News and notes from around the interweb:
- The yet-to-open Berlin Brandenburg Airport is one of the world’s biggest infrastructure jokes, and it’s been delayed again until 2018 because of “the control systems in the terminal doors, which present a fire safety risk.” The project was supposed to open in 2011 and it’s reached triple the budgeted cost for the airport.
- US airlines were shockingly silent this weekend on the President’s executive order limiting travel to the United States.
- Meanwhile the administration claims Delta’s IT meltdown was worse than the executive order for travelers. This is, of course, absurd.
There’s a huge difference between being in federal custody, not knowing whether you’ll see your family again or get sent back to a country where you fear for your life… and being delayed inside an airport for a few hours where you have the freedom to leave. And the ‘small’ number of people detained at the border was, essentially, just those already inflight when the executive order was signed — it doesn’t count the people denied boarding in their home countries every single day while the order is in place. Tellingly, no threshold was set for how many people it wouldn’t be ok to keep in custody at the border.
- Man cons 2 hotels over 6 months, racking up over $150,000 in bills and not paying
- The White House’s comment phone line was closed in the waning days of the Obama administration, telling people to use Facebook messenger instead — a feature unavailable after the Obama White House site was transitioned to the Trump administration site. So an app was created connecting people to Trump hotel properties to offer their feedback instead. (HT: Magic of Miles) Trump hotels are being trolled on twitter as well.
- God Save the Points interviews himself
- Cathay Pacific is cutting the first class predeparture amuse bouche in a cost saving measure. They introduced the amuse bouche before takeoff in February 2014.
So a few hundred people being delayed is the biggest disaster…lol
I strongly disagree with the executive order but the title of this page is seriously confusing and even too much if you’re saying that this is worst disaster to happen at an airport
I’m glad you’re speaking out on this. It really is a shame.
Non-citizens outside of this country have zero constitutional rights. Immigration policy is very much at the discretion of the executive branch, as we all saw during Obama’s 8 years of wiping his ass with the constitution. You libbies need to relax, 100 people being prevented from entering from countries that are known harborers/sponsors of terrorists is not a tragedy. Do you think we conservatives agreed with everything (or anything) Obama did? Absolutely not, but you didn’t see us constantly protesting, disrupting, agitating, rioting, looting, etc. Trump was elected based on this exact platform. Elections have consequences, as you libbies lectured us 4 and 8 years ago. Suck it up. Your lax policies over the last 8 years is why such a hard right turn was necessary.
I guess this is Trumps way of acknowledging the protestors, by blatantly lying. This will not make us any safer the next terrorists to get through will magically be traveling on Saudi passports.
The poor quality of thought is what is creating the reaction to the Trump. Bad law is bad even when the intent is good and so far there’s been nothing but low quality work coming from Trump.
Using the power of our government in short sighted and poorly thought out ways is truly scarry.
@WR – keep telling yourself that as Trump bumbles from disaster to disaster. Enjoy riding the Trump train to a 25% approval rating and a wipeout in the 2018 midterms.
1. The executive does have a lot of power over the immigration system. But it was not intended to be used to deny entry to, for example, 30 year permanent residents (green card holders) that have complied with all of our laws and been productive members of society.
2. The citizens of the seven countries listed in the EO have produced a grand total of zero terrorist attacks on US soil. No Iranian has ever conducted a terrorist attack in the West. And yet Egypt and Saudi Arabia are left off the order (home countries of the 9/11 terrorists).
3. The implementation of the order was especially cruel. A Syrian refugee family that had already been approved for entry and sold all of their possessions was made homeless at the airport. Heavily vetted students studying in the US are now failing out of university because they cannot return for classes. Caregivers flying to tend to sick relatives back home are now at threat of losing their jobs in the US and are unable to return.
The order has no rational basis, is extremely callous and cruel, and helps create enemies abroad for no justifiable gain. Damn skippy I was out protesting it yesterday.
Obviously, the protests (whether you agree with them or not) are WAY more disruptive at the airports than Trump’s actual order.
I think it’s very smart (as Trump would say) for the airlines NOT to pick a fight with our new President. There’s zero benefit to them. The airlines will fly whomever the USA says can enter the country.
WR-Beautifully said.
Gary,
I enjoy your blog and your advice on Travel, however, I do not come to your site to listen to your take on our President or his policies and how they might not align with your personal views. I don’t care if you are a liberal or a Republican, but I am sure others would appreciate you keep your personal political feelings our of your posts.
“Your lax policies over the last 8 years is why such a hard right turn was necessary.”
Said every despot ever.
@Gary – Consider that when you respond to Trump’s tweets publicly, as here, you are contributing to the expansion of the bully pulpit.
Gary,
I second the “no Politics” approach to this blog.
WR says: Do you think we conservatives agreed with everything (or anything) Obama did? Absolutely not, but you didn’t see us constantly protesting, disrupting, agitating, rioting, looting, etc.
Uhh . . . the Tea Party protests across the nation? The Taxpapyer march on Washington? The Restoring Honor rally?
EXCLUSIVE – Islamic State Supporters React Angrily to Trump’s Temporary Refugee Halt http://bit.ly/2kGAqj4 via @BreitbartNews
@reggie lee.
Doesn’t a personal blog give you freedom to write what you think of in your space, just as it gives you and I right to criticize
For a large business there is little to gain and much to lose by taking sides in a heated political debate. The people you alienate will feel much more strongly than the people you please. It’s human nature. Therefore as a purely practical matter getting involved in political issues is a disservice to shareholders.
