Commentary

Category Archives for Commentary.

Elite Status: Where I’ll End 2019

by Gary Leff on November 14, 2019

Nov 14 2019

I just booked what I hope will be my last flights of 2019, and my last hotel stays as well. Looking back on the year I realize I traveled less – fewer days than I’ve spent on the road in recent times since the birth of my daughter last fall.

Less time in the air and in chain hotels for me will still seem like a lot of time away to many readers. In 2016 I was gone half the year. That hasn’t been close to true this year. Still, I’m on track to renew several of my status levels.

Here’s What North Korea’s New Submarine Missile Launch Capability Looks Like to a Pilot

by Gary Leff on October 2, 2019

Oct 02 2019

North Korea appears to have submarine launch capability and test-fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, perhaps as a bargaining chip ahead of the resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S.

Here’s what a surprise nuclear launch looks like to a pilot, this from a Boeing cargo captain in the area at the time of the incident.

Privacy Policies are Useless Because Your Biographical Data is Worthless, Here’s What Has Value

by Gary Leff on September 9, 2019

Sep 09 2019

Your frequent flyer accounts are more than rewards for your behavior. They’re also data that’s valuable, too. So is your credit card spending. Banks don’t just give you points, get transaction value, and make money on interchange (merchant swipe fees) and revolve (interest). They generate intelligence about your buying behavior that can be rented out to companies that want to sell more to you.

When data is hacked, we hear about biographical information that’s taken – name, address, e-mail address, and we worry about social security numbers. That’s not even the really valuable stuff.

Man Stands in Aisle for 6 Hour Flight So His Wife Could Sleep: Sweet or Toxic Marriage?

by Gary Leff on September 8, 2019

Sep 08 2019

A man reportedly stood in the aisle for a full six hour flight so his wife could sleep in their seats.

Was he being selfless, or was she being selfish? Should they have just contorted themselves so that they could both sleep, her head in his lap and his head.. somewhere? And is it ok to stand in the aisle as long as the seat belt sign is on, common space for everyone, or is it rude to block the aisle?

French Protesters Demand Free Disneyland Parking as Many Can No Longer Take Vacation

by Gary Leff on September 3, 2019

Sep 03 2019

It’s become conventional wisdom that Americans don’t take enough vacation time. Just look at the quality of life in France! Of course spending time in France I’ve found people in general to be extremely frugal, especially in Paris.

Indeed the French can no longer afford their vacations.

Why Aren’t Flight Attendant Jobs Glamorous Anymore?

by Gary Leff on August 29, 2019

Aug 29 2019

Deregulation has meant more people have access to the skies thanks to lower prices (the government used to mandate high prices most people couldn’t afford). Flying has become more small-d democratic. Without government protection for airlines wages haven’t grown.

Working as a pilot was once glamorous, but the relative status of pilots has fared (somewhat) better than flight attendants. Some of the same effects have influenced the way we regard pilots today versus 40 years ago, although there are additional factors that have made serving as a flight attendant fall in status even more than flying up front.

Prince William’s Family Flew Private After All, But It Was a Crappy Regional Jet Cut Them Some Slack

by Gary Leff on August 26, 2019

Aug 26 2019

On Saturday I wrote about Prince William and Kate Middleton taking a coach FlyBe trip. The royals are no stranger to flying commercial, and as I noted even flying economy. At times it’s been because there weren’t any first class seats available, and other times because the best seats from a security standpoint are at the back of the aircraft.

This time, however, blog commenter Pete points out that the aircraft they flew turns out to be a substitute Embraer ERJ-145 brought in just for them.

Customers Are Giving Themselves Elite Status at Businesses Without Loyalty Programs

by Gary Leff on August 25, 2019

Aug 25 2019

Loyalty marketing is a near-universal. It has two components, recognition (elite benefits) and rewards (rebates). Different elements move the needle more for different customers, different businesses can authentically utilize each in varying proportions, and some products can truly replace traditional awareness advertising with loyalty marketing while others need to first generate broad attention.

When a business develops a relationship with a customer it doesn’t always realize it.

Standing With the Protesters in Hong Kong

by Gary Leff on August 14, 2019

Aug 14 2019

Tell me you can watch Hong Kong airport protesters since “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from Les Miserables without crying. The song, by the way, is banned in China.

It’s not clear what the U.S. can do, or any of us can beyond paying attention, outside intervention could just as easily play into Chinese hands dismissing and minimizing the moment as some sort of external plot, delegitimizing the grassroots nature of the protests.

We may not be able to do very much, but we have our sympathy to offer and we can be inspired by what people will risk for freedom and not be so cavalier about giving away our own.

Do Coach Passengers Suffer Because First Class is Getting Worse?

by Gary Leff on August 10, 2019

Aug 10 2019

Christopher Elliott bends himself into a pretzel to support whatever new narrative produces a pro-consumer, anti-business, populist column. He used to argue that coach passengers were subsidizing first class. He used to argue that loyalty programs are bad for you and should be avoided and also that the existence of first class was an affront to democracy.

Elliott seems to forget which direction traffic flowed over the Berlin Wall, and indeed not to realize that even North Korea’s Air Koryo and Cuba’s Cubana de Aviacion offer business class.