News and notes from around the interweb:
- Such a terrible customer experience. Yet all the airlines do it – afraid that if they don’t declare bins “full” early, customers will be onboard with bags when they really are full – or just gate checking them at the last minute – and risk delaying the flight a minute or two. And everyone just accepts that this is the way things have to be.
@united you lied! You told us on flight number 2338 that the storage bins were FULL. NOPE. NOPE. NOPE. These are empty. Just curious, if you are willing to speak untruths about luggage… what else do you lie about? pic.twitter.com/3klK0vRM1e
— Ann Boehm (@annboehm) August 7, 2025
- Former director of Dushanbe International Airport in Tajkistan suspected of embezzling nearly US$100 million (HT: Joe R)
- Some of you people keep trying to argue that it’s a good idea to walk around planes on your bare feet.
Water leak: faucet or flush bowl? What do you think? pic.twitter.com/LDzmXgnCRM
— Fahad Naim (@Fahadnaimb) August 8, 2025
- Paris Hilton’s New Custom Private Jet Is Just as Pink as You’d Expect— We Got a Look Inside
The Hiltonian interior includes a headliner with pink hummingbirds, carpet with sparkles, a new galley and aft lavatory, newly built four-passenger divans with fabric creating a mélange effect, a lighting system with seven shades of pink, and six executive seats with Aeristo leather inserts (called Sparkle Custom Quilt), pink piping, and embossed logos (“Paris” for her seat and “Sliv Air” for family and guests) on the headrests.
- United flight out of Greenland delayed because airport employees were too busy hunting reindeer to come to work “Locals debated the situation on an online forum and essentially sided with the airport employees that getting food for the Winter takes precedence over other jobs.”
- The ‘why’ of Singapore building the world’s best airport
A tale as old as time… the bin complaint at VFTW. Next, stay tuned for ‘Clean. Your. Planes.’ As for bare feet, wasn’t that our anti-vax head of health? Great again, indeed. TDS!
Who here is arguing for walking bare foot on planes? Name shame!
@1990 — New season, same trope. Cynically what if it’s a ploy to drive more credit card signups?
Switch it up – free checked bag but $25 for carryon. No more issue and planes depart on time. At the very least, the lowest categories do not get carryon, only a personal bag.
@L737 — Name shame? It was RFK, Jr.! As for those sign-ups, I’ll admit, I’m addicted. If it weren’t for rules like 5/24, I’d have 100s of cards for the juicy SUBs.
Those are small bins you can not get everyone’s full size carrryon in there.
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Have all non connects check as they can wait and all connects carryon as they need to transfer fast
@1990 — True and Gary said “you people” which I’m guessing means there’s more among us – smoke em out! As for credit cards, I too have a constant itch, currently working on the Quest SUB (if only Delta was bigger in DC). Agreed, 24 is too long. Should be like 5/12 (not biased at all, heh)
It’s a tango. If customers complied with the carry on limits, it would be less of a problem… And learn how to stop them! If the bag is sticking 3 ins beyond the edge of the bin….it might not fit.
In other news: if one invokes TDS , one loses 80% credibility. You do know there is no such thing, right?
It’s a tango. If customers complied with the carry on limits, it would be less of a problem… And learn how to stow them! If the bag is sticking 3 in beyond the edge of the bin….it might not fit.
In other news: if one invokes TDS , one loses 80% credibility. You do know there is no such thing, right?
The Singapore Airport is really quite nice. The Singapore Airlines Business Lounge and the Qantas First Lounge both great. I even like the food court. The waterfall is beautiful and relaxing.
Speaking of United, the FAA just extended Newark’s flight cuts through October 2026… @Tim Dunn, @MaxPower, your thoughts?!
@L737 — ‘I love a good roast!’ As for our quest for Quest, yes, I, too, just opened one, that +100K MileagePlus pointies and $200 Travel Bank was hard to resist. Beware, unlike the Amex Platinum annual $200 ‘reimbursement’ for airline incident fees, this Travel Bank only lasts 1 year (not 5). Then there’s the IHG Premium 6-month $25, January/July Travel Bank deposit. Much travel, very bank. *shiba meme* RIP (that dog died in 2024)
@Ron, the unintended consequences of your plan are more time to get bags checked at the airport, more time to load bags into the hold, more bags lost and damaged, more bags to transfer between flights, more time to wait to get bags, baggage carousels overloaded, more staff to employ or contract, There are reasons why airlines aren’t leaping to implement such a plan. Maybe loading people at the gate you save a bit time, but overall you don’t, not for most travelers.
Increased checked bags = increased number of employee to handle said checked bags = increased airfare. Be careful what you wish for.
@Ron, best idea all week…as long as elites like me get a free carry-on, LOL!
@1990 — a fellow Quester! Yes thanks for looking out about the Travel Bank. “Much Travel, Very Bank” is a heck of a slogan.
Re: EWR — I do hope for a VFTW Sunday showdown today *preps popcorn in case*
@L737 — One can dream… we thinkin’ ole-fashioned air-pop, microwave bag, or 1890s-prospector-style ‘in the plan’? And plain, dripping with butter, or ‘you fancy’ with some extra virgin olive oil? Throw in some M&Ms, too?!
@L737 — Also, I’d say you’ve done things ‘right,’ by starting with Capital One, then focusing on Chase, because many of us who’ve been at this for a while cannot get approved at CapOne because they practically want 0/24 to ‘approve’ for their better cards. Every time I check the Venture X pre-approval link, it’s like… ‘nope, but have you tried Quicksilver…’ *facepalm*
Sorry Gary but I gotta keep you honest. From my personal observations recently when someone boarding a flight comparatively late comes aboard and spends 2-5 minutes hunting for a nonexistent place to stow their carryon, then the flight attendant has to get involved, then the bag has to go out to go in the hold ( this is of course presuming nothing like passports, medications, or power banks need to be fished out first) then go down and be stowed, that’s an awful lot longer than the minute or two that you say.
@1990 — This guy knows how to “quest”! Bummer about Capital One, that’s frustrating. Hope it works out in time for you for the LGA landing opening! Wish I could say getting the VX first was strategic but just luck, was before I really started looking into the game. (Also, aw, no fireworks about EWR?)
@L737 — I guess Tim and Max need their rest. Oh well, maybe they’ll show up later. *fingers crossed*
1) Never walk on an airliner’s carpet barefoot or in socks, especially in the lavs. Ex-airline supervisor here. Trust me on this.
2) Never stick your hand in a seat pocket without looking first.
3) As long as carriers are fanatical about on-time departures, they will start grabbing carry ons early. The agents and flight crew have no say in this. Please don’t get angry with them.
I wish that carriers were actually concerned about on-time departures, because it doesn’t feel like they care too much.
@Common Sense — Good point. In the USA, we really could use an EU261 equivalent so that we at least get paid when they’re late. Someday, maybe…