News and notes from around the interweb:
- While Kuwait Airways is a dry airline, the actual policy is BYO.
- On Tuesday Hainan Airlines will begin non-stop Chongqing – Los Angeles service. Since the Chinese government allows only one Chinese carrier per long haul route there’s a rush to start idiotic unsustainable service in hopes that it someday becomes profitable, and to prevent competitor airlines from starting those routes first. (Yet Delta, American, and United are concerned only with ‘uneconomic’ behavior of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar. And not, of course, their own uneconomic behavior.)
- You can now redeem Marriott Rewards points for TSA PreCheck but you get only a third of a cent per point in value when doing so. Please, please, please do not do this with your points.
On the other hand, if you don’t yet have PreCheck and it reduces the chances of a pat down…
- The job of a TSA agent is to intimately touch the bodies of strangers. Is it any wonder when another one is arrested for sexting a 13 year old?
The girl told her parents about the texts because she felt uncomfortable. …
Between March and October 2016 the detective and Mr. Serak texted regularly, according to the complaint. In a transcript of text messages listed in the criminal complaint, Mr. Serak texted that he dreamed about kissing and marrying the girl, that she’d look “hot” in a bathing suit and discussed touching her body.
Meanwhile the TSA is reaching out to local police to tell them what they’re doing to passengers shouldn’t be considered illegal sexual assault.
- Two years ago American Airlines eliminated duty free onboard. Now that the then-President of American is running United, United will end duty free at the close of the month as well.
I’ll be grateful to have fewer flight attendant announcements on overnight flights, but I do feel bad for flight attendants that were earning a meaningful commission on sales.
You’ll just have to buy your duty free here instead. - Hot dogs in the Delta SkyClub in Detroit! Air New Zealand is known for its lounge hot dog carts as well.
Air New Zealand Hot Dogs
Good riddance to duty free. I’m amazed they were able to justify it for so long.
Bummer. Now I’ll actually have to get organized and go shopping to buy gifts for the relatives.
I’ve found inflight Duty-free items that you can’t buy anywhere else. (Let British Air & Aer Lingus keep it up!). Also, didn’t know that FAs make a commission. Interesting.
For international DF, I would like to thank the TSA for royally screwing it up.
For example, when I drive into and out of Canada, I may stop at the DF store and purchase what I would like, keeping in mind the limits on booze and tobacco. No problem.
When flying out of the US, I can go to the DF and purchase what I want. It is delivered to me on the plane before departure.
When returning to the US from China on a US carrier, not only do I go through regular security and passport control, but there is yet another screening before one gets on the plane to confiscate any liquids one may purchase. The “reason” is that many people make connections and must clear security in the US to make those connections, and you are not allowed to open your bag between baggage claim and the security check point.
But if you arrive in Detroit, you can leave the “secure area”, pack your liquids into your checked luggage, and recheck your bag at the counter. Then go through security as if this were your only flight. And I routinely leave the secure area because I have Precheck and the Precheck line is invariably closed.
However, if you did not go through that, recheck your bag inside the secure area, and proceed to security, you are not allowed to purchase DF goods even though this is your port of entry to the US.
Why is this? Obviously, the booze purchased outbound is the same stuff as you should be able to purchase inbound; it is in the secure area and should pose no security threat. It is Security Theater plain and simple.
So, if you want to know why US carriers are doing away with DF, it is because their most profitable products are essentially prohibited from sale when entering the US.
OK Darth, but how is the TSA responsible for the entire world’s liquids ban?
And Gary, the TSA / teen sexting correlation makes absolutely no sense, even in jest. More sense, based on facts: “A father has a daughter. Is it any wonder that a father is likely to have sex with his daughter, given that most sexual assault of minors occurs within the family?”
Or, if you want to focus on the TSA: “There have been no terrorist attacks in airplanes departing the USA since the government took over airport security in 2001. Is it any wonder that the only attacks occurred during the years prior, when the private sector was in charge?”
Actually, having your “Duty Free” delivered to you at the Gate in the USA is a quirk of fate and an exception, not the rule. This rule exists in the US because there is no differentiation between Domestic and International flights, unlike most major airports around the world. Therefore US Customs demand that these goods are “exported” and so must be delivered at the gate. Otherwise, what is stop stop anyone passing their purchases to 3rd Parties on a Domestic flight?
If the USA had a proper “transit-system” for internationally connecting passengers, then this rule would not be necessary. With regard to dropping inflight sales, in the days of virtual ancillary revenues, the handling of goods, small selection and other contraints, like passenger disturbance, make the practice un-weildy for many large airlines.
Will others follow suit? For sure, once they start looking at the numbers and the issues like weight. Digital linkeage to ground stores will be the way forward.