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America West will test charging for food on selected flights out of Phoenix that normally don't serve food. Priced from $3 to $10, the choices will range from a snack box with Rondele cheese, Wheat Thins crackers, nuts, teriyaki beef jerky and cookies to Chicken Kiev. It's unclear how the airline will compete successfully with airport vendors -- both in price and quality -- but it's an interesting experiment.

 
Happy New Year. May your upgrades clear at booking, your mileage bonuses post promptly, and your pre-reserved exit row seats recline fully. Peace and best wishes to all my readers in the new year!

 
Play the Michael Jackson Baby Drop game.

 
EDS baggage screening device has a 40% false-positive error rate.

 
President Bush exempts Area 51 from environmental laws. Just what disclosures are they afraid to file? ;)

 
Most airline mile credit cards require pretty good credit. Here's an exception. Korean Airlines offers a secured visa through US Bank. Guaranteed approval, 3000 miles to start, and Korean miles can be redeemed with Delta.

 
Don't forget to check out Punditwatch, your roundup of all that happened on the Sunday talking head shows.

 
I also have a letter to the editor in the January 2003 Inside Flyer, but this is only available to subscribers (either to the magazine or the website). For the infinitely curious, my letter is about the special inventory of award seats that United sets aside for its top level elite flyers on domestic flights (booking code 'NY').

 
I'm one of "five distinguished experts" offering five tips each on how best to win at the miles and points game this year in the January 2003 issue of Inside Flyer magazine.

 
A Chicago Tribune piece predicts that United's bankruptcy will help drive down labor costs across the industry and places the blame for the industry's current woes on a legacy inherited from the days of regulation.

Many of the most onerous work-rule provisions date to the 1970s, when airlines had to fill only 55 percent of their seats to earn an 11.5 percent profit that was guaranteed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. As a result, there were few restrictions on the costs that the board allowed to be passed through to customers.

I'm a bit undecided about this thesis. On the one hand, little has changed in the way airlines relate to their workforces since the regulated era. Moreover, labor-management relations are still highly regulated by the Railway Labor Act. The federal government has also consistently gotten in the middle of airline labor disputes. On the other hand, it's been nearly 25 years since deregulation. I'm not sure how much blame can be placed at the feet of the federal government.

I think I'm inclined to place the blame more broadly: at the municipalities that control the airports, at the federal government which until this year classified air traffic control as a function which was "inherently governmental," and excessive taxes on air travel.

All of this governmental foolishness shouldn't overshadow one thing: that most of the major airlines have made incredibly bad business decisions that have destroyed billions of dollars in shareholder value. All of the government activity has come as very little surprise. Most of it, no matter how pernicious, is part of the operating background for the industry. If management didn't think it could create value in that environment, it shouldn't have continued to operate. Since airline management did continue, the blame ultimately falls at their own feet.

 
As you can see, I'm posting again. I was off for the holidays visiting family. I posted the full painstaking details of my travel over at Flyertalk. I gave American Airlines a shot, and their "premium transcon" (cross country) service compared favorably to United.

• They still offer hot towels
• They had a choice of pre-meal snacks, and they refilled the snacks
• They had four wines and champagne (United axed the champagne on their domestic flights).
• American had 10 inches more legroom on a comparable plane
• American offered a choice of desserts
• American still has warm freshly baked cookies prior to landing.

On the other hand, my return flights connecting through Dallas weren't as good, and American uses all plastic utensils (not just plastic knives).

 
The Dallas Morning News had a piece about a week and a half ago (which I missed at the time) on how airlines are treating their elite level flyers less well these days, how those flyers are looking around for other airlines, and how the policies may backfire on the airlines' bottom lines.

 
Declan McCullough tries to figure out whether reading some documents on the TSA website will get him arrested. Even the Justice Department won't give him a definitive answer.

 
A woman tricked her daughter and community into thinking the girl had cancer so she could raise money, even going so far as to shave the 7-year-old's head and put her in counseling to prepare to die. She made over $10,000.

 
An unreasonable question to ask? On Tuesday, December 24th a passenger was cited (and will have to pay a fine) for asking whether his Delta Connection (Comair) pilot had been drinking. Two days later, on December 26th, a Delta co-pilot was removed from an aircraft after testing positive for alcohol.

 
Puppy love. Norweigian woman nurses puppies from her own breast after their mother died while giving birth. Puppies have sharp teeth.

 
Six Middle Eastern Students Sent to Jail for Taking Fewer than 12 Credit Hours. The students voluntarily showed up to register with immigration officials, as required by new rules to track foreign students. They honestly reported that their courseload and were sent to jail. One dropped a course with college permission and fell to 11 units.

"I don't believe this is helping us with the war on terrorism," said Mark Hallett, director of international student services at Colorado State University. "We're alienating people who could be our best friends and ambassadors once they return to their countries."

The Middle Eastern students were jailed for up to 48 hours before posting bond. Three attend UCD, two study at CU-Boulder, and one attends Colorado State University.

College officials expect more to be detained during a second round of January registrations at the INS district office in Denver.

 
Items confiscated by airport security are being sold on Ebay.

 
The Chairman of Hooters was unsuccessful in purchasing bankrupt Vanguard Airlines three months back. Now, he has acquired Pace Airlines. Hooters Air will take flight as a charter service to provide leisure travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It's unclear whether the flight attendants will be Hooters girls.

 
Win 250,000 American Airlines miles.

 
Good news in the world. Kenya sweeps corrupt ruler out of power. (Link via Instapundit.)

 
When shopping online, make sure to check for coupons and check for mileage-earning and cashback opportunities. Examples of what you'll find:

• 20% off from Cooking.com (Code: C82262)
  
• $15 off from Buy.com
  
• $10 off a $20 purchase at Drugstore.com
  
• 20% off from Kenneth Cole (Code: WMP32)

 
You heard it here first. Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski was elected Governor of that state. As a result, he gets to appoint his own replacement to the Senate. He will appoint his daughter to the post. What did Mel Brooks say? "It's good to be the king."

 
USA Today carries a story outlining several of the criticisms of the air marshall program by the officers themselves. I was most intrigued by this revelation:

[O]ne marshal faces disciplinary action after he left his gun aboard a Nov. 13 flight from Detroit to Indianapolis. A spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees the program, confirms that the gun apparently fell between seats on the Northwest Airlines flight. A cleaning crew found it.

 
Robert John Cusack was sentenced to 57 days in jail for smuggling a pair of endangered monkeys into the United States. In his pants.

 
Christopher Elliott wants foreign airlines to enter the U.S. domestic market. I think some of the warrants for his claim are weak, but he's definitely on to something.

 
Impostor beats airport security.

A watchmaker breached security at Pittsburgh International Airport Sunday night by flashing a constable's badge at the checkpoint to get to the boarding terminal to see his brother off.

 
Ninety-nine years later, aviation is still looking to the government for subsidies (Guess they aren't using the "infant industries" argument.) On this day in 1903, the New York Times reported the Wright Brothers' successful flights -- and the focus of the story was on their desire to get the government to buy their invention. Some things never change.

 
How The Discovery of Beer Led to Civilization As We Know It (Link via the Volokh Conspiracy)

According to one prominent anthropologist, what lured our ancient ancestors out of their caves may not have been a thirst for knowledge, but a thirst for beer.

Dr. Solomon Katz theorizes that when man learned to ferment grain into beer more than 10,000 years ago, it became one of his most important sources of nutrition. Beer gave people protein that unfermented grain couldn't supply. And besides, it tasted a whole lot better than the unfermented grain did.

But in order to have a steady supply of beer, it was necessary to have a steady supply of beer's ingredients. Man had to give up his nomadic ways, settle down, and begin farming. And once he did, civilization was just a stone's throw away.

