TSA Hit a Man in the Groin During Screening Then Argued He Shouldn’t Be Able to Sue

by Gary Leff

Aug 08 2017

Last month the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (the original so-called ‘rocket docket’) ruled in Linlor v. Polson that individuals may have a private right of action for constitutional rights violations at the security checkpoint, over objections from the TSA.

As a result a man who says a TSA screener “rammed his hand” into the man’s genitals, causing the passenger to “bend over and step away in pain,” during a screening that was the result of opting out of naked imaging at Washington Dulles airport in March 2016 may seek damages based on excessive force.

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Hertz Mass Cancelling Car Reservations For Later This Month via Robocall

by Gary Leff

Aug 07 2017

Hertz was once the rental company for business travelers. In this extended montage from Up in the Air when George Clooney is grounded in Omaha he wants to buy a Chrysler Sebring from Hertz.

The rental car business has consolidated, and is under pressure from ridesharing. Hertz owns Thrifty and Dollar. And they’re simply not reliable anymore in my opinion. In fact last year they told me that reservations are never guaranteed.

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Is Basic Economy the Next TED, Song, and MetroJet?

by Gary Leff

Aug 07 2017

Delta had Song. United had TED. (On the West Coast they also had Shuttle by United.) US Airways had MetroJet. Consultants, especially McKinsey, were peddling the same idea to major airlines in exchange for big fees. In order to compete they needed to start low cost carriers inside their carrier, and those new airlines would fly leisure routes. They’d offer lower fares. And in the case of Song they’d even offer a better product than mainline.

Gradually the attempts faltered, and each of the airline-within-an-airline concepts was killed.

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$200 Off Immersive Diplomatic Travel Experiences

by Gary Leff

Aug 07 2017

Before Nicholas Kralev covered airline travel and frequent flyer programs at the Washington Times he was the paper’s diplomatic correspondent – which is a major portfolio for a DC paper.

He’s written a recent book on the US foreign service and he’s traveled with former Secretary of States Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton and has visited more 80 American embassies.

Now he’s combined his two loves offering diplomatic tours, taking small groups behind-the-scenes peak at how U.S. diplomacy works overseas.

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Hillary Clinton Explains Why the Sheraton Brand Survives

by Gary Leff

Aug 06 2017

Two years ago, when there was still a plan on the table for Starwood to be independent even as their board shopped the chain to other companies, they announced a $100 million marketing plan to revive the lagging Sheraton brand.

In fact in Asia Pacific, the Sheraton brand is strong. It signals quality. Sheratons are generally nicer than nearby Westins. The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is a true world class hotel, for instance.

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