Interesting bits and pieces from around the world of travel and beyond…
The Man With The Golden Airline Ticket
On March 10, 2009, a case was filed in the U.S. Circuit Court for the Northern District of Illinois, where I grew up. Rothstein v. American Airlines, Inc. starred my father, Plaintiff Steven Rothstein, and the Defendant, then the world’s third-largest airline. With $23 billion in annual revenue, American Airlines had nothing to lose. For my father, it was a last-ditch effort to save his life.
Here’s how it all took off. In the early 1980s, American rolled out AAirpass, a prepaid membership program that let very frequent flyers purchase discounted tickets by locking in a certain number of annual miles they presumed they might fly in advance. My 30-something-year-old father, having been a frequent flyer for his entire life, purchased one. Then, a few years later, American introduced something straight out an avid traveler’s fantasy: an unlimited ticket.
https://narratively.com/the-man-with-the-golden-airline-ticket/
HT: View From the Wing
My review of Necker Island
If you have the miles to burn you can actually redeem 1.2 million Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles for a weeklong stay on Necker Island. Here’s a review from someone who’s recently done so.
I got back from Necker Island last week and wanted to write up a big trip report. I’ve intentionally left out a lot of pictures so that if you do decide to go, you can see it for yourself. Feel free to ask questions and I’ll update this post with the answers.
http://milesperday.com/2019/07/8138/
Why Are Airplanes Usually Painted White?
So why ARE so many planes painted white? Well, it turns out there are a bunch of reasons…
It keeps the plane cooler
Black and other dark colors absorb heat, while white reflects it. That helps to keep the inside of the plane cooler. It’s the same reason why we tend to wear darker colors in the winter and lighter colors in the summer. Anyway, a cooler plane means less need to use the in-plane cooling system, which saves money on energy.
It decreases the number of bird strikes
Although birds don’t fly at 35,000 feet, there’s a real hazard of birds hitting planes during takeoff and landing. A study was done in 2011 and apparently birds see more contrast with the color white than they do with darker colors. So a white plane would potentially allow birds to see and avoid them better than darker or multi-colored planes.
Read more at the link below:
https://yourmileagemayvary.net/2019/07/24/why-are-airplanes-usually-painted-white/
Garuda drops defamation charges, gives vlogger first class ticket instead
An update to the story we featured last week, with vlogger Rius Vernandes apparently being sued by Garuda Indonesia for publishing a negative flight review.
Garuda Indonesia’s employee union, Sekarga, has dropped the controversial defamation report against Rius Vernandes, an Indonesian vlogger. Rius was previously reported to the police for defamation.
In a press conference attended by Rius and representatives from Sekarga on July 19, the two parties signed a peace agreement that was also witnessed by Garuda Indonesia’s chief executive officer, Gusti Ngurah Askhara Danadiputra, who is also known as Ari Askhara.
According to Tempo, Ari Askhara also gifted the vlogger a first-class ticket on the airline as a way of extending an olive branch.
https://mothership.sg/2019/07/garuda-drops-charge-free-first-class/
Featured image credit: Virgin Limited Edition