 
I'm afraid that I might be this guy. Hits a little close to home, The Onion does...

 
Hey, I just noticed that Expedia has started charging $5 for the privilege of booking airline tickets on their website. Orbitz has been doing this for awhile.

 
A little bit short of achieving or renewing elite status with United? Register to extend the qualification period through to March 31. Just add your miles flown in the first quarter of 2003 to the miles flown in 2002 in order to achieve elite status.

 
Changes to the Starwood program. These are pretty minor, and relate only to transferring Starwood points into airline miles. Beginning January 1, Starwood points transfer 1:1 into Qantas miles (instead of yielding 2 Qantas miles per Starwood points). Also beginning January 1, Starwood points transfer 2:1 into United miles, down from 1:1.

 
Changes to the Starwood program. These are pretty minor, and relate only to transferring Starwood points into airline miles. Beginning January 1, Starwood points transfer 1:1 into Qantas miles (instead of yielding 2 Qantas miles per Starwood points). Also beginning January 1, Starwood points transfer 2:1 into United miles, down from 1:1.

 
Looks like Hilton is making some changes to their loyalty program, too. Not as harsh as Delta, but still significant.

• New hotel classifications -- from 5 to 6 -- changing the number of points required for award stays effective June 1, 2003
  
• Unlike Delta, which has more or less replaced their elite qualification system to one more reliant on revenue, Hilton has added revenue as a supplemental qualifying method. Next year, HHonors base points are an alternative to stays for qualifying for Gold and Diamond. Gold status: 60,000 Base points in a calendar year. Diamond: 100,000 Base points in a calendar year.
  
• Award Stays Now Count Toward VIP Status
  
• More points required for VIP-only awards effective June 1, 2003. Reward certificates requested prior to June 1 will be at current point prices and the certificate will be valid for one year from date of issue. Reward certificates requested from June 1 forward will be at the new prices.

On the whole, not what I like to see -- but not a disaster either, and Hilton is giving plenty of notice.

- Gary, Friday, December 13, 2002

 
I posted details of my trip to Puerto Vallarta last weekend on Flyertalk.

 
The first good thing to come out of the United bankruptcy. United has announced that it will not charge $100 to standby for a same-day flight. This fee was scheduled to go into effect January 1. Currently, all other major airlines except America West had announced similar policies. We'll see if those policies last, now that United has backed off.

 
United has a new brochure explaining their Chapter 11 proceeding and what they see as its benefits.

 
Tired of paying $400-$500 for the Delta Shuttle? Chinatown bus lines offers NY-DC roundtrip for $30, even less than Greyhound.

 
Okay, here are the changes to the Delta Skymiles program. Delta won't discuss them until 3pm today, when they become official. These don't affect general members -- this is all about the Elite program.


The good:

• New Million-miler recognition program -- 2 million miles gets you lifetime Gold status and 4 million miles gets you lifetime Platinum Medallion status
  
• The cheapest fares (L, U, and T booking classes) -- which were previously not upgradeable at all -- are now upgradeable by elite members on the day of departure
  
• The ability to upgrade a companion with points
  
• Travel on SkyTeam partners counts towards elite status
  
• Gold members and Platinum members can give status to a friend when they reach certain mileage thresholds
  
• 50% bonus miles instead of 25% bonus miles for flying paid business class
  
• Elites will not decrease status by more than one level in 2004 from their 2003 level

The bad:

• Platinum Medallions may only confirm upgrades at purchase for M fares (nearly full fare) and higher. They used to be able to confirm on H and K fares.
  
• No more North American Medallion Upgrades (NAMUs).
  
• No more elite qualification by segments
  
• The cheapest fares (L, U, and T booking classes) only count for half-credit towards elite status. If you fly on these fares exclusively, it will take you 50k, 100k, and 200k miles for Silver, Gold, and Platinum status instead of 25k, 50k, and 100k miles. (On the other hand, full fares earn 1.5x mileage towards elite status and Business Class earns double mileage towards elite status)
  
• 800-mile upgrade certificates will become 500-mile upgrade certificates in May
  
• Price increase for purchased upgrades ($40 for 800 mile cert becomes $50 for 500 mile cert --> that's a doubling --> 5 cents/mile to 10 cents/mile)
  
• Platinums no longer get unlimited upgrades

For all the fine print, see http://www.delta.com/skymiles/skymileschanges/index.jsp.

 
Jeff Taylor, in a post on Reason Magazine's new blog, finds a piece of delicious irony:

So 60 Minutes does a story on Mississippi juries sticking big civil awards on big out-of-state companies in perverse rounds of "jackpot justice."

So what do the jurors mentioned on the broadcast do? Sue the TV show for $6 billion. That's $597 million in actual damages and $5.9 billion in punitive damages for their defamation.

Yep, that sure proves Morley and friends were wrong.

 
On a positive note, we'll be tentatively allowed to park at the close-in airport parking lots again. The TSA banned parking within 300 feet of airports, which meant many lots were put out of service. This meant busing passengers from farther-away lots -- increasing the time and hassle of travel. Now, as long as the threat-level stays "yellow," we'll be able to park.

 
There are significant questions about the usefulness and functionality of the wands being used at airport security by the Transportation Security Administration. TSA official John Rooney

said the wands were giving airport screeners "a false sense of security."

 
The right is calling for Trent Lott's ouster as Senate Majority leader over comments at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party that if the country had elected Thurmond President in 1948, "we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years[.]"

First, many conservatives find Lott's endorsement of Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist views repugnant.

Second, they also see Lott's words coming back over and over in ad campaigns for years. As long as Lott is Senate Majority Leader, this quote means that the Republicans are at their root racists. And no matter what minorities think of Republican policies, as long as they think Republicans want to lynch them they'll never vote for the GOP.

Third, conservatives don't like Lott much anyway, so they may see this as an opportunity to dump a wishy-washy leader and look principled in the process.

Things haven't boiled over yet. And interestingly, very little criticism is coming from official circles on the left (Daschle has given Lott a pass). But criticism is mounting, and the critics have a point.

 
Eugene Volokh offers his thoughts on the What Would Jesus Drive? ad campaign:

Carpenters, I imagine, find larger cars -- whether pickups or SUVs -- pretty useful.

 
It looks like big changes are in store for Delta's frequent flyer elite qualification scheme. Details will be forthcoming tomorrow. There will be an increased emphasis on revenue to the airline over just number of miles flown.

Two things to note --

First, at this point it isn't clear whether there will be a separate, new track based on revenue or a replacement for mileage-based elite status.

Second, this apparently applies only to earning elite status and has nothing to do with earning frequent flyer miles that can be redeemed for awards.

 
Trapped man survives for six days on Taco Bell sauce.

 
Dan Pink repeats an important factoid from The Economist:

In Europe, more people now send and receive short-text messages on their phones than use the Internet. . . . This year, users of mobile phones around the world passed the 1 billion mark. The number of mobile phones is now greater than the number of fixed-line ones.

 
Aargh. You know, I spend a few days out of town.. and a couple days out of the country (admittedly on a $150 first class round trip ticket to Puerto Vallarta).. and I miss out on a British Airways fare glitch ($20 round trip). Sorry for letting my dear readers down by not making it available to y'all in time.

 
50,000 tickets on sale for 1 Euro between 11 European cities.

 
Need to top off that mileage account? Try falling asleep. A woman who fell asleep on a flight from Newfoundland fell asleep .. and didn't wake up during landing or during boarding of the planes next flight ... and wound up in London. Air Canada flew her home and credited her with the extra miles she flew.

 
ValuMags is offering a free subscription to the Sporting News.

