircraft under the DCH-model number designation.  The Q400 started out as the DHC-8 as the 100 series and it was simply referred to as the “DASH 8”.  The Dash 8 began flying in 1984 as a 37-passenger aircraft.

Horizon Air began flying the Dash 8 in the series 200 model in 1991, seating 37 passengers.  The aircraft morphed into the 300 series and finally the 76-passenger 400 series.  The 400 series was first known as the DHC-8-400 but later changed to the Q400.  The 400 series was upgraded to reduce noise and vibrations so this variant name was changed to Q(uiet)400.

“Ala Cart” Service

One of the features of the Q400 service at Horizon Air is the Ala Cart service.  The Q400 has very little storage space inside the aircraft.  Horizon places the Ala Cart near the boarding door where you can place items to be placed in the cargo hold.  Upon deplaning, your item will be ready for you to pick up from the Ala Carte and you are on your way.

My Last Flight On The Q400

Last Saturday, we took our final flight about the “Q” as AS 2019 from PDX to SEA.  This 129-mile flight takes just 25 minutes – wheels up to wheels down.  Our flight cruised at a mere 14,000 with a top speed of 425 mph on this very short flight.

Final Thoughts

The Q400 was the right plane at the right time.  It allowed Alaska Airlines to develop a comprehensive regional route system.  More importantly, it brought passengers to and from Alaska Airlines’ mainline hubs.  This aircraft may be missed by some but the future for Alaska Airlines is the E-175 regional jet.  It gives Horizon a single aircraft type that is easier to manage and the economy of scale.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Airlines Says Farewell To The Last Turboprops Today.

The Ground Stop

A ground stop is the full stop ordered for all aircraft to cease operations both airline and general aviation.  The exceptions to a ground stop are:

• Air ambulance service and
• Military flights.

This order was in effect from coast to coast for a ninety-minute period of time but it took hours and some cases the next day for the airlines to get their aircraft and flight crews in the positions that they are needed.

The most significant ground stop in U. S. history was immediately after the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.  In this emergency declaration, no aircraft took off and aircraft in flight were ordered to land at the nearest suitable airport.  This ground stop was so chaotic, that it took about a week to get all of the aircraft and flight crews to their proper positions.

What Triggered The Ground Stop

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the government agency that is responsible for aviation safety.  The FAA Command Center maintains computer systems whose information is critical to air traffic control and assists flight crews in creating their flight plans.  Airline crews must create a flight plan and upload that plan to the FAA.  It was a computer system in the Command Center that was the fault that forced the FAA to declare a ground stop.

The system that failed was the computer which pilots obtain NOTAM information from.  Flight crews need to determine if their flight will be impacted by conditions that they must be aware of.

The NOTAM

NOTAM stands for Notice To Air Missions.  It was previously known as Notice To Airmen.  These advisories detail specific issues either a an airport or in the air.  Some of the common NOTAMs are:

• Runway and taxiway closures,
• Airport obstructions such as a construction crane within the airport perimeter,
• Navigation aids that are offline and
• Airspace restrictions.

One of the most important notifications is the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR).  Temporary flight restrictions are classified into four types:

• Security,
• Hazard
• VIP and 
• Space operations.

For the upcoming Superbowl football game, there will be a security TFR.  When pilots check the NOTAM system for flights during the SuperBowl, they will be informed of the active hours and airspace closure for the Superbowl TFR.

Pilots should anticipate a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the Phoenix area on Sunday, February 12, 2023. Typical TFRs limit the availability of certain operations, including glider operations, flight training, and unmanned aerial system (UAS) operations. Specific procedures described on this website and/or contained in an associated Notices To Air Missions (NOTAMs) may be revised or unavailable at the time of the event, and access to some airports may be restricted. Pilots are encouraged to check NOTAMs frequently to confirm they have the most current information. 

TFR information is published by FDC NOTAMs, normally 3 to 5 days prior to the event. TFR NOTAMs and graphics are available at the FAA TFR website. 

The President of the United States will have a VIP TFR around Air Force One.  When the president leaves his aircraft, a moving VIP TFR will follow his motorcade to its destination.

As you can see, pilots have to review any applicable NOTAMs at the originating airport, en route airspace and arrival airport.  Failing to obtain and follow a NOTAM could result in a serious violation.

The Cause Of The Problem

The good news is that the computer failure was not the result of hackers or a cyber attack.  The NOTAM system began failing Tuesday afternoon.  In the early morning hours of Wednesday, technicians rebooted the computer that handles NOTAMs.  The reboot of the system failed to correct the problem and the ground stop was ordered beginning at 7:30 am EST.

The cause of the problem was determined to be a corrupt file in the NOTAM system.  As it turns out, the backup NOTAM database also had the same corrupted file.  A technician that was uploading a revised NOTAM database to the Command Center computer failed to follow instructions.  The resulting data upload failed which also corrupted the backup copy.  The fix required repairing the corrupted data set and rebooting the computer.  

In addition to human error, the FAA Command Center runs older, legacy hardware and software.  This system is scheduled to be updated in 2026.  I suspect that the schedule may be changed to update this critical computer system sooner.  

Government Investigation

As you can imagine, this debacle had a major impact on the aviation sector.  There will be an investigation into the cause and to identify mitigation efforts to prevent an incident like this from happening.  

President Joe Biden called for a “full investigation”, the White House press secretary said on Wednesday.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg ordered an after-action review and also said there was “no direct evidence or indication” that the issue was a cyberattack.

The source said the NOTAM system is an example of aging infrastructure due for an overhaul.  “Because of budgetary concerns and flexibility of budget, this tech refresh has been pushed off,” the source said. “I assume now they’re going to actually find money to do it.”

Hear Airline Pilots Being Told Of The Ground Stop

The video below has actual radio traffic between airliners waiting to take off and the control tower.  Note that the times mentioned in these ATC communications are in 24-hour format in Zulu (Z) time.  Zulu time is currently Greenwich Mean Time (London, UK).  13:30 Z is 8:30 am EST.

Final Thoughts

As inconvenient as this was for the flying public, the Federal Aviation Administration made the correct decision to ensure safety.  The good news is that the computer failure was not the result of a hacker or cyber attack.  It does show the vulnerability of sophisticated systems being impacted by human error.

You can bet that this situation will be thoroughly investigated and prevention measures will be put in place.  Hopefully, this incident will speed up the hardware and software that the aviation sector depends on.

Read the rest of this article at What Caused American Aviation To Come To A Screeching Halt?.

“Please Choose One Of The Above”

If you are an MVP Gold 100K, you can choose one of four benefits.  Here they are:

Making Your Choice

Start by opening your email and clicking on the CHOOSE YOUR BENEFIT button.  You will be taken to the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan sign-in page.  Sign into your account for the next step.

After you have submitted your choice, you should see this confirmation:

When Do These Benefits Take Effect?

Alaska Airlines says that most of these benefits will take place immediately and some will take longer.  I don’t know exactly which is which.  I chose the Lounge+ membership and it is there.

