Orlando’s Airport Considers Kicking Out the TSA

tsa
Feb 08 2018

Efficiency arguments aside we need this for accountability. It’s important to separate safety regulation from screening. The TSA shouldn’t be supervising itself. They should be focused on setting standards and monitoring compliance, and shouldn’t be certifying and monitoring themselves. TSA as its own regulator creates conflict and it creates poor performance.

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Starwood is Reducing Their Booking Window, Changes Award Prices at 17% of Hotels

hotel lobby
Feb 08 2018

Starwood is reducing the booking window — how far out you can make reservations — on February 11.
You’ll only be able to make reservations 350 days in advance instead of 550 (not all hotels loaded inventory 550 days out previously).

In addition Starwood has announced award category changes for 2018 which will go into effect March 6th.

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Seattle Flight Turns Around Because of Naked Passenger

airline cabin
Feb 07 2018

Alaska Airlines flight AS146 from Anchorage to Seattle took off early this morning but turned around and returned to Anchorage because of a naked passenger.

The plane departed at 1:29 a.m. and returned to Anchorage at 3:47 a.m. The airline explained the delay as “due to a passenger not following flight attendants’ instructions.”

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1750 Rapid Rewards Points Worth $24.50 for $35 Flower Order

smurfs walking around cake
Feb 07 2018

A couple of days ago I wrote about the great mileage offers on flowers that abound around Valentine’s Day. There are 30 miles per dollar offers with United, Delta, American, and Hawaiian.

I noted at the time that you could get a flat 1000 Rapid Rewards points for spending $29.99 or more (plus shipping) at 1-800-Flowers. And that’s pretty good for Southwest. However there’s a new even better offer out of 1750 Rapid Rewards points.

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Saudi Arabia Allows Flights to Israel to Use its Airspace

map of saudi arabia
Feb 07 2018

As I pointed out with the launch of the blockade against Qatar last June, there’s a huge shift going on in the Mideast.

While conflict with Israel gets the most press in the U.S., the primary conflict is between Saudi Arabia (along with Turkey) seeking Sunni influence in the region and working to counter Shia Iran. The conflict in Syria, for instance, is largely a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Saudis have fought Iran-backed rebels in Yemen over the past several years.

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