The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA, the largest pilots union) has petitioned the FAA to give pilots total control over security decisions when on the ground. Currently, airline employees and the TSA control decisions when the plane is parked at the gate, and the Captain has final authority in the air.My unsupported hunch? If you give this authority to pilots, it will be used in work slowdowns. Rather than a safety measure, it’s a way of amassing leverage for union bargaining. Just as pilots might work slowly before and after takeoff, and mechanics might ground flights for minor transgressions that don’t effect safety, pilots would now be able to use their own judgment and decide to cancel a flight for “security reasons.”Maybe I’m just paranoid…
Now this is twisted…
… but it may be even better than Arnold, Arianna, Gary Coleman, and Larry Flynt all running for Governor of California:
Most Bizarre Case for Tort Reform… But if Doesn’t Come from the U.S.
A man’s wife is killed in a car crash, and is sued by the driver of the other car for trauma. The lawsuit is victorious. (Link via the Volokh Conspiracy.)Update: There are still plenty of U.S. examples, too. A federal judge has awarded $2,500 to a clown who was refused permission to perform for children because of two convictions for molestation and sexual abuse of minors. Westchester County apparently violated the man’s rights…
BA Discount
Book using this website to get a 10% discount on British Airways coach fares. Book by October 17, travel by March 31.
Double Bonus for Signing up for Amtrak Loyalty Program
There’s a standard bonus for signing up for Amtrak Guest Rewards: 500 points if you take an Amtrak trip within 90 days of signup.There’s now an offer for 1000 points, though still requiring the train trip within 90 days to claim it. Signup by September 30th using promotion code BKM03.
Finding Low Fares
I’m asked with some regularity, “Could you let me know when the fare from X City to Y City is really cheap?” And to some extent I keep on the lookout, but mostly I just hear (via e-mail, via my own checking, via Flyertalk.com, or via ScottC’s email list) about especially good fares.. but not tied to specific destinations. So I usually say “sure, if I see something I’ll let you know. But why don’t you let the internet travel agencies do it for you? They will, of course, since they want to sell you a ticket.”And I suggest the following: Orbitz: http://www.orbitz.com/dealdetector/ Travelocity: Choose “FareWatcher” Expedia: http://www.expedia.com/daily/promos/promomail/default.asp?rfrr=-1265 Now, if what you’re trying to do is just find out where you can fly cheap from where you are rather than looking for specific destinations, you…
What’s Going on on the East Coast?
The Top Ten Theories About What Caused the East Coast Power Blackout. Among them: 9. Overstressed computers in West Coast attempting to tabulate all the candidates for California Governor. 8. Osama bin Laden and his compatriots check into a motel in New Jersey and turn up the air conditioning *really* high. 7. All innocent persons on death row in Texas prison system electrocuted at once. 6. Justice Antonin Scalia seeks return to original conditions when Constitution was written. 4. Liberal paranoia comes true as country is returned to Dark Ages. 2. President Bush attempts to divert electricity from middle class to the wealthiest 1 percent. Update: The Associated Press has a story with the top ten tips from Iraqis for surviving a blackout. For example, –3: CALL IN THE IRAQIS. Some suggested the Americans ask…
SpiritAir returns to Washington National
After a two year absence, Spirit has won the right through the usual tedious political process to fly two daily roundtrips to Washington-National airport. It remains to be seen whether they will fly to Detroit or Ft. Lauderdale.National airport, the preferred close-in airport for Washington, DC, has two levels of service limits placed on it: flights cannot exceed 1250 miles (with a few specifically-granted exceptions) and the number of flights or “slots” is strictly controlled.The originally stated purpose of the 1250 mile limit, or “perimeter rule,” was to allow Washington-Dulles airport to build itself up as a base for long-haul flights. Ironically, by limiting the distance of flights at the close-in airport, National got more short flights and Dulles did not. So there wasn’t enough feeder traffic for long-haul flights, and the development of Dulles…
Deadline approaching
Tomorrow is the last day to register for the United Great Offer that gives bonus status miles just for faxing competitor frequent flyer statements to United. Only United elites (Premier, Premier Executive, 1K) are eligible.
Buying Magazines for International First Class Travel
Steve Belkin outlines the economics of buying large quantities of Inside Flyer magazine subscriptions as a way of acquiring discounted international premium class tickets. The essence of it is that Inside Flyer is offering lots of Diners Club points for subscribing, and this month Diner Club points transfer into twice the usual British Airways miles.I think Steve overstates the value somewhat when saying that a San Francisco-London First Class ticket will cost $2580 in Inside Flyer subscriptions compared to $13,600 according to Orbitz. Since these are frequent flyer awards, and capacity controlled, the more relevant price comparison is to consolidator tickets or at least deeply discounted first class tickets. But no matter — this is still a helluva deal!The key, though, is making sure that the Diners Club points show up in your account by…
