News and notes from around the interweb:
- My flight with Ruth Bader Ginsburg
- In a much-reported on dispute, Marriott risks losing 122 hotels mostly Courtyards and other limited service properties. The owner argues they’re due minimum guarantee payments, and Marriott has defaulted on these payments during the pandemic.
Most commentators have talked about the big hotel chains as being ‘asset light’ so their fee revenue falls during the pandemic, but they don’t have the big cash obligations like the mortgage payments owners have to make. But that’s not exactly right. Chains will often guarantee minimum revenue to owners, especially as part of a large deal or a deal for a marquee property. That can cost a chain as much as 8 figures a year on a single high profile hotel.
- There’s a National In-Flight Sexual Misconduct Task Force and next month the federal government has to introduce a streamlined process for reporting inflight sexual misconduct allegations.
- After all the fake licenses discovered in Pakistan ICAO advises the country to stop issuing pilot licenses.
- GAP is introducing a new loyalty program, separately branded for each of its store brands a la Avios
The specialty apparel conglomerate is replacing its previous Bright Rewards program with a new initiative featuring four branded expressions: Navyist Rewards (Old Navy), Gap Good Rewards, Banana Republic Rewards, and Athleta Rewards. Available now throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, each brand expression has a different look and feel, but customers can earn and redeem rewards across all four banners.
Navyist? At Gap they offer rewards that are Good, but not great. At Banana Republic though there’s not even a modifier, just rewards.
- For about the last year I’ve suggested that the FAA would recertify the 737 MAX first, and then during the time between recertification and when U.S. airlines are able to fly in commercial service (because of pilot training requirements, etc.) other safety agencies would follow. It looks like Europe will be ready to recertify in November.
That article about flying with RBG was way more interesting than I expected.
@Jason +1
Interesting about Marriott. They made a deal that worked well for them but now they need to make good on their promises. Maybe they can get Chase to front them some cash by buying points as banks did during the Great Recession.
Loved the Ginsburg article!
The headline for this blog article is interesting:
“Next Month The Government Will Start Hearing Your Inflight Sexual Misconduct Allegations”?
Are you speaking about yourself or others who are the target of some inflight sexual misconduct allegations directed at them like Trump
has? Or are you speaking about those who want to inform the government about incidents of inflight sexual misconduct so that the government gets a better sense of the scale and scope of the issue and then decide what should have been or should be done about it?
RBG Of course some politics in it –the lawyer flying next to her worked with the DNC of course to try to get more liberal judges confirmed!!! NICe