News and notes from around the interweb:
- Okey dokey. Oakland airport has new non-stop service to Zacatecas, Mexico. That’s great for folks who need to go there. But they’re promoting it as a tourist destination when the State Department says this: “Do Not Travel To: ..Zacatecas state due to crime and kidnapping. Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.”
Zacatecas is home to a UNESCO-listed historic center replete with outstanding Spanish Baroque architecture, quiet cobbled alleyways, and breathtaking views. …
The Centro Historico has preserved much of the architecture and urban design dating back to the sixteenth century, including the centerpiece — the Zacatecas Cathedral. The cathedral features an intricate Churrigueresque facade, an elaborate Spanish Baroque style of stucco decoration. The cathedral’s facade and other architectural elements are heavily influenced by the syncretistic blend of indigenous concepts and techniques and Catholic iconography. Most streets in the Centro Historico are too narrow for vehicles, making the entire area an immersive, walkable cultural zone of interlinked museums and plazas.
Foodwise, Zacatecas is famed for asado de boda, a regional mole with red Chile pork that is traditionally served at weddings, and for its birria de chivo (goat stew). Zacatecas also has its own spin on gorditas, tortas, enchiladas and other Mexican classics. Seasoned travelers know that the city’s best culinary offerings will be found outside the city center.
- How to save the Alaska Airlines partner award booking fee if your plans change
Alaska charges a [non-refundable] $12.50 each way per passenger surcharge for booking partner award travel…If your plans change, you might be tempted to cancel your ticket and get the miles back. Don’t. If you do that, you will forfeit the partner award booking fee. Instead, just change the route or date at no charge.
When you’re ready to book another flight, you can change it again and just pay (or get back) the difference in fare and taxes. The ticket will be valid for a year, at which point you’ll have to use it, or you can always request a refund at that time. There is no limit to how many changes you can make on a ticket, all free of charge!
- A former United Airlines first officer is suing the airline, alleging that after a hard landing incident in Houston that damaged a Boeing 767 the carrier falsely reported that he was the pilot in command—thereby tarnishing his FAA record and ending his career.
- Allegiant looking to offload its underperforming Florida resort that went way over budget, taking four years longer to build than planned, and isn’t even on the beach.
- America’s Air-Traffic Control System: An International Disgrace: After the Reagan Airport disaster, will we finally reform the FAA?
- American Airlines had gone quiet in social media after last week’s tragedy. They’re back responding to customers. I continue to believe that they have handled this as well as you’d hope.
The night of January 29 forever changed our airline, and our hearts have been heavy over the lives lost on Flight 5342. We are grateful for the outpouring of support as we grieve the loss of our passengers and team members. pic.twitter.com/I3iM8pOIxV
— americanair (@AmericanAir) February 4, 2025
- Safety precautions – that end well! – are now political?
Probably (?) nothing to do with the Musk/Trump purge at all, but just had to emergency land back in LA on way to Chicago because of a strange electrical burning smell in the back of the plane.
Fire fighters just boarded and we are now deplaning. pic.twitter.com/4amEDNmhnU
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) February 4, 2025
- United Airlines million miler swag. It wasn’t awarded on a plane, but still continued amped up investment.
Unexpected million miler swag
byu/PowerfulDefinition88 inunitedairlines
Classic! Gots ta throw in a ‘jab’ at ‘woke’ California. Perpetuate the right-wing trope that the Bay Area is unsafe. Friends, it’s not all the Tenderloin out there. Sheesh. Now let’s see who’s gonna ‘pile on’ with ‘Democrat-run’ and ‘libruul’ this and that. I’m thinking @Andy S, @Mantis, @Mike P. Where you at? Ooo, scary Oakland… why not go with ‘Berkeley’ next time? C’mon Gary…
You know general warnings have to be taken with some understanding. For example, my wife and I were just in Acapulco off a cruise ship. There sure we heard alerts about this dangerous city and the state that it is located in. We walked over to do a self-guided tour of the interesting fort across from the pier, then along the relaxed but busy street by the marina to the central plaza a few blocks away. We saw the cathedral, had some juice, bought some things in a department store and walked back to the ship. This could not have been easier or quieter. There were a few armed police and soldiers around, and that was it. No gangs having gun battles or threatening people, just ordinary folks going about their days in a city. If you want to find trouble or go to a really risky place sure, but using sense and acting like a normal person avoids almost all the issues one reads about.