There are terms and conditions for the Choice benefits so be sure to read the fine print.

¹²Members selecting 50,000 bonus miles will have the miles immediately deposited into their Mileage Plan account upon selection of this option.  Bonus miles are not elite qualifying miles. 

¹³If your chosen benefit is Alaska Lounge+ Membership, you will receive a membership for the entire time between your selection date and the end of the program year.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2022 for the 2023 program year, the end of the program year is December 31, 2023.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2023 for the 2024 program year, the end of the program year is December 31, 2024. No refunds will be given to existing Alaska Lounge or Lounge+ members who choose this option for any time period that overlaps between paid membership and the benefit period.  All Alaska Lounge+ membership terms and conditions apply.

¹⁴ If selecting this benefit option, the individual you nominated for MVP status upon MVP Gold 75K qualification will be upgraded to MVP Gold.  If you didn’t nominate anyone to MVP status after qualifying for 75K, you can select an individual to nominate to MVP Gold.  Gifted status will be effective up to 7 business days.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2022 for the 2023 program year, recipient status will begin within 7 business days of making your selection, and is valid through December 31, 2023.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2023 for the 2024 program year, recipient status will be valid through December 31, 2024. 

¹⁵ Members selecting complimentary WiFi will receive a monthly Wi-Fi membership valid for complimentary access on Alaska marketed flights operated by Alaska, Horizon Air or SkyWest Airlines , valid from the date of selection of the benefit through the end of the program year.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2022 for the 2023 program year, the end of the program year is December 31, 2023.  For members qualifying for 100K in calendar year 2023, the end of the program year is December 31, 2024.  No refunds will be given for existing monthly or annual Wi-Fi pass members who choose this option for any time period that overlaps between paid membership, and the selection of the elite benefit option.  Inflight WiFi may not be available on all flights and speeds are not guaranteed.  All Intelsat Inflight LLC. (formerly Gogo Inflight) terms and conditions “This indicates a link to an external site that may not follow the same accessibility or privacy policies as Alaska Airlines. By selecting a partner link you agree to share your data with these sites.” apply.

What About Free Internet?

OK, Alaska, Delta just fired the first shot.  Delta Air Lines will be offering free internet access to Sky Miles members regardless of tier level on domestic flights.  Alaska Airlines should at least do the same for their MVP Gold 100K members.

Can You Change Your Mind?

I tried to reenter the choice selection page and it would not take me there.  My initial test is that you can’t change your mind online.  The selection page does state:

“Please note that after you submit, you won’t be able to change your selection.”

Changes To The Alaska Airlines Visa Credit Card

In case you missed it, you can read this article here.

Final Thoughts

It’s about time.  The initial MVP Gold 100K benefits launched on January 31, 2022.  I can’t believe that it took over ten months for Alaska Airlines to come up with the choice benefit model.  I did choose the Lounge+ membership and it is now in effect through the end of the 2023 benefit year.  I did get cheated out of the first ten days of use but at least I have it now.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K Choice Benefits Are Here.

“Hi, (your name), the legal notices for your credit card account are now available”

Well, this wasn’t your typical “legal notice” email with terms and conditions of your account, fees and interest rates.  Rather, this letter is an update on the benefits of the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card.  There was one negative change that I consider minor.  The rumored change to the annual companion pass did not happen which is great news.  Again, if you disregarded the email due to the misleading subject line, I will cover the changes.  Some of the changes are effective now and the rest will become effective in March, 2023.

The Bad News

There isn’t much in the way of bad news so I will get that out of the way now.  The annual fee for the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card increases from $75.00 per year to $95.00.  The increase may be offsite with some enhancement of benefits.  There was a rumor a few months ago that you would have to spend $6,000 to receive the companion voucher.  Thankfully, that was a rumor that didn’t come true.  If you don’t want to pay the additional annual fee, you can cancel your account by notifying Bank of America by the deadline shown in your letter.

Enhanced Benefits Beginning Now

There is an increase in earning rate from one mile per dollar spent to two miles per dollar spent on select spending categories:

• Gasoline and diesel,
• Local transit including ride share,
• Cable and satellite television and
• Select streaming services.

The terms and conditions for these categories are:

You can increase your earnings by an additional 10% by having non-commercial savings or checking account with Bank of America.

You and your party of up to six additional people on the same reservation may be eligible for priority boarding ahead of the general boarding groups.  First class and elite members will still board ahead of those eligible for priority boarding.  If you don’t have elite status with Alaska Airlines or oneworld, this perk may be for you.

Enhanced Benefits Beginning March 2023

Alaska Lounge Access

You have been able to purchase a $60.00 Alaska Lounge day pass for half price with the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card.  Alaska Airlines has been quietly discontinuing the sale of day passes in an effort to ease overcrowding in the lounges.  You will be able to purchase an annual Alaska Lounge+ membership for $100.00 off.  Alaska Lounge+ membership includes access to American Airlines Admirals Clubs.  The regular annual price for Lounge+ membership is $650.00 or $550.00 for elite Alaska Mileage Plan members.  This is a change in lounge benefit.

TIP:  You may do better if you have a rewards credit card with an ancillary airline credit.  My AMEX Hilton Aspire card has a $250.00 credit which can be used for lounge membership.

TIP:  Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K members can choose a free year of Alaska Lounge+ membership if you choose the lounge benefit.

The cardholder and up to six companions on the same, qualifying reservation can each check one bag for free.  This is pretty much the same bag benefit as before.

These Benefits Remain The Same

Alaska Airlines has kept the companion voucher the same.  There was a rumor a few months ago that would require a $6000.00 annual spend to receive the companion voucher.  Having a spending requirement would have killed the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card.  The companion voucher is subject to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program rules.  You can hold up to five Alaska Airlines Visa credit cards so you could receive an annual companion voucher for each qualifying credit card.  The voucher is issued each year on your credit card anniversary and expires 12 months later.

TIP:  Even though the companion voucher expires in 12 months, that means you have to book travel before the voucher expires.  You could conceivably complete your travel 23 months after receiving the companion voucher.

MVP Gold 100K Choice Benefit

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has announced a new benefit for top-tier elite members.  Those members can choose one of the following:

• 50,000 Mileage Plan account miles or
• One year Alaska Lounge+ membership or
• One year of onboard internet or
• Gift MVP Gold status.

It is my understanding that Alaska Airlines will be sending an email on January 10, 2023 that will allow those members to make their benefit choice.  I was told by customer care that once the Lounge+ membership choice has been made, that benefit should be available immediately.  Again, this is what customer care told me so we will see how well that happens.

STORY UPDATE – MVP GOLD 100K CHOICE BENEFITS ARE LIVE, YOU CAN READ IT HERE.

Final Thoughts

Aside from the modest $20.00 increase in annual fees, the overall changes are positive for the most part.  I can offset the additional annual fee amount by the increased earning rate for select spending categories and having a qualifying Bank of America account.  For those reasons, this should be a wash for me.

If you have MVP status or higher, you already have the airport benefits so the additional enhancements here will help those card holders without elite status.

The Alaska Lounge day passes are already dead for the lounges located at Anchorage, Seattle and Portland.  I suspect that more lounges will discontinue day pass sales to handle lounge overcrowding.  The $100.00 Lounge+ discount is weak as many reward credit cards have a more generous ancillary airline credit that could be used for lounge membership.  If you are an MVP Gold 100K member, you can choose a year of Lounge+ membership at no cost.

Read the rest of this article at Changes To Alaska Airlines Visa Card Benefits, No Real Bad News.

A Lot Of “Moving Parts”

Operating a reliable flight schedule depends on a lot of moving parts.  It is the sum of all of these parts that must play their parts in a perfectly orchestrated manner to make it happen on time.  Key personnel includes:

• Pilots,
• Flight attendants,
• Dispatchers,
• Crew schedulers,
• Ramp Agents,
• Mechanics,
• Baggage handlers and
• De-icing trucks and operators.

There are more people involved but these are the major players.  Some positions like pilots, flight attendants and mechanics require certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and can’t be easily replaced.

There are logistics that require careful choreography to get the next flight out.  Typical operations on the ramp include:

• Marshaling the aircraft to the gate,
• Group power hookup,
• Jet bridge deployment to the boarding door,
• Lavatory service,
• Aircraft fueling,
• Galley catering,
• Cabin cleaning and
• aircraft pushback.

Performing all of these operations in good weather usually makes the required turnaround time of an airline.  Airlines have turnaround times based on aircraft type and size.  Bad weather and staff shortages can affect successful turnarounds.

Aircraft for short-haul carriers like Southwest can fly six or more flights per day.  If the first flight out is delayed, there is a possibility that the remaining flights that day for that aircraft will also be delayed.

When a flight is canceled, aircraft are now out of position.  If the aircraft fails to leave point A for point B, the flight with that aircraft can’t fly to points C, D, E and so on.  One of the reasons that most aircraft don’t fly in the early morning hours is it gives airlines a chance to get caught up.  If an airline can’t get caught up on day 1, the aircraft will be out of position on day 2 or day 3 and so on.

The “Swiss Cheese” Model

In aviation, massive failures usually are not the outcome of a single point of failure but a series of cascading failures.  Whether it is flying the aircraft or ground handling, failures can be reduced by employing the Swiss cheese model.  If you line up random blocks of Swiss cheese, you shouldn’t be able to have the holes line up to penetrate from the first block to the last.  Interceding early in the cascade process can be illustrated as realigning the holes to stop the failure progress.  As I will mention during the course of this post, the failures will keep lining up to create a perfect storm.

It Likely Started In Denver

It appears that the first cheese hole appeared in Denver.  The effects of the storm likely started here.  Ramp agents were required to work 16-18 hour shifts in frigid temperatures.  Some ramp workers were reported to be suffering from frostbite.  Many Southwest employees in Denver were calling in sick.  Southwest declared a state of operational emergency in Denver.  In order to stem the number of sick calls, employees were required to return with a doctor’s note or face termination.  A memo from Chris Johnson, VP of Ground Operations was distributed to employees on December 21, 2022.

There a various accounts of what happened next but it appears that as many as 150 ramp agents in Denver quit their jobs.  Southwest Airlines disputes this figure but it is likely that they have been ramp agents that called it quits.

If there is a lack of ramp agents, essential aircraft tasks can’t be completed.  Ground operations need planes to be parked, baggage to be handled, aircraft fueling and the ability to push the plane back from the gate to complete the next flight of the day.  As flights are getting canceled at one airport, flights will get canceled at other airports because the aircraft and/or crews fail to show.

The Shutdown Begins

One by one, Southwest Terminals began shutting down after Denver:

1. Dallas – Ft. Worth,
2. Saint Louis,
3. Nashville,
4. Chicago Midway.

Southwest Airlines uses a computer system called Skysolver to run the airline operations.  This computer system is a relic of the 1990’s when the size of the Southwest fleet was significantly smaller.  Skysolver can only handle so many flight cancelations before it begins to grind to a halt.  This software is critical to assembling flight crews of pilots and flight attendants.  Southwest has had operational failures before but the airline has failed to upgrade its computer automation.

Flight Crew Rest

Pretty much everything that has to do with airline operations are found in FAR Part 121 regulations.  Within FAR Part 121 is section 121.471 which governs pilot rest requirements.  When the dispatching computer is running properly, it is an easy task to assemble flight crews and operate within section 121.471.  When the computer stops, this must be done by hand which may not be possible.  Crew scheduling would need to know the recent work history of all of its pilots making the manual assembly of legal flight crews virtually impossible.  If all pilots were off duty for 72 hours, then all pilots could be qualified to fly and Southwest could resume assembling flight crews.  That might have been part of the problem that took days to fix.

One thing that we saw during this meltdown is that Southwest was having difficulty finding hotel rooms for their aircrews.

Where Are The Flight Crew Members?

We all heard stories about passengers waiting on hold for over 10 hours to speak with a customer service agent.  The pilots and flight attendants were no better off.  Dispatchers for Southwest had no idea where their flight crews were.  They were also on hold for over 10 hours to speak with crew scheduling.  Here is a tip for Southwest, let your flight crews text their name, employee number and location instead of keeping them on the phone.  Somebody can record the data so they begin reconstructing flight crews by hand.

Lack Of An “Interline Agreement”

Part of the Southwest business model is that it is a fiercely independent operation.  Most airlines employ an interline agreement as a form of mutual aid agreement.  I fly on Alaska Airlines and my flight from Boston to Seattle was canceled due to mechanical issues.  As the cancellation was nearing the 24-hour mark, Alaska Airlines through its interline agreement with Delta, rebooked me on a Delta flight to get back home.

If you were stranded by Southwest, you were on your own.

Irregular Operations

Irregular operations or “irreg-ops” is a situation that hits passengers hard.  The airlines are responsible for you if the delay is within their control.  During a significant weather event, airlines will determine that event and the failures caused by it as irregular operations.  Weather, strikes, an Act of God are a few ways that airlines can get out of providing hotel and meal vouchers.  The airline can’t reunite you with your bags but since they are calling irregular operations, no shopping credit for you.  Even if you are willing to pay, everybody is in the same boat and hotels may be sold out.

Ticket and Gate Agent Fatigue and Abuse

You saw it on TV.  Passengers unloading on ticket and gate agents.  I get it, the passengers were outraged but they forgot one thing.  These employees were just as tired and could only do what they were empowered to do.  Another point in the cascading chain of failures.

I saw a news story in Nashville where the police were called to deal with the passengers.  Their solution was if you no longer had a valid ticket, you needed to leave the terminal.  If you failed to leave the terminal, you were trespassing.

What To Do If You Had Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

Southwest Airlines originally said that there would be no compensation for the meltdown to irregular operations.  Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg had a different opinion and may try to fine the airline.  The airline has had a change of mind.  If you feel that you are owed compensation, Southwest has established a webpage for you at https://www.southwest.com/traveldisruption/.

