At least according to the TSA since Congress hasn’t defined the meaning of roundtrip, no such meaning exists and therefore it can mean whatever they say. TSA Administrator John Pistole responded to Leocha and the airlines in a letter that the fee will affect all travelers equally for one-way trips and that nothing in the law passed by Congress defined a round trip. Here’s why it matters. Back in December Congress agreed to raise taxes on travel, as part of their overall budget deal. They’ve removed the illusion that TSA “9/11 security fees” go to fund security theatre. The budget deal increased ‘security’ ticket taxes that now go to the federal government’s general revenues, from $2.50 per segment (up to $5 each way) to $5.60 each way regardless of non-stop or connecting. As a result,…
About Gary Leff
Book Virgin America Paid First Class for July 4th Weekend at 50% Off
This offer is not at all surprising, though it’s creative and aggressive. Use promo code 50FIRST today only(though 11:59pm Pacific time on June 21) for a 50% discount on non-refundable first class travel between July 4 and July 7. There’s essentially zero reimbursable business travel over July 4th weekend, so why not try to monetize that first class cabin without the risk of undercutting the prices that other customers might pay? In recent years we’ve seen far more discounted first class fares, discounted buyups, and other attempts to generate revenue from first class cabins. On premium cross country routes Virgin America’s product probably isn’t competitive (New York to key California business markets) but their product is generally superior on other routes. The next logical step would be discounted paid first class for Wednesday and Saturday…
Has a New Greatest Safety Demonstration Ever Just Been Crowned?
Just a month ago I shared the Greatest Onboard Safety Demonstrations. Ever. And in a very short span of time the four greatest attempts may have been surpassed. Now, two of the four best were from Southwest Airlines flights. No surprise there. So if all that’s happened is that the four best have now rounded out to five, it should come as no surprise that the fifth and newest inductee also comes from a Southwest flight from this past week. It’s great. “The disco lights on the floor shall lead you to the exits” “It is a life vest, not a toilet seat cover.” “What I noticed during the boarding process, an awful lot of you need a little fashion consultation.” (And he’s wearing tennis shoes, shorts, and a button down shirt with American flag…
Amazon Fire Phone Fails, OneVanilla at Walmart Fails, and Onboard Paid Upgrades Coming
News and notes from around the interweb: Amazon’s Fire Phone Failure Vanilla gift cards, including OneVanilla, can no longer be used effectively at Walmart. A good reminder to limit your risk. So What’s next? Why you should pick a low hotel floor, keep your phone ready to voice record, and buy your upgrades onboard. Contra the article, British Airways used to offer onboard paid upgrades and is rumored to be bringing it back (and if they do I would expect the same from joint business venture partner American). British Airways is cutting legroom in intra-European business class to offer no more than coach. It’s also already just a blocked middle seat for width. (HT: The Tactical Traveler) BA has told me in the past they lose money on their intra-European business class service, but need…
Kung Fu Flight Attendants
There’s a new flight attendant fighting school in Chengdu. Although intended to ward off potential terrorists in the cabin, the skills they learn can easily be deployed against drunken and unruly travellers. …The college, Southwest Airline College, signed a deal with Tu Tengyao and his school to turn flight personnel into mini Bruce Lees. …Tu said: “The threat of terrorism is increasing and so personnel must really be equipped to deal with life and death situations at thousands of feet up in the air. …According to the airline college, Wing Chun kung fu is “quite suitable to be practised in narrow and confined spaces and so it’s perfect for air crew”. Three years ago Hong Kong Airlines was all over the news for the same thing. I’ve always thought that the women in the Thai…
You’re Subsidizing Those Expensive Tickets Business Travelers Buy!
Christopher Elliott pointed to an article suggesting that you’re the one, as a taxpayer, covering the cost “for luxury transportation enjoyed by corporate millionaires..” Let’s see if the claim holds water, and I can’t wait to hear what you think in the comments.
Talking My Way into Malaysia’s First Class Lounge and Flying Cathay’s Business Class to Hong Kong
Previous trip report installments Introduction: Maldives and Malaysia in First Class, How I Booked It and What it Cost Etihad Lounge and First Class, Washington Dulles – Abu Dhabi Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Etihad’s Abu Dhabi first class lounge, and business class Abu Dhabi – Male Maldivian Domestic Lounge, Flight, and Boat Transfer to the Park Hyatt Park Hyatt Hadahaa Maldives Boat Transfer, Maldivian Domestic Flight Kooddoo – Male, and Malaysia Airlines Business Class, Male – Kuala Lumpur Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur Why Kuala Lumpur is One of My Favorite Food Cities I had a hotel car take me the hour’s drive back to the airport, in part because I didn’t have a sim card for internet and I wanted to work on the drive. An early morning in Kuala Lumpur is the…
You Can No Longer Transfer American Express Points to Whomever You Wish
For years the official rule with American Express Membership Rewards has been that you could only transfer your points to your own loyalty program accounts, or to loyalty program accounts of people who had linked cards on your Membership Rewards account. In other words, if you had an American Express Platinum account and earned membership rewards and you had secondary cardholders, you could transfer points to accounts in the name of those secondary cardholders. And you’d probably have that rule enforced if you called American Express to make the transfer. But on the Amex website you could always link anyone’s account you wished — it would ask for the accountholder name and account number — and then once linked transfer points into that account. No longer. The American Express website has changed. It appears you…
You Won’t Believe What Happened to This Man on a Flight to Hong Kong!
I almost wanted to pretend I was Buzzfeed and add an “OMG!” to the title of the post. Because a man on a Cathay Pacific Newark – Hong Kong flight trapped his middle finger in the lavatory’s trash bin. He couldn’t get it out. And he had to stay in the lavatory for the rest of the flight and for landing. It took firefighters to free him upon landing. (Although the South China Morning Post has a conflicting account suggesting that he managed to free himself before firefighters arrived.) At least this happened, apparently, towards the end of the flight rather than at the beginning, and he was only stuck in the lav for an hour. The passenger was a 32 year old American man. That’s the story, anyway. But I cannot imagine how this…
As an Older White Male Business Traveler, Should I Care that American Express Is Focusing Elsewhere?
The Wall Street Journal reports on the shifting business focus of American Express and the rise of Bluebird. American Express was traditionally an issuer of charge (not credit) cards and its customer base especially affluent. That’s changing. “I always figured AmEx was for more well-off people, but if they are extending their hand to people who are less well off, it’s OK by me,” says Mr. Rodriguez, who lives in Denton, Texas, about 40 miles from Fort Worth. AmEx once boasted a customer base that was the envy of the industry, with its iconic green charge cards and lavish perks. But growing competition for affluent customers from issuers like J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is driving the New York company to court consumers with a card it pitches as an alternative to checking accounts for…
