New and notes from around the interweb:
- Southwest flight attendant intentionally gave worse service to a passenger because of his Trump t-shirt.
- Top 20 airlines by number of routes
- United has temporarily pulled its status match/challenge offer, but it will return in some form.
“We are working to consolidate two previous programs — the Corporate Status Match program and the Premier Status Match program into one offer that will return in 2020.”
- Concerning (HT: Paul H.)
Citing chronic drug shortages, however, the Federal Aviation Administration has granted airlines exemptions that permit passenger planes to fly without a complete medical kit if the airlines say they cannot replenish the drugs. The exemptions apply to international as well as domestic flights.
Earlier exemptions were issued by the agency on an annual basis, and only for one or two of the drugs in the kit. But in January 2016, more than 50 airlines were granted four-year exemptions from the requirement to carry all five drugs in the medical kit.
The medicines include two doses of epinephrine, one to treat severe allergic reactions and one to treat cardiac arrest; atropine, which is used to treat a slow heart rate; dextrose, to raise dangerously low blood sugar in people with diabetes; and lidocaine, to treat irregular heart rhythms but rarely used these days.
There are no data on how many airplanes may be flying at a given time without the drugs. Representatives of airlines said they usually carry complete medical kits and rely on the exemption only during periods of temporary shortages.
- This just frightens me. This month Cathay Pacific is serving “Omni Pork” Bolognese with Garganelli pasta in business class as an option on all long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong,
OmniPork is a vegan blend of pea protein, non-GMO soy, shiitake mushrooms and rice that looks and tastes like real pork. But unlike real pork, OmniPork has 0mg cholesterol, is cruelty-free and 86% lower in saturated fat and 66% lower in calories*.
- LAX will require arriving passengers to take a shuttle bus to a designated Uber/Lyft pickup spot starting October 29. Expect 15 minute transit times from American Airlines terminals.
@ Gary — “Buttercup” is offensive. Could have been worse.
Re: Omni Pork
Gary, grow up. The planet cannot support the current level of meat consumption. You, specifically, would do well to reduce and then eliminate meat and animal products from your diet. And the factory farming systems that produce all this meat, egg and dairy are unspeakably cruel and violent.
People are (admittedly slowly) becoming aware of this issue and starting to change (non-dairy milks, beyond burgers, etc.). I would be thrilled to have an option like this in flight. Don’t mock it with a tired, sad joke. Watch The Game Changers. Watch Dominion. Watch What the Heath. And then join the 21st century and the right side of history. You will save the life of hundreds if not thousands of animals, and likely add years back onto your own.
Ironic considering Southwest is texas based, I wonder if Herb supported Donald before he expired.
Well now this video makes a lot more sense! MD surprised to only have IV epi instead of a fixed dose Epipen onboard. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWfFaOoUVF0
Wake up, Gary…plant based protein alternatives are here to stay. The public demands them. They are not frightening at all. Available ( and bought by millions) in supermarkets all over the world, so why not on airlines. Great move, Cathay…
When a Southwest attendant starts treating people differently for legally exercising their freedom of speech (in the form wearing a hat or shirt or whatever), then it is time to dump the attendant.
Good in LAX. Uber drivers in the loop at LAX are some of the worst I’ve seen (cutting off buses, stopping in the wrong spot, etc) Now if we could just move the taxis to an off site location as well…
AlohaDaveKennedy, you clearly don’t understand what freedom of speech means. “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech…” While the customer is free to take civil action against the airline, and the airline is free to take action against the FA, the government isn’t involved, the Second Amendment does not apply.
A few points about the Southwest story:
The flight attendant was impressively dumb to post something like that.
Some troll wearing a shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
The flight attendant should probably be let go, as professionalism obviously takes a back seat to personal feelings with this person.
That WN FA should be fired on the spot. Case closed, the end.
I would say exactly the same if he had identified and insulted a Bernie Bro.
These idiot employees need to learn what customer service is, and what it means to have a boss.
@Steve S:
Taxis are moving out to the ParkOne LAX lot too!
Gary, sometimes I think you deliberately tweak people’s noses. You had to know your comment on pea protein pork substitute would bring out some angry vegan a*******, and that’s what happened. I have to laugh.
Dear Cathay, if I want tofu Bolognese, I’ll order tofu Bolognese. Do not call it pork-less pork Bolognese and think you’re fooling me.
As for the drug exemptions, I am absolutely stunned that the FAA has allowed this to go on for so long. A short term supply disruption is one
thing, but pre approving four years of flights without complete medical kits? And I thought I could not think any less of the FAA. I was wrong.
It’s legal to fire or evict gay people for being gay in many American states, but heaven forbid a Trump supporter be treated with scorn in a social situation!
Christian said: “Some troll wearing a shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.”
So let me play with that:
Some troll wearing Trump shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
Some troll wearing a burka just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
Some troll wearing a rainbow shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
Some troll wearing FU shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
Some troll wearing Black Power shirt just to anger others doesn’t justify ill treatment.
Novel idea: maybe the person wearing the Black Power Shirt, FU shirt, a rainbow shirt, a burka, Trump shirt is not a “troll” and is not trying to “anger” anyone.
Novel word to think about: “Tolerance”. Look it up.
@Joseph N.
The dish described is not tofu, so if it were described as tofu, that would be very wrong. It doesn’t taste like tofu, and doesn’t have the texture of tofu.
It’s really odd that you think someone is trying to “fool” you—it’s very clear from the name of the dish what it is.
FWIW, meat eater here. Just not a deliberately ignorant one.
Sooo many HATEFUL and INTOLERANT liberal shitballs out there….. Thank God Trump is president.
TRUMP 2020!!!!
Omni pork?. It’ll be Soylent Green in a few years.