You will be able to submit your claim for consideration by Southwest Airlines.

Final Thoughts

Of all the airlines that operate in the U. S., only Southwest experienced a major meltdown in operations.  It is those cascading failures that build upon each other that can drive an operation into critical mass.  To make matters worse, the ancient operations IT systems have long seen their prime.  If they had invested in new IT infrastructure, the airline might have fared no worse than its competitors did.

It’s good to see that Southwest has changed its mind about compensation.  The weather may not be in control of the airline but their IT and operations management are.

Read the rest of this article at The Southwest Airlines Meltdown, What Really Happened.

The Priorities For Alaska Airlines Going Foward

The graphic below touts Alaska Airlines as having the fewest cancelled flights from June through November 2022.  This statistic must reflect operational delays and not weather-related delays and cancellations.  November 29th and 30th were horrendous for Alaska Airlines as a little snow at SeaTac brought operations to a halt as the flight backups “snowballed”.  I was on one of those flights.  The goal is to achieve schedule stability in 2023.

After three years of intense negotiations, the pilots at Alaska Airlines finally have a contract.

The Fleet Plan

Before Alaska Airlines purchased Virgin America in 2016, mainline operations were flown solely on Boeing 737s.  With the merger, Alaska Airlines received 70 Airbus A320 family of jets either already delivered or on order from Airbus.  

The mainline operations will again return to an all Boeing fleet of:

• 737-700
• 737-800
• 737-900
• 737 MAX8
• 737 MAX9
• 737 MAX10 (This will depend on whether Boeing can get the MAX10 certified by the FAA.)

The regional operations will be all E-175 jets by the end of 2023.  Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air will receive another 11 E-175 jets next year.  Skywest operates flights for the Alaska Air Group under a capacity purchase contract arrangement flying the E-175 regional jets in Alaska Airlines colors.  I do want to say that the E-175 jets that fly for Alaska Air Group have ovens in the first class galley so that hot meals can be served.

With the arrival of more E-175 jets, the Bombardier Q400 turboprop aircraft will be retired.

Adding new aircraft to both mainline and regional operations will reduce the average fleet age to 9.1 years.  The Boeing 737-700 represent the oldest mainline aircraft in the fleet that has been reduced to 11 aircraft.  The Q400 turboprops are the oldest in the Horizon Air regional fleet and will be retired next year.  

Below, is the current aircraft fleet mix for both mainline and regional operations.  This chart will change dramatically over the next several years when aircraft standardization has been completed.  Just like Southwest, there is the scale of economy benefits from operating a single aircraft type.

Alaska Airlines does have 35-inch pitch in their premium economy seats which is the most in the industry.  The older 737-800 aircraft will be going in for cabin refurbishments with new seats.  It was not mentioned if the overhead bins would be converted during refurbishment with the current Boeing Skybin overhead compartments.  Satellite-based wifi should be available on all mainline aircraft by April 2023.

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Oneworld

This is the subject that I was most interested in hearing about.  I have been hearing rumors that the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan will come up with a new (they call it simpler) award ticket methodology that would be based on dynamic pricing.  There was no mention of this in general.  It was brought up that domestic Alaska award tickets have gone up in price.  It was said that people are still redeeming miles for domestic award tickets.  The plan is to keep partnerships with the existing airlines that are not part of the Oneworld alliance.

Alaska did address the lack of partner first class seats available for award tickets.  Their explanation was due to Covid, there are fewer aircraft flying with fewer first class seats.  They may be correct here, international carriers have been reducing or eliminating first class seats.  Oman Air is expected to join Oneworld in 2024.  In 2023, you will be able to book tickets on alaskaair.com for:

• British Airways
• Finnair
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Japan Airlines
• Singapore

They did talk about their relationship with American Airlines.  Yes, Alaska Airline elites do get preferred seats on American along with international system-wide upgrades issued to MVP Gold 75K and MVP Gold 100K members.  My Alaska status translates to Oneworld Emerald status which did help me on American Airlines score domestic first class upgrades.  I was flying from DFW to Jackson, MS on American Eagle (regional) when my flight was cancelled.  The only remaining flight that day had only one seat available with 18 people on the standby list.  My Emerald status put me on the top of the standby list and I was able to get to Jackson that night.

Airport Upgrades

Alaska has targeted five airports for major upgrades.  My home airport, Portland (PDX) does not have enough gates and the Alaska Lounge is too small.  I look forward to the new Alaska Airlines experience at PDX in 2024.

The airport of tomorrow will be built to speed your way through the check-in process.  If you are not checking bags, they want you to be able to go straight to security.  If you are checking bags, they want to decrease your time by having self-check bag stations so you can print bag tags, drop your bags and go.  From this . . .

To this . . .

Earlier this year, Alaska experimented with electronic bag tags.  These state-of-the-art tags have no batteries.  You should be able to track your bags on your cell phone.

Questions And Answers

The Q&A session was rather disappointing.  They had preselected 12 questions that were sent to the Airline and with the time remaining took another five questions.  The questions drawing the most interest were:

• Food and beverage service in first class.  Menus are refreshed quarterly.  The food and beverage manager will find a way to solicit more customer feedback on food and beverage offerings.
• Gold guest upgrades and lack of available first class seats.  The airline will look at improvements here.  They are working on a waitlist system for using guest upgrade certificates.
• Status extension for 2023.  The short answer is no.  Those within 5,000 – 10,000 miles will be sent an email to purchase EQM miles.  There will be a fast-track option in the first quarter.
• Million miler question regarding first class upgrades.  The question was in regard to first class upgrades available for million milers.  Those people who are on lifetime MVP Gold status from achieving million-mile status do have a tie-breaker advantage over other MVP Gold elite members.

Final Thoughts

Although the Flyer Forum was interesting, they did not address the future of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, whether there will be changes to the award chart or going to a dynamic-pricing method like other airlines.  I have a feeling that changes to award tickets are coming.  They did not discuss nor did anyone ask if first class service will go back to serving pre-departure beverages and hot towel service before the meals are served.  

Most of what was said was positive for the future of flying on Alaska Airlines.  It is what wasn’t said in the Forum that has me a little unsettled.  This post covers the major issues, I was writing as fast as I could to include as much as possible.

Read the rest of this article at Takeaways From The Alaska Airlines Flyer Forum 2022.

Improving The Lounge Experience

The Alaska Lounge has been facing increasing demand for entry.  In order to maintain an appropriate level of experience, Alaska Airlines has been increasing the size of its lounges.  In Portland, they have added seating capacity of the lounge next to gate C-5 and they have an auxiliary lounge located at the B gates.  Construction is underway at the Seattle lounge located in the C concourse to increase seating capacity.

In efforts to avoid overcrowding, the Alaska lounge no longer sells day passes for lounges located at Anchorage, Portland and Seattle locations.  Priority Pass was an option for Alaska Lounge admission but this is no longer an option.

Alaska Lounges have upgraded its food and beverage selections.  In addition to barista service, new additions include a deli platter, choice of two soups and pulled pork sliders.

What Alaska Lounge Membership Costs

The Alaska Lounge has two levels of membership – regular membership and Lounge+ membership.  With each, you are allowed to bring in two guests.

• The regular membership has access to Alaska Lounges,
• The Alaska Lounge+ membership adds over 90 partner lounges including American Airlines Admirals Club and United Club depending on airport location.

Looking at the current pricing for annual membership including two guests, the costs are:

• Alaska Lounge starting at $350.00 for Alaska Lounge only or $500.00 for Alaska Lounge only depending on your elite status,
• American Airlines “household” membership begins at $1,150.00 depending on your elite status,
• Delta Sky Club membership starts at $845.00 depending on your elite status and
• United Club membership begins at $550.00 depending on your elite status.

The Price Change for January 1, 2023

The prices for both levels of annual membership will increase by $50.00 effective on January 1, 2023 for new memberships and membership renewals.  Here are the details from the email that I received yesterday:

Lounge Access From Paid First Class

Alaska Airlines has always granted Alaska Lounge access when traveling either on paid first class or tickets redeemed for first class.  This is about to change soon.  For tickets purchased as of November 18, 2022, and for travel as of February 15, 2023, complimentary lounge access will be granted to those ticket holders of flights of at least 2,100 miles.  If you have a connecting flight that is less than 2,100, you will still have access for the day that you are traveling on a qualifying segment length.

You Have Choices

There are two ways to ease the burden of this price increase.  Many premium rewards credit cards have an ancillary airline fee credit that can be used when purchasing a membership with that card.  I have used my AMEX Hilton Aspire card where AMEX picks up the first $250.00 of my membership cost.

Alaska Airlines MVP Gold 100K members will be able to get free Lounge+ membership if they choose lounge membership as their choice benefit.  The MVP Gold 100K choice benefits option should be alive in early 2023.

Final Thoughts

While I dislike anything that increases in cost, I still look at my Alaska Lounge+ membership as a good value.  The increase will be worth it to reduce overcrowding, especially in Seattle.  My membership expires on December 31, 2022 so I will be one of the first to face the music.  I will again use my AMEX ancillary airline credit to pay the first $250.00 and I will have to pony up the remaining $300.00.  It is still a deal in my opinion.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Lounge Increasing Membership Rates on January 1, 2023.

What Is REAL ID?

The concept of REAL ID was to enact a more robust system of air passenger identification after the terrorist act of September 11, 2001.  This requirement has taken 20 years to formally enact.

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. These purposes are:

• Accessing certain federal facilities
• Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft
• Entering nuclear power plants

What Happens When The REAL ID Enforce Date Begins?

This is kind of like the boy who cried wolf but this time, the wolf is real.  Over the past two decades, there have been bungled starts and increasing delays in implementing this program.  The primary reason for the delays and extensions is that State offices that handle driver’s licenses have had to change their systems to comply.  Covid-19 was also a factor in additional delays.  For most people, the REAL ID form for them will be an enhanced driver’s license.  The date for implementing REAL ID is May 3, 2023.

Federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, may only accept state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards as identification for purposes of accessing federal facilities – including TSA airport security checkpoints – if the license or card was issued by a REAL ID-compliant state in accordance with the REAL ID security standards (meaning the license or card must include the REAL ID compliant star marking). Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDL) issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont are considered acceptable alternatives to REAL ID-compliant cards and will also be accepted for official REAL ID purposes. Most EDLs do not contain the star marking and this is acceptable.

Are All States Issuing REAL ID-Compliant Cards?

DHS is working closely with all states and territories to provide assistance and guidance to achieve full compliance by the May 3, 2023 deadline. As of March 26, 2021, 55 states and territories are fully compliant with the REAL ID requirements, and all states are on track to begin issuing compliant licenses and IDs by the May 3, 2023 deadline.

American Samoa is under review for REAL ID enforcement, allowing Federal agencies to accept driver’s licenses and identification cards from American Samoa at Federal facilities, nuclear power plants and federally regulated commercial aircraft.

How Do I Get REAL ID?

Visit your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID. At a minimum, you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status.

States may impose additional requirements, so check with your state’s driver’s licensing agency website, before visiting them in person, for additional guidance and assistance.

There are other forms of identification that will be accepted and they will be listed below.

How Do I Know If My License Or ID Card Is REAL ID Compliant?

REAL ID-compliant cards will have one of the following markings on the upper top portion of the card. If the card does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity in order to board commercial aircraft.

Other Forms Of Acceptable Identification

Adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.  The T.S.A. doesn’t require children under the age of 18 to show any identification right now when they’re traveling domestically with an adult.  Most states will charge an additional fee for a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.  You may already have an acceptable form of identification:

• Driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
  • Beginning May 3, 2023, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., make sure it is REAL ID compliant. If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized, Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

In coordination with its DHS counterparts, TSA has identified acceptable alternate identification for use in special circumstances at the checkpoint.

I have Global Entry.  For the cost of $100.00 ($15.00 more than TSA PreCheck), I get five years of Global Entry which:

• Gets me TSA PreCheck,
• Expedites my return to the U. S. through immigration and
• Issues me a Global Entry card which qualifies as REAL ID compliant.

Final Thoughts

This is it, the years of delays are over and the REAL ID requirement will be enacted on May 3, 2023.  There are multiple ways to satisfy the positive identification requirement needed to board commercial flights in the United States.  Most people will probably go the route of obtaining a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.  They are other satisfactory forms of positive ID.  For me, I have Global Entry and I use my Global Entry Card at TSA checkpoints.

Read the rest of this article at REAL ID Is Coming In Six Months. Will You Be Able to Fly?.

Standardizing The Mainline Fleet

The mainline operations will return to being an all-Boeing fleet.  This is the way it was prior to the acquisition of Virgin America taking on a fleet of Airbus A-319/320/321 aircraft as well as orders for the A321NEO.

This order positions Alaska’s fleet as one of the most efficient, environmentally friendly, and profitable fleets in the industry. The order includes 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10 aircraft, enabling Alaska to optimally match aircraft size and capability with market characteristics. They have full flexibility to shift between 737 MAX models as appropriate.

This order gives Alaska a line of sight to operate more than 250 737 MAX series aircraft by 2030. The flexibility built into the agreement allows Alaska to match our deliveries with economic conditions while saving our place in the production line.

“This investment secures aircraft to optimize our growth through the next decade, which we know will be a formidable competitive advantage,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. “We’re proud of the strong financial foundation that uniquely positions Alaska to make this commitment to our future, and of the fantastic partnership we share with our hometown aircraft manufacturer at Boeing.”

Already operating a fleet of 35 737-9 aircraft, they expect to accept delivery of another 43 MAX aircraft between now and the end of 2023—at which point we will once again operate a mainline fleet solely of Boeing aircraft. The performance of the 737-9 has exceeded expectations on economics and fuel efficiency, as well as guest satisfaction.

This order positions Alaska’s fleet as one of the most efficient, environmentally friendly, and profitable fleets in the industry. The order includes 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10 aircraft, enabling Alaska to optimally match aircraft size and capability with market characteristics. The airline has full flexibility to shift between 737 MAX models as appropriate.