 
A new meaning to transubstantiation, or the greatest pickup line ever? A priest convinced young girls who were preparing to become nuns that they should engage in sex acts with him -- because it would really be having sex with Christ himself. Wish I had thought of that one!

 
Patient sues his doctor for leaving in the middle of surgery to go to the bank.

 
FedEx managed to successfully deliver a package addressed to Santa Claus.

 
Last Thursday I said that United would file by bankrupty by the following Thursday. It took only until Monday. I flew the airline this morning, and the pilot sought to reassure passengers that the crew would not be distracted.

Now begins the flurry of activity -- also known as business as usual -- to restructure the airlines. Most of the news stories report on pro-forma activity, such as this piece from Crain's Chicago Business which describes United's request for the bankruptcy court to approve agreements with legal counsel, financial advisors, auditors, and public relations advisors.

 
1000 American Airlines miles -- free for signing up with Teleconference USA. Use offer code aad15552. It takes a credit card registration but no charges if you sign up to bill your card for use only.

 
Fly from Detroit, Minneapolis, or Memphis to Amsterdam for only $179 roundtrip. This isn't a fare glitch -- it's a shot across the bow of Northwest/KLM.

 
Here are answers to your questions about United's future.

The government rejected United's application for a government-backed loan. (They were seeking $2 billion with $1.8 billion guaranteed by the government.) The vote was 2-1 against with the Treasury and Fed representatives voting against and the Transportation Department voting for.

As a result of the government's rejection, the IAM (machinists' union) cancelled their vote on contract concessions.

Without those concessions and without the government loan, United has said it would file for bankruptcy.

United has about $1.6 billion cash on hand and its net assets are positive, but it is losing about $7 million per day and is on track to lose $2 billion this year.

They are in the midst of a ten-day grace period (which runs out December 12th) on a $350 million debt payment.

United is likely to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy before the 12th in order not to make that big payment. They want as much operating cash going into a bankruptcy filing as possible.

United has also been talking to several banking institutions about $2 billion in "debtor-in-possession" financing to continue operations during Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Odds on that frequent flyer miles are safe and schedules will operate as planned in the short run.

In the long run, United will do major restructuring which might include asset sales and route cutbacks.

Heck, I'm flying them this evening and am not worried. Now my Monday morning flight . . .

 
A phone card which offers 2,500 Mexicana miles for signup. Mexicana is a member of the Star Alliance, so miles can be redeemed for United flights. Also, while United doesn't participate with American Express Membership Rewards, Mexicana does -- so Mexicana's program can be a useful way to redeeming your AmEx points on United.

 
Kelloggs coupon good for 200 American Airlines miles.

 
Hey, I'm number four when searching for "free girls peeing no register site".

 
A Cambodian mother stopped her 13-year old daughter from going out by nailing her foot to the floor. Local law enforcement "educated her about human rights" but are still deciding whether to prosecute.

 
An Elk on the runway caused a jet crash in Oregon. I wonder if some terroist cells are training animals to throw themselfs in front of airplanes? These so-called Suicide Elk must be stopped. The TSA folks could walk the runways looking for specially trained suicide animals intent on terrorizing the nation.

 
WTIC-AM NewsRadio is reporting that a federal (TSA) security screener has been charged with threatening to blow up a security checkpoint. (Note that the link works as of posting, but is likely to change / link thanks to the comedian)

STATE POLICE HAVE CHARGED A FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY SCREENER AT BRADLEY AIRPORT WITH THREATENING TO BLOW UP A SECURITY CHECKPOINT IN TERMINAL A.

WAYNE SALVADOR, 50, OF SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS IS CHARGED WITH THREATENING AND BREACH OF PEACE.

STATE POLICE SAY SALVADOR GOT INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH ANOTHER SCREENER MONDAY, THREATENED TO HARM OTHER EMPLOYEES AND BLOW UP THE CHECKPOINT.

SALVADOR WAS ARRESTED EARLY WEDNESDAY WHEN HE SHOWED UP FOR WORK AT THE AIRPORT AND WILL BE ARRAIGNED AT ENFIELD SUPERIOR COURT.

Federalizing security workers was an important step in making us safer, wasn't it?

 
Gary Steiger has an excellent page which summarizes a whole mess of frequent flyer miles earning opportunities from phone to banking to internet clicking. I'm mentioning him now because he got a nice writeup in the new issue of InsideFlyer magazine.

 
American Airlines is selling their elite status (first class upgrades, bonus miles, etc.). If you have elite status now but didn't requalify, you can pay to extend your status.

 
Win 50,000 Delta Skymiles from AMC Theatres. Ten winners every week.

 
I'm off to the airport to (among other things) test out my new free membership in the Red Carpet Club. That's a tip we might save for another day... But I'll be on the road for a week, and may not be posting until December 1. Miss me!

 
German swimming champion Franziska van Almsick says she likes to warm up for races by having sex. (photo included -- but not of the actual sex)

 
Amtrak's sweepstakes for train trips and train sets.

 
Cereal Museum USA loses crackle and pop.

 
From the wayback machine.. Terrorist Extremely Annoyed By Delayed Flight.

 
Terror alert. Three men carrying strange-looking documents took turns locking themselves in the lavatory. It turns out that all they had was porn.

 
Nancy Pelosi has squatters rights in Barbara Streisand's wallet.

 
Win 1,000,000 American Airlines miles from Cooking.com.

 
The TSA complaint line number: (866) 289-9673. Store it in your cell phone just in case you need it at an airport.

 
Eugene Volokh on the short list for the Supreme Court? He gets Instapundit's vote (although Glenn also tilts toward Randy Barnett).

 
Marxists' Apartment A Microcosm Of Why Marxism Doesn't Work. (Link simulataneously via Mark Brady and the Volokh Conspiracy.)

 
USAirways survey for 500 miles.

 
Boeing 777-300ER Rollout Ceremony to Be Broadcast Worldwide on the Internet.

 
Web panhandler pays off $20,000 debt.

After an 18-month bacchanal buying Manolo Blahnik, Gucci and Prada, Karyn Bosnak found herself unemployed and more than $20,000 in credit card debt.

When the 29-year-old spotted a sign in a supermarket with an odd request -- "Wanted: $7,000 To Pay Off Debt" -- it made perfect sense. The television producer launched a similar appeal to a much larger audience: the World Wide Web.

Internet panhandling was born.

Here's her website and a spoof website making fun of her.

 
All of these TSA employees eat up parking spaces, creating a problem for travelers. You'd think they could use off airport parking and take shuttles...

 
2,000 bonus Alaska miles for passing through Portland.

 
Orbitz is offering free parking when you book a flight or hotel.

 
I've previously noted a loophole that lets you transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to United Mileageplus miles, even though United does not participate in Membership Rewards. The gist was transferring Membership Rewards points into Continental miles, transferring the Continental miles into Amtrak points, and then transferring the Amtrak points into United miles. (This method also allowed you to move miles out of Continental and into United.) The loophole has been tightened somewhat:

Amtrak limits the number of Points that a Member can redeem for Program Partners or Merchants frequent traveler points and/or miles in a calendar year (including but not limited to United MileagePlus, Continental OnePass, Midwest Express Frequent Flyer and Hilton HHonors). The yearly limit for Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Members is 50,000 Points. The yearly limit for standard Amtrak Guest Rewards Members is 25,000 Points.

 
You've heard of man bites dog. How about dog eats owner?

 
Truly frightening. A visitor just came to this site by searching "free little kidds porn". What's even more frightening is that this site comes up number one on the list.

 
United First Class Giveaway!: a sweepstakes for 2 first class tickets anywhere that United flies.

 
National Airlines ceases operations.

 
Register for double Northwest miles at the Worldperks mall.

