News and notes from around the interweb:

• LifeMiles is a separate company from Star Alliance member Avianca, but for the miles to remain valuable the airline needs to stay in business. That looks certain to happen thanks to $370 million in loans from the Colombian government as part of the carrier’s bankruptcy restructuring.

  

• Having too many credit cards while black (HT: Mark Ostermann)

• There are no lies here. From Andrew Charlton, Aviation Intelligence Reporter, August 2020:

  There is an easy way to change the industry. Treat airlines like businesses. Let them go bankrupt like businesses. The barriers to entry have never been lower for those that want to shake things up. There are trained staff, slots, gates, aircraft, and interesting markets available. New players could start again on things like seniority, slot hoarding, and leasing and other contracts. The entire industry needs significant root-and-branch reform. If not now, when? Yes, there will be a nasty period of readjustment; yes, airlines, airports, and even ANSPs will go bankrupt, but at least it will be honest, unlike the gravity-defying act of self-deception we are engaged in now. Get rid of the zombies we have today, living hand-out to mouth.

• El Polo Loco is leaning on its loyalty program to drive sales through the pandemic

• One Thai Airways employee claimed 419 days of overtime in a single year