Standardizing The Regional Fleet

The Alaska Air Group also operates an extensive regional network with their wholly owned subsidiary, Horizon Air.  Horizon Air also through a capacity purchase contract with Sky West flying the E-175 regional jets.

Currently, Horizon Air flies two aircraft types, the Bombardier Q400 turboprop and the E-175 regional jet.  This will change next year when Horizon Air retires the remaining Q400 aircraft and replace them with new E-175 regional jets.

Economies of Scale

A key metric in reducing airline operating costs is to standardize the aircraft fleet.  This standardization pays back by:

• Certification of pilots on one aircraft type instead of many, reducing training and certification costs,
• Certification of flight attendants on one aircraft type instead of many, reducing training and certification costs,
• Certification of A & P mechanics on one aircraft type instead of many, reducing training and certification costs,
• Reducing the training costs of ramp agents and streamlining ramp operations.

This move by the Alaska Air Group will uniquely position itself along with Southwest Airlines in operating a common fleet type.  Alaska Airlines will enjoy a significant reduction in aircraft operating costs as it approaches a common aircraft type.

Final Thoughts

Alaska Airlines formally had an all-Boeing mainline fleet to reduce operating costs and they will return to a single aircraft type fleet.  Horizon Air is also standardizing its fleet type using the E-175 aircraft.

With the issues affecting Boeing, Alaska Airlines undoubtedly got the aircraft on this order at a substantial discount as they did on their previous 737MAX order.

For Horizon Air, the Q400 turboprop will be fully retired.  This is an aircraft that will be missed by no one.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Airlines Makes Biggest Boeing Aircraft Order In Its History.

Miami Beach Airport Express (150 bus line)

Miami-Dade Transit operates this express bus between Miami International airport and South Beach destinations and attractions.  The cost of taking the airport express is just $2.25 per person each way.  I timed my transit between MIA and the Washington Ave and 13th Street stop at just 40 minutes in typical Miami traffic.  This line departs MIA every 30 minutes from 6:00 am to 11:40 pm.

Getting To And From The Terminals And Miami Central Station

From any terminal, you will head upstairs and follow the signs to the MIA Mover.  Once on the station platform, watch or listen for an MIA Mover car headed in your direction of travel. Check the digital display above the map in the center of the platform for each car’s destination. A bell sounds when a car approaches the station. MIA Mover cars arrive frequently—every 90 seconds during rush hours and every 3 minutes during off-peak hours. When a car arrives at your station, wait for the passengers to exit before you board. Hold on to a pole or handrail. 

While on the MIA Mover platform, remember to keep a good grip on strollers, luggage, hand carts, and other wheeled items, to prevent them from rolling or blowing onto the tracks.

The MIA Mover terminates at Miami Central Station.  You will go down to the ground level to the bus bay for the Beach Express, route 150.

The MIA Mover train ride only takes minutes.  You need to allow enough time from airport MIA Station for the walk to the ticket counters and Security.  My walking time from the MIA Mover to the American Airlines ticket counter in Terminal D was a good ten minutes.

Final Thoughts

If you are commuting between Miami International Airport and South Beach, the Beach Express bus 150 may do the job for you.  It offers reliable service from 6:00 am and midnight, seven days per week.  The best part is that the cost is only $2.25 per person, each way.  I found it convenient as it took only 40 minutes in typical Miami traffic to get to and from South Beach.

Read the rest of this article at Easy And Cheap Transfer From MIA To Miami Beach/South Beach.

Select Gateways On Sale To Iceland From $379 and Europe From $399

Flash fares to Europe are on sale now from select gateways through midnight Sunday! Double the value and add a Stopover in Iceland for up to 3 nights on your way to or from Europe for no additional airfare!  Not only can you fly to Europe at a great sale price, but you can also include a no-cost stopover to explore Iceland.  Be aware that in my sample booking, seats are limited but does include Saga business class tickets. 

I priced Saga business class from my home airport, Portland, OR (PDX) to London (LHR) for December to view the amazing Christmas light displays and visit the Christmas markets. 

I used ITA matrix to find the cheapest business class flights for a 4-5 night stay, here are the results for $1,229.88 per person, roundtrip.

To get this price, it does have an overnight layover in Iceland (KEF).  I will gladly pay for a hotel for one night to get this deal.  Here is the price breakdown:

To understand what a bargain this is, you need to know what the regular prices are from PDX to western Europe on Icelandair.  The regular price on this type of routing is usually around $3,200 to $3,500 per person.  As you can see, this itinerary reflects a discount in the range of 63% – 65%.  Book this sale directly through Icelandair.

Seats for these sale fares are limited.  Departures to Iceland and Europe: November 1 – December 13, 2022.  This Offer ends: Midnight, Sunday, October 23, 2022.

To be fair, I would rate the seats on Icelandair as International premium economy or domestic first class.  Icelandair’s business class does give you lounge access.  Here are some prices for the same origin and destination for the cheapest comparative fares:

• The lowest premium economy fare between PDX and LHR on the same dates was on Delta at $2,559 round trip and
• The lowest business class fare between PDX and LHR on the same dates was on Condor at $4,431.  (Condor has the same type of business class seating as Icelandair.)

Icelandair, A Niche Airline

Icelandair is truly a niche airline due to its creative route structure.  All flights to and from North America and Europe transfer at their hub airport, Keflavik (KEF).  This gives passengers an opportunity at about the halfway point to get off the plane and stretch their legs.  Icelandair can enjoy a high load factor by regrouping passengers on connecting flights.  This unique hub and spoke network allows Icelandair to offer competitive pricing.

Saga Business Class

Icelandair primarily flies narrow-body aircraft that include:

• Boeing 757-200,
• Boeing 757-300,
• Boeing 737 MAX8 and
• Boeing 737 MAX9.

Icelandair does operate two Boeing 767-300 ER aircraft.  While these aircraft have more seats, the seating dimensions are about the same.

The Saga business class comes in two flavors, Saga Premium and Saga Premium Flex.

Flying in business class on a narrow-body aircraft will have recliner seats in pairs, there are no lay-flat seats.  I flew from PDX to Dublin last year in Saga business class and I found it a comfortable trip because there is a change of planes at KEF which gives an opportunity to relax in the Saga business class lounge during the layover.

The cabin service is very good.  Our flight attendants were very attentive and they routinely pass through the cabin to meet your needs.  They serve tasty, hot meals in business class along with an extensive beverage menu and a snack menu if you didn’t get enough to eat for dinner.  The meal shown below was the return of hot meals last October after the pandemic.

Earning Miles

Icelandair has its own frequent flyer program called Saga Club.  They are not members of any of the big three alliances but they are partners with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.  Here is the Alaska Airlines mileage earning chart for Icelandair:

The sample itinerary above is in Icelandair fare code “A” which earns elite qualifying miles (EQMs) at 125% of base miles.  Here are the numbers:

• Round trip base miles = 9,800 miles,
• Round trip Alaska Airlines EQMs earned = 12,260 and
• Total miles earned including 150% bonus miles for Alaska Airlines top tier elite status = 26,960 miles.

