New Study Finds Blocking Middle Seats Reduces Risk Of Virus Transmission Nearly 50%

by Gary Leff

Jul 13 2020

Your risk really comes down to likelihood of being right near someone else who has the virus – much like anywhere else you go except that in most indoor places there isn’t HEPA air filtration. Planes are probably safer, then, than bars, indoor restaurant dining, gyms, and open plan offices.

But it’s confusing to look at planes, where social distancing isn’t mandated, and hear airlines say it “isn’t possible” while restaurants are being required to do it to their own financial detriment all over the country and to wonder what’s different?

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Rumor: Texas Could Go Back Into Lock Down

by Gary Leff

Jul 13 2020

A rumor started flying in Texas this weekend that we’d see another lock down in the face of rising Covid-19 spread when a former judge and Jefferson County district attorney as well as assistant US Attorny for the Eastern District of Texas posted to Facebook that the governor had texted him it was time to stock up on essentials again.

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Man Threatens To Kill Everyone ‘In The Name Of Jesus’ On Alaska Airlines Flight To Chicago

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Jul 13 2020

Saturday night’s Alaska Airlines flight AS422 from Seattle to Chicago returned to SeaTac airport after a man on board the 11:10 p.m. departure threatened to kill everybody on the aircraft “in the name of Jesus.”

The man was unarmed, he calmed down and was even reportedly cooperative with law enforcement when the aircraft returned to the terminal.

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As Airlines Lay Off Thousands Of Workers, They Get Rid Of The Best And Keep The Worst

by Gary Leff

Jul 12 2020

Early in the pandemic I warned you to be indispensable in your job, that we were in recession and work from home couldn’t be an excuse to let up at work. A lot of jobs would be lost and you needed to position yourself so that yours wouldn’t be one of them.

In normal times performance matters at work. That’s not true at airlines, and certainly not true during these times. Non-union workers are being let go en masse, and at a scale where it’s difficult to separate the poor performers from the stars. And union employees mostly see jobs preserved or lost based on seniority alone – performance and value creation for the company have literally nothing to do with the decision.

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Flight Attendant Goes On Worst Date Ever, Winds Up In Dubai Jail

by Gary Leff

Jul 12 2020

On June 21 an Emirates flight attendant was arrested in Dubai while on a first date.

UAE police raided the man’s apartment while they were both there, and found two joints of marijuana. Police took them both into custody, and she’s been held ever since. Reports are that the 23 year old British expat, Derrin Crawford, has fallen ill with septic tonsilitis while in jail.

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