News and notes from around the interweb:

• Despite failing to meet required goals for United’s new bonus structure the airline is giving employees $100.

  

• Dog near controls likely caused pilot to crash plane (HT: mogon)

• This month Amtrak Guest Rewards imposed harsh new points expiration rules — and didn’t bother to tell members about it. Not only hasn’t there been a dedicated communication, I just got their April program newsletter and there’s no mention even there.

  Maybe you could chalk up failing to communicate before the new rules were posted to the program terms and conditions page, but once it’s up failing to even bury it somewhere in the newsletter? Remember for loyalty programs to work consumers need to trust them, since they ask for behavior today in exchange for rewards in the future.

  

• Tim Hortons now has a rewards program

• “First crass” bare feet are bad enough, playing footsie with your seat opponent in American Airlines business class with those bare feet is worse.

• Dubai airport water cannon salute mishap left A320 plane damaged

• Apparently people still smoke in airplane lavatories in the US which never ends well.

• More people doing stupid travel photo stunts for Instagram

• Flying nannies aren’t just an Etihad thing. Here’s a Southwest Airlines flight attendant parading down the aisle with a passengers baby to give the mom some relief.