Since the EQM earning rate is at 10 cents per mile for business class, it falls into my upper threshold for a business class mileage run.  If you are looking for a cheap end-of-the-year mileage run, this sale may be for you.

Final Thoughts

This is a really good sale.  The prices fall in line with my price range for a good mileage run.  You could give yourself the gift of travel for Christmas this year.  You need to act quickly as seats are limited and the sale ends at midnight Sunday (Iceland time).

Read the rest of this article at Icelandair Flash Sale To Europe Including Business Class.

Click To Reveal Your Bonus Level

I clicked on the reveal my bonus button and my bonus came back at 60%.  Actually, that is a bit of a misnomer as my actual 60% bonus level is really on a sliding scale by purchase amount.

Mile purchases are handled by points.com so you will be taken to their website to complete your purchase.  You can purchase a maximum of 100,000 base miles and in my case, this purchase will come with an additional 60,000 miles for a total of 160,000 miles.  The total price will include a 7.5% Federal Excise Tax.

Terms And Conditions

No airline offer would be complete without a list of purchase terms and conditions so here they are:

The purchase of Alaska Airlines miles is through a third-party seller, points.com.  The purchase of miles does not earn the triple mile bonus using the Alaska Airlines Visa credit card as it does with actual airfare purchases.  Please understand that purchasing miles do not count toward your elite qualifying miles for elite status.

Is This A Good Deal?

This is something that you will have to figure out for yourself.  The pointsguy.com values the worth of Alaska Airlines miles at 1.8 cents per mile.  The cost per mile at the maximum purchase is almost 1.85 cents per mile.  This is definitely a good deal if you need to book an award trip and your mileage balance is short.  In this case, I would go with this deal.

Final Thoughts

Purchasing miles with a substantial bonus is always better than no bonus at all.  You have to decide if the deal is good for you by calculating how much the miles with the bonus is actually costing you.  Since the bonus price is pretty close to the actual retail value of a Mileage Plan mile, I will pass on the deal.  If your account is short, it could help you book that award trip sooner than later.

Read the rest of this article at Alaska Airlines Mystery Bonus Miles Purchase Offer Is Back.

A Look Back, Way Back

In order to understand where airline fees came from, we first have to look at what flying was like before airline fees.  Buckle up and let’s take a flight back in time to the land of no fees.

The year was 1967 and my family flew on our first vacation by airliner, from Los Angeles (LAX) to Vancouver, BC, Canada (YVR).  As a young lad, I was so excited about flying on a jet that I couldn’t sleep the night before.  I watched my dad make reservations for this round-trip airfare.  He called airline A, got the price and made a reservation.  He then called airline B, got a better price and made a reservation.  Not satisfied, he call Western Airlines and got a still better price and made a reservation.  Back then, you could make a reservation without paying upfront.  Did he cancel our tickets with Airline A and Airline B?  Nope, he said they would eventually figure it out we were going to be “no-shows”.  This is why airline overbooking was created.  Also back in those days, there were no Visa or Mastercard credit cards so you were more or less on the “honor system” with the airline.

I grew up with free reservations and free stuff.  People back before 1978 got used to getting free stuff with their airfare.  Your airline ticket came with:

• Reserved seating at no extra charge,
• Checked baggage with no extra charge,
• Hot meals with no extra charge and
• You could change your mind at no extra charge.

This sounds like a pretty good deal.  You paid one price that you knew in advance and that was it.  The price was all-inclusive to use a popular lodging term today.

The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978

Before the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, if an airline wanted to:

• Fly a new route,
• Add or decrease service,
• Increase an airfare or
• Lower an airfare, they needed the approval of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in Washington, DC.

The Act did away with the Civil Aeronautics Board as it was dissolved.  Now, airlines were free to more or less – come and go as they please.  Back in 1978, there were about 40 national and large regional carriers in the United States.  The Act did spur competition within the airline industry and airfares dropped.  This is where I mention that prior to the Act, our parents saved all year for that one vacation per year by plane because the fares were so high.  Deregulation lowered ticket prices so that people could take the plane just like they were taking a bus.

In 2022, there are just a handful of airlines left so competition for customers to get the best deal is fading into the sunset.  The number of airlines could be reduced again if the JetBlue and Spirit merger clear all of the regulatory hurdles to happen.

It Started With Hotel Resort Fees

Back in 1997, the hotel industry found out they could sell more rooms by advertising a lower price.  The “resort fee” was created to create an ala carte menu of room pricing.  Things that you used to get for free like bottled water and internet were now bundled in the resort fee.  The name “resort fee” conjures up the expectations of some sexy experience where my reservation was transformed from a “plain-Jane” hotel room to a mystical resort experience.  Woohoo!

Sadly the resort experience was an illusion but the dreaded resort fee was a reality.  The hotel industry found a sneaky way for me to pay extra for what I already paid for in the room rate.

I stayed at a hotel in Las Vegas a few years ago and I was hit with the resort fees.  Here is how the conversation went:

“So this is a resort”? 

“Where is your golf course?”  

“We don’t have a golf course”.

“OK, where is your pool?”

“We don’t have one of those either”.

“What do I get for my $29.00 per night resort fee?”

“Here are your two bottles of water and the password for the internet”.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

The airline industry took notice of what the hotel industry was doing with the “resort fees”.  They saw that hotels could unbundle amenities and not give the customer a choice about those bottles of water or the internet.  The airlines figured out that they were giving away the store for checked bags, hot meals, assigned seats and the like.  That was enough for the airline executives.  In 2015, Delta led the charge in devaluing its frequent flyer program.  The “Skymile” program became the “Skypeso” program.

Here is what I know.  If Delta does “X” today,

• A week later, United will do exactly the same thing and
• Within six months, American Airlines will fall in line.

“NO FREE BAGS FOR YOU!”  That sounds like something that might have come from a Seinfeld episode.  The fees charged by an airline other than the seat that you sit in are called “ancillary fees”.

It’s only a matter of time before airlines bring back change and cancellation fees.

The Biggest Airline Trick – The “Basic Economy Fare”

This may have been the biggest trick that the airline industry has pulled on the American consumer.  Perhaps, “basic economy” should be called “bare-bones economy”.  Basic economy pretty much provides you with a seat.

• Do you want to use the overhead compartment?  Pay a separate fee or upgrade to regular economy.
• Do you want a bag of peanuts with your drink?  Pay a separate fee or upgrade to regular economy.
• Do you want to print your boarding pass before coming to the airport?  Pay a separate fee or upgrade to regular economy.
• Do you want frequent flyer miles for your basic economy flight?  You have one choice, upgrade to regular economy.
• Do you want to use the lavatory?  OK, it hasn’t gotten this bad yet.  RyanAir did have a conversation with Boeing for a coin-operated lock on the lavatory doors.

