Last week United Airlines informed its Management & Administrative (M&A) work group of required unpaid time off this summer. This week the carrier shared some additional details related to the plans and the news for these employees is grim.
United Airlines
Fighting for the middle: A pandemic seating shift
Forget the fight over who gets the arm rests; middle seats on planes are now generating real fights over if they should be occupied at all. And airlines are fueling the flames with misleading marketing messaging.
United plans to resume (cargo for now) Hong Kong-Singapore service
In 2017 United Airlines dropped its long-running service between Singapore and Hong Kong, choosing to fly passengers nonstop between Singapore and the US West Coast instead. That plan appears to be changing, as the carrier requested DOT permission for daily (cargo to start) service between the two cities as soon as this coming Sunday.
United plans touchless bag tag kiosks
United Airlines wants to make it even easier for travelers to print their own bag tags at check-in kiosks. A new option to be tested this month will allow passengers to complete the process without ever touching the machines.
United’s long-haul operations focus on a new "workhorse"
United Airlines is not formally retiring any aircraft yet, but the company hinted at what its future fleet will look like in a memo to pilots identifying where bases will close and aircraft will reposition.
Sun Country wins big as United, Frontier lose in latest CARES Act ruling
Sun Country will be permitted to collect its government funding while largely suspending service through 21 June 2020. United Airlines and Frontier Airlines will not be so lucky. The latest guidance from the US Department of Transportation released this morning shows that the Agency is using different standards for the different sized airlines in forming its policy.
DOT grants exemptions to Delta, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines under CARES Act obligations
Flights to Hawaii will remain limited for the foreseeable future. The DOT will allow reductions between the mainland and the islands as it pays out billions to help keep airlines flying.
DOT adjusts, finalizes airline route requirements for CARES Act funding.
US airlines will need to fly far more than demand dictates if they want to receive CARES Act funding for employees. But the obligations are reduced in the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) final order compared to the initial proposal. The DOT took feedback from all stakeholders into account in trying to strike an appropriate balance of service versus demand, slightly revising the rules.
Delta, United extend elite status by a year, adjust other benefits
Frequent flyers at two of the world’s largest airlines received a reprieve over the weekend. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines announced major changes to their loyalty program, extended previously earned elite status and other benefits. The moves are dramatic, affecting millions of program members. [A]s coronavirus continues to dramatically impact travel across the globe, […]
Who wants what? How the US airlines are responding with CARES Act funding on the line
With tens of billions of dollars in federal funding on the line the DOT’s rules about service obligations under the CARES Act could dramatically affect airlines’ cash flow in the coming months. The divide in views between the large and small players is impressively wide.