 
Bradford University is being criticised for offering a 'beer drinking' course. My own criticism is that there must be something wrong at a university where its students don't know how to drink beer and have to take a course.

 
An update on Amtrak. Some of the old discount codes that I've posted are no longer valid, so I figured it was time to update my tips.

First, make sure that you sign up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. You'll get 500 bonus points with your first trip, plus points for the ride. These points can be used for free train travel or converted into miles with United, Continental, and Midwest Express. Furthermore, frequent travel while a Guest Rewards members has additional dividends. Amtrak has an elite level that offers upgrades to first class if space is available, and passes to their first class lounge. 5 roundtrips on the Acela Express or Metroliner in a year is all it takes to qualify.

Second, you should be sure to get the best price for your tickets. When booking your train, you can enter a discount or promotion code -- "V529" is good for about 20% off but may not work with Acela express trains. "H234" is good for 35% off on many trains. "H233" is good for 30% off on other trains. In addition, consider booking your return train to a city past your final destination in order to get a better price. For instance, on a Washington DC to New York trip, you might return to North Carolina (stopping in DC, where you get off the train) and find that the price is lower.

 
The Transportation Security Administration succeeds.. on the golf course

While screeners aren't getting paid in Philadelphia, they can take comfort knowing that the former TSA head lavished $400K on his office, including mahogany-stained doors, a necessary perk for warriors against terrorism...

In Dallas, it was reported that the TSA set up shop at the ritzy Anatole Hotel to handle job applicants. A couple of floors were rented, we're told. When interviewing screeners, the ambiance of the venue is important. The Wall Street Journal reports that 20 TSA staff charged with hiring just 50 screeners for southwest Colorado (probably double the number needed) spent seven weeks at a posh mountain golf resort an hour or more away from any population center, holding court while candidates drove up to apply for jobs - and sometimes just one or two a day showed up..

 
More Room Throughout Coach loves all of the fare glitches which make for cheap travel and cheap hotel stays. Sometimes it works out against us, though. A Holiday Inn computer error caused guests to be charged 100 times their actual bills. I bet nobody ever purchased this $14,000,000 Seattle-London fare in coach...

 
I just booked two nights in a Deluxe Ocean View Room at the Westin Regina in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. No cash -- just 6,000 points (3,000 points per night). How good a deal is that? Signing up for the no-fee in the first year Starwood American Express gets you 4,000 of those points immediately. Just put your next $2,000 of spending on that card and you've paid for the stay. No bad, eh?

 
Receive up to 3,000 bonus miles when you use Delta partners between November 1, 2002, and January 31, 2003. For every three times you use a partner or partners, you'll get 1,000 bonus miles in addition to the partner miles you normally earn. Register here.

 
Use any Delta partner by December 15th and earn 500 bonus miles.

 
10,000 bonus miles and no fee the first year for the Delta American Express. Get the card, pocket the miles, and cancel the card if you wish...

 
I've been getting a whole bunch of hits from people searching for Paul Wellstone and Assassination. So I looked it up. Apparently someone does posit this irresponsible claim.

 
This article on how to fly first class gets it all wrong. The author clearly didn't read this post.

 
Register for 500 free Northwest miles and double miles on all sorts of transactions. Only certain Northwest accounts are eligible. Type in your Northwest Worldperks number to see if yours is.

 
How to seem smarter.

 
Residents of California, Oregon, and Washington can earn up to 15,000 United miles for having groceries delivered.

 
Delta offers easy "Elite Status Matching Program"

From a Delta flyer picked up at National airport:

We realize you have a choice of airlines, and want to do all we can to make Delta your first choice. As an elite frequent flyer, you receive preferential benefits and services from another airline. Delta would like to recognize your elite status and provide similar services and benefits when you choose to travel with us. To do so, we are pleased to extend to you equivalent status* in Delta's Medallion Program.

To take advantage of this invitation, please read the terms and conditions on this offer and follow the instructions listed below. We look forward to serving you soon on Delta.

1) Fax a copy of your current membership card for the airline in which you hold elite status to the SkyMiles Service Center at 404-715-9220. Fax must be received by February 28, 2003 in order to be eligible for this offer.

2) Print your name, phone number and Delta SkyMiles number on the top of the fax copy.

3) If you do not have a Delta SkyMiles number, please visit www.delta.com/enroll to enroll and obtain a SkyMiles membership number. Then you may complete the steps above.

4) Please allow up to two weeks for your SkyMiles account to reflect Medallion status. You can check your account status via delta.com. Please be sure to include your Delta SkyMiles number in all reservations so you may receive the appropriate mileage credit for your Medallion status.

*See terms and conditions on opposite side of this card for matching equivalent status.

The back of the card reads as follows:

Terms and Conditions
1) Delta will award equivalent status at the Gold Medallion and Silver Medallion membership tiers only. Platinum Medallion status will not be granted for top tier members of other airline frequent flyer programs. Those with top tier status in other airline frequent flyer program will be granted Gold Medallion Status.

2) Faxed copy of other airline membership card must reflect current elite level for airline frequent flyer program.

3) Medallion membership awarded will be valid through February 28, 2004.

4) All standard SkyMiles Program rules and conditions apply, and are available at delta.com/skymiles. For more information regarding SkyMiles Medallion Program benefits, please go to delta.com/medallion

 
A German psychologist has found a cure for paruresis, the cure for paruresis, fear among men of using urinals. Apparently six percent of men have an irrational fear of urinating next to others..

 
Glenn Reynolds details Paul Wellstone's legacy:

"...he wasn't a dick."

(Sorry to quote you out of context, but your comment is more salient than perhaps even you realized.)

 
Up to 5000 bonus miles for New USAirways Dividend Miles members.

 
The TSA can't manage to pay their airport screeners.

 
Carson City, Nevada man accused of drunk horse riding.

 
63% of US Implicated In New Stock Scandal.

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday that more than 63 percent of all U.S. citizens have been implicated in an illegal stock-dumping, the latest scandal to rock the nation's economy.

"It's staggering how far-reaching this is," SEC chairman Harvey Pitt said. "More than 175 million citizens from all walks of life are involved in one criminal imbroglio. Everybody from white-collar workers to grandmothers, boy-scout leaders, and the entire state of Delaware. Point a finger anywhere, and you have a better chance than not of hitting a guilty party."

(From the best source for news.)

 
This is cool. The Newseum has complete front pages of 147 newspapers (from 24 countries) every day.

 
The PowerPoint Anthology of Literature distills Great Books to their essence.

 
"What prize would make your life ideal?" Omni hotels has a sweepstakes which takes seconds to enter. Deadline for entries is 11/11/02.

 
New York City is considering banning toy guns.

"Our legislation seeks to remedy the constant deadly results that happen because of toy guns," said Vann, a Brooklyn Democrat. "Whether the gun is real or not, a death is still taking place, and that is unfortunate."

 
Devaluing American Airlines miles. For tickets booked on or after May 1, 2003, several awards on American Airlines will be more expensive. Make your travel plans during the next six months if the award you want is affected.

 
Register your Delta American Express to earn double miles on all purchases made on weekends from November 15 through December 31.

 
Politician in Turkey detained for speaking Kurdish. Abdulmelik Firat, who is running for parliament, greeted voters in Kurdish is the mostly-Kurdisk southeastern part of Turkey. Turkish election law bars candidates from campaigning in languages other than Turkish.

 
Let them eat cake? A new biography of Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI, suggests that she never spoke the phrase. The phrase was actually spoken by Marie Therese, wife of Louis XIV.

 
Scientific test reveals whether your bride-to-be is a witch.

