No Refunds! Renaissance Newark Hotel Guests Told ‘Don’t Shower’ Due to Legionella Outbreak

by Gary Leff

May 16 2024

For months, the Renaissance Newark Airport has been dealing with Legionnaire’s Disease in its water system. The hotel remains open – telling guests not to shower.

They continue to take bookings – and enforce their cancellation policy. One guest was told they wouldn’t be able to shower – a hotel room doesn’t include full use of the room! – and they didn’t want to stay. There are plenty of other hotels nearby, where the room rate includes use of the shower. The hotel’s answer? They’d still have to pay.

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Breakthrough In Sight: American Airlines Flight Attendant Union Talks Progress Despite Strike Threats

by Gary Leff

May 16 2024

American Airlines flight attendants voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. They’ve asked the government’s National Mediation Board for permission to do so. Their contract became amendable in 2019 and they haven’t had a raise in five years.

Outwardly, things have looked pretty bleak. But the two sides are closer to an agreement than ever.

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United Airlines Cleared For Takeoff: FAA Expected To End Safety Audit Freeze

by Gary Leff

May 16 2024

After a number of high profile incidents, the FAA has been auditing safety practices at United Airlines. They’ve been unable to open up flights to new cities or add new delivery aircraft to their fleet, and they have had to defer already-announced service.

There was some worry that this could drag on as the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General announced an audit of the FAA’s audit.

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Anyone Can Get Away With The Southwest Preboarding Scam – And The Airline Just Shrugs

by Gary Leff

May 15 2024

A Southwest passenger complained on social media about four young girls and their parents pre-boarding their flight despite “not need[ing] assistance or extra time” and Southwest responded that “many disabilities aren’t visible” so they are “unable to question preboarding requests.”

Here are the ‘disabled’ passengers in question that the airline was responding to.

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Airlines Are Being Pressured To Deny Boarding To Pregnant Women Coming To The U.S.

by Gary Leff

passport getting stamped
May 15 2024

Airlines don’t want you to give birth on the plane, so they have special policies for pregnant women approaching their due date. It’s common, for instance, to require a doctor’s note for travel within four weeks of the woman’s due date stating that she’s fit to fly. However immigration attorney Brad Bernstein says that airlines have been told not to allow non-resident women who are “heavily pregnant” to fly to the United States because there’s a risk they’ll give birth here. It’s legal for a foreign woman to give birth in the United States If she’s coming here for the purpose of giving birth that’s illegal However the child still becomes a citizen, and allows for priority in their eventually sponsoring relatives to come to the U.S. as well. Enilria is not surprised, noting that…

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Onboard Brawl: Man Attacks Seatmate Over Air Vent Dispute

by Gary Leff

May 15 2024

Two passengers on board a Zipair flight got into a fight over the air vents above their seats. The man in the window seat wanted to turn it on, while the passenger at the aisle wanted it off. He got mad, slapped away the hand on the vent and eventually punched the window seat passenger. There was nobody seated in the middle.

Which passenger controls the air vent?

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