Via Marginal Revolution, a man asked an Air Canada flight attendant for 7-UP in French and received Sprite, claimed his right to be fully served by Air Canada in French was denied, and he won a $12,000 judgment. Here’s why he won. In the latest case, the Thibodeaus initially complained of eight instances in 2009 in which they did not receive services in French at airports in Atlanta, Toronto and Ottawa and aboard three related Air Canada Jazz flights between Canada and the United States. The Official Languages Act requires Air Canada to communicate and provide services in both official languages in the National Capital Region and elsewhere in Canada, “where there is significant demand for those services in the minority language and where it is warranted by the nature of the office or facility.”…
About Gary Leff
TSA Implementation of Nude-o-Scopes Ruled Illegal, But They’ll Continue Using Them Anyway
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled today (.pdf) that TSA implementation of nude-o-scopes was done in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act. Specifically, the Court ruled that the TSA’s policy that travelers must subject themselves to imaging machines or take a pat down was legally required to have gone through a public notice and comment period. Though the promulgation of this rule was done illegally, the Court isn’t requiring the TSA to stop use of the machines for primary screening. They’re just telling the TSA to go back and dot its I’s and cross its T’s. The TSA argued that they were just interpreting the statute directing the TSA to detect weapons that might be used by terrorists, and the general regulation that passengers have to do what the TSA says…
Hyatt Picking Up 24 New U.S. Hotels, Including 4 That Actually Look Pretty Good
Via Alan, Hyatt is acquiring 24 hotels. Now, 16 of the properties will become Summerfield Suites, and that interests me not at all. Sure, I suppose more properties that earn Hyatt points is a good thing, and especially at the inexpensive end of the spectrum when one needs a mattress run to maintain elite status or during a faster free nights promotion when two (cheap) stays earns a free night (at an impossibly expensive high-end property). But Summerfield Suites doesn’t excite me. What does interest me is that they’re picking up 4 Avia Hotels, the Napa property looks like where I’d probably stay when I’m in the area and it’s great that I’ll get status recognition when I do. I don’t know that I’ll get out to their Savannah, Long Beach, or Texas properties but…
How to Convince People that Frequent Flyer Programs Are Worth It
This piece does a ‘He Said, She Said’ on the value of frequent flyer programs. The proponent of the programs says they’re like free money on the sidewalk, pick it up for things you’re doing anyway. The argument against is that you may not get what you want, and it takes effort to pay attention. Shockingly, coming from where I’m coming from, I think the proponent has the better end of the debate, in each case he lays out a reasonable answer — you may not fly a lot but can get miles from all sorts of things besides flying, the miles aren’t hard to track when you use a free online tool like Award Wallet, the seats you want may not be available on the airline attached to your mileage program but the seats…
How to Include Miles and Points in Your Estate Planning
Via Jerry, the July issue of Estate Planning Developments for Texas Professionals (exciting reading!) has a piece on transferring frequent flyer miles at death. It’s a nice companion to the classic April 2004 Inside Flyer article that explains in broad terms how programs treat miles in death, that piece is especially useful for understanding the extent to which miles are an asset of the estate vs. forfeited when the member is no longer alive to use them (and covers the similar case of divorce). The newer article provides updated details on a series of programs, domestic and international and even proprietary credit card programs, outlining ability to transfer at death, cost to do so, and procedure. If you’re planning your estate and are a significant accumulator of miles and points, this is useful reading. Although,…
Starwood Brings Back 1:1 Points Transfers to Singapore Airlines
Reader Stephen M. emails to point out that transfers of points from Starwood to Singapore Airlines Krisflyer are back to 1:1. They had previously been less valuable in transfers, requiring 2 Starpoints for a single Singapore miles (which also means that Starwood’s transfer bonuses were less valuable, with 1:1 transfer partners a 20,000 Starpoint transfer yields 25,000 miles… with 2:1 partners it takes twice as many Starpoints to generate the bonus). This leaves United/Continental and Varig as the only airlines where transfers are not 1:1 or better (LAN is 1:2). Of course, there used to be plenty of programs where the transfer rates were 1:2, like Qantas which prior to that program’s award chart devaluation was a uniquely useful option. Plenty of people bought Inside Flyer subscriptions just for the bonus Starpoints, transferred them to…
More Insight Into Spirit Airlines: A Candid Interview With Their CEO
Scott Mayerowitz runs an interview with B. Ben Baldanza, CEO of Spirit Airlines and it’s a nice complement to Cranky Flier’s interview with their marketing chief. What comes across is an airline that unabashedly promotes its business model. Rather than apologize for carryon bag (and other) fees, they proudly say it’s about choice and letting the customer get the best deal customized to their needs. I think that’s great, and Baldanza makes a fascinating point: But I actually think we annoy people who don’t fly us more than we annoy people who fly us. What I think is going on isn’t so much that they annoy people that don’t fly them but rather there’s a stark difference between flying Spirit and flying other airlines, their product isn’t for everyone. They are profitable, and in a…
TMZ: The Octomom and Her Two Year Olds Fly a Transcon in Business
“The Octomom”, whom some would say has had more than her allotted 15 minutes of fame, had a kerfuffle with a TV actress on Friday evening while flying back from New York to Los Angeles. The actress spoke up at the unruliness of Nadya Suleman’s kids during a delay prior to takeoff, wound up exiting the aircraft, and presumably the actresses’ spokespeople are the ones who contacted TMZ to meet the flight on arrival in Los Angeles. I cannot even fathom eight two year olds in business class on a transcon. Thank goodness I wasn’t on that flight. It could have been a publicity stunt staged by Malaysian to drum up support for their ‘no kids in first class’ policy. Alright, that’s probably a long shot. What is the Octomom doing flying business class, when…
Celebrating Tom Stuker’s 10 Million Flown Miles on United
Lots of stories the last several days like this one leading up to a true milestone for frequent flyers, Tom Stuker’s flight yesterday from Los Angeles to Chicago where he flew his 10 millionth mile on United. The comparisons to George Clooney in Up in the Air are everywhere, but Clooney was earning his miles from all sources (and in the book, which I read on a transcon flight in 2001 and which bore no relationship whatsoever to the movie, he was only after 1 million miles). I’ve earned that many myself. But Stuker’s 10 million are actual flight miles, logged with a single airline over the past 30 years. His first 5 million miles took 20 years, his second 5 million took only 10 years (so he was averaging 500,000 flight miles a year…
Should I Bother Collecting Miles on this Flight?
I’ve long advocated, nay, begged people to sign up for frequent flyer programs even when they don’t fly very much or when they’re flying a carrier that they don’t normally travel with. I tell them that they might eventually get something from the simple act of joining and submitting their account number, if not right away then it’ll eventually accumulate. Goodness knows I don’t stay with Marriott often but surprisingly enough registering for their current stay twice get a free night promo meant that I received a free night, which I’ve already redeemed for an upcoming stay… … on a trip where I find myself questioning the very lesson of “always claim the miles.” I need to buy a flight from Bangkok to Koh Samui. Sure, I could fly Thai Airways and earn miles on…
