Monthly Archives for September 2023.
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.
Twenty two years ago today I was sitting in my office in Northern Virginia. I was fortunate not to be on the road, although several work colleagues were and it was a challenge to help them get home when planes were grounded on 9/11. A whole generation of adults was born after that day that remains ingrained in my experience.
Video emerged over the weekend of an easyJet flight in Europe where everyone realized that two passengers had gone into a lavatory together at the rear of the aircraft and were probably joining the Mile High Club.
The cabin egged on a flight attendant to open the door to the lav. And after enough cheering, he finally did it, showing the whole cabin that the passengers were, indeed, in the midst of the act. Realizing they were exposed, they quickly shut the door, while passengers cheered (and filmed).
The other possibility that was speculated two falls ago was a premium Hyatt credit card. And that’s back on the table, as a survey of possible benefits reveals. Some of the things under consideration appear to be:
A couple of months ago I wrote that I’ll be speaking at the frequent flyer and casino loyalty event, ZorkFest, this October. The event room block is almost full, and closes September 19th. Registration closes soon as well. I’ve been given a promo code for readers to take $55 off: lateearly88
Vietnam Airlines is near a deal to purchase 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This is reported to be ‘worth’ $10 billion, but that’s a game we play. Airlines do not pay list prices. The journalists reporting on the sale know this. Particulars aside, a good rule of thumb is to assume the real price is half of what’s reported.
The three year old airline with a hub at Enugu operates four Embraer ERJ-145, albeit the long range variant of these 50 seat regional jets. The aircraft has a published range of 1,550 nautical miles.
CLEAR may have greater employee accountability than TSA – they say they fired the people responsible for last year’s lapses and their managers – but you’re still handing over your biometrics to a company and trusting them to manage those well, just as you’re trusting the federal government when you join PreCheck or Global Entry.
So how well are they managing them?
Miss Universe Canada 2023 Madison Kvaltin was hired by Emirates as a flight attendant. As part of her onboarding she was asked to complete a health history, and it included the question ‘have you ever struggled with an eating disorder?’
Details of the new United Airlines lie flat business class seat for narrowbody Airbus A321XLR and a subset of the airline’s new Boeing 737-10 aircraft have been revealed.
Here, there’s a herringbone arrangement with passengers seated at a 49 degree angle, away from the window. And to pack in as many seats as possible, the patented seat creates an area that is shared between passengers – one passenger gets shoulder space, while the passenger beside them gets lower arm space – all in the name of cabin density.
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 »
