Cranky on the Web: United Only Likes You If You Have the Credit Card, Spirit in Vegas
Spirit Airlines is reportedly considering the termination of several West Coast flights to Las Vegas, a move that could include shutting its Las Vegas crew base. The airline’s shifting priorities suggest a focus away from short‑haul leisure routes. Meanwhile, United Airlines announced a MileagePlus earnings change that heavily rewards credit‑card holders while marginalizing passengers without a United card, signaling a pivot toward financial‑services revenue. Both developments highlight a broader industry trend of airlines rebalancing network and loyalty strategies to bolster profitability.
Chicago O’Hare’s Gate Fight Gets Even More Complex… and Spirited
Chicago O’Hare’s gate reallocation is entering another round after United secured full control of Terminals 1 and 2 and American’s presence in Terminal 3 weakened. Spirit sold two gates (G8, G10) to American for $30 million and two (G12, G14) to United...
Nat Pieper Tackles the Tall Task of Fixing American’s Revenue Problems
American Airlines hired former oneworld CEO Nat Pieper as chief commercial officer to reverse a deep revenue slump. Pieper, with a background in finance, alliances and fleet strategy at Northwest, Delta and Alaska, faces the challenge of making the carrier...