 
Mickey Kaus explains why Republicans back overhauling the tax code before each election:

[I]s it a reflection of the GOP need to shake contributions out of the business community before the election? It's not just that talk of new tax cuts gets business lobbyists salivating. It also terrifies them, as in, "My God, they're planning to redo the whole tax code. I better protect my company's position by staying on the right side of these people." "Fundamental" tax reform is, as they say in California, a "juice bill." It's highly unlikely to happen -- especially with a one-vote Senate majority -- but in the meantime it lets politicians of both parties extract otherwise unobtainable contributions.

 
It's good to be the king. King Harald of Norway was caught speeding but won't be fined because of royal immunity.

 
Giant Ronald McDonald disrupts trains in South Wales

 
Google Fight!

 
Walk softly and carry a big... A Russian army officer has admitted beating his soldiers with a dildo.

 
California woman bites her husband to death after he refused to have sex with her.

 
Serta has a contest where you can win a trip to New Zealand or assorted sheep stuff.

 
Glitch alert The Washington Hilton has rooms available for FREE. Book now, while supplies last.

 
Amtrak is discontinuing its satisfaction guarantee. The reason? Too many dissatisfied customers.

 
5,000-25,000 bonus miles for an international trip on Delta.

 
TSA: Shorthand for Thousands Standing Around?

 
Even better -- the iDine offer below for 500 bonus miles.

 
Sign up for American Airlines iDine and eat out 3 times by December 31st to earn 250 bonus miles.

 
Oh goody. Lots more money for the TSA.

 
19 year old woman in Britain has the longest legs in the world.

 
Harvard Business School study of Hilton HHonors. Interesting reading.

 
Will Martin Feldstein succeed Greenspan as Chairman of the Federal Reserve?

 
Why have coffee prices dropped dramatically -- 82% in 4 years -- while lattes remain just as expensive? (Link via Atlanticblog)

• Vietnam entered the coffee trade and Brazil upped production
  
• Coffee production decisions lag behind price changes because the coffee tree is on a 2+ year cycle
  
• While the number of specialty coffee shops has grown from about 450 in 1991 to more than 10,000 today, total coffee consumption in the U.S. has actually fallen slightly
  
• Demand for coffee is relatively inelastic (a 10% price increase reduces consumption by about 2%)
  
• Actual coffee is a very small component of the cost of a latte (roughly 10 cents on a $2 cup)

 
The Iowa Election Market predicts a Republican House with near certainty and gives a very slight edge to a Republican Senate.

 
More USAirways bonuses

• 5,000 bonus miles for a transcon trip
  
• 2,500 bonus miles for AAA members on your next flight
  
• Triple AmEx Membership Rewards points for USAirways shuttle tickets
  
• Triple miles on the Shuttle
  
• 1,000 bonus miles for gay pride (with any flight)
  
• Double miles to/from Phoenix
  
• Up to 30,000 bonus miles to/from Europe
  
• Triple miles on USAirways purchases with your Dividend Miles Visa

 
Earn up to 20,000 bonus miles which count towards elite status. Keep registering, because a computer glitch appears to double your bonuses by registering here, here, here, here, and here.

 
Accelerate elite status on USAirways. Elite status means bonus miles, free first class, priority check-in, priority boarding, priority waitlist, etc. etc. It usually takes 25k, 50k, or 100k to achieve the three levels of status that USAirways offers. However, you can register for fast track status:

• Silver status with 6,000 miles by December 15
  
• Gold status with 10,000 miles by December 15
  
• Chairman's Preferred status with 20,000 miles by December 15

 
Roller coasters aren't dangerous.

 
A dangerous trend. With the airline industry poised to lose $7 billion dollars this year, their spending to lobby the government is increasing. The industry spent $27 million on lobbying during the first 8 months of 2002, up from $20 million in the 18 months.

 
FAA Considering Passenger Ban. Leave it to the Onion... (Thanks to Damon Chetson)

 
Alaska, USAirways, Northwest, Delta, American, and United all give bonus miles for online or kiosk check-ins. No need for human contact anymore.

 
You're never too old to make a mistake. A 110 year-old woman registered to vote in Montenegro. At age 110, I wouldn't do thing which made no difference -- but then at that age any effects probably wouldn't be seen in my lifetime anyway.

 
Earn Air New Zealand airpoints for picking the winners in rugby matches. Extra points are awarded for picking the spread as well.

 
Tell Orbitz that you're gay and save up to $100 on travel. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

 
The office supply of the future.

 
With all of the awful changes in airline fare rules in most cases set to go into effect on January 1, 2003, it's worth noting that America West has not crossed over to the dark side. Combined with an outstanding elite program, they just may earn some of my business next year.

 
China consolidates its airlines into 3 major carriers.

 
Author Salman Rushdie's 'perpetual one-way ticket' gets him tagged at airport security.

 
An interesting article suggests that CAPS, the government's terrorist profiling system used in aviation security, is less effective than random screening.

Since you know if your carry-ons have been manually inspected, you've been questioned, you're asked to stand in a special line, or if you've been frisked, you know your CAPS profile -- or at least you know what you aren't, which makes it very easy to defeat CAPS, even if the profile itself is always kept secret.

 
New enrollment bonus 2,000 bonus miles for new United Mileage Plus members.

 
This website is currently 11 on Google for "100 percent free sex stories no bullshit."

 
Fortune writes about the difficulties in finding inexpensive airfares.

 
Bureaucrat openly defends the practice of payoffs. At trial, a Philadelphia plumbing inspector describes taking money from plumbers whose work he was checking as "tipping" which is simply "part of the trade."

Angry and unapologetic, a former Philadelphia plumbing inspector yesterday defended accepting cash from plumbers whose work he checked.

Joseph O'Malley told a federal jury that these "tips" never influenced him and, under probing questioning by a prosecutor, gave a candid portrait of a workday that sometimes included hours spent in a local pub or cruising around Roosevelt Park to rack up mileage on his car.

Testifying in his defense in the racketeering and extortion trial of eight former inspectors, O'Malley called "tipping" a "part of the trade" that city plumbers learned as apprentices.

"Is there any question that when you got paid by people, they gave you money because you were a plumbing inspector?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Rice asked O'Malley.

"It probably was," O'Malley replied, his voice edgy with anger. "It's been going like that since 1900, probably. He wasn't tipping the janitor; he was tipping the plumbing inspector. It went on all the time. It was like waking up in the morning."

Since it's been going on for a long time, it's apparently okay.

 
Bad decision-making at the TSA.

The Transportation Security Administration awarded a $28 million contract for a private screening program at Kansas City airport to a bankrupt firm that was fired by Southwest Airlines.

Before the TSA, the airlines contracted for security and when the security firm didn't follow all federal standards, instead of penalizing the security firm or taking away the security firm's license so the airline couldn't use them, the government fined the airline(s) that hired them.

Here, the government awards a $28 million contract to the same firm Southwest fired for incompetence -- and the same firm that Southwest was in essence fined Southwest for hiring. (Thanks to LoneStarMike of FlyerTalk.)

 
Alabama's sex toy ban has been ruled unconstitutional. (Link via Instapundit)

 
Watch out, US News & World Report. Seventeen magazine now rates the top 100 "Coolest Colleges" where "girls can get the best college experience."

 
An Israeli man suffered a heart attack when he summoned a call-girl to his hotel and opened the door to his daughter.

 
Check out Professor Glen Whitman's new blog.

 
Contest for 1,000,000 American Airlines frequent flyer miles from Cooking.com. AT&T Wireless also has a million-mile giveaway but you have to send a card in -- no online entry.

 
San Diego or Phoenix to London for $198 roundtrip, today only.

