Apr
23
2020
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.
Surprising: Will Empty Hotels Spell The End Of Bed Bugs?
One Pilot Had His Own Special Way Of Letting Someone Sick Know He Cares
Apr
23
2020
A 1977 Piper Cherokee Lance N43756 registered to Reid Katan in North Beach, Maryland spelled out “Get Well Soon, Bailey” in the sky.
Inside Sheldon Adelson’s Private Jet, Transporting a Recovered COVID Patient To Israel
Apr
23
2020
When Eli Beer, the President of United Hatzalah (a free emergency medical services non-profit based in Jerusalem) sought to return home to Israel after recovering from COVID-19 in Miami, he had the help of Sheldon Adelson, the CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corporation.
World Airline Lobby Group Wants African Nations To Prioritize Airline Subsidies
Apr
23
2020
Taking money from poor people in Africa to give to airlines is bat crazy. GDP per capita in Sub-Saharan Africa (2018) was US$1586. In some countries it’s much lower. 18 countries in Africa are already at their capacity for debt. Safe drinking water strikes me as a higher priority than airline subsidies, and in the current pandemic I’d focus more on lack of testing and lack of ventilators and personal protective equipment than giving it to failed airline executives.
Delta Denies Discussing Big Sale Of Miles To American Express To Raise Cash
Apr
23
2020
The Wall Street Journal had reported that both Delta and United were in talks to do this again with their credit card partners, but Ed Bastian appears to deny this is the case. There was some reference during the airline’s earnings call that the government could take part of SkyMiles as collateral for a subsidized CARES Act loan although nothing was definitive.
One Of The Four Men Who Gave Us The First Frequent Flyer Program Has Passed Away
Apr
23
2020
Rolfe Shellenberger, who with a couple of other executives under American’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Plaskett (once considered a possible successor to Bob Crandall) worked with consultant Hal Brierley to launch American AAdvantage as the first mileage-based frequent flyer program in 1981.
Many forget that Shellenberger’s AAdvantage was introduced as a promotion, and wasn’t made indefinite until April 1983 two years into its life. It wasn’t obvious at the start how big this would become. He wasn’t just known for frequent flyer programs, but also took credit for putting pianos on 747s.
American AAdvantage Seems To Be Terminating Accounts For A New Reason
Apr
22
2020
There seems to be a new reason that American is shutting down accounts, that I had not seen before: fraudulently submitting rental car receipts for credit.
Requiring Social Distancing On Planes Will Mean Higher Prices, Fewer Flights
Apr
22
2020
There’s one wild card that could throw a monkey wrench in the story about cheap flights as a result of limits on travel, concern about travel, and economic recession all combining to depress demand – and that’s government social distancing requirements that could be in effect in the future.
Expedia Will Get a $1 Billion Cash Infusion, Still Be Awful
Apr
22
2020
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.
An Airline That Doesn’t Actually Exist Applied For $15 Million Airline Bailout
Apr
22
2020
Avatar Airlines applied for $15 million in CARES Act funding seeking a portion of the federal airline bailout – even though by their own admission they “have no flights, no overhead, administrative expense, or fixed costs at the present time.”
