News and notes from around the interweb:
- The final passenger Boeing 747-400 that was built has been retired
- Sweden plans to vary takeoff and landing fee prices based on climate. It seems like, though, an older Boeing 747-400 that’s full means less of a carbon footprint per passenger than a newer and smaller aircraft like an A321neo operating empty. So there ought to be some per person impact adjustment there.
The plan would mean lower fees for newer, more efficient aircraft or those using bio-fuels and would cover both passenger and freight flights to and from Arlanda airport in Stockholm and Landvetter in Gothenburg, the government said, adding the move would be a world’s first.
- I’m once again honored to be included as a Condé Nast Traveler ‘Top Travel Specialist’ for my award booking service. I’ve made their list each year since 2010.
- DoorDash will start delivering Covid-19 tests including nasal swab tests with 24 hour turnaround. So you may want to hang onto those Chase DoorDash credits!
- Class action against TransUnion for their handling of dispute items on credit reports failing to conduct reasonable investigations of consumer-submitted disputes (HT: sexy_kitten7)
- Domestic first class flyers rejoice: Woodford Reserve is doubling production
Good luck with that. See, https://www.americanbar.org/groups/business_law/publications/committee_newsletters/consumer/2019/201903/credit-reporting/
There have been numerous class actions over the years alleging that credit bureaus don’t do much to investigate complaints of wrongful reporting. Most receive short shrift. E.g., in Felts, the plaintiff alleged that she had reached a forebearance agreement with her lender, but the lender continued to report her loan as delinquent. The Ninth Circuit (most plaintiff oriented of the 12 federal courts of appeal), said, in effect, “Too bad, so sad”.
As a former FTC staff attorney, I think the “investigations” done by the credit bureaus are a sham. As a class action defense lawyer for 25 years, I know they have a vanishingly small chance of succeeding.
As I’ve often said: “It doesn’t matter if anyone files a lawsuit. Anyone who can afford the filing fee can file a lawsuit. It only matters if they win.”
“So there ought to be some per person impact adjustment there.”
Wouldn’t just charging based on the total carbon output of the plane accomplish this already? If the 747 is full, the cost will be spread across many passengers. If the Neo is empty the cost will be either be passed on to the customer in the form of a high ticket price, or (more likely) absorbed by the airline, incentivizing them a bit more to fill airplanes.
I wonder if DoorDash drivers will be hesitant to want to deliver tests to people who think they may need one. I also wonder about how they will train all the drivers on HIPAA. I assume they will have them take an online course for admin-type employees.
Good to know Woodford is expanding. It’s the only reason I book J on AA. 😉
I’m not convinced about the drop Covid test in the mail and get rapid turnaround time “as little as 24 hrs”. The current Postmaster General revealed his plan yesterday to slow down first class mail.
@DaninMCI drivers can just leave it at your door and not interact with you. That’s what they have been doing with food delivery the past year.
Congratulations on your honor, very well deserved.
Congrats Mr. gleff!!!
Excellent idea for the Swedish airports.
If all airports did this (gradually increasing over coming years), we can be pretty certain that the aviation industry will address the emissions issue quickly.
Congrats on the award.
@DaninMCI – Doordarsh wouldn’t be covered by HIPPA as they do not bill Medicare or insurance for the tests and they also don’t collect protected health information. As such they won’t have any training or reporting requirements.
@Doug,
The combination of person’s name, address, and the fact that they are taking COVID test technically is PHI, and definitely PII. But the little known fact is that HHS OCR does not enforce HIPAA since the beginning of the pandemic, if they believe the breach was done “for good faith use” – ends justify the means, you know 🙂 So Doordash, with their usual chutzpah, can always claim good faith use.