News notes from around the interweb:
- Mayor of Barcelona wants to end all flights to Madrid in favor of high speed rail, as an environmental measure.
- 51% off Singapore Airlines awards ‘spontaneous escapes’ discounted more than the usual 30%.
- TSA-friendly bloody mary mix. If a product could theoretically exist, it probably already does.
- Tourists actually did this at Machu Picchu and were arrested for it.
- Cathay Pacific Asia Miles averages the cost of a mixed-cabin award so if you add a business class (or even economy) segment to the end of a first class award that actually brings the price down. This creates interesting opportunities for throwaway segments on awards (if you aren’t checking bags) to get a flight for less, similar to how Avianca LifeMiles works.
Definitely trying the CX mixed awards trick next time. Can’t find availability for already ticketed mid July RTW20 BDay Trip, but next time 😉
For July Trip I’m on CX 1st JFZk-HKG for 70,000 AS miles, then HKG-PERth in Biz for 44,000 Asia Miles. Only wait list awards for this itinerary but total only 85K Asia Miles 🙂
Regarding MAD-BCN, clear evidence that thoughtful airline leadership should be banging on the doors of aircraft manufacturers for technologies that meaningfully transform the climate impacts of aviation.
The political headwinds against aviation as it currently exists will only increase; how do you think the average citizen of Melbourne (currently the worst air quality of any major city in the world) feels about people flying SYD-LAX in Qantas first class when that passenger has done nothing to reimburse the rest of the world for the economic or environmental impacts of their flying?
@Eric
Specific to MAD-BCN, that’ll be pretty tough, since aircraft manufacturers can’t manage the ancillary benefits of high speed rail travel on that route. City-center to city-center rail travel with limited stops at notable suburbs without long security lines, checked baggage fees, and advance reservation requirements is something that air travel can’t do (ie 2min stops, no/minimal security lines), won’t do (14day reservation minimums), or will fight tooth-and-nail (ancillary fees).
It always baffles me when tourists to Europe use airplanes for city-city travel rather than rail, since most tourist hotels are already near city centers or otherwise very close to rail links with high speed rail only 30min away. Obviously rail trips longer than 8h makes air travel more attractive, but sleeper trains then become quite attractive as well: Dinner in Paris, hop on a train, wake up for breakfast in Munich or Berlin.
@Jon,
I don’t dispute the incredible economic and convenience advantages offered by HSR in Europe. Although there’s no place for a transcontinental system in the US, there are no doubt many corridors where it would bring great benefits.
Where HSR doesn’t exist and/or isn’t realistic, aviation would benefit enormously from new technologies to vastly reduce its climate pollution.