News and notes from around the interweb:

• Win a free JetBlue flight if you owe money on your taxes

• “Let Richard Branson Kill United Airlines” I don’t think Branson is actually a great example here, but I’ve been arguing for years that we need to stop protecting US airlines and legalize competition.

  

• United’s ‘Reaccommodating’ Crisis Likely Won’t Change Much of Anything I continue to make the case, this time to Conde’ Nast Traveler, that treating customer service issues as a law enforcement and security problem is a cultural problem we need to change.

• A tale of poor customer experience on a United flight to Calgary, a scorpion fell down from the overhead bin and landed on a man’s head (HT: Emily McNutt)

• WWE wrestler Diva Lana complains about inappropriate touching by TSA in Boston

• How United Turned the Friendly Skies Into a Flying Hellscape I like the phrase ‘flying hellscape’ though I don’t think it’s quite fair, I do appreciate Wired making clear my point about Basic Economy fares:

  Unfortunately, as travel expert Gary Leff explains, United’s revenue projections make clear that the “basic” fares will be sold at the same prices economy used to be. The profit comes from not from offering something new, but the premise that people will pay extra to avoid the poor treatment.

• 5 hotels in India will become Hyatt franchises, no longer being managed by the chain. I used to think that properties owned by Hyatt would be best at honoring loyalty program benefits, followed by hotels at least managed by Hyatt, with franchises the least compliant. I no longer believe this.

• Spirit pulling out of Cuba which is shocking to absolutely no one.

• Cathay Pacific’s new business class service concept (HT: One Mile at a Time)