Another More Room Throughout Coach Giveaway! Just e-mail an entry including your name and address. I will pick one winner who will get their choice of: (1) a confirmed first class upgrade on Alaska Airlines, (2) two drink coupons on Continental or United, or (3) a USAirways club pass. Winner will be picked at random on Friday, August 30th.
Every Sunday afternoon I
Every Sunday afternoon I check out Punditwatch, a blog which summarizes that day’s political shows.
Travelers are choosing
Travelers are choosing cars over jets. (Link via Instapundit.) That was exactly my explanation in an earlier post. The Transportation Security Administration is making travel more costly and time consuming, and travelers drive instead of fly for trips under 500 miles. USAirways, which serves a large chunk of these short routes up and down the East Coast, has been impacted most — and that’s a big reason they’re in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
It turns out
It turns out that the government requirement for airline passengers to show an ID may not exist. Airlines began requiring IDs as a way of preventing tickets from being resold, in order to maintain their pricing structure. They are now required to request identification, but it isn’t clear that any rules forbid transporting a passenger who refuses to identify himself or herself. One procedure which has been used — but not verified vis a vis a federal rule — is to search any passenger unwilling to show ID.
Pad’s Scratch Pad
Pad’s Scratch Pad links to More Room Throughout Coach, describing this site as “rants, raves, and upgrades.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Got an e-mail from
Got an e-mail from United Airlines that said in the event of a bankruptcy filing, “you will continue to reap the benefits of Mileage Plus(R) membership. WE WILL HONOR MILES PREVIOUSLY EARNED IN MILEAGE PLUS, AND YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ACCRUE MILES FOR TRAVEL ON UNITED AND OUR MILEAGE PLUS PARTNERS.” Now, promises are promises, and bankruptcy is by definition a way to discharge promises. However, it would be a silly business decision to disavow accrued miles because they would take away the accumulated incentive for their best customers to continue to fly the airline. Miles are not just a liability — they are the single most successful marketing tool ever devised. First, miles aren’t a true liability — they are a commitment to give away for free seats that otherwise go unsold (and they…
The INS and Border Patrol
The INS and Border Patrol are having a hard time attracting and retaining personnel the Transportation Security Administration will pay more for the same people. (Link via The Comedian.) Now, maybe the TSA needs the best people more than the INS and border patrol although I doubt it. Of course, they’re not even getting competent people.
Northwest bonus miles. New WorldPerks
Northwest bonus miles. New WorldPerks members, who enroll online using source code VP2P, will earn 4,000 bonus miles for their first qualifying roundtrip. (Enroll prior to travel but not later than Dec. 31, 2002, and travel must be completed by Feb. 13, 2003.) Existing members earn 1,000 bonus miles by registering online with registration number 5075 by Dec. 31 and complete travel by Feb. 13. Either way, register here.
Delta and American Express introduce
Delta and American Express introduce a new business credit card. The new Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card offers 10,000 miles when enrolling and 5,000 more miles (which count toward elite status) when using the card for the first time. Every year spending reaches $25,000, a bonus of 10,000 base miles will be added to the user’s account. Plus, there’s a free companion certificate awarded each year the card is renewed. Many charges earn double miles and there’s no mileage cap on annual earnings. The card’s annual fee is $135 which is less than the standard AmEx fee and Membership Rewards fee. Apply by calling 1-800-NOW-OPEN.
USATODAY reports that
USATODAY reports that the Air Marshall program is in disarray. (Link via Instapundit.) This is no longer an elite corp, since standards have been lowered to meet hiring quotas. The air marshalls themselves believe the situation is unsafe. Air marshalls are clearly not an alternative to arming pilots. From the article: Hiring standards for marshals added since Sept. 11 have been lowered dramatically, sources say. No longer must applicants pass a difficult marksmanship course that used to be the make-or-break test for the program. In addition, many new hires were given guns and badges and put aboard flights before extensive background checks were completed. Another money quote: “In May, for 3 1/2 weeks, they forgot about me and 15 guys in the office,” said one marshal. “We sat (around) watching kung fu movies.”
