Keith Alexander provides a nice reminder to be nice to airline customer service staff.Make friends. Get to know them. Even give thank you gifts.Of course, offering up a gift before service is performed can be seen as a bribe. So one must be smooth in the approach. But you can always give a thank you after the fact and you can always give out gifts to employees you’ve already gotten to know.Little tokens, just like in business, can go a long way to endear yourself to agents and set you apart from the rest of the traveling public. And having airline agents on your side can be very helpful — whether it’s clearing an upgrade or getting accomodations during irregular operations.
About Gary Leff
The end (again) of Midway Airlines?
Twice-failed Midway Airlines — so named because it was originally based at Midway airport in Chicago, which it no longer even serves — may face liquidation.In its second incarnation, it became a Raleigh-based carrier. It had a frequent flyer relationship with American Airlines after American abandoned its Raleigh hub. But Midway was unable to survive.It was in bankruptcy even before 9/11. It ceased operations afterward and resumed only when the federal government handed out bailout funds.Finally it adopted a new business model as a USAirways Express carrier. The deal with USAirways requires it to emerge from bankruptcy by October 31st. USAirways holds a significant claim on assets which it does not want to give up. So Midway is having a hard time attracting the funds necessary emerge from Chapter 11, since its potential funder wants…
Scratch and win
United has a scratch and win game that you can enter once a day through September 30th.Daily prizes are: One roundtrip, domestic United Air Lines flight Two days’ of car rentals from Hertz One night’s stay at a Marriott hotel
Free keyboard
CompUSA has a spillproof keyboard (item number 297972) for $6 – $6 rebate with penny shipping.
$25 leather office chair
Pick this letter chair which Office Depot has for $69.99. Take $15 with coupon code 10853472 [Exp 9/18] and then receive a rebate for $30.02. This brings your total to $24.97 + tax and you get free shipping.
Free items from CompUSA
Coupled with penny shipping, free after rebate isn’t bad. Siemens SpeedStream Ethernet Adapter ($5 – $5 rebate) Dragon Naturally Speaking 7 Essentials ($50 – $50 rebate) Memorex Air Duster, 10 oz. ($4 – $4 rebate)
The most interesting thing I’ve read this weekend
And it isn’t about miles and points. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the car business, but this “investigative journalism” piece, Confessions of a Car Salesman, really hit home. Don’t go off on a test drive without reading it first. It’ll give you a good idea of what to expect — to help equalize the game — and it’s very true to the experience: customers are “ups,” getting fired is getting “blown out,” the finance manager is the “F&I man”.. closers.. desk.. the pack…Just avoid the overwrought moralizing of the last couple of paragraphs and it’ll be a worthwhile read.
ANA award discount
All Nippon Airways is offering award tickets for 20% fewer miles — valid for bookings made by November 14th.Don’t have any ANA Mileage Club points? They’re an American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner…This special is good for ANA awards only — not for Star Alliance awards, unfortunately.
Keeping track of your miles and points
The September issue of Inside Flyer magazine is now online. While most articles are available only to subscribers (a la Wall Street Journal), the cover story this month is available for free and surveys the various mileage manager services that help you track your miles and points.If you aren’t already using such a service, it’s worth a read. Personally, I use the free downloadable application MileTracker.
Something to look forward to
The FAA says that air travel will be convenient again in 2025. “All of this can be done by 2025. We want to develop a system that is absolutely seamless and efficient,” (FAA Administrator Marion) Blakey said. Sounds to me like it’s time to find a replacement for Zager and Evans at the top of our nation’s airline security apparatus…
