News and notes from around the interweb:
- Alaska Airlines is looking for someone to lead their inflight credit card pitches
The job listing says that this is “[g]uided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles.” Okey dokey.
This role is responsible for developing and executing strategies that empower flight attendants and other employees to confidently represent the Atmos Rewards Visa Card program.
…Success in this role will be measured by growth in Flight Attendant participation, seamless operational integration, and the clarity and impact of program reporting to leadership.
They don’t need to hire anyone. How about this. Since passengers are literally strapped in, Clockwork Orange-style, while having corporate banalities announced at you over the PA, at least can we not get these before 8 a.m. or on redeye flights?
- The most-booked Untied Airlines international destination from every state. Cancun from places that are cold does not surprise me. Taipei from Arizona is not surprising either (TSMC plant). The prevalence of Tokyo from so much of the Northeast is a bit surprising… and Alabama, Georgia? (HT: Matt)
- Pre-scheduled Uber airport rides have been unreliable that hasn’t been my experience in Austin – what’s yours been?
Last week I reserved an Uber XXL to take my family of 6 to the airport today at 4:15am (Uber won’t confirm a driver until 25 minutes before arrival, which is absurd). At 3:50am we get confirmation a driver is en route in a minivan. 5 minutes before pickup, he cancels. No other… pic.twitter.com/Q9h2Afxk4i
— DJ (@congressdj) December 24, 2025
- Pakistan International Airlines is finally being privatized. The government only got $36 million for it, with the buyer of 75% being required to invest $446 million in the carrier (i.e. buy new planes). After a year they can start firing staff – the carrier is bloated, inefficient and often run as fiefdoms for employees and political interests both.
- $15 Lyft credit for linking your Lyft and Alaska Airlines accounts by January 14. Must use the credit by January 31, 2026.
- Another KLM bed bugs story.
So I saw the news yesterday that an American family is suing KLM for $200k because they had bed bugs in their flight.
Time to share my own story about bed bugs and KLM!
I flew to Korea last October, and a few hours into the flight we discovered a bed bug walking on my wife's… pic.twitter.com/HcBoMq06pv
— Rosco Kalis (@RoscoKalis) December 23, 2025
Well… the purpose is to make money, the values are money, and the leadership principle is leveraging your staff to make money. Seems consistent!
I have never used the pre-book feature from Uber. Tbh, if I needed a car in the middle of the night for lots of people, I would be tempted to use a local, trusted taxi company. The other option, Uber to the airport on the previous day. Rent a car of the relevant size, drive home. Drive to the airport in the middle of the night and return the car. Although with my recent experience with surly rental agents, I’m not sure that would work too well either.
Have had similar unreliable results experiences. Live 25 miles from airport and drivers face rush hr traffic. Have had days when 2-3 drivers cancel before getting a pickup. .
“Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles”?
“…participation, seamless operational integration, and the clarity and impact of program reporting to leadership.”?
WTF?
What Alaska really needs to hire is someone to sound the Jargon Alert Alarm when corporate leadership spews that sort of verbal drivel.
Prearranged airport Ubers this year in Mexico City, Bogota, Rio, and Buenos Aires were flawless.
IME, scheduling rides adds zero value. I’ve never had it work out well for me. Same experiences as those shared in the article.
You would expect it to be helpful for rides at odd times in areas with not a lot of drivers, but it never works.
It’s probably equally useless in heavily populated areas where there are always drivers.