News and notes from around the interweb:
- Cost-cutting at Lufthansa has driven down customer satisfaction scores by 22 points
- I’m finally getting around to trying Max My Point which sends emails when hotel award space opens up, or when the points price of a hotel award drops. They even offer an email alert at the free tier (get more alerts for $4 per month).
At the most popular resorts especially reward nights can be tough to find in some programs, or redemption prices (such as at Hilton and especially Marriott) can change frequently. So setting alerts may help you find the space you need, e.g. you initially book only 3 out of 4nights you want, or lets you rebook to save points. Pretty cool, especially since you can set an alert for free.
- I have questions.
@AmericanAir
Your guys from San Juan counter took my bag and gave me a garbage bag for no reason. 😡😡 pic.twitter.com/skNZj8ApVL— Javizams (@Javizams2) April 30, 2023
- It’s hard enough to get housekeeping. This is just mean.
Hospitality is going to hell. Making it even harder? A guerrilla marketing stunt confused housekeeping into skipping our room on the one day @Hilton gives you a free cleaning. But the story gets better pic.twitter.com/sHC3kvlZJY
— Julie Fredrickson (@AlmostMedia) April 28, 2023
- Half naked passenger booted from Bali flight after “causing chaos within minutes of the plane taking off.”
@donraffaele Fp escorting trouble makes off a Bali flight
- New LATAM Pass lifetime elite status (Spanish, use your browser’s translate)
Perspective: Most service issues are due to one employee making a bad judgment call or doing something stupid. It reflects more on the one employee than the entire company.
I mentioned this in the other thread on gate checking. Flying FC on AA coming back from international trip flying JFK thru Charlotte to Birmingham.
AA demanded I gate check my regulation size roller bag despite my protest it was filled with integrated lithium ion lights (underwater photographer), multiple lithium ion batteries for other photography gear, laptop, kindle, 2 phones, tablet and large bag of prescription meds.
They refused to let me board until I gate checked the bag. Instead I was handed a large plastic bag and told to empty my stuff into there to carry on.
Bulky, hard to carry bag vs neatly packed roller case. Made ZERO sense.
Then when I got on board, there was plenty of overhead space in FC.
I have refused to fly thru Charlotte ever since. They also pulled this same stupidity on me flying out of Philly direct to Birmingham.
JFK, DFW, no issues.
This automatic gate checking crap has gotten out of hand. Never been asked to gate check on any other airline, even in 3rd world regional airlines.
The tatted blonde on Bali flight looks familiar, I would need to see the top of her head to be 100% though.
I need more info on the trash bag.
@Patti Was this a flight on Piedmont?
Piedmont absolutely refuses to allow any bag with wheeling on their RJs. They have refused to allow me to bring a backpack with wheels on, trying to claim it’s against FAA regulations, which it is not. When I called the FA out on the lie she went to the captain and said she was uncomfortable flying with me and i was denied boarding. They they tried to leave with my gate checked bag still in the hold…which I refused to do and stood on the jet bridge until the bag was returned to me, all the while reminding the captain that it IS an FAA regulation that passenger and bags have to fly together.
The gate agents were horrified at the behavior of the flight crew and issued me a rather large future flight credit and refunded my fare for the denied boarding (I decided to give my money to DL that day instead…and actually got home 90 minutes earlier.
@SOBE ER DOC
No,this was an AA flight. We came in on an international flight at JFK and flew to Charlotte.
It was on our connecting flight to Birmingham they refused to let my roller carry on bag on and handed me a big bag to empty my roller bag.
My daughter’s large backpack that also rolls was allowed in because they didn’t notice that it could roll. And when she out it in the overhead, there was plenty of space for my roller.
I refuse to step foot in Charlotte again.
Now this rolling case has flown some pretty darn small regional airlines in many a 3rd world country but NEVER been asked to check it.
But mighty AA can’t handle it. A crock.