Commentary

Category Archives for Commentary.

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson’s Bizarre Interview: We Stored Your Unencrypted Passport #s to Help You

by Gary Leff

passport
Jan 22 2019

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson comes off as out of touch with his customers’ concerns when he claims frustrations with their loyalty program are just ‘noise around the edges’ but that hardly seems to be a one-off example.

He gave a rather bizarre interview to CNBC at the Davos World Economic Forum where he floated the idea of recession being a good thing ‘to get it over with’ and suggested that Marriott was storing the customer passport numbers that were hacked to help customers.

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Singer Azealia Banks Goes on Tirade After Being Banned From Aer Lingus

by Gary Leff

plane docked
Jan 22 2019

She was attempting to fly from London Gatwick to Dublin aboard Aer Lingus flight EI233 on Monday. She says an airline employee was starting at her, but the employee complained to the captain claiming Banks made threats.

Ultimately she says being “singled out by the haggard old white ladies” keeps happening to her — she was caught on video melting down after a Delta flight in 2015 – because of “the long weave and the Louboutins” and she stands out.

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Flight Attendant Becomes New Inflight Toilet Paper Roll Racing Champion

by Gary Leff

airplane aisle
Jan 22 2019

A flight attendant has decided to be a toilet paper roll racing team of one as he walks up the aisle.

At least I’m going to assume that the flight attendant did this willingly and wasn’t the victim of a joke by other members of the crew. Passengers, definitely don’t try this inflight because you don’t know how your crewmember will take it, and you could find law enforcement waiting for you when you land (if they can figure out who the perpetrator was among a plane full of passengers).

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Marriott CEO Trash Talks Indian Hotel Chains

by Gary Leff

Jan 22 2019

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson trash talked Indian hotel chains at Arabian Business in Dubai, suggesting that they might as well just stay niche players in India — they’ll never compete with Marriott.

Sorenson believes there’s no room for competitors now because of Marriott’s wide array of brands and loyalty program (“choice of price points, design sensibilities, and programmes”). He may overestimate their position, though.

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Awful Passenger Meets EVA Air Hospitality – in the Lavatory – and it Gets Crazier From There

by Gary Leff

man raising hand on plane
Jan 21 2019

A passenger who boarded the flight in a wheelchair asked to be moved to a row with three empty seats and this was given to him. He told flight attendants that his hand was broken and needed help going to the bathroom. The lavatory in economy was too small so he was allowed to use the business class toilet.

Once inside he pressed the assistance button. His underwear was halfway down and he asked for help getting it down the rest of the way….

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California Will Make Illegal Unemployment Payments to TSA Screeners as Wait Times Worsen

by Gary Leff

Jan 19 2019

TSA is telling individual airports not to reveal the percentage of screeners calling in sick. Nationally though they’re releasing airport wait time statistics and those are bad – very bad.

The Governor of California is encouraging TSA workers to claim unemployment benefits in his state despite guidance from the US Department of Labor saying it’s not legal to offer such payments.

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Someone Combined a Whole Bunch of Snack Boxes to Create the Ultimate Inflight Cheese Plate

by Gary Leff

jetblue airplane food
Jan 16 2019

Marissa Mullen took a JetBlue redeye flight and seized the moment. JetBlue snack boxes represented the perfect opportunity to create the perfect cheese plate — something that, sadly, no US airline has sought to do on their own.

Just start with the “SavorUp” box of hummus,crackers, biscotti , pita chips, bean dip, and pitted olives and add the “PartyUp” box’s popcorn, Fig Newtons, and salami.

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