News and notes from around the interweb:
- Mark Calvey reports that Alaska Airlines is allowing Virgin America first class passengers to access their lounges (as they do Alaska Airlines paid/award but not upgrade first class).
- With the US contemplating adding haphazard and willy nilly electronics restrictions ICAO wants consistent global guidelines. Net positive for travelers to the US (eventually, perhaps). Not good for the rest of the world that doesn’t already have such silliness.
- Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan will offer elite status extensions for new parents This is a no brainer that more programs should offer, a valuable customer who takes a 3 month break from travel is still likely to be a valuable customer going forward, why make them start from zero and give them a window to consider the competition?
- Man suing Alaska Airlines over 2015 involuntary denied boarding. He wound up handcuffed.
- Cures for business traveler pet peeves (HT: Alan H.)
- Americans choose airlines based on fare so the awful product and service we get is (collactively) ‘your’ fault. Of course with the talk of rising customer satisfaction scores, there’s little mention it’s off a very low base and still very low in absolute terms.
- How do you know an airline CEO is lying? His lips are moving
I would hope that if TSA invokes the laptop (and possibly camera) ban, that some government agency mandates that the airline is fully responsible for damage or theft of that computer while it is in their care – above and beyond the meager monetary limits for checked baggage currently in place. If forced to check my computer or cameras, the airlines should be fully responsible.
Don, the airlines don’t want this, hold the government responsible.