Archive for February, 2005
February 22 2005
Joe Sharkey, who writes a business travel column for the NY Times, offers an open letter to Continental Airlines that speaks for many of us who feel loyal toward the airline. Sharkey writes that he took a 30 hour trip to Alaska late last year as a mileage run to maintain his Platinum Status. He was then dismayed when he sat in middle seats back and forth to Florida last week. Hi laments the shrinking availability for first class upgrades, wondering what his loyalty has earned him (Continental, for its part, says that it will now reward upgrades in large part based on fare paid). Sharkey says now, "I’m opting out of the annual elite-status marathon and looking around the industry for alternatives who don’t play games…" I know how he feels.
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February 22 2005
If you’re going to collapse and nearly die on an airline, try not to do it on British Airways. The carrier has announced that it will no longer carry stretchers on its aircraft as a measure to save time and money. I wish I had a list of airlines that did carry stretchers, because I will go and tell my more infirm/drunk readers to fly those airlines so they can be removed from flights in comfort.
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February 21 2005
The OTR offices are closed for President’s Day today, so there’s no posting other than me consoling my London based reader (s?) for Chelsea’s FA cup loss…
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February 18 2005
Perhaps because of the success of The Producers, the Bavarian government has announced that it will open a luxury hotel and spa in a mansion once used as a mountain retreat by Hitler. The hotel will be called the Intercontinental Resort Berchtesgaden, which does not evoke the fact that Hitler used to stay there. No word on when the Hampton Inn Hussein will open.
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February 18 2005
Good news if you fly from Philly to Pittsburgh: Southwest unveiled their Pittsburgh fares and they’re pretty cheap: $29 to Philly and Chicago, $79 to Orlando. Add this to yesterday’s announcement from AirTran that they’re moving into Charlotte, and you’ll see why US Airways still has a long way to go…
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February 17 2005
I haven’t seen any great interesting packages in a while, so I wanted to pass along this one from Friendly Planet (via Travelzoo): $999 gets you a flight from NYC and 6 nights hotel near the Taj Majal in India. Flights under $1000 are hard to come by, so this is a great deal.
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February 17 2005
Independence Air said yesterday that it missed an interest payment due this month and now has 30 days to pay before it goes in default. Combine this news with yesterday’s word that an airplane was repossessed, and the picture isn’t pretty. Independence Air is like an 18 year old who leaves home after a fight with his parents (United), moves in with his girlfriend, gets her pregnant with a whole bunch of new airplanes, has his Camaro repossessed, has his landlord breathing down his back, and, I’m certain, will show back up on daddy United’s doorstep realizing that he didn’t have it so bad after all. The end.
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February 17 2005
Good news for Charlotte-area flyers: AirTran is reportedly coming to save you from US Airways. The airline will begin flying to Baltimore and Atlanta in a few months. This is good news as Charlotte has the 5th highest average airfares in the country, primarily because US Airways has something like 80% of the traffic in and out of the city. No airline has made a major push for Charlotte because a large chunk of that traffic is connecting, so I expect lowfare carriers to come and cherry pick routes over the next year.
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February 16 2005
According to Travelmole, a 20-year old worker at London’s Stansted Airport was suspended for wearing too much hair gel. God knows what the hell the details are of this, but as a guy who would otherwise have very, very poofy hair, I am offended.
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February 16 2005
Northwest has joined the growing ranks (actually, everyone except Continental) of airlines eliminating free food on planes. Beginning in March, Northwest will sell sandwiches for $5 (or a snack box for $3) on all domestic and some Caribbean routes in coach. With Northwest’s nearly non-existent entertainment options, the airline’s onboard service now looks suspiciously like an expensive Southwest. I don’t mean that in a good way.
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An Open Letter to Continental (not mine)