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.
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.
It looks like the American Airlines LAX terminal 4 Admirals Club may be closed for a couple of months. They’re going to renovate and consolidate clubs in Boston. And move some international flying from New York JFK to Philadelphia.
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.
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.
Friday’s Air India Chicago – Delhi flight AI126 was delayed — because the FAA wouldn’t allow the plane to leave. Inspectors found missing tags displaying technical standard order numbers on seat belts of 44 passenger seats and 12 flight attendant seats.
Turbulence is dangerous and it can come out of nowhere taking passengers and crew by surprise. That’s why airlines tell you — and it’s a good idea — to keep your seat belt fastened even when the seat belt sign is off. And the instruction is to keep it fastened low and right across your lap.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Usually the reasons not to check a bag are the risk the bag will be lost, and the extra time checked baggage takes at the airport. But here’s a good reminder that bad things can happen to your belongings when they’re out of your possession.
Star Alliance airline and United partner ANA is selling business class between Vancouver and Sydney via Tokyo from $597 roundtrip. That’s a fare worth buying separate tickets to and from Vancouver for!
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
