News and notes from around the interweb:
- You can negotiate prices on Airbnb “Find multiple places you like. Message the hosts with a polite message saying you love it but it’s a little out of your budget and some will send you a solid discounted price.”
And don’t forget: use Google lens to find the listing’s photos on other sites where the property is cheaper (e.g. through the property management’s or its own site, where they don’t pay Airbnb platform fees).
- Super annoying features of the new American Airlines premium Boeing 787-9P:
AA 789P
Some issues / quirks with the 789p that need to be sorted out.
-some glitches with the IFE
-Some growing pains with the hardware- like various biz seat compartments jamming at times, PE tray tables shut and MEL’d.
-For those in 3-3-3 economy, the middle seats in the very…— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) August 19, 2025
- New American Airlines Admirals Club grab ‘n go looks surprisingly good, actually
- During the last Trump administration, Marriott said “Our hotels are not configured to be detention facilities…Marriott has made the decision to decline any requests to use our hotels as detention facilities.” Yet the Four Points By Sheraton Alexandria in Louisiana is reportedly a holding center for people awaiting deportation.
“Our hotels provide public accommodation and event space, but are not designed or intended to serve as detention centers,” a Marriott spokesperson said. “Acceptance of business does not indicate support or endorsement of any group or individual. The property you have reached out about is operated by a third party, not Marriott International.”
According to Marriott franchise documents, the company “seeks to do business with franchisees that share our values”.
- Behind the scenes of an Envoy Air (American Eagle) Embraer E-175 delivery.
- I really love this concept:
Real luxury in travel isn’t always about adding more — sometimes it’s about taking away things that don’t add value.
At LATAM Airlines, our new Signature Check-In in Lima was designed with this in mind:
. Checking in is our requirement, not yours.
. We come to you.
-. Frequent flyers rarely carry excess baggage.
—. We’re here if you need us, ready to say Welcome.Less process. More calm. More time for what matters.
Ever since AirBnB added absurd fees and forced guests to also clean the entire house for the owners before leaving, I’ve stuck to hotels; I think the ‘golden age’ for apps like it are over. It was a fine idea at first, but the reality is that folks got greedy, as often happens, and, oh, umm, like, it ruined housing markets for locals in countless cities worldwide… so, yeah, not great.
Nice recap, thanks Gary ! Regarding JonNYC’s Twitter post, it’s really hard to imagine Singapore Airlines accepting some of that really trashy re-work like the grinding on those “Jewelry Trays” to make them work. Also enjoyed the Embraer video regarding new delivery of an aircraft, we retired people actually watch stuff like that.
I’ve given up on AirBnB as well.
My last stay included a laundry list of cleaning duties via a text message the evening before departure.
Also, I was hounded via text and phone to provide a positive review after I vacated the property. I got the feeling that I needed to provide an A+ rating or I would be hit with a mysterious post stay surcharge. I never completed the survey.
Is this Louisiana Marriott owned by a supporter of the rogue Tr_mp regime? This most crooked of government regimes seems to be all about stealing from American taxpayers so as to pad the pockets of its own while putting on a big show of farce to try to advance a racist agenda.