 
Tony Woodlief hopes that the DC sniper resists arrest and is shot dead by the police. I understand the sentiment, but I disagree. Remember Richard Jewell, the suspect in the 1996 Olympic bombing who turned out to be innocent? What if the police have the wrong guy? Who are the police to make the final, life-or-death determination in the first place? The problem is only magnified if it's the DC police...

 
NPR's interview with Nobel prize winning economist Vernon Smith. (RealAudio, 4 minutes)

 
Tony Blair has ordered a gag on media reporting about British payments to bin Laden and Al-Qaeda. Files are being removed from media websites, but Google's caching remembers...

 
The Transportation Security Administration wants to hire 22,000 extraneous people, according to the House Appropriations Committee.

 
Some positive changes in airport security -- but not enough
James M. Loy, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, is looking to get rid of more stupid rules. Already gone are the "security questions" that never foiled a terrorist in sixteen years, the ban on nail clippers, and the rule against carrying coffee through security. Others potentially on the chopping block:

• The 30 minutes without peeing rule, which forbids getting up from your seat within half an hour's flying from Washington National airport
  
• Restricted parking within 300 feet of the airport (making parking lots at many airports useless)
  
• "Random" searches of passengers at the boarding gate after the same folks have been searched at the security checkpoint (also known as "gate rape")

These are a good start. They are all obvious changes that can be made. Why didn't Mineta see them earlier? But let's not get too excited.

• Air marshalls are carrying guns on planes without completing all of their training and background checks
  
• Federal screeners are way overpaid and insufficiently trained
  
• The security tax is too high and may rise
  
• Airports probably aren't any safer -- because safety will come from our foreign policy (arguably either by making terrorists pay for their actions or by not provoking terror in the first place)

But let's at least revel in the positive changes for a moment. They are a real step forward for those of us who have said we would not stand by while an agency run amok harassed us and brought the airlines to their knees.

 
The funniest joke in the world revealed.

 
My colleague, George Mason University professor of economics and law Vernon Smith, was just awarded the Nobel Prize in economic sciences. Smith is a research fellow and director at the Mercatus Center where I work.

 
More bonuses:

• Double miles on all Alaska airlines flights through Oct. 31st. Make sure to register
  
• Register for two free weekend nights after three separate stays before January 31st with Marriott
  
• Priority Club is offering 2,000 bonus points or 500 bonus miles for every second stay at Inter-Continental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, or Holiday Inn Express. Naturally, you have to register (and enter promotion code 5700)
  
• Hyatt is offering "Faster Free Nights" -- a free night after every two stays when paying with MasterCard before Feb. 28, 2003 (redeem from Nov. 1, 2002 through April 30, 2003). Register here and then try a trick -- when using a free night, make sure to charge something to your room (a bottle of water from room service?) -- you may get lucky and have the free night count as one of your two stays towards the next free night.

 
The cover story in the current Washington City Paper is a "Best of the Protest" awards piece. My favorite: Best Obvious Anti-Protester Sign.. "Welcome Rich White Kidds."

 
Not as good as the 25,000 mile bonus offer I posted at the end of May, but there is a 10,000 mile bonus for signup up with the Northwest Visa.

 
Random notes from my travels.

• United airlines needs to mix up its first class meals a bit. In 9 days I at the portabella ravioli three times and the Reuben sandwich twice. Come on!
  
• Noise reduction headsets are back on United's Boeing 777 aircraft!
  
• Security is still a joke. United Express stations are still pulling the first person in the boarding line aside for random screening. The major airports wait for the third or fourth person. It's still easy to board without getting gate raped as long as you hang out and make sure to line up when security is already screening someone else.
  
• Security is still a joke, part two. At Los Angeles, I watched final boarding of a Sacramento-bound flight. A man and woman rush up at the last minute to board. The woman is picked for "random" screening (remember, everyone else had boarded, so the screeners weren't busy). She simply handed her carryon bags to her husband to take on board. No problem, her bags did not receive the secondary screening.

 
I'm back with a vengeance. Let's start with some ideas for free miles:

• Register at Lufthansa's Miles & More for 2000 miles
  
• American Airlines is offering double miles to promote their new DC-NY-Boston "shuttle" operation
  
• Starwood hotels (Sheraton, W, Westin, Four Points, St. Regis) is offering triple points or triple miles through Jan. 31, 2003
  
• Hawaiian Airlines will will give you 500 miles for filling out a survey

Update: the Starwood promotion I mention above has already been cancelled! :-(

 
Just got back from Florida last night and I'm off to Michigan to lecture on the evils of mental health parity legislation. Then on Wednesday it's California... and my high school reunion on Saturday night. Blogging will be nonexistent until Thursday morning, and light until next Monday. Please don't abandon me, though! I've worked hard for you, my reader, and I'd appreciate it if you would continue to visit regularly upon my return.

 
Despite financial uncertainty in the airline industry, a pretty good piece by Michael Conlon suggests that your miles are safe.

 
Todd Zywicki exposes hypocrisy of protestors who call themselves anarchists but agitate for more government regulation of the things they don't like. They ain't no anarchists!

 
Enter to win 50,000 Delta or United Frequent Flyer miles from E-Loan.

 
Tony Woodlief asks, "how do you suppose airlines reconcile the belief that passengers need instruction in seatbelt fastening with the belief that we care about the current altitude, visibility, and aircraft windspeed?"

 
Their turn-ons are long walks on the beach, candlelit dinners and free-market economies. Yes, the Libertarian party has some righteous BABES! Meet them in the calendar. (Link via Damon Chetson.)

 
Would you pay $1000 to change red lights to green?

 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is talking about redefining the kilogram. See also this story.

 
A very good thing. Wired reports that file-sharing service Kazaa has successfully evaded the recording industry's attempts to shut it down by setting up operations in multiple jurisdictions around the globe.

 
Own an Enron Paper Shredder.

 
I live in Washington, D.C. -- and according to Ron Bailey, Washington is Hollywood for ugly people.

 
Ass-kicking for sale on e-bay. (Link via Instapundit.)

 
Hooters Air remains on track to fly. (apologies for mixing metaphors)

 
One of the most underappreciated musical groups of all time: Morris Day & THE TIME.

 
Dan Pink observes that the administration's Iraq hawks haven't served in the military and that those calling for caution are the ones that have served. He proposes that

Any political leader who favors attacking Iraq must also offer a son, daughter, or other close relative to serve on the front lines of the war.

Pink also introduces the Spence Abraham prize for hypocritical conservatives who denounce a government agency and its laws, go on to run those very same agencies under Republican presidents, and agree to enforce the very laws they have attacked. There may be no higher journalistic calling than exposing hypocrisy.

 
Punditwatch is up.

 
Holders of the Delta American Express register for Triple Miles on Everything in October.

 
Glenn Reynolds notices that the first person in line to board an aircraft gets a random screening. He's right.

 
ScrappleFace: McDonald's To Launch Restaurants for Protestors (link via cut on the bias). Outstanding satire:

(2002-08-23) -- Following yet another lawsuit, McDonald's Corporation announced today it intends to launch restaurants specifically for protestors.

"We looked at the demographics and it just made sense," according the news release. "Protestors are everywhere and they're very vocal about what they like and what they don't. In essence, they're the ultimate target market. If our regular customers stood in the streets shouting about their personal preferences, we'd be out there with tape recorders. These protestors have really opened our eyes to opportunity.

 
The Los Angeles District Attorney won't press charges against Buzz Aldrin for hitting a man who was aggressively trying to get him to admit that his walk on the moon was faked.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined to file a misdemeanor battery charge Friday against former astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, who allegedly struck a man in Beverly Hills earlier this month in a dispute over whether Aldrin's 1969 moonwalk was a hoax.

