FedEx & other airlines want American, Delta and United Airlines to just shut up and compete
The infighting among international airlines has spilled over into the domestic market. The Big 3 — American, Delta and United — have been working to stop expansion of the Gulf Carriers — Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. However, now other carriers that depend fully on Open Skies agreements are sounding strong disagreement with the Big 3.
Jet Blue, Hawaiian, FedEx and Atlas Air all sent a strong letter to the Department of Transportation fighting any changes to the current treaties signed by the US.
Don’t screw up a good thing!
FedEx and three other U.S. carriers – cargo carrier Atlas Air, plus JetBlue and Hawaiian Airlines – yesterday begged, essentially, the Secretaries of the Transportation, State and Commerce departments to tell the U.S. Big 3 airlines American, United and Delta airlines, to just shut up and compete.
In what were the final documents entered into the formal case docket being managed by the Transportation Department, FedEx, Atlas, JetBlue and Hawaiian argued that the U.S. Big 3 – American, United and Delta airlines – are doing far more than selfishly and unnecessarily seeking protection from the Gulf carriers. The group of four – billing themselves as the U.S. Airlines For Open Skies, or USAOS – also warned that the Big 3 are asking the United States to violate existing international agreements without justifiable cause, and to throw away the 20 years of hard work it took to establish today’s successful, liberalized global aviation regime known as Open Skies.
While airlines ban hunting trophy shipments, UPS says it won’t bow to controversy
US airlines, even those which do not fly to Africa, have banned the shipping of certain hunting trophies, but not all. The business of hunting is big and affects more than the feelings of Americans who view the killing of a “beloved” lion as abhorrent. The monies collected help conservation efforts and other cargo carriers are reluctant to ban shipments based only on controversy. UPS clearly states that they ship everything that is lawful.
Shipments of hunting trophies are still allowed by United Parcel Service, a UPS spokeswoman told The Washington Post on Tuesday, noting that the global shipping giant follows U.S. and international laws, not public opinion, in determining what it will and won’t ship.
“There are many items shipped in international commerce that may spark controversy,” UPS public relations director Susan Rosenberg wrote in an e-mail. “The views on what is appropriate for shipment are as varied as the audiences that hold these views.
“UPS takes many factors under consideration in establishing its shipping policies, including the legality of the contents and additional procedures required to ensure compliance. We avoid making judgments on the appropriateness of the contents. All shipments must comply with all laws, including any relevant documentation from the shipper required in the origin and destination location of the shipments.”
Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan lands top spot in loyalty program rankings
US News and World Reports has ranked loyalty programs. With changes in many programs, there has been a change in the rankings. “[The magazine’s] rankings highlight the programs that make it easy to earn free flights or hotel stays and offer plenty of reward options and perks travelers value, such as upgrades, free checked bags and priority boarding access.”
For the first time, Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan took the top spot on the list of Best Airline Reward Programs, thanks to high marks for elite membership benefits, ease of earning free round-trip flights, and network coverage.
Ten frequent flier programs tied to U.S.-based airlines were included in the U.S. News & World Reports 2015-16 Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings and were evaluated using methodology that looks at each program’s earning and redemption values, benefits, network coverage and award flight availability.
American Airlines’ AAdvantage Program, Southwest’s Rapid Rewards, JetBlue’s True Blue and Hawaiian Airlines’ Hawaiian Miles program also ranked in the top five this year, in that order.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.