Feb
23
2016
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.
TSA Confiscates Bitcoins and the Madness of Elite Status
Worst Case Scenario: Here’s How to Land a Boeing 737 If You Really Had to Do It Yourself
Feb
23
2016
Maybe you’re an ex-military pilot who led a sqaudron over Macho Grande and lost many men. You’ve vowed never to fly again. But you find yourself onboard a commercial jetliner with the cockpit crew knocked out after they’ve eaten the fish.
Or maybe you don’t have any flying experience at all, but you’ve got to safely land your airline’s 737 anyway.
Delta pilot Tim Morgan made a video explaining everything you’d need to from the moment you enter the cockpit.
Did You Ever Notice How Airports Make Us Want to Get Naked?
Feb
23
2016
A Tennessee man
Back in October a flight was delayed 11 hours after a passenger became unruly, stripped naked, and requested sex from a flight attendant. In May a man, angry at US Airways for overbooking his flight to Jamaica, stripped naked and walked around the Charlotte airport for an hour to protect the airline’s overbooking….
How to Get an Upgrade on Your Next Hotel Stay
Feb
22
2016
Hotel upgrades have a great deal of discretion. While rooms may be pre-assigned to guests, the front desk agent can usually make a decision (within certain bounds set by the hotel — the best suites may require a manager’s approval).
There are many reasons they might upgrade you — your status, because you’ve been dis-serviced in some way, because you tipped them. Here are the techniques that work.
How Plural Marriage is Putting a Star Alliance Airline at Risk and Gogo Pass Giveaway
Feb
22
2016
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.
Man Pulls Down Trousers, Urinates in Aisle on Air India Flight
Feb
22
2016
Apparently a case of self-medicating with alcohol gone horribly wrong. A man on an Air India Boeing 787 flight to Birmingham, England was traveling with his 10 year old son. 40 minutes prior to landing he “removed his trousers and stood in the aisle. He pulled down his boxer shorts exposing his buttocks.”
Delta Makes Awards (Even) Less Transparent and Why Flight Attendants Bug Spray the Aisles
Feb
21
2016
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.
Free SkyTeam Elite Status If You Have Status With Another Airline
Feb
21
2016
Air Europa launched its own frequent flyer program, Suma in December.
Like Copa and United, Air Europa decided to build its own program rather than renting the loyalty engine of a larger partner carrier.
Initially at launch they were offering to status match Air France Flying Blue elites. I wrote at the time, “We’ll see, once people start registering and submitting requests, whether they’ll status match elites from other programs as well.”
United Successfully Uses Government to Halt Competition in DC
Feb
21
2016
With Delta’s Richard Anderson retiring, we lose the most cronyist airline CEO in the country, who seeks to use government to gain every possible advantage over competitors and sees taxpayers as his own bank account.
With his team simply being elevated, it’s possible that Delta stays this course. But there’s also an opening. And United may be looking to fill it. United successfully killed an effort to expand the ‘perimeter rule’ at Washington’s National airport from 1250 miles to 1475 miles. Because they don’t want competition to be allowed against their flights at Washington Dulles.
Marriott Promises Members: Your Points are Protected
Feb
20
2016
Marriott is buying Starwood in a deal expected to close in June. Nothing will change right away. It took two years for Marriott to integrate 100 Protea hotels, and Starwood is more than 10 times the size. The data migration project alone is likely an 18 month IT effort. I’ll still be using my Starwood Platinum status in 2017, I’m sure.
Here are the winners, losers, and questions in the deal for customers — and what Marriott has to say to reassure them.
