Two Strange Things About The Congressman Who Died Flying LA – Seattle On Friday

by Gary Leff

alaska airlines plane
Mar 19 2022

Don Young, the 88 year old longest-serving member of the House of Representatives (49 years!) died while preparing to fly Los Angeles – Seattle on Friday evening. His wife was with him and noticed that he had stopped breathing. One of the stranger things about coverage of the incident, which has blanketed the news, is that the flight where this happened goes unmentioned. (There were also no viral first-person accounts on social media that I could locate.) Alaska Airlines, Delta, United and American all operate Los Angeles – Seattle. However Young was connecting onward to Alaska, making flying Alaska Airlines the most likely (though Delta also operates the route). Indeed Alaska Airlines confirmed the death according to Young’s first Chief of Staff. The second thing that strikes me as strange, perhaps even ironic in the…

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How Many People Fly Every Day In The U.S. Without Valid ID

by Gary Leff

Mar 19 2022

For years TSA has been warning that if you don’t get a ‘REAL ID’-compliant drivers license you won’t be able to fly and I’ve explained that isn’t true because you can fly without ID, in fact people do it all the time.

The requirement of an ID to fly began as a ‘do something’ policy after the explosion of TWA flight 800. President Clinton demanded to be able to immediately announce new airline security measures, and told his National Security Council team to come up with some. Yet to this day around 700,000 people per year fly without showing valid ID.

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Wide Open Europe Business Class For 90,000 Miles Roundtrip

by Gary Leff

Mar 18 2022

“Fifth freedom” routes are sometimes the easiest to book on miles, and the most fun to fly. Emirates, the Dubai-based carrier, actually operates two flights between the U.S. and Europe – New York JFK to Milan and Newark to Athens. And the Newark – Athens flight is wide open for awards in business class.

Moreover, while Emirates’ program often charges quite a lot of miles for first class, relatively short distances like U.S. – Europe in business class are quite reasonable. In fact this one is a steal at just 90,000 miles roundtrip and $220.

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Delta On Verge Of Buying 100 Boeing 737 MAXs

by Gary Leff

Mar 18 2022

Delta is known for buying only planes from foreign manufacturers. If they buy Boeing, it’s used. But proving that Boeing will sell to anyone, and Delta will buy anything if it’s cheap enough, Delta Air Lines is reportedly in talks for 100 Boeing 737-10 MAX jets in a deal that could be announced in the coming weeks.

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The One Thing That Could Extend The Air Travel Mask Mandate Past April 18

by Gary Leff

Mar 17 2022

The federal transportation mask mandate should have been lifted, or allowed to expire March 18. However it was extended – for just one month. And the broad expectation is that it will end in mid-April, as part of the administration declaring victory on Covid-19. There’s a strong political reason to do so before the mid-term elections. And it makes good sense, too.

But one thing could still change this.

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