Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for March 2023.

20 Years Ago The Chicago Political Machine Broke Federal Law And Shut Down An Airport

by Gary Leff

Mar 31 2023

In the early morning of March 31, 2003, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley ordered city bulldozers to gouge the surface of the single runway at Meigs Field airport adjacent to downtown Chicago with large X’s in the surface. He had announced his intention to close the airport 9 years earlier and finally decided to just destroy it, since he couldn’t close it.

The next day he announced that he was just trying to create a smooth process, and save the city money. There was no longer a reason to spend money litigating the issue in court, since there was no more airport to save.

Continue Reading »

Passenger Sat On Flight Watching Porn Of His Wife – And He Thinks That’s Ok

by Gary Leff

Mar 31 2023

When you’re stuck in a metal tube packed in with strangers it’s not your living room, and you shouldn’t behave like it is. For instance, you should wear pants.

You also shouldn’t watch porn on your devices. Of your wife. With other peoples’ kids nearby. Apparently, like the thing about pants, this is something some passengers do need to be told.

Continue Reading »

3 Reasons Never To Check Luggage – And 4 Rules To Follow If You Must

by Gary Leff

Mar 31 2023

There’s a basic axiom in travel that there are only two kinds of luggage, carry on and lost. Sometimes you don’t have a choice in checking your bags. You might be flying on a foreign airline that weighs cabin bags, or simply have too much stuff to fit in the overhead bin. But you don’t want to waste your life in lines to drop off your bags, or standing around in airports hoping your luggage gets delivered back to you.

Here are 3 reasons why you don’t want to check a bag, and 4 things to do if you have to.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Award Sale, Reduced Mileage Cost For Japan Travel

by Gary Leff

Mar 31 2023

United Airlines is running an award sale to Japan for 25,000 miles each way in economy. It’s marketed in a bit of a funny way, since they’re promoting both paid fares and awards on sale – the lede is about financing the trip for “$74/mo!”

I think it would be interesting if they promoted awards as ’12 months same as miles! Japan for just 2,083 miles per month!’ But financing travel is bigger business than you might expect.

Continue Reading »

St. Regis Maldives Overwater Villa With Private Pool From Just 70,400 Points Per Night

by Gary Leff

fancy hotel
Mar 30 2023

Right now overwater villas with a private pool at the St. Regis Maldives – an aspirational property if there ever was one – can be redeemed starting at just 88,000 points with wide open availability.

Actually finding room nights here is what’s great, since Marriott doesn’t require ‘all suite’ properties to release a minimum number of their rooms for redemption. And fifth night is free, making the cost start at just over 70,000 points per night for a five night stay.

Continue Reading »

United Airlines Has A New Plan For Flight Attendants To “Wow” Customers

by Gary Leff

Mar 30 2023

United Airlines wants flight attendants to greet customers and thank them. They want cabin crew to offer to hang coats in premium cabins and offer pre-departure beverages. And they don’t want crew gossiping loudly in the galley.

If the airline’s flight attendants can do this, United believes they will earn a revenue premium since they argue that research suggests “service is more important to customers than price.”

Continue Reading »