I Can’t Get This Song Out Of My Head, And To Me It’s All About Airports

by Gary Leff

May 10 2022

There are certain sounds, sights, and flavors that evoke travel. It wasn’t originally intended this way, but George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue means United Airlines. For years Portico’s ‘white ginger’ smell meant Hyatt Regency, though I suppose Westin’s ‘white tea’ smell is more well-known. The flavor of Tortas Frontera sandwiches is the sine qua non of Chicago O’Hare airport for me.

But maybe there’s a new competitor, because there’s a sound which bellows down the hallways at terminals in Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Las Vegas and Austin that I just cannot get out of my head.

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Air Canada Announces Credit Card Spend To Keep Elite Status

by Gary Leff

May 10 2022

2022 is a weird year. Travel is booming, but only in certain places and only certain kinds of travel. What’s more, the Omicron surge meant the year started off slow for many members. So while we’ll see plenty of frequent flyers earning elite status, there are many still on the sidelines.

Aeroplan is out with a way for members to keep their status through 2023: earn 30,000 points with an Aeroplan co-brand credit card between January 1, 2022 and November 30, 2022. This is on top of elite status accelerators announced in February.

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Ex-Flight Attendant Union Boss Says Sara Nelson’s Union Behind Corruption Allegations Against Him

by Gary Leff

May 09 2022

Former American Airlines flight attendants union President Bob Ross had previously argued, in effect, that he shouldn’t be singled out among past union Presidents for financial impropriety, and that his improper financial practices had been approved by his subordinates.

Now he’s arguing, among other claims, that the accusations against him are all part of Sara Nelson’s plot to grow her power base.

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Don’t Be Complacent, Crimes And Crises Are Happening At Hotels All Around Us

by Gary Leff

cityscape
May 08 2022

Many of the crimes here just happened to occur at hotels, or happened because of the specific things guests chose to do while at hotels. As long as you don’t engage in exceptionally risky behavior, they probably won’t happen to you.

Legionnaires disease, of course, is another story entirely. And always sweep your room for hidden cameras if you’re someone that’ll mind being videotaped naked.

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Report: German Airline Refuses To Fly Jews After Various Passengers Refused To Wear Masks

by Gary Leff

lufthansa plane
May 08 2022

A large group of Jewish passengers were kept from traveling on a Lufthansa connecting flight to Budapest on Wednesday after some Jewish passengers – and some non-Jews – had mask compliance issues on board Lufthansa’s flight 401 from New York JFK to Frankfurt.

A Lufthansa representative explains that Jews caused the problems, so the airline approached this as collective guilt.

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