American and Chicago O’Hare Make Peace at Last Minute

by Gary Leff

airport tarmac
Mar 15 2018

United Airlines has 14 more gates than American at Chicago O’Hare. American is opening 5 new gates that they paid for, reducing the gap to 9. But the new O’Hare expansion plan re-opens the gap and returns United to a 14 gate advantage.

After escalating things by FOIAing communications between the Chicago’s Mayor and United this week — and as the city was scheduled to approve the plan, American’s lack of assent notwithstanding — there are now reports of a stand down and a deal.

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Brazilian Gang Watches Goodfellas, Robs Lufthansa Flight of $5 Million

by Gary Leff

lufthansa plane
Mar 14 2018

In 1978 nearly $6 million was robbed from Lufthansa at New York JFK — in what was then the largest cash robbery ever in the United States.

The heist was investigated for over 35 years, even leading to an arrest in 2014 of a purported high-ranking member of the Bonanno crime family, however the then-78 year old man was acquitted. Much of the proceeds of the Lufthansa robbery were said to have been gambled away in casinos.

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United: Don’t Blame the Flight Attendant For Killing That Dog, Have a Bright Bag Tag Instead

by Gary Leff

dog
Mar 14 2018

Yesterday we learned that United required a passenger to put her dog in the overhead bin on a flight from Houston to New York LaGuardia, and the dog died.

Although a flight attendant did insist the woman put her dog in the overhead bin for the flight, United wants us to know that it’s not really the flight attendant’s fault.

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