Earlier I posted about emails forwarded to me from readers who claimed to have their Target Redcard accounts shut down. There’s also a thread on Flyertalk discussing this. Frequent Miler wondered if it’s a hoax. I certainly think the emails look strange — they’re quite specific about the activity that caused the shut down, mentioning specific dollar amounts. I wouldn’t expect an email letting a customer know their account is shut down to be so specific about the activity that caused it. It’s also interesting that the second version of the letter forwarded to me mentioned other amounts. It’s strange to see letters so customized. So… is this fake? Some commenters say they’ve been shut down as well. It’s more common than most realize to find misinformation posted in the comments on blogs, and on…
About Gary Leff
How Air Force One Can Defend the President from Attack
Business Insider has a piece on the how the President’s plane can defend itself. Air Force One — technically whatever plane the President is onboard but currently a Boeing 747-200 (and eventually a new 747-8) — costs over $200,000 an hour to operate. Speaking of ‘operate’ there’s an onboard operating room staffed by a doctor whenever the plane is inflight. Etihad’s ‘The Residence’ has nothing on Air Force One, whose President’s quarters includes not just sleeping quarters and a shower but also a gym. There’s 4000 square feet of interior space. The President has an office, there’s a ‘situation room’ and a staff quarters. Air Force One has the following defense capabilities: “Mirror-ball defense technology in the wings scramble infrared missile guidance systems” “Electronic countermeasure defense systems…jam enemy radar” “Flares hidden in the wings..to confuse…
American Express Shutting Down Target Redbird Accounts
Reader J. who asked not to be further identified forwarded this email that he received, shutting down his Redcard account. (It’s often referred to colloquially as ‘Redbird’ rather than its proper Redcard name because of its similarities to the American Express Bluebird cards co-branded with Walmart.) American Express apparently decided they didn’t like his loading the card at a Target register using a credit card (to earn miles and meet minimum spend requirements) and then immediately pulling the funds off the card.
The Strongest Case Being Made By US Airlines Against Their Gulf Rivals
An astroturf group, Americans for Fair Skies, has been set up to make the case against Gulf carriers. They’ve released a new YouTube video illustrating subsidies received by Emirates. I’m troubled by the continued use of ‘Sheikh’ in the video, at least 10 times in less than 4 minutes. It’s a xenophobic ploy The personalization isn’t necessary to the argument, the relationship between the airline and government aren’t driven by family ties. If anything it’s the other way around. Naming individuals lets them use words like “Mohammed” and other foreign-sounding names over and over. Nonetheless, having written US Airlines Should Shut Up About Having to Compete Against Gulf Carriers (and yesterday pointing out that American Airlines’ first large aircraft order was subsidized by the US government) I thought I should pass along the case being…
A Hack to Combine Points Free, Fear of Flying Flight Struck By Lightning, and Misbehaving Toddler Gets Whole Family Kicked Off Flight
News and notes from around the interweb: American expects to get its single operating certificate for the US Airways merger in April, and Alaska Airlines sounds like it’s looking for a merger partner. A ‘fear of flying’ familiarization flight was struck by lightning. Misbehaving toddler gets entire family kicked off a flight on Cathay Pacific from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Etihad has announced A380 service on the New York JFK – Abu Dhabi route effective December 1. This is the plane with the “Residence” and the first class apartment, the latter accessible with miles including American Airlines miles. Etihad staff at LAX two weeks ago told me to expect this, and said they hoped to eventually get the plane as well. Reminder that Hyatt lets you combine points from multiple accounts and there’s no requirement…
How Malaysia Flight MH17 Became a Financial Windfall for Russia.
There a fascinating piece from Aerotime explaining the consequences of avoiding flights over Eastern Ukraine. Following the MH-17 crash near Donetsk in July 2014, the Ukrainian and international aviation authorities promptly reviewed their safety recommendations and closed the airspace over Simferopol and Dnepropetrovsk FIRs. Though some airlines had started re-routing their flights several months before the official restrictions came into effect, the crash and the subsequent complete closure of the air over the Eastern parts of Ukraine have led to a significant drop in the overall number of flights over the Ukrainian territory. This change is costly to airlines because of the increased fuel burn flying around the territory, and it’s a financial windfall for neighboring countries because airlines have to pay to overfly them. The interesting part here isn’t the longer flight times which…
Air Marshals Scheduling Work Assignments for Vacations and Sexual Meetups, and That’s Not Even the Real Scandal. This Is.
We’ve all long suspected it, now it’s become public that air marshal flight schedules get changed to accommodate affairs they’re having or cities they’d like to travel to for free. “I think she put the offer out to quite a few (federal air marshals) and managers, literally acting like a travel agent,” retired air marshal Sonya Hightower told Reveal. “I think a lot of people were aware she was doing some of these things, but no one wants to comment on it. If everybody’s getting hooked up, nobody’s going to say anything.” Now, more than 60 government employees are under investigation as officials find if at-risk flights were left without air marshals. …D’Antonio looked up “personnel files, identification photographs and flight schedules to pinpoint air marshals she was interested in meeting and possibly dating.” This…
Hypocrisy Alert: Gulf Airlines Got Money to Finance Their Aircraft. Guess Where US Aircraft Financing Came From?
A couple of weeks ago I wrote US Airlines Should Shut Up About Having to Compete Against Gulf Carriers. I thought that would be my last word on the dustup between US airlines and Gulf carriers, with US carriers complaining to the government that they have to face unfair competition and the Chairman of Delta (partner with Saudi Arabia’s national airline) resorting to associating Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar Airways with 9/11 terrorism. But Alan H. pointed me to this New York Times piece which gives further coverage to the report by airline lobbyists (which they refuse to release publicly) that claims Gulf carriers have received $38 billion in subsidies. (All reports note that the report is 55 pages, though claim not to have seen it.) When I read this claim: Etihad alone received $17 billion…
A United Award Booking Hack, No Seat Assignments for Elites, Delta Award Booking Improvement, and Hilton’s IT Still Bad
News and notes from around the interweb: How to put United award tickets on hold French Polynesia’s tourism minister says Air Tahiti Nui will join oneworld. (HT: Jean T. for the article, in French) Already American AAdvantage frequent flyers can spend miles for Air Tahiti Nui flights. It used to be possible to earn AAdvantage miles on Air Tahiti Nui. Interestingly, joining the alliance would raise the airline’s costs allowing for mileage accrual in a variety of programs, though presumably it would help encourage passengers to fly them instead of Air France and Air New Zealand. Seven years ago the rumor was they’d be joining Skyteam. British Airways ‘Hand baggage only’ fares (which don’t even allow elites to have free checked bags – an exception to alliance-wide benefits) will no longer allow advance seat assignments…
FREE MONEY: Sign Up to Receive Payment from the Airline Price-Fixing Settlement
Several airlines have settled a price fixing lawsuit and you may be entitled to a very small share of the settlement if you purchased a ticket to Asia or the South Pacific in the past 15 years. No doubt the class action share will be small, but it’s not much effort, and you will just be asked for trip details and won’t need to dig up any documents. In 2009 a class action lawsuit was filed against Air New Zealand, Air France, and Continental for price fixing between the US and Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands. The case later expanded. And in August 2014 there was an agreement for a $30 million settlement with Air France, Japan Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Thai Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. In September Qantas and Singapore Airlines agreed…
