The Virgin Atlantic lounge at Washington Dulles uses a QR code for ordering plated meals, and that code is given only to Virgin’s own passengers – and not to guests entering the lounge via American Express or Capital One credit card – creating two levels of service for passengers who are visiting. Is that acceptable? And is there a better way to handle the economics?
Airline CEO Versus President Biden: Quit Wasting Money Making Airports Beautiful
President Biden is taking on U.S. airport modernization with comments this week. His infrastructure bill is pushing out billions to airports. But the CEO of Frontier says stop making them so beautiful. Focus on growing capacity instead.
U.S. Border Agents Take, Store And Search Americans’ Emails And Photos At “Massive Scale”
They’re adding “contacts, call logs, messages and photos” from the devices of tens of thousands of people per year and “much of which is captured from people not suspected of any crime.”
“2,700 CBP officers [can] access it without a warrant” according the office of Senator Ron Wyden, while the agency clarifies it’s actually 3,000 officers.
What Happened In The IHG Hotels Data Hack?
It began with phishing, with an employee downloading an attachment from an email. Apparently systems were broadly accessible by employees, so they had a wide surface for attack. The password they needed once gaining access through an employee? Qwerty1234.
Photographer Chases Down Lost Luggage Using Airtags, Finds Bag At 1AM In Miami Home
Chicago-based photographer named Alex Garcia was traveling back from Havana and overnighted in Miami on Thursday. After waiting for hours to clear passport control he headed to the baggage carousel for his luggage, but he couldn’t find his bag.
He’d placed an AirTag in it, and he knew that it left the airport. Police there were uninterested. So he decided to chase it down himself.
Is Anybody Stupid Enough To Take These Offers From Delta? [Roundup]
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.
Emirates President: United Airlines Must “Make Strides” With Its Product Now That They’re Partners
There’s no question that Emirates premium cabin customers who find themselves on board United’s new Newark – Dubai flight will be surprised by the food and beverage program. Sir Time Clark says the airline needs to “make strikes” to improve. That’s an understatement. But he’s not worried. Indeed, Emirates is able to partner with easyJet, Gol, and Jetstar while maintaining their premium image.
Garuda Indonesia Dropping Most International Service, Eliminating First Class
SkyTeam member Garuda Indonesia suffered greatly during the pandemic, including from government policies that banned most foreigners from coming to the country for an extended period of time. But it wasn’t Covid-19 that really did it in. They were forced to restructure $9.5 billion in debt earlier this year, citing in part “leasing costs way above the industry average” according to the country’s State Enterprises Minister. Unmentioned, of course, are the charges that were brought against the airline’s former CEO over money laundering and millions of dollars worth of bribery in connection with overpaying for Airbus aircraft. Such things are common in South and Southeast Asia, especially in connection with government-backed carriers. The airline has a new business model. They’re going to focus on domestic travel, and give up most international routes. That means reconfiguring…
You’re Probably Stowing Your Carry On Bags Wrong In The Overhead Bin [Roundup]
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.
Major Hotel Chain Will Ask Guests To Tip Every Employee Using QR Codes
Hotel chains aren’t pushing guests to tip out of affection for their lowest-paid employees. They’re doing it as a way of controlling owner costs. The CEO of one hotel group even says they need guests to tip more – so they don’t have to raise wages.