News and notes from around the interweb:
- Entering the U.S. through Texas? Data in your possession isn’t protected by attorney-client privilege
- Virgin Atlantic booking bonus
Members who book a one-way or return flight between 24 August and 4 September 2023 will earn a bonus. Booking a return Economy ticket will earn 5,000 bonus Virgin Points, a Premium ticket will bag an extra 10,000 points, while an Upper Class flight getting you a bonus of 20,000 points.
For a one-way ticket, you’ll receive half the value in points: so, 2,500 points in Economy, 5,000 in Premium, and 10,000 in Upper Class. All you have to do is be a Virgin Red member, link your account to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, and book for travel between 1 September 2023 and 31 May 2024.
- Marriott Launches India’s First-Ever Co-Branded Hotel Credit Card (Skift)
- American Airlines has become difficult for travel agencies to work with even when those agencies do exactly what American tells them to.
- United Airlines tests bringing back full business class meal service presentation on three routes, albeit with one less crewmember than there used to be on board.
- CEO of profitable Qantas scoffs at idea of repaying pandemic subsidies “He believes the best way for Qantas to repay the money is by earning higher profits and therefore paying more tax.”
Outgoing CEO Joyce also says ‘privacy issues’ prevent him from commenting on improper favors provided to the Prime Minister’s son. And in response to the controversy that the Australian government denied authority for Qatar Airways to add flights to the country to protect the Qantas joint venture with Emirates, Joyce misconstrued past offensive comments by the Qatar Airways CEO as a reason why Australians should be content with fewer choices and higher prices.
- Legionnaires disease at Caesars Palace they had bed bugs too.
United needs to restore business class food quality. The multi-course service flow is a given. They need to do better. Add back the FA to improve service.
I generally prefer a multi-course service, particularly on long flights, but UA operates a lot of short trans-Atlantic flights from EWR. It is hard enough to get decent sleep on a flight with 7 or fewer hours of flight time, but given the incredibly slow service of many UA crews (particularly on the high-J 767s), this is likely to drag out the meal service even longer. Even if they marginally improve the food, in my opinion sleep trumps airplane food.
Taking away an extra FA and expecting full service may be a stretch. That is akin to training one’s replacement while being let go, it just seems counterintuitive. But hey, Airlines have done stranger things.
United desperately needs to go back to the pre-pandemic three course meal delivery. I’m tired of having to eat my hot meal first before my salad and appetizer, so that I’m not eating cold food. Just add back the staffing and serve the salad and appetizer first like a normal airline. If I pay for Polaris it should be worth the cost.
Idk…recently flew Polaris back from Europe and thought it was…perfectly fine? I don’t really find it a more “premium” experience to just have to wait longer for a trickle of food to come out. I’m not a big service theater person, I guess. They did have the ice cream cart, and I can see how people think that is cool. Overall, to be honest I was quite impressed with the Polaris experience across the board (point of comparison for me would usually be LH J for the same city pair).
Mr. Malik was not using technology to the best degree possible. He should have encrypted all sensitive data with strong encryption. Operating system basic security can be bypassed on many cellphones. As for the case, I doubt that this case will become a Supreme Court decision later on.
With the exception of a diplomatic satchel, there is nothing immune from search and seizure at any US border crossing (this has nothing to do with Texas). The constitution does not and will never apply at border crossings.
When I go on business trips, I hit the ground running at my destinations. I really prefer not to have a drawn out inflight meal service with cabin lights fully on and flight attendants running around. Let’s not pretend it would be some delightful culinary experience. There is no way food can taste good after it has been chilled for hours and reheated on the plane. Most business people I know feel the same way. Give me my meal and let me rest or work.