On Sunday I mentioned the ongoing effort to have Southwest Airlines honor its founding President and CEO at the end of his life. Lamar Muse passed away peacefully at 10:32pm last night. Please indulge me by allowing me to quote extensively from an autobiographical sketch: Muse was the co-founder and first President and CEO of Southwest Airlines, a role he served from 1970 to 1978. A true market innovator, he created the business model for an intrastate low-cost air carrier and, seven years before the deregulation of the airline industry, he changed the playbook for an industry that was long regulated to the benefit of large carriers who could control competition and operate on a cost-plus basis — with the cooperation of the federal government. He proved it was possible for a low-cost, no-frills provider…
About Gary Leff
Rhapsody in Blue on a Plane’s Videoscreen
Feb
05
2007
There’s something calm.. and peaceful… and home about this clip. If you’re a United frequent flyer you’ll certainly agree.
Travel Blog Awards
The Upgrade: Travel Better blog is hosting travel blog awards, “the Travvies.” Categories are:– Best Travel Blog – Best Destination Blog – Best Informative/Practical Travel Blog – Best Group-Written Travel Blog – Best Single-Author Travel Blog – Best Photography on a Travel Blog Nominations are open until “8am, Chicago time, Monday, February 12.”Handing out awards is a great way to generate traffic and links to your site, so kudos on the excellent marketing over on that blog! 🙂
Pushing for a Room at Checkin
Sometimes room upgrades require a little push at check-in. It would be nice if it wasn’t necessary, but sometimes it is. And sometimes, even though you’ve been upgraded, you can improve that upgrade — even beyond what you’re entitled to under the guidelines of the hotel chain’s loyalty program. Last month I completed my tour of disfavored Westin hotels (my earlier post on the Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach is here). I visited the Westin Rio Mar — generally disfavored because, though there are plenty of suites and it’s an oceanfront resort, the property needs some real renovation work and the beach is hardly the best in Puerto Rico. (In general, the ‘mega resort’ experience on Puerto Rico is superior at El Conquistador.) Still, I was in the area and wanted to see for myself,…
Subscribing to my RSS feed
I haven’t mentioned this in ages, but probably the best way to check up on this site is by subscribing to its RSS feed: http://blogs.flyertalk.com/viewwing/index.xml Or just click here.
Italian Teacher Makes Fake Bid for Alitalia
That this bid made it through the ‘screening process’ says as much about the problems at Alitalia (and the Italian government) as any lengthier analysis. An Italian high school aviation teacher earning 1,200 euros ($1,500) a month became a minor celebrity in Italy on Tuesday by slipping through a fake plan to buy ailing Alitalia as a protest against years of mismanagement. “This was a provocation. It was my way of making a citizen’s protest,” said Fabio Scaccia, who teaches aerodynamics and aircraft design at a trade high school in the city of Frosinone just south of Rome. When Italy’s Treasury Ministry announced the 11 expressions of interest to buy struggling Alitalia on Monday night, even the most well-connected business journalists were stymied by the number three entry: “Fabio Scaccia (individual)”. No one knew who…
Honoring the Founder of Southwest Airlines
The Wall Street Journal carries a piece (subscription required after seven days from this posting) on Lamar Muse – founding President and CEO of Southwest airlines – who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has been given only a few months to live. Lamar Muse, the pioneering executive who helped a fledgling Southwest Airlines take off in the 1970s, is dying, which raises an awkward question for the carrier: How do you honor a man who’s been both ally and adversary? During his eight years as chief executive of the carrier, Lamar Muse helped turn a struggling start-up into one of the most audacious success stories in corporate history, putting in place a business strategy that Southwest still follows to this day. Yet it was co-founder Herb Kelleher who went on to become the…
New Delta Account Signup Bonus
Feb
04
2007
Delta is offering 1000 miles for new frequent flyer account signups and 5000 miles for booking a Delta flight with an American Express business card. Offer appears valid through April 15th. Update: Turns out to have been targeted – sorry!
Because it isn’t cold enough outside
Cold Stone Creamery is offering buy one get one free with coupon through the end of February.
W Hotels Store Warehouse Sale
For seven days the W Hotels Store is having a Warehouse Sale. Lots of junk, a few decent items, advertised as “up to 80% off.”
