General

Category Archives for General.

How John McCain Supported America West and Ultimately Helped Put Doug Parker in Charge at American

by Gary Leff on August 28, 2018

Aug 28 2018

Senator McCain wanted to eliminate the perimeter rule at Washington National airport, but maintained that if that wasn’t politically feasible he wanted airlines based outside the 1250 mile perimeter to have access to Washington National airport. This meant America West getting a Phoenix – Washington National non-stop.

McCain also supported the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act which handed out airline subsidies after 9/11 to America West Airlines, US Airways, American Trans Air, Aloha Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Evergreen International Airlines, and World Airways.

The Capital of a Small European Nation Figured Out How to Get The World Talking About a Visit

by Gary Leff on August 27, 2018

Aug 27 2018

They call themselves the ‘g spot’ of Europe, “nobody knows where it is but when you find it, it’s amazing.”

Their quiz actually made me blush a little. Their things to do – like the National Gallery of Art – are described as “pleasure spots.”

Truth is though that while this isn’t likely to directly cause people to visit, it is likely to raise awareness for Vilnius, Lithuania.

The World’s 15 Best First Class Products, Ranked

by Gary Leff on August 23, 2018

Aug 23 2018

The key to these rankings is subjective weight that goes into different components of the product. I value personal space more than anythnig else, so a first class configuration that’s four seats across isn’t going to rate as well for me as one that’s two or three seats across.

I’d never rate Air France or Garuda as highly as others — despite phenomenal ground service and attentiveness — because of the lack of real estate each first class passenger gets in the cabin.

Taiwan May Retaliate Against Airlines for Complying With Chinese Speech Demands

by Gary Leff on August 7, 2018

Aug 07 2018

When the US administration amped up trade rhetoric on China, China began squeezing US companies especially ones with visible brands. Marriott fired a social media employee who ‘liked’ a Friends of Tibet tweet, and even self-reported a banned book in the lobby of one of its hotels. China has insisted travel companies not list Taiwan as a separate country.

Of course, they’ve largely complied. US airlines though haven’t gone so far as to identify Taiwan as explicitly part of China as many world airlines have. Indeed US airlines are trapped between their Chinese regulators and needing to appease the government at home which has publicly rebuked China for attempting to regulate US corporate speech.

New TSA Program Assigns Americans Personal Air Marshals Who Report Back if They Board Last or Sleep

by Gary Leff on July 29, 2018

Jul 29 2018

The Federal Air Marshal Service is arguably the least competent law enforcement agency in the country. Naturally they are part of the TSA, which reportedly has a program to make sure air marshals don’t show up tot he airport drunk.

No air marshal has ever stopped a terrorist or hijacker since the service was founded in 1962. Although an air marshal did shoot and kill a US citizen in 2005. If something really bad did happen on a flight and an air marshal was onboard they lack the training to do anything about it.

Robert Mueller and Donald Trump, Jr Spotted Together – at Washington National Gate 35X

by Gary Leff on July 27, 2018

Jul 27 2018

They were both on American Airlines regional flights. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the son of the President, or if you have an unlimited scope and the full resources of the federal government at your disposal to investigate that President. Everyone is brought down to size at Gate 35X. Truly, it is the most humbling aviation experience in the country.

I’ve written before that the previous administration could have closed the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and just moved terrorism suspects to this gate.

Partially Caving to China’s Demands, Here’s How US Airlines Refer to Taiwan Now

by Gary Leff on July 25, 2018

Jul 25 2018

While at first it appeared that American’s Chairman Parker and United’s Chair Garvey had surrendered to Chairman Mao, the reality seems a little more nuanced than that.

We’ll see if these State Department-worthy maneuvers suffice to stay out of China’s crosshairs, whether China declares US airlines to be failing to comply, or whether there are problems with airport slots in China, with convenient gate access, or myriad other permit problems on the ground.

Thanks to Reader Help I’ve Got My New Travel Laptop, the HP Spectre X360

by Gary Leff on July 24, 2018

Jul 24 2018

I’ve been using an HP Spectre X360 and I think it’s great. A couple of months ago I asked for reader advice on getting a new laptop. I use one machine so it has to be able to function at home and on the road, for work and for watching movies on planes.

Battery life matters a lot, I carry it everywhere, and I want to be able to open it and even use it in coach.

Should Family Members Fly In Separate Cabins?

by Gary Leff on July 21, 2018

Jul 21 2018

A father sat up in business class and left his 8 year old kid back in coach. Many think that’s inappropriate, though kids fly as unaccompanied minors all the time.

What if the kid was a teenager? What about a husband traveling in business class with the wife back in coach?

Opinion is Shifting, Nearly Half of Passengers Want to Allow Inflight Cell Phone Calls

by Gary Leff on July 17, 2018

older gentleman taking a selfie with smartphone

Jul 17 2018

Americans generally are against allowing inflight use of cell phones. They don’t want to be trapped listening to their seat opponent yap. However opinion on this may be shifting. A new survey shows that nearly half of Americans want to allow it.