This Woman Lived at the Waldorf Astoria for Over 50 Years, Owed a Million Dollars in Back Rent

Apr 24 2016

Rosalind “Roz” Cole was an agent who represented several celebrities including Andy Warhol, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. She owed $1 million to the Waldorf Astoria in New York when she died.

She stopped paying years ago and refused to leave. Her family doesn’t want her estate – worth more than $2 million – to pay because the property should have “resolved [this] while Cole was alive.”

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Air India: Worst Negotiator in the World, Fails to Get Purchase Protection From Boeing

Apr 24 2016

The airline that can’t rid itself of rats on its planes can’t negotiate when purchasing planes, either.

They’ve had to ground their Boeing 787s multiple times, and incurred losses as a result, but “There is no provision for (financial) compensation with respect to technical problems in Dreamliner under the agreement signed with Boeing.” They have to accept Boeing 777 aircraft that they do not want, too.

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Minnesotans Want to Rename Delta’s Minneapolis Terminal for Prince

Apr 24 2016

Terminal 1 of Minneapolis-St. Paul airport is named for Charles Lindbergh, who grew up in Minnesota. The 2.8 million square foot, 114 gate terminal houses Delta’s hub as well as operations for United, American, Frontier, Air Canada, Alaska, and Air France.

Now there’s a change.org petition to strip Lindbergh’s name off the terminal and redesignate it for Prince.

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We Have a Winner for Creepiest Passenger Ever! Subway Manager Rubs Lotion All Over Sleeping Woman Inflight

Apr 23 2016

Vying to be the creepiest passenger ever faces stiff competition. There was the Japanese man watching porn and groping the woman seated next to him and the naked couple having sex in their seat while halfway covering up with their jackets.

But a 42 year old Pakistani from Staten Island who manages a Subway was convicted this week for being worse than any other passenger, ever.

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After Blowback, Marriott Guarantees Elite 4pm Late Checkout

Apr 22 2016

Marriott has once again clarified their new late checkout benefit for Gold and Platinum elite members, this time seemingly making it a real guarantee.

On Tuesday Marriott Rewards announced three new benefits similar to offerings of Starwood Preferred Guest. However the devil was in the details. Marriott quickly clarified that guaranteed late checkout wasn’t guaranteed after all.

I have to give them credit for recognizing quickly that this was a problem and doing something about it because Marriott has once again clarified the late checkout benefit.

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American In the Middle of Negotiating a New Credit Card Deal, Which Bank Will Win?

Apr 22 2016

Scott Kirby reported that they’re already “in the middle of” negotiations for a new credit card deal. Their current deal runs through 2018. Since they signed that 5 year deal, Delta, United, and Southwest have all re-upped theirs.

Every quarter (for instance here and here) Scott Kirby laments that competitors are seeing year-over-year increased revenue from the renewals of credit card deals, while there’s no material year-over-year “lift” from a more recent renewal for American.

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