An Air France co-pilot was arrested for making a bomb threat. What he actually said was `Well, what do you think, I have a bomb on me?’ This arrest was about as brilliant as detaining the teenager in Boston who put a note in his luggage saying he didn’t have a bomb.Annoying, but par for the course for the TSA. Except in this case it wasn’t just a single passenger delayed, or even a concourse evacuated — the Air France 747 flight had to be cancelled. And — blame both the TSA and Air France — the disserviced passengers weren’t even given a hotel room for the night. Most slept in the airport and made it out on the 10:30am flight the next morning.
About Gary Leff
Where are you going while I’m here?
It’s August. While the rest of DC is vacationing, I’m stuck at work during my real busy season in the office — which lasts July 15 through November 15 — without even much business travel (well, much for me). So I’d love to hear about your vacations — or help you plan one. Drop me a line.
Checking account miles
My BankDirect miles are posting smoothly. So far, the account is satisfying my needs quite well — automatically rebating ATM fees, processing billpays with ease (free) and paying interest. (But it’s not such a good deal unless you can keep a $2500 average daily balance.)
Australian Government Agency’s Sex Recommendation for Older Women
Older women are being urged to become lesbians by Relationships Australia, a counselling organisation funded by both Federal and State Governments in Australia. “As they get over 60, opportunities to get a man diminish substantially. Men marry younger women and they die about eight years younger, so there is a real male shortage,” Mr Carney said. “And as women get even older it gets much worse, so we ask them to entertain the idea of lesbian relationships.” That advice may work well for some, but I have a really hard time seeing this as an “appropriate role for government.”
Keeping guns out of the cockpit, bureaucracy style
A couple months back I wrote that the TSA was using bureaucratic maneuvering to circumvent a congressional mandate that pilots be allowed to carry guns in the cockpit. Guess what? It’s working. Fewer than 100 pilots have been certified, and the program is proceeding at a snails pace..
$7 Garment Bag
Overstock.com has an American tourister garment bag for $10.99 + $1 shipping. If you’re a first-time Overstock.com customer, fill out this form first for a $5 off certificate that will bring the cost down to $6.99 shipped.
Since most of us wear pants when we fly
Amazon.com has $40 and $50 Gap pants on sale for $9.99 with free shipping on orders of $75 or more.There are some pretty good coupon codes for shopping directly at Gap.com: $10 off $14 with code JEANCD10, $15 off $15 with code JEANCD15 if using a Gap credit card, and free shipping on $75 with code GAPDENIM. (Coupon codes via Ben’s Bargain Center.)
Taking airline safety into your own hands
IMAO has some tips for fighting terrorism. A sampling: * If the guy seated next to you is named Al, watch him with suspicion; that’s halfway to Al Qaeda. * If someone tries to light a fuse on his shoes, that’s a sure sign of terrorism. Take away his lighter then hit him on the nose while firmly saying, “No!” * If someone takes out a boombox, quickly grab it and smash it over the person’s head. Even if he wasn’t a terrorist, what the hell is he doing with a boombox on a plane flight? * If you are worried that the people around you are terrorists, immediately alert the stewardess. She can give you booze which will make you much less worried. * The best defense is a good offense, so bring a…
Stunning Revelation About Air Travel
From Anne Applebaum in the Washington Post: There was something about the combination of rudeness and incompetence, something about the haughtiness of the half-dozen people I encountered at the other end of telephone lines, something about the failure to apologize for bureaucratic error, something that reminded me — if ever so faintly — of the Soviet Union. … The point is not that the airline industry is the evil empire but that all these problems — from the bureaucratic inflexibility of airline employees to the overwrought complexity of the system — are typical of heavily subsidized, uncompetitive companies operating in a centrally planned economy. Which is no surprise, as most airlines nowadays are heavily subsidized, uncompetitive companies, operating in what is, in effect, a centrally planned economy. Read the whole thing.
Good news makes me smile
i>USA Today reports on good news at the high end and at the low end of airline travel.Full service airlines are re-engaging the arms race over premium passengers by outfitting their business class cabins with more and better amenities. Fully flat beds are more widespread, as are souped-up entertainment systems. Meanwhile, America West is turning a profit — having converted itself into a low fare carrier with a better handle on its costs.