Aldrin, 72, was confronted on Sept. 9 by Bart Sibrel, who has been challenging the authenticity of NASA's manned moon missions, claiming that the Apollo program was a cover -- designed to trick the former Soviet Union into overestimating U.S. power during the height of the Cold War.

 
The New York Times reports that expensive screening machines get little use.

Even as the Transportation Department races to install million-dollar machines in airports to screen checked baggage, most of the devices are operated less than two hours a day, and some hardly screen any bags at all, two congressmen said today.

..Citing figures from the inspector general of the Transportation Department, Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and James L. Oberstar of Minnesota, both Democrats, said in a letter to the domestic security director that only 4 of the 155 machines installed in June were even screening at what the inspector called "minimum capacity," or 125 bags an hour for 10 hours.

"You'd think they'd be increasing their efficiency as we get close to the deadline, so the gap won't be so enormous," Mr. Waxman said in a telephone interview.

 
This cartoon captures the recent airline ticketing policy changes quite nicely.

 
Passenger Questioned At Oakland Airport because his name was similar to one on the FBI watch list. It was a false alarm, and doesn't instill confidence in procedures:

The law enforcement response was part of normal airport procedure and such name matches are "not necessarily a daily occurrence, but it is somewhat routine,'' [Airport Spokeswoman Rosemary] Barnes said.

Even a match of the first three letters of a passenger's name with a name on the FBI's list could trigger a security alert, according to Barnes.

 
Another victory for pressure on Mineta. The TSA will end "random" screenings at airplane gates. This means an end to the practice known as Gate Rape.

These screenings were not random -- frequent flyers learned just not to be first in line, and to walk onto the plane right after a screener had tagged someone else. These screenings were not effective, so this is good news.

``For some reason TSA thinks that dumping out our passengers' underwear at the gate after it has already been dumped out at the security screening checkpoint makes TSA look like they are on top of things,'' [Continental Airlines Chairman Gordon] Bethune said in a speech to the Wings club of New York in June.

This good news comes after another idiotic measure was withdrawn -- passengers may now carry drinks in paper cups through security. However, the TSA's additional spin is just not credible:

The secondary screenings won't be needed because primary checkpoints will be sufficiently staffed with trained U.S. workers, said Heather Rosenker, an agency spokeswoman.

The security checkpoints are a joke. A bad, obnoxious, dangerous joke.

 
Fun with google-surfing. Search for "Go to hell" and check out the first result. (Link via Kasia.)

 
The computer smiley face turned twenty today. :-)

 
Real-time access to the GALILEO Compter Reservation System online is available, thanks to a kind soul who translates German -- > English. You can check fare class availability on any route, any day, any airline. Thanks, Ben!

 
The U.S. uses e-vite to organize the war on Iraq. (Just wish they had spelled Baghdad properly. Oh well, maybe Dan Quayle was recruited by the folks over in Foggy Bottom or at the Pentagon.)

 
The great interconnected economy. As first class travel falls, so does demand for caviar.

 
This USA Today piece summarizes the changes in airfare rules over the past month. If you don't already know what's happened, you need to.

 
Mile High Club Forces Airplane Refit. Virgin Atlantic's newest planes need to have their baby changing tables replaced as a result of attempts to join the Mile High Club.

 
I haven't written anything yet today. Likely cause? Blogstipation. (Link via The Volokh Conspiracy.)

 
National Airlines will emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Las Vegas-based carrier has managed to find $112 million in new financing. Kudos to them! However, their CEO made a rather bizarre statement about the role of private dollars:

“This financial package displays the support the private sector has shown for our business plan and their recognition of the evolution of the airline industry toward efficient, low-fare carriers. Unfortunately, the Air Transportation Stabilization Board (ATSB) failed to recognize this dynamic change in the industry when they rejected National’s loan guarantee application."

Let's see -- they got the dollars they needed from the private sector -- so why should the government have given them guaranteed loans? On the other hand, one statement from the National CEO does ring true:

“The ATSB has sent a clear signal that they are committed to perpetuating certain high-cost, high-fare major airlines, which runs completely counter to the preferences being made by the traveling public.

Big surprise there -- government industrial policy picks winners and losers. Sad, but an inevitable outgrowth of state subsidies for industry.

In any event, these ATSB guaranteed loans

• are dangerous because they give the federal government a direct say in the way that an airline is run.
  
• give the feds even more of a role in a bankruptcy proceeding
  
• create terrible incentives -- the government now prospers to the extent that the airlines with guaranteed loans prosper, encouraging the government to further skew the playing field against airlines who don't take funding -- not to mention encouraging future intervention to ensure the initial investment.

As National Airlines proves, private funding is still available, even for flagging airlines. There is no reason for the federal government to be stepping in here, no matter what Dick Gephart thinks.

 
The Volokh Brothers are Kazakh Porn Baron Hit-Magnets.

 
I've already told you about SeatGuru so you can see where you'll be sitting (and pick the best seat on the plane). Now you can see what you'll be eating.

 
A remarkable Sunday in history. Randy Cohen, the New York Times "ethicist," didn't say anything patently stupid.

 
Homeless transvestite moves into luxury house rent free because the owner is allergic to mold.

 
He must be really sleepy. Peter Desailey has been named Australian sheep counting champion.

 
Badass, phat, and ass-backwards have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary.

 
Six Things to Know Before Buying That Cheap Air Ticket: missing your flight will cost you, airlines are cutting back flights, taxes make your ticket more expensive, previously discounted travelers may pay more, and your ticket will be electronic. Here's what I found shocking:

According to the Air Transport Association, $51 of the cost of a $200 ticket now goes toward taxes, up from $29 five years ago.

 
A worker at the Miami airport discharged pepper spray, leading to an airport evacuation. A ground security coordinator "kept silent through the situation" and has been fired. Really confidence-inspiring.

 
Gephart knows best. Dick Gephart thinks that airlines "need help" downsizing. This is so ripe for jokes (government downsizing?) but it just isn't funny.

It's hard to imagine government picking which airlines should fly, how often they should fly, to where, what they should charge.. oh, actually it isn't hard to imagine at all. That's how the system worked prior to 1978. Since deregulation, real prices have fallen more than 20% and consumers save nearly $20 billion/year.

 
Now this is a stretch. A Springfield, IL Denny's is losing money between 3am and 5am Sunday mornings due to patrons -- many coming from the bars as they close -- walking out without paying their bill. They decided to lock up for those two hours. The NAACP is threatening to sue.

 
Richard Branson saw delicious irony in a music label and airline named Virgin. This airline rejects irony.

 
I wonder if the Six MIllion Dollar Man had one of these?

 
Starwood's play and stay sweepstakes offers trips to Australia, Cancun, Italy and Tahiti. It's a "game show" but everyone makes it through the two rounds required to enter the sweepstakes.

 
Rental Car Companies Can Track Your Every Move. Budget Rent a Car charged a customer $7,000 for leaving the state when departing Arizona was outside the terms of the rental contract.

 
Peggy Noonan is on board. She calls for the removal of Norm Mineta:

People are afraid to fly because they see what a politically correct joke our airline security is. Searching for every last toenail clipper, forcing 85-year-old people with walkers to stand spread-eagled as some oafish wand-wielder in a blue jacket humiliates them--this is absurd and cowardly. Let's get coldly serious: Arm the pilots, fortify cockpits, man flights with marshals, and profile passengers. We don't have a transportation secretary who is willing to do these things. Someday when something terrible happens we'll wish we did. Why not coldly remove Norman Mineta now?

(Thanks to my bud Esta for the heads up.)

 
Note for the morning. Apologies for lack of blogging these past few days. I'm working to close out a fiscal year and prepare for a board of directors meeting. It's keeping me focused about thirteen hours of the day, and my mind just hasn't had the space to blog. I should be resuming normal blogging in a few days, and at least a greater level of blogging tomorrow.

