They booked one-way tickets from Algiers to Istanbul via Rome. They boarded their onward flight to Turkey, and then bolted. Three Algerian illegal migrants found a quick way to avoid deportation last week – they jumped off a moving Alitalia plane at Rome’s Fiumicino airport and ran for it. …the three Algerians, who had been refused permission to stay in Italy, decided to do so anyway. They forced open a door while the plane was moving from the gate towards the runway, activated the exit chutes, slid down onto the tarmac and sprinted into the distance. A major manhunt for the trio has been launched and an investigation opened… The plane returned to the gate, and passengers offloaded onto another aircraft. Though hardly their fault, Alitalia needed to blame someone so they “called for stricter…
What’s Really in Those Oversized Carry-ons? Plus Improving on a Hotel Discount Strategy.
A collection of interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.
Man Strips Naked, Walks Around Airport for an Hour, to Protest US Airways Overbooking
A man, angry at US Airways for overbooking his flight to Jamaica, stripped naked and walked around the Charlotte airport for an hour before he was taken into custody. (He won’t face charges.)
The Absolute Best Hotel Redemption Deal Gets Refreshed Today
The new list of IHG Rewards Club PointBreaks redemptions — rooms that may cost as much as 40,000 points per night usually, for just 5000 points — goes up soon for bookings through July 31. Here’s a sample, and how to buy those for as little as $35 or get 14 nights for a single credit card signup.
Delta Playing Hardball With Online Booking Sites, About to Get Boost from the Government
Delta has been pulling its fares off of some websites.
I don’t worry so much from a consumer standpoint, the average consumer searches about 10 sites when booking a trip. This is about tug-o-war over data, how ancillary services will be sold in the future, and distribution costs. In other words, a business-to-business scuffle.
But the Department of Transportation is considering rules that would require a website to highlight airlines that are not shown in their searches. ..which will tip the scales to Delta in moves like this.
Luxury Link Ceases Operations: Customers Paid for Hotels, May Be Out of Luck
Luxury Link, the high end hotel booking site, has ceased operations.
People with bookings need to contact their credit card companies to dispute the charges. If it’s beyond the period where disputes can be filed, then folks may just be out of luck (and out of cash)… Here’s what to do.
American’s President Can’t Wait to Make Changes to the AAdvantage Program and to Copy Some Competitors
At the Wolfe Research Global Transportation Conference, American Airlines President Scott Kirby shared the things he’s looking forward to once integration is complete. There are lots of projects that have been put off given the single-minded focus on combining American Airlines and US Airways.
Among those, “we would have loved to make some modifications to the frequent flyer program” and he talked about more ancillary revenue and ‘shamelessly copying’ come of their competitors…
My Deeply Troubling Miles and Points Dreams
Last night I dreamt I was in the American Airlines Admirals Club in Los Angeles (although the woman sitting at the desk was one of the gems from the Washington National club.
I watched as a passenger had the agent there run her credit card to fund a bank account. I was a little bit excited for a moment, thinking you could charge bank deposits at American Airlines lounges when I woke up.
How Much Are Citi Prestige’s Benefits Really Worth?
Citi Prestige offers an airline credit, lounge access, a big signup bonus and then a variety of perks like free rounds of golf and 4th night free on hotel stays. How much is all this ‘stuff’ worth, anyway?
50% Off Singapore Airlines Economy Awards for 28 Destinations
Singapore Airlines is offering 50% off economy redemptions through its KrisFlyer program for 28 destinations. Since Singapore is a transfer partner of so many programs (Amex, Starwood, Chase, Citi) you probably have access to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles.