Motel 6 Will Pay $7.6 Million Settlement After Racially Profiling Guests, Trying to Get them Deported

by Gary Leff

motel6
Nov 13 2018

Last year I wrote about Motel 6s in Phoenix working with ICE to get their guests deported. When Motel 6 would ‘leave the light on’ it was really the police siren light accompanying La Migra. Motel 6 Phoenix – Northern Avenue, Credit: Motel 6 At one Motel 6 the hotel would fax guests lists over to the police without even having been asked to do so. At another property “anyone who didn’t look American” would get reported to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The chain which was sold by Accor to Blackstone Group in 2012 has agreed to pay $7.6 million to settle a class action lawsuit for violating the privacy rights of its guests. Up to $5.6 million will go to Motel 6 guests who faced immigration removal proceedings after their personal information was shared.…

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Why Big Credit Card Initial Bonus Offers Matter — To The Banks

by Gary Leff

credit cards
Nov 12 2018

When Barclays introduced a new card earlier this year with points transferring to airline miles and bonuses for spend each year, the rest of the industry waited with baited breath to see what would happen.

There was no sign up bonus. And even Barclays’ competitors were rooting for them to succeed. Is it possible to get consumers to adopt a rewards card without a big up front bonus?

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New Silvercar 20% Car Rental Discount, No Minimum Rental Required

by Gary Leff

silver audi with driver door open
Nov 11 2018

I don’t rent cars nearly as often as I used to given the ubiquity of Uber and Lyft. However I really like Silvercar and wish they were in more cities, and really like Silvercar discounts even more.

Silvercar has an all-Audi fleet (and they’re now owned by Audi) and their all-inclusive model comes with free GPS, wifi, and satellite radio. You pay only actual tolls (no administrative charges) and can pay a flat $5 and they’ll refuel your car at market rate.

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Air India’s Director of Flight Safety Just Failed Two Breathalyzers Before Trying to Fly London-Delhi

by Gary Leff

denzel washignton as pilot
Nov 11 2018

Government-owned Air India is a basket case. Air India crew often do as they wish whether it’s evading alcohol checks and refusing to fly unless they’re paired with their preferred co-workers.

There’s certainly fertile ground for improvement as the airline wishes to regain control of its operation. One place they may want to start is with whom they put in charge of training pilots for safety.

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