@WR – I am so glad that you are in the minority with your blind support of the FBOTUS (First Bully of the US). This knee jerk action kept people who fought in wars for the US out. It kept green card holders out. It kept people with visas approved by the US government out. It was ill conceived, ill planned, and poorly executed. You must realize that your hero’s ratings are tumbling like dice with each move he makes. Read http://fortune.com/2017/01/29/donald-trump-approval-rating-gallup/ The people did not elect a dictator as the FBOTUS is acting. “you didn’t see us constantly protesting, disrupting, agitating, “, maybe you missed the last eight years of republican disruption of the federal government, where Mitch McConnell stated that their primary goal was to make Barack Obama a one term president. Screw the goals of those that voted for them, obstruction was the norm. Shutting down the government twice when the republicans could not get their way, filibustering every bill, refusing to hold senate hearings on filling the SCOTUS vacancy, etc., etc. I could go on ad infinitum, but I made my point. Gary – thanks for the article.
I read this blog for travel ideas, tips on mileage sign up bonuses, and the best ways to use miles. Why does Gary need to go political on us? Yes some folks were tied up a bit when they arrived from the 7 countries impacted, and yes thousands of “spur of the moment” protestors decided to mess up free travel into and out of airports, but we already have plenty of TV shows and news bloggers to voice political opinions ad nauseum.
Does he think we really need his non-travel related views?
Gary, It’s your blog. Please keep speaking out AS YOU SEE FIT! If people do not like it, they do not have to read.
I honor that you use YOUR space to say YOUR words and opinions.
Thanks,
Carl
Seems like Gary can write whatever he wants on his blog and you can always decide whether or not you want to read it. Pretty much the way the free market works…
Agreed, NSX. Also, the airlines have had some problems in the past with the Feds not properly vetting foreign nationals entering the USA. I think there was once this incident called something like “9/11.” So it’s not like the industry has feelings on only one side of this issue. I’m sure they’d like as many non-terrorists as possible to visit the USA. But they also want proper vetting.
Agree with WR. It’s a temporary measure people. Get a grip.
Thank you, Gary, @Andrew M, @Chris Jensen, and @DS. In a competent government, all implementation should align with clearly-stated, rational goals, and clearly, this Executive Order does not meet that standard.
Thank you Gary for speaking up. I appreciate it. This is a free country last time I checked. Trump Supporters are free to live in their alternate reality. We have the freedom to seek truth.
Thanks Gary! We can’t be indifferent to these bigotry, xenophobic and racist executive orders. America is better than what Donald Duck is portraying it to be:
Few quotes from the wise:
“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel
“Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all — the apathy of human beings.”
― Helen Keller
“When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
It is amazing to me that any intelligent folks would not understand the implications of this absurd move by the man who is currently called President. His illogical, bombastic action will make it less safe, convenient and possible for ALL OF US to travel in the future. Actions have consequences as some of you have pointed out. There is likely to be a tit for tat to respond to this insanity, with less fluid borders throughout the world. Further, the message that “America hates Islam” has garnered a new BIG DATA POINT for enemies of freedom to use against America and Americans. The oafish and ignorant move fed right into their narrative. I totally support the discussion of this issue on a travel blog because THE ISSUE IS ABOUT TRAVEL!!!! I also second the suggestion that if you do not want to read this blog don’t do it. Frankly, your ill informed views will not be missed.
It is beyond alarming to have a President who is a pathological lier.
Gary,
Please keep up the good work, your views are important and they do relate to travel. If some people don’t want to hear what you think about the effects of politics on us and our freedom to travel, they have the choice not to come here. We do need to have places where reason can be heard considering the nonsense that has become a daily fare from other sources.
Trump supporters seem to have forgotten the constant hissy fit the Republicans were in for the last eight years, e.g. shutting down the government, threatening to shut down the government, and threatening to default on the national debt to name a few of the most damaging and ridiculous stunts.
I’m still unclear about what was wrong with the immigration process under Obama. You can say “extreme vetting” or “it is just a temporary ban” as much as you want, but no one has pointed to any deficiencies previously nor proposed any ways to fix said deficiencies. Please tell me something specific that was wrong and how to fix it.
(I know people will point out the San Bernardino wife as the thing that needs to be fixed. What is the solution then? Trump has had two years to think about this. He has no better ideas than Obama had. None)
@Tom – Since you mentioned the San Bernardino shootings, let us remember that those people that did this were US citizens.
Nice going Gary. Now you have readers of your blog divided on Politics. That is not the reason I read your blog. Also, I don’t know why you think you are an expert on political issues. Stick to what you are good at. Give me information about miles and points that I can use, not your opinion on current political issues.
109 is a lie. Professor Muneer Ahmad from the Yale Law School Clinic which worked to secure the Temporary Restraining Order said so yesterday. The true number appears to be much greater. Trump adm is unwilling to disclose the true number so it has to be compiled from other sources.
This is lie.
@Rick “I don’t know why you think you are an expert on political issues.” I don’t know why you think I’m *not*? Interested in your assumptions or facts here 😉
109 is a lie. Its more like 90K
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/01/30/the-number-of-people-affected-by-trumps-travel-ban-about-90000/?utm_term=.31d83604f38a