News and notes from around the interweb:

• Cathay Pacific takes its next step towards trying to become a ‘lifestyle brand’ by opening its first retail store (not for aviation paraphernalia).

  So many people. Helps when you bring a HK celebrity to unveil Cathay’s new lifestyle retail store. pic.twitter.com/DYcrrkNKSK

  — Danny Lee (@AirEVthingTRNSP) December 4, 2022

• Upgrading Aer Lingus flights using Avios

• I first wrote about making grilled cheese sandwiches using an iron in your hotel room in 2010.

  This LinkedIn post will forever be my legacy pic.twitter.com/tG9SKcJgpF

  — Alex Cohen (@anothercohen) December 3, 2022

• Star Trek shows up at London Heathrow airport

• The Importance of Business Travel for Trade: Evidence from the Liberalization of the Soviet Airspace (HT: Tyler Cowen)

  The strong negative relationship between geographical distance and trade is not well understood. I use the liberalization of the Soviet airspace to estimate the causal impact of business travel cost on trade. The liberalization radically reduced travel time between Europe and East Asia and was followed by a significant increase in trade. I find that the cost of business travel can account for a large share of the trade frictions that cause trade to sharply decline with distance. A plausible explanation for these results is that face-to-face interaction through business travel is important for trade.

• Two years ago United negotiated a deal with ALPA to give upgrade seats to pilots rather than customers.

  Really? #United @United I’m 1k, get upgraded to first … then “pilots are more important than paying customers” move back to economy … at least there is nobody in 10E 🙄 @ Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands https://t.co/OOSWvNzajf

  — Bruce Sardeson (@brucesardeson) December 3, 2022

• Mileage runs are mostly a thing of the past, but year-end trips for status are still alive. And you can still qualify for Southwest Airlines status based on flight segments alone.

  This is what you do when you are determined to save your A-list status. Denver to Phoenix. Phoenix to Denver. Denver to Austin to OKC. And back. Add a flight of wine to all those flights! All in a days travel! @southwest #A-list pic.twitter.com/OTnfWKAEvF

  — Jennifer Dickson (@JenDickson) December 3, 2022

• When you get two free checked bags from Southwest, you might has well use the second one.

  The main reason I fly @SouthwestAir is because my second bag of NY bagels flies free 🥯✨ pic.twitter.com/iklxaERwf1

  — Lex (@lexi_foote) December 3, 2022