Flight Makes Emergency Landing As Maskless Man Assaults Cabin Crew

by Gary Leff

Mar 08 2021

Friday’s Air France flight from Paris to Delhi, India made an emergency landing in Sofia, Bulgaria when a passenger began arguing with those around him shortly after takeoff and assaulted a flight attendant.

The man is maskless. The flight attendant to puts up his fists, preparing to box, has his mask down beneath his nose. I can make out shouting about [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi, cabin crew telling people to sit down, and a woman with an Indian accent asking the man in English, “What the F- is wrong with you?”

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Leaked Memo Exposes British Resort Chain Refusing Reservations Based On Ethnicity

by Gary Leff

Mar 08 2021

Britannia Hotels has 61 properties across the U.K and has been called ‘Britain’s worst hotel chain’. Their Pontins brand includes 6 resorts.

An internal memo from Pontins resorts leaked showing that the chain made an effort to avoid accepting bookings from people with Irish surnames, or who booked by phone with Irish accents. They even cancelled bookings that made it through in error.

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Biden Administration Plans To Ungender The FAA

by Gary Leff

Mar 08 2021

His FAA has asked its Drone Advisory Committee for “recommendations on how it might use more gender-neutral language” eliminating words like ‘unmanned aircraft’ and ‘airman’. The head of the FAA’s drone integration office wants to see “the adoption of gender-neutral language…in aviation generally.”

And the FAA plans to look at updating language throughout existing regulations to scrub gendered words.

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American Airlines Is Refinancing Its Mortgage On The AAdvantage Frequent Flyer Program

by Gary Leff

Mar 08 2021

American Airlines is alone in pledging their frequent flyer program to the federal government as collateral for a subsidized CARES Act loan. Delta and United raised money against their programs on the private market, while Southwest pre-sold points to Chase.

Now American has created a Cayman Islands subsidiary to refinance its AAdvantage mortgage.

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Marriott Hotel Threatens Me With $2000 Charge If I Don’t Show Up

by Gary Leff

Change in T&C for free electronics
Mar 07 2021

I have an upcoming award stay at a Marriott property, and I received a note from the hotel warning me that if I don’t show up on the day scheduled, and haven’t cancelled at least a day in advance, they’ll charge me over $2000 cash.

If your flight diverts on the way to this award stay and you can’t check in as scheduled, call your mortgage broker for a second or third lien – quick!

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Fairmont San Jose Abruptly Shuts Down, Kicks Out NHL Team Before Their Game

by Gary Leff

Mar 07 2021

All out of town NHL teams have been staying at the Fairmont San Jose when visiting the San Jose Sharks. But it’s the NHL West Division’s Vegas Golden Knights who drew the short end of the Fairmont straw on Friday when the Fairmont closed down without warning and kicked everyone off the property: “The Golden Knights didn’t request an early checkout from their hotel in San Jose, California. They were given one anyway.”

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Hotels Need To Restore Service, Or They’ll Never Recover

by Gary Leff

Mar 07 2021

I find that researching trips now is different than it used to be. I can’t just rely on hotels that I know by reputation, or by brand. I need to read recent guest reviews to see if they’re actually offering housekeeping; whether they answer the phone for requests; what amenities are actually available on property; the extent to which promised cleaning happens, rules like distancing and masking are enforced; how elite benefits are being honored, if at all.

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