9/11. I understand that from 8:45 am until 8:47 am, all flights at Boston's Logan Airport were on a ground stop to commemorate the day. Two of the 9/11 hijackings departed from Boston. I will be meeting frequent flyer friends for lunch at National Airport at noon. It seems a fitting place to be.

 
500 Free American Airlines MIles and Hotel Points. Earn 500 free American miles when you enroll in the Baymont Inns/Woodfield Suites Guest Ovations Program.

Make sure you choose the option of earning American Airlines miles (so that you can enter your American Airlines account number) and then enter the Promo Code AA0209 -- you should get 1000 Baymont Points upon sign up and 500 American miles in a few weeks.

There is also the ability to earn Gold Status by referring people. I would appreciate it if you would use me as your referral (it costs you nothing). Use referral number 107235698.

 
Hertz discounts and bonuses.

• $15 of a weekend and $20 off a weekly rental (valid through 9/30 on full-size or larger car): provide discount number CDP 1389928 and promotion code 930241 for the $15 off and promotion code 930252 for the $20 discount.
• Get free Hertz #1 Gold membership (a $50 value) by going to the Hertz site and entering program name United and promotion code 2047.
• Earn double United miles with discount number CDP 62455 and promotion code 925746

 
How is it possible that I come up on the second page of a search for Impeach Norm Mineta on Google??

 
The Daily Pundit wants to fire Norm Mineta.

 
You can enter United.com's 5th Anniversary Giveaway to win miles, hotel stays, car rentals, groceries, and flowers.

 
The upside to a United Airlines bankruptcy: it could cut labor costs by 20% (and overall costs by 10%), and have a ripple effect on costs throughout the industry. A United bankruptcy could save the major airlines.

 
Why ITA Software offers the best tool for searching airfares. I've certainly found this to be true. You can interface with them directly rather than going through Orbitz.

 
Stumpy the Squirrel Goes Back Home:

MACHIAS, Wash. (AP) -- A squirrel with half a tail and no left hind foot is back with his caretakers after 10 days on the lam.

The squirrel, named Stumpy, was found six miles from the residence of Steve and Marcia Carter, who fought back tears when he was returned.

On Sunday afternoon, a woman heard faint tinkling and remembered reading a newspaper article about Stumpy, who had been outfitted with a bell on a collar.

Sure enough, there was the 8-inch rodent, sitting in her driveway.

 
My friend Doug Bandow makes a strong case for arming pilots. Best of all, his column contends that Bush should fire Mineta!

 
And USAirways issues a press release outlining their capitulation...

 
USAirways backs off. They have announced changes to their recently announced changes. All miles flown -- whether on discount tickets or full fare tickets -- will count towards elite status. All flyers on discounted tickets will be able to fly standby, albeit with a $100 fee.

The industry has moved to a new norm. All major carriers have announced that standby (which had previously been offered at no cost) will be charged $100, in most cases beginning January 2003. Also, if you have a discounted ticket and aren't going to fly the trip, you need to apply the value of the ticket to a new itinerary before your first flight is scheduled to depart or you will lose the full value of the ticket.

So, on the whole we are worse off than before -- but things didn't go as far as US' initial move.

 
The 10,000 mile Delta offer has changed to 1,000 in the last 5 minutes... but yesterday it started off at 5k and was moving throughout the day. Hopefully it will move back.

 
10,000 free Delta miles for new frequent flyer members. Delta airlines is offering 10,000 miles for opening a new Delta Skymiles (frequent flyer) account.

Delta will send a membership packet in 6-8 weeks after there's some activity in the account, and that packet will show 10,000 bonus signup miles. "Some activity" means earning points in the account IN ANY WAY (as opposed to just by flying Delta).

All you have to do is deposit points in one way or another to activate the account. This can be accomplished as easily as filling out a form for an automobile quote at Skymiles Autobuying for 500 miles or earning 250 Delta miles for requesting an auto insurance quote from AIG (Call 800-310-4258 Extension 2479).

Sign yourself up if you aren't already a member! 10,000 miles is 40% of a free domestic ticket. Sign up your significant other, your kids, your neighbor's kids...Rumor is that this promo may be gone tomorrow.

 
This is pretty funny: E-Gray : Government favors at auction prices.

 
Take it to the bank. The Federal Reserve will cut interest rates 25 basis points when the Federal Open Market Committee meets on September 24th.

 
Would you pay for food in economy class? USAirways may be considering whether to price tickets with and without food service differently. The article cites the example of Canadian low-fare carrier Tango. I remember People Express. If customers are paying marginal dollars, the food will likely be better or it will go unsold. I like the idea!

Meanwhile, the New York Times food section says that airline food is getting better.

 
According to a piece in yesterday's Washington Post James Wilding, head of the Washington Airports Authority,

grapples with a powerful but frustrating new tenant at his airports: the Transportation Security Administration. He said he lost patience as months passed and the TSA couldn't answer any of his questions about how airlines at Dulles and National would be able to screen all luggage by the Dec. 31 deadline set by Congress.

"They'd just say, 'We don't have anything to say to you yet,' " Wilding said. "They said, 'We're going to rely on these contractors to do it,' and we said, 'When are they going to show up? Have you all looked at a calendar lately?' "

By June, 10 months after the attacks, Wilding still hadn't had a "substantive conversation" with anyone from the TSA about how they were going to get the massive machines in place in time.

This Post piece ends by quoting a flight attendant who says

There comes a point," she said, "when you have to settle back into a groove and trust that the government has done things to protect you more.

The problem is that the government hasn't protected us. They're merely imposing costs on us. We can't become complacent, or we'll become victims again.

 
Reporters smuggle knives onto 14 airline flights during Labor Day weekend. So the one thing the current security model seeks to do -- detect weapons -- is failing badly. When will Mineta stand up? (Link via Instapundit.)

 
New Possibility for American Express Membership Rewards Points. The analysis in my post about laundering points through Amtrak means that you can finally transfer American Express Membership Rewards points 1:1 into united miles. Amex MR points transfer 1:1 into Continental. Continental transfers 1:1 into Amtrak (in blocks of 5,000). Amtrak transfers 1:1 into united. Voila! Amex MR-->united... a previously impossible task.

 
Mineta Spin-Cycle. Get the Media to Blame Magaw. The Washington Post carries a front page piece on the problems at the Transportation Security Administration. The piece reports that the TSA avoided involvement in the July 4 shooting at LAX, hasn't improved the security of cargo shipping, and uses outdated methods for selecting passengers to screen.

The piece lets Norm Mineta, the Transportation Secretary, off the hook. It quotes him offering a mea culpa: "We got to the point where we didn't have credibility. . . . We were not moving the ball down the field." Then says that Mineta has been trying to solve the problem -- after all, John Magaw (Mineta's deputy in charge of the TSA) was pushed out. That's scapegoating of the first degree.

The thesis about what went wrong focuses on Magaw, and suggests that there's just too much conflict between offering security and customer service. That's just a cop-out.

It's certainly true that the agency spent way too much time designing uniforms and a logo (and making the presentation of that logo a significant part of a presentation to airport managers!). However, the article is a very typical example of Washington gamesmanship -- protect the boss (Mineta) by offering up a fall guy (Magaw). That works even better when the fall guy is already gone. Magaw is too loyal to the Bush family to object.

The paper does makes clear that Mineta was the one running the show, offering up a TSA budget presentation to the President where Mineta did all the talking. OMB Director Mitch Daniels tore the presentation apart. Magaw then went to Daniels to chew him out for being "disrespectful" to Mineta. Mineta was the boss and Magaw his henchman. Magaw shouldn't be the one taking the fall here -- Mineta should be.