News and notes from around the interweb:
- Resort fees are dishonest — if a fee is not optional, it’s part of the room rate and shouldn’t be hidden. Marriott passes along resort fees and all add-on charges on award nights. Hilton and Hyatt do not. Hyatt even waives resort fees as a top tier elite benefit on paid stays, too.
Here’s a petition for Marriott to waive resort fees as an elite benefit. But since the new program was explicitly structured to reduce the cost of the program for hotel owners and devaluations are all about the bottom line for the program itself going and spending more on members (no matter how reasonable or desirable) seems unlikely.
- American Airlines just announced a partnership with Blade Helicopters and the LAX Private Suite and now lets you buy into the Flagship Lounge and even Flagship Dining via Five Star. Well Blade is reducing prices and American Airlines is reducing them to coincide. (HT: Tommy L)
Flagship First Dining New York JFK - With several of American’s 737-800s still out of service due to faulty work on Oasis retrofit interiors, the airline has agreed to give pay protection to flight attendants affected by cancellations rather than their having to rebid for flights and hope to pick up work. Definitely the right thing to do, but unlikely management will get much credit for having done this.
- What four fatal crashes from the 1960s say about the 737 MAX I don’t think the analogy quite holds, but always helpful to put incidents and investigations in context.
- Now it’s Air India whose award space United can’t book
- The pilot was given paperwork to fly to the wrong destination (country, even).
@British_Airways can you please explain how can my morning flight taking off from LCY to Dusseldorf land in Edinburgh 😅? While an interesting concept, I don't think anyone on board has signed up for this mystery travel lottery… #BA3271 #frequenttravel #britishairways
— Son Tran (@sontrantuan) March 25, 2019
No, resorts fees aren’t going away. But did you know that if you’re forced to pay a resort fee that includes wifi at Marriott when wifi is already included as an elite benefit, the hotel will give you an alternate benefit?
It’s buried deep in the Bonvoy’s T&C. Sect 1.3.c.v:
“Participating Properties that have mandatory resort charges, which include internet access, will provide a replacement benefit, to be determined at each Participating Property’s discretion.”
This really might work with Marriott if they cared. They’ve made it very clear that they don’t.
The “new Marriott” is more worried about their “bed count” than us. I have noticed a slow but steady decrease in quality at Marriott properties. Currently at the Sheraton Harbourside in Norfolk for a conference and its a dump. Not one is happy. The “lounge” is equal to a Motel 6 breakfast.
Interesting I can’t remember when I did not vote for Marriott in the Freddie’s well low ands behold it now seems I am not the only one that dumped Marriott. Maybe the people switching to Hilton have something,
Hilton + Hyatt all the way. IHG in a pinch.
I’m generally against gov’t regulation of pricing, but mandatory resort fees should be illegal. At a minimum, hotel search engines should be required to quote the total room price including the fee. Not only is it dishonest — and bad for honest hoteliers — but it’s a huge waste of time for consumers who can’t learn the real price without extra legwork.
Re Boeing 727 in the 1960’s, did it happen in that case too that the manufacturer made changes to the safety features of the plane but refused to reveal them or provide consequent training unless the airline paid something like an “optional” $100,000? Did somebody inform those pilots about the changed rate of descent?
If not, then as you say, the analogy certainly does not hold. Contrary to what you wrote / quoted, it also provides no context unless our goal is to smirk at individuals who did not want to fly the plane because they were afraid for their lives.
Re: BA flight lands at wrong airport… this routine morning flight is mostly over water and after sunrise. Why didn’t the customers and crew ask the crew or pilots why there is so much land visible from the left side of the plane? I mean this is the 21st century where random sophisticated hijackings are page 2 stories. Remember: if you see something say something.
The resort fees are annoying. I frequently visit Scottsdale and there were a couple of nice Hiltons that did not charge resort fees but I noticed this year they do have a resort fee. I do my best to avoid those that charge resort fees. Fortunately I’ll be relocating there permanently and won’t have to deal with the fees there and hopefully will not be traveling much.
That BA flight doesn’t make any sense. Wasn’t there any mention by the crew to the passengers as to the destination? Usually they make an announcement as to the weather at the destination, flight time, etc. Doesn’t make much sense.
leef33- This flight is not mostly over water. It is only over water for about 10 minutes when it crosses the English channel. But you are correct and someone should have noticed something. I guess people are scatter brained these days
Heard the ground crew plugged in the wrong airport code and apparently the pilots assumed they were going to Edinburgh instead of Dusseldorf
I have pretty much given up on Marriott except when they are the only option in town
Wouldn’t the error have become obvious to anyone paying even so-so attention to the trip progress map? i.e., London being to the right, rather than to the left?
I agree that resort fees need to be included in the price quoted as well as taxes. The airlines have to include it in their price, so should the hotels.
According to CNBC “Fixes made to Boeing 737 Max
Among the notable changes to the MAX flight controls:
– The plane’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS automated flight control system, will now receive data from both angle of attack sensors, instead of just one.
– If those disagree by more than 5.5 degrees, the MCAS system will be disabled and will not push the nose of the plane lower.
– Boeing will be adding an indicator to the flight control display so pilots are aware when the angle of attack sensors disagree.”
So now, if one sensor malfunctions, the MCAS would not be activated when the critical angle of attack is exceeded. This could cause instability of the plane, a departure stall, and eventually loss of control at low altitude.
MCAS was installed in the Max for a reason. The new engines shifted the CG aft, making the model inherently unstable during a steep climb. The aft CG would not be a problem for a seasoned, well trained test pilot. However, it could cause a major issue to an airline pilot who did not go through very specific training.
The only safe solution would be a complete redesign of the Max, especially the wings. Moving the CG forward would increase stability and make the plane safer. It could also result in increased fuel consumption, making the Max loose its competitive edge. The redesign would cost billions,and take years. I doubt that any such radical design could be retrofitted on the existing Maxs.
Two angle of attack sensors do not add the same margin of safety that two engines do. In fact, they would make the plane even more dangerous since having two sensors makes it twice as likely that one of them would fail.
The FAA is not likely to pull its certification of the existing Maxs. It will, again, take Boeing’s word that the plane is airworthy at face value. The Max will remain a dangerous plane.
Not being able to book Air India award tickets on United is actually a selling point under the circumstances…