That this bid made it through the ‘screening process’ says as much about the problems at Alitalia (and the Italian government) as any lengthier analysis. An Italian high school aviation teacher earning 1,200 euros ($1,500) a month became a minor celebrity in Italy on Tuesday by slipping through a fake plan to buy ailing Alitalia as a protest against years of mismanagement. “This was a provocation. It was my way of making a citizen’s protest,” said Fabio Scaccia, who teaches aerodynamics and aircraft design at a trade high school in the city of Frosinone just south of Rome. When Italy’s Treasury Ministry announced the 11 expressions of interest to buy struggling Alitalia on Monday night, even the most well-connected business journalists were stymied by the number three entry: “Fabio Scaccia (individual)”. No one knew who…
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Honoring the Founder of Southwest Airlines
The Wall Street Journal carries a piece (subscription required after seven days from this posting) on Lamar Muse – founding President and CEO of Southwest airlines – who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has been given only a few months to live. Lamar Muse, the pioneering executive who helped a fledgling Southwest Airlines take off in the 1970s, is dying, which raises an awkward question for the carrier: How do you honor a man who’s been both ally and adversary? During his eight years as chief executive of the carrier, Lamar Muse helped turn a struggling start-up into one of the most audacious success stories in corporate history, putting in place a business strategy that Southwest still follows to this day. Yet it was co-founder Herb Kelleher who went on to become the…
Looking Forward to Khao Lak
I’m terribly glad that the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort is honoring its mistake rate which published prices in Ugandan Schillings rather than US dollars. Some on Flyertalk speculated that it would be cheaper to get the government of Uganda to revalue its currency than to honor the deal. In the end I won’t be paying in ‘UGX’ nor will they offer up the rooms for 60 US cents (roughly the currency conversion). Instead, for US$50 a night including tax with 3rd night free (thus $33/night) the hotel is honoring the room types booking as well as complimentary breakfast. Someone who recently returned from the property sent along pictures of the private pool and backyard view from the resort’s Presidential Oceanfront Villa. Wow.
Baby Steps Towards Elite Recognition at Avis
I usually think of car rentals in four categories. There’s Avis and Hertz at the high end, then the Budget/Thrify/Dollar/etc in the middle. I don’t really count the Foxes and Paylesses of the world, though they’d be a category of discount off-airport agencies. And there’s the ubiquitous Enterprise, who I’ll do anything to avoid, if only because I hate to do the mandatory “walk-around” and hear the speech about how they’ll hold me responsible for every last scratch and how I really need to buy their collision damage waiver even though I’m renting with a Diners Club card. Frankly I like the service of Avis and Hertz, a car already ready with printed contract most of the time at airport locations and they both tend to be a bit less persnickety with normal wear and…
The New (Not Quite Finished…) Westin Dawn Beach St. Maarten
The brand new Westin Dawn Beach on St. Maarten opened in December to much controversy on Flyertalk, both because some folks dislike ‘spoiling’ a public beach with a new resort, and because others claimed it had opened too early — rushing things to take advantage of the high season while not nearly ready for prime time. Since I was going to be in the Carribean anyway, I decided to check it out for myself. Turns out to be on the verge of becoming a lovely resort, but it certainly wasn’t ready — by a long shot — in the middle of this month. This is going to be a very beautiful property. Emphasis on going to be. The small strip of beach in front of the hotel has great white sand. The color of the…
Starwood Commercials
I may get mad at Starwood Preferred Guest from time to time, such as because they’re adding a new highest level for redemptions starting February 1 and the points price of better than a quarter of all their hotels will be going up at the same time. But I do have an emotional attachment to them, and I’ve already scheduled redemptions for over 25 hotel nights so far in the first half of 2007. So it’s no surprise, perhaps, that I’m addicted to the What Color is Your Dream? video that I watch over and over in a loop on SPGtv in my room, stay after stay… And boy does that Sheraton “We Belong” commercial tug at the heartstrings! (Thanks to Flyertalk member tjk1976 for the YouTube links.)
ANA offers 20% off of Partner Awards
ANA is offering 20% off the mileage required for awards with its partners as long as they’re booked via the ANA website. All Nippon Airways may seen obscure to some, but they’re a Star Alliance carrier so their partners are varied. And they’re an American Express Membership Rewards partner so if you have Amex points you can transfer them to ANA and redeem for fewer than the usual miles required.The ANA partner award mileage chart outlines the number of miles usually required for an award. Take 20% off with this promo. And after you’ve signed up for an ANA account their website is actually quite good at searching for award availability.
Free Airtran Ticket for Money Market Deposit
Rippied from Free Frequent Flyer Miles, Suntrust is offering 16 Airtran credits (free domestic coach ticket) for a $10,000 or more deposit into a Premium Money Market Performance Account by March 9, 2007. The money needs to stay in the account for 90 days and you need to open or have an existing Smart Solution Plus or Signature Advantage checking account. I’m not an Airtran junkie (though I do have elite status in their program via a status match years ago), and their credits expire after 12 months (though I believe you can bounce credits back and forth between other elite members and thus extend their validity), plus I have other better uses for $10k so I’m not doing this one… but if you have interest in a money market and if Suntrust’s is attractive…
I’m Not a Fan of New York Hotels
Most places in the world, if you’re paying $450 a night for a hotel, you expect something out of the ordinary. In New York you can expect a bed. That’s the first reality check for folks not used to staying in Manhattan. The Holiday Inn Midtown usually goes for upwards of $369 a night. If you want to stay under $300, check out the Ramada. If you want closer to $200, there’s the HoJo’s at Penn Station. Even when you’re at a nicer property, rooms and bathrooms are uniquely small. Think 250 square feet. 350 square feet might be considered a junior suite. And — I can say this as a former New Yorker — the hotels are staffed by New Yorkers…. When I’m up in New York I’m most likely to stay at the…
American Raises its International Upgrade Co-Pay and Extends it to… Hawaii
Starting March 1 American’s fee to upgrade internationally with miles increases from $250 to $300, and a new $150 fee will apply to mileage upgrades to and from Hawaii.Full fare tickets remain exempt from the fee, and upgrades requested prior to March 1 (for travel after March 1, even if the upgrade doesn’t clear until after March 1) won’t have the new fee structure apply. $250 to $300 ($500 to $600 roundtrip) isn’t a big deal — once the fee was introduced, a 20% increase in that fee is almost beside the point. The watershed was broken, off course the price would increase. Though extending the fee to Hawaii flights is a huge deal, a real blow to AAdvantage members. And, frankly, it’s not all that good a deal –“YUP” fares that confirm in first…
