News and notes from around the interweb:
- Good read. The saga of Anbang insurance’s fraud, several Ritz-Carlton hotels and the Waldorf=Astoria New York as well as the Essex House, are part of a $1 trillion dispute pending in Delaware court. Fraud or not, I still wish Anbang had bought Starwood…
- ANA tests germ-busting elbow door knob
- And speaking of ANA, a reader shares paperwork on Virgin Atlantic accidentally refunding the airfare they were supposed to pay ANA on a first class award, in addition to taxes/fees. For Houston – Tokyo Narita that’s $665.80 one way.
I’d have guessed ~ $550 – $600, so this is a little higher but still in the ballpark.
- Watch this Boeing 747 fighting a California fire. (HT: George S.)
- Mine isn’t the only tribute to recently-departed American Airlines corporate communications team member Ross Feinstein.
- American Airlines Boeing 757 made of LEGO.
That’s the back-when-AA-had-decent-customer-service livery.
Interesting about the VA / ANA price. Thank you !
Indeed, Starwood was the best consortium of the best hotels-USA, Canada, and Europe.
But their initial marketing faux pas was committed after purchasing the Fairmont chain by discarding its legendary, world recognized name of Canadian Pacific for Fairmont.
CP forfeited its market cache of name recognition mis-believing nobody recognized Canadian Pacific outside Canada. For those of us who loyally frequented this brand, Fairmont Chateau Frontenac will never have the same cache.
As far as Ritz Carlton, the brand never recuperated after purchased by Marriott.
IAH-AKL-SFO was a $1600.84 refund last year on NZ using VS miles in business class. I’m surprised they pay less for NH F class.
Love your content!! You are such an Inspiration!!!!
Mark E,
Neither Anbang nor any of the various Starwood Group real estate interests had anything to do with the CP-Fairmont merger. That was Saudis laundering their oil money. Fairmont then was bought by Colony, using Qatari money, then by Accor using Emirati money. Basically, everything about Fairmont is a scheme to get oil money out of the governments in the middle east into private hands.
$666 (it did say to round up).
😉
Make you wonder what they pay for a seat in coach.