We know that people carry the SARS-CoV-2 virus with them from one country to another, one city to another, one planes. However we haven’t traced outbreaks to contact on planes anywhere in the world. One of the reasons that’s usually cited for this is the use of high efficiency particulate (HEPA) air filters.
What are HEPA air filters, do all planes have them, and why do they work?
When you see a novel warning sign, it’s almost always in response to something a person actually did. No one thought to warn anyone before some idiot came along. Occasionally these sorts of signs make you really wonder about people, like “this motorcycle contains no edible parts” and cartons of eggs that warn “this product may contain eggs” (or jars of peanut butter that flag, “may contain nuts or nut products”). Who are the people who need to be told “this electric drill is not intended for dental use” anyway? Austin’s South Terminal is a separate structure from the main terminal, less than three quarters of a mile away but a 7 mile drive. It currently serves Frontier and Allegiant. This sign was just spotted in the men’s room there: What in gods name was…
My gut feeling is that there’s something wrong with complaining when others are suffering so much, though people are suffering all around the world during ‘normal times’ and I don’t have an issue talking about ‘first world problems’. Does this shift during COVID times make me, on some level, a hypocrite?
How are you handling customer service complaints now, and is that different than it was at the start of the year? And if there’s a change, will it last past the coronavirus pandemic?
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
A Cathay Pacific passenger boarded a flight from Canada to Hong Kong back in March, intending to connect to Vietnam. Hong Kong transit was shut down March 25. Vietnam closed its border to arrivals. He lived inside the airport for three months.
Then he walked out.
The advice when an airline goes bankrupt is to get your money back for future tickets from your credit card company. If a business doesn’t provide the services you paid for, your credit card company will get you your money back (usually).
German law has an interesting quirk though. Apparently people who pay for services they haven’t received are considered unsecured creditors in bankruptcy, and getting your money back via a credit card chargeback is considered ‘queue jumping’.
It makes sense why American and United would sell every last seat on a plane customers are willing to buy, why Southwest doesn’t lose as much capping load factors and why doing so – they believe – will help them capture market share, and why Delta would take a more ‘premium’ approach that includes blocked middle seats.
Australia has fewer than 8500 total confirmed cases of COVID-19. The country’s success appears to be a combination of effective policy response and luck.
International arrivals of their own citizens required quarantine. But it’s those quarantine facilities that are the site of a new virus outbreak in Melbourne – and also of a sex scandal. Because the guards were having sex with the passengers being quarantined, and exposing themselves to the virus.
When supermodel Chrissy Teigen has an opinion on aviation, you take it seriously. She’s got the bona fides. This time, though, she’s gone off the deep end calling American Airlines management murderers for selling middle seats on their planes.
When checked baggage gets lost and can’t be reunited with its owner – or someone just doesn’t pick up their luggage – airlines sell the bags after 90 days to the Unclaimed Baggage Center which has built a monopoly in the niche business of selling used items out of luggage.
The store is in Scottsboro, Alabama. They buy bags sight unseen. They comb through the bags to find what to sell, and claim to dry clean clothing they plan to sell and wipe electronics before making those available. The store is a tourist attraction. And now they’re online.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
