www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Starting November 1, US Airways will no longer offer in-flight movies on its A320 domestic service of over two-and-a-half hours and on flights to and from the Caribbean and Mexico. The move is expected to save $10 million a year in fuel and other costs by dropping nearly 500 pounds of weight.

Movie costs used to be offset by the sales of $5 headsets. But with so many travelers bringing their own, the sales of headsets dropped dramatically, forcing the move to eliminate movies.

Where are they getting 500 lbs in weight? From those cheap, plastic headphones, a VCR and a few videos? Are they going to take out the TV monitors next?

Hell, they could save 500 lbs of weight just by implementing weight standards on flight attendants!

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Northwest Airlines joins the movement to cut costs and raise fees. NWA announced Wednesday that it will start charging fees on customers' frequent flier award tickets and $15 for a passenger's first checked bag.

Other changes include raising the fee for making a change to a domestic non-refundable ticket from $100 to $150. A change on a ticketed international itinerary rises from $50 to $100, depending on the class of service and other restrictions. The Detroit-based carrier will also shed 2,500 jobs across its operations.
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The airlines are getting so desperate for revenue that I got an email from Delta last night saying if I rent a car from Avis or Budget by August 1st I could get 9999 extra SkyMiles but you have to book the car through Delta.

That means Delta is giving away miles (that are almost impossible to use) in order to get a commission from these two car rental agencies. I have an upcoming trip and have a reservation at Thrifty car rental. I compared the price of my rental to the Avis and Budget cars and the price for 2 days came out to almost $50 more.

I believe miles are valued at about 1 cent each and with Delta's new "pay for miles" plan 10,000 SkyMiles costs $100 so that means I'm getting 9999 SkyMiles for paying an extra $50 for the rental (or 1/2 cent each). Not really a bad deal but I'm not sure I'll bother with it.

Then again with the prospect of being unemployed next year and thus a "flexible" travel schedule I just might.

The airlines used to have weight restrictions on flight attendants, but i believe they were sued by civil liberties and EOE lawyers.

Weight, Height, Age restrictions for Stewardesses all were abolished years ago. Now we have old, dumpy flight attendents.

Not all changes are progress.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine