News and notes from around the interweb:
- The New York Times takes a multi-day tour through the skies, experiencing air travel and simultaneously longing for and resenting elite status.
Airlines generally have revenue-sharing arrangements with food vendors, getting a percentage of sales in the terminal, said Gary Leff, who writes the passenger-experience blog View From the Wing.
“Food is getting much better in the airport, and airports are getting much better at making food available,” Mr. Leff said. There are apps with which you can order food from terminal vendors while still on the plane, and iPads you can use to get food delivered to you while waiting at a gate.
…As recently as 2010, Delta sold just 14 percent of its short-haul first class seats, according to Mr. Leff, the industry blogger. By mid-2015, that had increased to 57 percent, with the ultimate goal being 70 percent.
- New United online shopping bonus
- Three years ago I asked why airports aren’t adjusting parking prices based on demand. Now it seems Houston Intercontinental is indeed engaging in a form of price discrimination.
Here are other questions that are rarely asked about travel.
- Someone flew with a dodecahedron as their carry-on (HT: @pir8z40)
- Secretary Elaine Chao says it’s up to the White House whether the Department of Transportation will answer questions from Democratic members of Congress
- Plane landed on 500 pound alligator on Tuesday, killing the alligator
Update on the alligator story: They just released the animal’s name: David Dao. Apparently the plane was a United Express flight.
Geezus, the David Dao ‘jokes’ just get worse and worse.
@George Hayduke, so does United
@ Gary – confused by your comment regarding IAH parking. It’s a limited-use coupon for an economy lot outside of the airport. Am I missing anything? It simply makes Ecopark more competitive with Park ‘N Fly whose discounted parking passes you can pick up at Costco.