@drrichard — I’m glad you had a safe and enjoyable experience in Acapulco–haven’t made it there yet, but it’s on the list. Felt fine in Cabo, Yucatan, and Nayarit, but have mostly stayed within the resort ‘compounds’–only really ventured out in Mexico City for Teotihuacán, which was worth it. Really does help to go with trusted local guides, even to places within the United States and Europe, where we may feel more ‘comfortable’ and ‘familiar’–I find that it is often when we become ‘complacent,’ you know, ‘let your guard down,’ that trouble tends to strike. A few year’s back, I was a victim of pickpocketing in Berlin, Germany, which you’d think would be as safe as say Boston or Miami or Tulsa, but they got me good, and I had to go to the US consulate, get an emergency replacement to fly home. It happens. Just ‘stuff’–Replaceable. Safety is always first.
Thanks 1990. We wandered around Cabo and found a great little coffee shop, had no issues whatsoever. But sorry to hear about your experience in Berlin, such things do happen everywhere and they are so irritating. You are absolutely right about keeping situational awareness, which isn’t perfect but does help. (Knowing the local scams is important too–such as someone who “spills” something on you and while “wiping it off” their confederate reaches into your pocket.) Guides certainly are helpful and we would have used one (or a tour) if going further than the short walks I had studied ahead of time. And I certainly recommend them if the place is dicey like I did in the back country of northern Haiti back when a bus from Santo Domingo was even an option. I guess everything is relative; there are people who won’t come to the U.S. because of all the guns here. And I know folks who won’t cross any U.S. border because of fear of “foreigners” (they think going to London means you’ll be blown up!). Oh well. Meanwhile have fun traveling!
If something DOES happen to an Oakland resident visiting Zacatecas, I wonder if they’ll sue the airport? And NO, before people start piling on, I’m not saying they should, I’m just wondering if they would…
@Thing 1 — This is America: You can sue anybody for anything. Most lawyers will want to be paid up-front, a nice juicy retainer, unless it’s one of those highly-regulated contingency-fee personal injury cases–which doesn’t sound like your hypothetical (likely ‘frivolous’) case. Good luck!
@drrichard — Sorry for my delay. I couldn’t resist @Thing 1’s bait. You are quite adventurous to attempt the visit to Haiti–even years ago. I know some folks who went to do charity work with their church after the earthquake in 2010–very tough. I feel for the innocent, everyday people of Haiti; oof, it’s gotten worse and worse for them over the years–and getting worse still with this recent freeze on nearly all foreign aid. There is a fairly large and thriving diaspora in SE Florida and NYC–those in the US (Ohio) did not deserve to be vilified. Anyway, I plan to keep traveling and ‘speaking out’ (until they come for me). Some of my fondest memories are traveling with those I love.
My guess is that this part of México is really about as safe as the area around the Oakland airport. I was almost carjacked refilling my rental car gas. Refill your gas? What an amateur move. What Oakland really needs is to elect Barbara Lee as their mayor, because they need a 70+ year old career politician to restart their city.
@Joseph — Holy moly. Glad you were still safe (‘almost’). I drove through Oakland last weekend, and thankfully did not have any issues. Got gas in Vallejo, which is just north of there and did not feel ‘unsafe’–I will say something smalls awful around the interchange of I-80 and I-580, you know, after/before the Bay Bridge on the East Bay side. Like, seriously, remember to pull up the windows and ‘recirculate’ air when driving through there.
*smells (it must be the water treatment plant there)
And thank you 1990. It was to Cap Haitien, which was far, far safer than the south. Wanted to see the huge fortress that a mad king built nearby and it was amazing. I’ve traveled into some pretty rough parts of the world but never was in a taxi before where the driver stayed in a cage so nobody could murder him and take the vehicle. It was a trip on the edge of safety but worked, and people are still cruising to Larabee, which is a totally isolated, fenced and guarded “port” on the Haitian coast. (Though it is interesting that the cruise info doesn’t mention the name of the country until you go way, way down.) And there are some lovely people in this country, also great art like the steel drum covers cut into “tree of life” motifs we have at home. I agree about the USAID thing, you don’t make friends by cutting off assistance to people who need clean water, good roads, etc. I think we are on the same page regarding the King and his buddy, a little replica of Jafar, the evil Grand Vizier in “Aladdin”. Giving up is not an option.
@drrichard –Wow, I just looked that up. If it is the Citadelle Laferrière, that’s incredible–I really hope sites like that can be preserved for future generations. Have lived/worked near Port Everglades and also Bayonne (NJ), so I heard from people who cruised to Royal Caribbean’s ‘resort’ there, though no ‘official’ passport stamp, so more of an ‘unofficial’ visit to the country, but who’s ‘counting’ countries, anyway. That style of artwork is indeed beautiful–always nice to have a little something to bring back the good memories. For me, I print out a few of my travel photos, and that usually does it. And, ah, yes, the Emperor has ‘the finest’ clothes these days…only ‘the best’!