When people find out what they have to live without, they end up spending more on ancillary fees than if they purchase a regular economy ticket to begin with.

Transparency In Fare And Fee Pricing

If you are going to get hit with ancillary airline fees, the Federal Government wants you to know what they are ahead of time so that you can make an educated decision.  

“You should know the full cost of your ticket, right when you’re comparison shopping,” Biden said.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a news release earlier on Monday that the proposed rule “would require airlines to be transparent with customers about the fees they charge, which will help travelers make informed decisions and save money.”

The airlines have an industry lobbying group called Airlines for America.  This group represents the major airlines in the United States.  

Airlines for America believes that the airlines already offer transparency to consumers.  In a group statement, they said, “U.S. airlines are committed to providing the highest quality of service, which includes clarity regarding prices, fees and ticket terms.”

The proposed rules are in the public comment stage for the next 60 days.

Final Thoughts

I believe that the American consumer should have transparency in financial transactions.  If you finance a car, the loan documents contain a “truth in lending disclosure” which tells you how much will pay when the loan is paid off and how much you paid in interest.  The traveling public deserves the kind of transparency in fare and fee structure(s).

Basic economy fares are probably the worst trick that the airline industry has subjected its customers to.  They hope that you are so miserable that you will gladly pay for the amenities that regular economy passengers who paid a few bucks more per ticket get. 

Read the rest of this article at Biden Administration Wants Airline Fees Disclosed To Customers.

What Happened

In this case, some employees at American Airlines were victims of phishing emails.  You know the story, some of these employees opened the suspect emails which facilitated a data breach.  Although American Airlines suggests that your personal information was not misused, the types of information that may have been compromised consist of:

• Name,
• Date of birth,
• Mailing address,
• Phone number,
• Email address,
• Driver’s license number,
• Passport number and
• Any medical information that you provided to American Airlines.

Why is American Airlines notifying customers two months after the breach?  As a general operating rule, data breaches are usually not immediately made public to allow law enforcement to investigate without tipping the hackers.  

Data breaches are usually the result of:

• An employee doing something they are NOT supposed to do or
• An employee NOT DOING something they are supposed to do.

Examples of some things that employees should not be doing would be opening suspicious emails, clicking on unknown links or inserting a suspect flash drive into a networked computer.  Failing to apply operating system or application software patches or not securing a network would be examples of not doing something they were supposed to have done.

American Airlines Statement

Andrea Koos, spokesperson for American Airlines said “American Airlines is aware of a phishing campaign that led to the unauthorized access to a limited number of team member mailboxes. A very small number of customers and employees’ personal information was contained in those email accounts.” Koos went on to say that before adding that the company is “currently implementing additional technical safeguards to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future.” The company says it has “no evidence to suggest” that customers’ personal info has been misused.

I don’t know about you but the fact that any of the above information may have landed on the dark web isn’t very reassuring to me.

What American Airlines Is Willing To Do

American Airlines is willing to provide a complimentary, two-year membership of credit monitoring through Experian’s IdentityWorks.  In order to take advantage of this offer, you need to enroll by phone at (877) 890-9332 or online no later than December 31, 2022.   You will use the engagement number B061570 for your complimentary membership.

I will commend American Airlines for offering two years of credit monitoring instead of one year.  Data brokers on the dark web know that victims will usually get one year of credit monitoring so they hold on to your data initially.  They wait for that one-year period to expire before they put your personal information up for sale on the dark web.  

What You Can Do

You can protect your credit report from unauthorized access by  locking or freezing your credit reports with the major credit reporting bureaus:

• Equifax,
• Experian and
• Trans Union.

Requesting a credit lock or a credit freeze is essentially the same thing.  The major difference is that credit bureaus can charge you for a credit lock but obtaining a credit freeze should be complementary.  I have my credit reports frozen.  If I apply for credit, I will have to unfreeze my credit reports and they freeze them again after a lender or credit card issuer has run my credit report.  The graphic below is from my free Experian credit account.  With the tap of a finger, I can freeze or unfreeze my credit report at no cost.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, we live in a world where careless employees can cause our personal information to be exposed to hackers.  The security of your data at a business is only as good as the worst employee or the extent of the security of their network.

Monitoring your credit reports and locking or freezing your credit report access will help reduce any possible damage of compromised data.  I have had great success with LifeLock as they have alerted me to fraud in real time where the complimentary credit monitoring dropped the ball.

Read the rest of this article at Credit Alert: American Airlines Data Breach Two Months Ago.

The Deal

Icelandair’s fall and winter sale is back with sale fares in both economy and business classes.  You can fly to Iceland or connect in Iceland to destinations in Europe.  Here are some sample fares:

This sale is valid through midnight, September 25, 2022 (Iceland time).  There are some blackout dates but there are city pairs that are valid for travel ending April 30, 2023.  Icelandair has great prices on their Saga Premium (business) class seats.  Last year, I flew from Seattle to Dublin via Keflavik in Saga Premium class.  The service was excellent and the hot meal service was well presented.  Their fleet of Boeing 737MAX and Boeing 757 aircraft used a 2 + 2 business class layout in recliner seats.  Business class passengers have lounge access including the spacious Saga Lounge in Keflavik. 

The current Icelandair fleet consists of:

• Boeing 737 MAX8,
• Boeing 737 MAX9,
• Boeing 757-200,
• Boeing 757-300 and 
• Boeing 767- 300ER

Free Stopover In Iceland

When you fly transatlantic with Icelandair, you can choose to add a 1 to 7-day stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.  Travelers enjoy everything from geothermal bathing to northern lights gazing, as well as all that their final destination has to offer.

Make the most of your time in Iceland by following one of our ready-made Stopover itineraries which really help you get the most out of your limited time in the Land of Fire and Ice.

There are a wide range of tours and activities you can enjoy during your Stopover in Iceland.  Activities range from exploring the popular Golden Circle route to taking a dip in the world-famous Blue Lagoon, it’s easy to book all your trips in one place with Icelandair.

Iceland Is Open

Beginning Friday, February 25, 2022 there are no longer any COVID-related border restrictions for travel to Iceland.

All visitors are welcome, regardless of vaccination status, with no requirement to pre-register before visiting. There is no longer a requirement for a PCR test to board aircraft and no testing or quarantine upon arrival. There is no longer a requirement to present a certificate of vaccination or of prior COVID-19 infection.

Final Thoughts

Icelandair is a great niche airline and I enjoyed flying SEA-KEF-DUB in Saga (business) class.  The service is great including a nice business class food and beverage service.  If you are into gin, the drink menu has a “Gin Library” of eight selections of gin, including some from Iceland.  

Flying to Europe from the west coast in business class was comfortable even in a narrow-body airliner.  The stop at Keflavik is about the halfway point so you can get off the aircraft and enjoy the Saga Lounge.

The business class fares for this sale are about half off the standard fares.  When I flew from Seattle to Dublin in Saga (business) class, the full fare was $3,340.00 round trip.  You can’t beat the free stopover option to explore this amazing place.

Read the rest of this article at IcelandAir Sale to Iceland And Europe.