Blog

April 21, 2017: On a recent Hawaiian Air flight from Las Vegas to Honolulu, a passenger refused to pay the $14 charge for the use of a blanket — in fact, shortly after take off, he got rather loud with his comments. The inflight crew decided he was a “security issue,” and got the Captain to land at LAX and have him removed. Seems a rather expensive reaction — unscheduled landing, delay and all — over something very trival? The passenger was removed but not charged.

April 19, 2017: Shenzhen, China, now has new R2-D2 look alike security robots patrolling their airport. Nicknamed AnBot, the force weighs in at 171 pounds and stands just under five-feet tall. The robots basic responsibility is to take pictures of travelers faces and then send to humans for security analysis. They can also give directions and respond to emergency public disruptions – and even emit a “non lethal” electric taser like charge when needed. Rumor is they drive to work in self driving cars!

April 17, 2017: American is introducing another new “even more convoluted” boarding process — that now includes 10 (TEN!) different groups — depending on passenger frequent flyer status and class of service. The real reason for the change is to more easily identify travelers who purchased their new super discounted economy service that includes no inflight amenities — and very limited carry-on and no use of over head bins.   With profits and passenger loads at record levels, I guess no reason to offer comfortable quality service?

April 14, 2017: Yup — both tourists and locals looking to do something new are joining coffin building clubs in New Zealand. Most are from kits — and some have double use — add cushions and blankets and they double as above ground (indoor or outdoor) furniture until it’s time for their primary use. New Zealanders say coffin building is a “very social” experience!

April 12, 2017: Americans, especially Californians, love their wine — with the number of US wineries now just over 11,000. Most, and by far the best located in California — with Napa and Sonoma area wineries leading the way in numbers and quality. And don’t forget craft breweries — their number has increased 140% to over 7000. Hard to find a good (tasting) wine deal under $10-$15 a bottle these days. Drink no wine or beer before their time — or at least one at a time!!!

April 10, 2017: Hawaiian Air’s Bid Up— lets you bid for a first class seat and offers available first class seats at a discount at departure time — other international carriers do this too; Jet Blue — free Wi-Fi at every seat every flight; Southwest — no flight change fee — but expect to pay more if the original ticket price has increased. Alaska Air — California, Washington and Oregon — ship your wine for free.

April 5, 2017: Last year over 82,000 millionaires moved to another country — one of the most popular locations was Australia — a jump of 28% from 2016. The U.S. ranked as the second most popular location followed by Canada, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. Most countries require an investment from new residents with schools, lifestyle and ease of citizenship important “wants” from new residents.

April 3, 2017: British Air passengers were in for a surprise and a long flight delay recently? It seems a real live large rat was seen walking the aisles of their Boeing 777 just before leaving London’s Heathrow for SFO. Once inside an aircraft’s interior, hungry rats can be a real menace when it comes to chewing on wires and and exploring electrical systems — and by the way, it’s illegal for rats to fly on passenger airplanes. The plane was grounded and it took nearly six hours to find a replacement and send travelers on their way to the City by the Golden Gate. No word on when and if the rat was found!