Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for October 2023.

Haiti Shuts Down High-Stakes Charter Business: $4,000 Tickets To Sneak Into U.S.

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2023

Haiti experienced an unusual aviation situation where flights to the U.S. were up to 24 times costlier than those from the U.S., leading airlines to fly nearly empty planes to Haiti only to return full due to the country’s unstable conditions. As Haiti became increasingly ungoverned with rampant gang violence, alternative routes for Haitians seeking U.S. entry emerged, notably through charter flights to Nicaragua and other neighboring countries, before the Haitian government suspended these flights amidst concerns of massive migration.

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China’s ‘Most Ghetto Airport’: Handwritten Flight Info & $1.37 Tickets

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2023

The Foshan Shadi airport, located near Guangzhou and Shenzhen, recently gained notoriety on Chinese social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo for being dubbed “the most ghetto airport in China,” with features like handwritten flight information and lack of gender-separated toilets. Despite its reputation, the airport, which serves as a secondary hub for China United Airlines, offers incredibly low flight prices, with tickets to Inner Mongolia priced as low as ¥10 ($1.37).

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American Airlines Flight Attendants Create Makeshift Barrier Out Of Seatbelts To Keep Passengers Away

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2023

How much service you’ll get on a U.S. airline flight varies a lot. Some crews are helpful and engaging. Others retreat to the galley to play Candy Crush or read People. A couple of American Airlines flight attendants so badly didn’t want to be disturbed by passengers on a flight from Dallas to Toronto on Sunday that they constructed a barrier to keep customers out of the galley area.

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Travelers Beware: New Sneaky ‘No Show’ Fee and How to Sidestep It

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2023

Travelers need to be cautious of increasingly prevalent ‘No Show’ fees, particularly with rental car companies like Hertz, which may charge a day’s rental for no-shows. While rental agencies historically overbook and often fail to honor reservations, strategies such as booking through third parties can help travelers avoid these unexpected charges.

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Senators Seek Investigation Of Frequent Flyer Program Devaluations, Masking Hidden Agenda

by Gary Leff

Oct 31 2023

Senators Dick Durbin and Roger Marshall have requested an investigation into airline frequent flyer programs, alleging unfair changes to point systems. However, the senators’ motives may not be genuine consumer protection, as they have proposed a bill that could lead to significant devaluation of these programs, suggesting a hidden agenda to undermine objections to their legislation on credit card interchange.

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‘Coffee, Tea, or Bias?’ Flight Attendants Sue United Airlines Over Staffing Of Sports Team Flights

by Gary Leff

Oct 30 2023

United Airlines faces another lawsuit from flight attendants claiming discriminatory practices in choosing crew for sports team charter flights, alleging a preference for “white, young, thin women who are predominantly blond and blue-eyed.” Despite having selected diverse crews in the past, the recent removal of older and minority attendants from such flights, combined with previous controversies, raises questions about United’s selection criteria and potential biases.

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No Seat Swap, No Peace? One Passenger’s ‘Sick Burn’ After Refusing Mom’s Request To Change Seats

by Gary Leff

Oct 30 2023

Families occasionally struggle to secure seats together on flights, leading to requests for other passengers to switch. One passenger’s refusal to give up his window seat to a child resulted in a confrontational exchange with the mother, where he delivered a sharp retort after she threatened him with a disruptive flight due to her screaming child.

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