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.
New $9 Item Makes Coach Travel Easier In Two Ways
There’s a pretty ingenious new product that could be perfect for road warriors who find themselves frequently flying coach, especially on airlines without seat back entertainment. The Sip ‘n Clip solves two problems at once. Where do you put your drink, maybe your Starbucks, during takeoff and landing when your tray table has to be up (or if you don’t want it intruding into your space during the flight)? Do you really want to use the seat pocket, which is one of the dirtiest places on the aircraft? You’re stuck watching a show on your phone because the airline is too cheap to install screens, but where do you put the phone? The Sip ‘n Clip attaches to the tray table and is a cup holder and phone holder. It doesn’t really work as both…
Pilots Union Goal: Make Sure There’s A Pilot Shortage, Keep People From Becoming Pilots
The government makes it difficult to become a pilot. And the government pushes pilots out while they’re still able to work. This is done in the name of safety, but has little to do with safety.
Instead it is rent-seeking by pilots unions who want to limit the number of pilots. And they want to limit the ability of airlines to fill pilot jobs quickly. Both of those give them tremendous leverage in contract negotiations with airlines. When there aren’t enough pilots, pilots earn more money.
Girl Reunited With Her Pet Fish 3 Months After Leaving It Behind At The Airport
A Southwest Airlines passenger brought their fish to the Tampa airport. That’s not a pet you can check, and it’s not something that’s usually allowed on board either .Would you believe that a Southwest Airlines agent offered to keep the fish and care for it until the passenger returned – three months later?
The Delta Sky Club Red “Line Skipping Pass”
Just because you can finally make it inside the club, doesn’t mean you’re able to stay. You may need help with a reservation. On Friday afternoon Delta didn’t have any staff to assist with reservations in their main New York JFK club.
That means guests had to leave the club to go into the terminal looking for help with a reservation, such as changing a flight in the event of a delay or cancellation. And I learned something new about the Delta Sky Club lines. There’s a way to skip the velvet rope.
Not All Heroes Wear Capes: American Airlines Captain Cleans His Own Windshield
A reader was flying from Charlotte to Cleveland on American Airlines flight 1264 Thursday morning when he caught the moment that an entrepreneurial pilot went the extra mile to ensure their aircraft was ready to fly.
How Banks Decide Where To Put Branches, And The Strange Role Parking Plays [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.
Should Virgin Atlantic Lounges Exclude Credit Card Guests From Eating?
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.