Part three in a Denver Post series on the history of United’s financial woes is available. If you haven’t done so, you might start with part one and then part two. There’s no alot new here, but they make for a good read and put personality to the characters involved in the last twenty years of ups and downs at the company. So far, the pieces paint a picture of weak management installed by labor and unable to act in the interests of shareholders. Conclusion: employee ownership, at least as structured at United, was a failure.
About Gary Leff
Replace the TSA with Ritalin?
A passenger flying to Orlando threatened to hijack a plane. Instead of treating it as a criminal matter, she has been involuntarily committed under Florida’s Baker Act. “Her mental stability is in question at this time,” said Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lauren Stover. Apparently the disease metaphor has been stretched to the point where terrorism and attempting hijacking are diseases rather than crimes.
Which Way ATA? (And Southwest, JetBlue, America West, Frontier, Spirit, and …
According to USA Today, Discount airlines now make up a quarter of passengers seats in the U.S. They are expanding routes to the West Coast, Canada and Mexico, and the hubs of weakened major carriers. Apparently growth of low fare carriers was new American CEO Gerald Arpey’s greatest fear, as outlined in his master’s thesis (link via Ben Mutzabaugh).
$220+tax to New Zealand
Air Tahiti Nui apparently has fares from $220 from Los Angeles to Aukland (via Tahiti). Valid for Thursday through Sunday travel and requires a 7 day min stay. Go to Zuji.com and enter “dates are flexible” in the booking screen. Thanks to Scott’s Airline and Hotel Deals mailing list.
Important Invention
The MIT “You’re in Control” Urine Control System and game.
Will Devaluation of Points and Financial Uncertainty Spell the Death of Frequent Flyer Programs?
Well, no, I hardly think so. But this piece from a couple weeks back does a nice job of outlining the recent changes to frequent flyer programs and examining whether programs are losing value.
I’d Vote for Him.. Twice.. and I’m Not Even Registered
A candidate for office in Mexico City is promoting lap dance contests and even hiring strippers to perform after his speeches. On a recent act in Valle de Chalco, Isaias Soriano offered
More Free
MORE free magazines: Kiplinger’s or Details.
Tag-a-long
United announced a promo this week — fly three times, earn the fourth trip free — and now American and Northwest are matching it. (You must register for each offer to be eligible.)
Does the TSA believe that if screeners break the law, they’ll need to hire more screeners to screen the screeners or something?
A Portland screener is accused of stealing $1300 from a passenger. There may even be a videotape. The incident was reported, and the money was found in a nearby trash can. The TSA dismisses it… “We believe that we have 55,000 of America’s finest working on the front lines of terrorism at the airports. Obviously we hire from the human race. We are a small microcosm of society, and people steal things from society. Are we going to be able to eliminate this 100 percent? Your guess is as good as mine,” Nico Melendez of the TSA said. And meanwhile… While the TSA is protecting our money.. from ourselves… the higher ups are using every bureaucratic maneuver possible to delay the arming of pilots. There’s no secret that the TSA objects to the congressional mandate.…
