Leaked Audio: Iran Knew Right Away A Missile Hit The Ukrainian 737

by Gary Leff

Feb 04 2020

A month ago a Ukrainian Boeing 737 crashed in Iran. Iran admitted they shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 by mistake.

Air traffic control communications between Tehran airport tower and an Aseman Airlines flight show that Iran knew about the missile strike as it occurred.

The pilot of the Iranian domestic flight EP3768 from Shiraz to Tehran sees the missile and discusses it with air traffic control as the Ukraine International Airlines flight disappears.

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The Resort Fee At This Sheraton Includes Telling Your Kids You’re Getting Divorced

by Gary Leff

Feb 04 2020

At the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani in Waikiki the $33 per night resort fee includes a keiki (child) gift upon request.

It turns out the gift is a book“Dinosaurs Divorce, a Guide for Changing Families.” That’s right, the resort fee includes a ‘surprise’ gift intended to let children know their parents are breaking up. Hawaii used to be a romantic destination, but resort fees at the Princess Kaiulani turn it into something far darker.

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American Launching Gol Partnership, Expanding in Miami and South America

by Gary Leff

Feb 04 2020

American has announced a new codeshare relationship with Gol as well as frequent flyer partnership and an expansion at their Miami hub including to Latin America.

Gol wasn’t a great partner for Delta, which doesn’t have a huge presence in Brazil and so the opportunities to feed Delta flights were limited. Gol is a much better partner for American, which serves four cities from Brazil and flies to the country from four of its hubs.

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Behind The Scenes Of The New Mileage-Earning Bank Account

by Gary Leff

calculating money via paper and calculator
Feb 03 2020

I was able to get some time on the books to speak with Matt Quale who is the President of Bask Bank to get the backstory on this new mileage-earning savings account and also put some questions to him about how he feels about people registering for a free account just to earn the miles – and how he plans to convert those customers into long-term savers.

He’s an American Airlines Platinum member and a Marriott Platinum rounding towards lifetime status (he’s over 7 years of Platinum and 500 cumulative nights with the program). So he gets what we’re after.

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Special Restaurant Reservations For Chase Cardmembers

by Gary Leff

man cooking
Feb 02 2020

A year ago Capital One launched a relationship with dining reservations site Resy, setting aside tables at great restaurants for cardmembers. American Express went and acquired Resy and now American Express has a much weaker Resy partnership. Capital One quickly went out and partnered with OpenTable.

Yet somehow I didn’t even realize that before these things happened – a full 19 months ago – Chase launched a partnership with restaurant booking site Tock, which sells tickets to restaurants (top end restaurants with limited seating charge you in advance for pre fixe meals through the site).

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A Coronavirus Treatment May Be Working

by Gary Leff

morgan freeman in movie outbreak in hazmat suit
Feb 02 2020

With a ban on non-U.S. citizens and permanent residents entering the country within 14 days of having been in China going into effect, China Eastern has announced a suspension of its U.S. flights.

Coronavirus has claimed lives, infected many, and led to worldwide panic and turmoil in markets. If we’re looking for a bit of good news, though, Thailand may be seeing some success treating the virus with a mixture of anti-flu and anti-viral drugs.

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Very Cool Science: Airplanes Landing In Chicago Are Causing It To Snow

by Gary Leff

Feb 02 2020

With temperatures below freezing and saturated air (high relative humidity) aircraft descending to land can cause snow. It’s a very localized event, not widespread snow, but snow can form and then fall as a result of planes descending under the right conditions.

This requires “supercooled atmosphere interacting with exhaust” and “water vapor [that is] below freezing but [that] couldn’t entirely transition into ice crystals because of a lack of particulates upon which to freeze.” Then the plane descending through the atmosphere causes snow to form.

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