Monthly Archives for June 2020.
They say the only true drinking problem is someone who never buys. That isn’t quite right, because when you lose your wine that’s a problem too.
You should always wear your seat belt, even when the seat belt sign is off, because turbulence can be a surprise. But there’s no known wine seat belt. And on one flight the plane shook so badly a bottle of wine was apparently sent shooting off into the ceiling of the aircraft.
And the Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American Airlines, has a creative suggestion. They want the federal government to buy up all the middle seats or more specifically “purchase enough seats on each flight to eliminate the need for any passenger to sit next to a stranger.”
The union says it “has begun discussing the SEATS concept with key lawmakers” to get it included in a CARES Act followup or passed as a standalone. Watch your wallets.
The biggest challenge with how easily SARS-CoV-2 spreads is that pre-symptomatic people are perhaps the most likely to infect others. Some studies suggest that people shed the most virus in the two days leading up to symptoms. So taking temperatures, convincing people to stay home when sick, only goes so far. That’s why healthy people are asked to wear masks, because they may be infecting others without realizing it.
Another big problem though is that even people who test positive for the virus aren’t staying home. Some are hiding their diagnosis, and still traveling.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
With the opening of the new New York LaGuardia Central Terminal building to replace the old terminal C, United, American, Air Canada and Southwest have a new home at one of the most important airports in the country.
I’ve been overall pretty negative on the renovation project because my fear has been that it would slow down travel, not make it better. A reader shares a report that confirms my fears. He concludes, “LaGuardia now requires an additional 30 minutes to get to the gate.”
Omni Air is a profitable ‘deportation airline’ operating charter flights for the Department of Homeland Security, and before securing the $67 million bailout they were awarded a new $78 million Defense Department contract.
They take deportation charters no one else will, billing the government as much as $11,000 per passenger. Their CARES Act funding appears to cover more payroll per person than any other airline receiving government funds.
Several routes where $39 one-ways are available, including Baltimore – Charlotte, Charleston, Detroit, Hartford; Chicago Midway – Indianapolis, Cleveland, Cincinnati; Phoenix – Las Vegas, Albuquerque, San Diego; Houston Hobby – New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Dallas Love Field, San Antonio; Detroit Chicago Midway, Nashville, St. Louis.
The President has indicated support for a $4000 domestic travel credit where you’d get half your money back from airfare, hotels, restaurants and related spending on domestic trips.
That’s now morphed into Martha McSally (R-AZ)’s “American TRIP Act” which would provide a tax credit of $4000 per adult ($8000 to a couple filing jointly) and $500 additional per dependent child to spend in 2020 or 2021 on domestic travel 50 miles or more from home, as well as $50 million to Destination Marketing Organizations to promote tourism to their region. This is insane.
Right now much of the world is closed to U.S. tourism. On the whole the Caribbean is opening, and the Maldives opens July 15. Turkey and Serbia are open. But most of the world that will accept Americans at least requires coronavirus testing on arrival or two week quarantine.
The E.U. is trying to come up with a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter starting July 1. The U.S. isn’t expected to be on it.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
