Delta’s Gerald Grinstein to Retire – Again

Delta Airlines is reporting that CEO Gerald Grinstein will retire after the carrier emerges from bankruptcy early in 2007. By my count, this is Jerry’s fourth retirement: First, he left Western Airlines as CEO in 1987. Second, was his retirement as CEO at Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp in 1995. Third, he retired as Chairman of Agilent Technologies in 2002. And now, Delta will give Jerry the proverbial Gold Watch. All this is proof that you cannot keep a good man down.

Newsline or Advertising?

Sometimes you cannot tell the difference between genuine news and planted advertisements. The authors of planted material are really very good. I’m sure that you can recall reading a supposed article in a slick publication only to discover its paid advertising tag in small print. One case in point is this story about Farelogix. After reading it, you must wonder about the whole organization running this web site and all the companies mentioned within. And, there is no tag to warn you.

British Businessman Flies with 2-Year Old Daughter’s Passport

No, you can’t bring water on the plane but a grown man can successfully fly to Amsterdam with the passport of a 2-year old girl.  A British businessman mistakenly took his daughter’s passport with him on a recent trip to the Netherlands and managed to get through 2 passport checks at London’s Luton airport and board the plane.  In fact, he brought up the error to passport control in Amsterdam.  The airline he flew, EasyJet, will likely face a fine.

Etihad Airways Prefers Guests to Passengers

Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the world’s leading new airline and currently offers flights for Guests and cargo to more than 40 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa and Asia. At its core, Etihad Airways continues to seek new ways in which to expand its services and provide innovative benefits for its Guests. An interesting bit of semantics, but the right idea these days. When was the last time that an airline treated you as a guest?

Kelleher, 75, Has No Plans to Retire

Southwest Airlines Co. co-founder Herbert D. Kelleher has passed the mandatory retirement age but his board has granted him an exemption. Who wouldn’t? Kelleher is a legend in the airline industry with a track record in financial performance second to none. Let’s hope that Herb is around to witness even more airlines following his formula for success.

Hacked Airline Seats

A recent posting of how to hack a Southwest Airlines Boarding pass is described as “nothing more than advocating stealing a seat that doesn’t belong to you”. Airline consultant Nick Bredimus has created an interesting page on the consequences of hacking. Computer hacking is a serious crime. Hacking is just a modern-day equivalent of vandalism or shoplifting – taking or defacing something that doesn’t belong to you.

A Former Sabre Geek

At first I that British Phenom, Harry Potter, had some tie to Sabre with the blog “A Former Sabre Geek“. Sorry, that’s Gary Potter. It is not clear from the blog title whether Potter used to be a geek or used to be with Sabre. In any case, he has some interesting links and some posts that are on the topics we all love best, Airlines and GDSs. It is also not clear yet from reading whether Potter holds any grudges against his former employer, but many of their alums do. Suggest you read a few posts and draw your own conculsions.

The Heart of the Matter

The Spinrota blog has recommended another fine book by a British author. Graham Greene’s “The Heart of the Matter” is truly memorable. Although this novel could be considered old, I found the character’s struggle with morality and religion quite fresh. Most importantly, the reader will learn more about the brutality in Africa. Such understanding is essential if Africa is ever to join the party.

BA to Passenger – Haven’t a Leg to Stand On

British Airways lost the artificial leg of a woman athlete flying from New Zealand to Amsterdam. They told her not to worry, however, because her bag is one of 20,000 sitting at Heathrow. This, of course, left her without a leg to stand on at her athletic competitions for the disabled. Sorry for the poor attempt at humour, but it does highlight the misery inherent in losing our rights for carry-on bags.

Something to Count On

I, for one, am in need of a change in climate. These dog days of summer must surely end soon. Until then, I offer a brief glimpse of cooler days with this Haiku by Basho. I hope that you can feel the chill in the air.