News and notes from around the interweb:
- Alaska Airlines reportedly near settlement with Department of Justice over its acquisition of Virgin America. DOJ may be losing its leverage as time approaches for a new administration, perhaps vindicating Virgin America CEO Dave Cush’s endorsement of Donald Trump.
- The Clinton Foundation came under criticism for accepting donations from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State. Now foreign governments feel pressure to stay at the Trump Hotel in DC. And maybe wear Trump Collection ties?
In interviews with a dozen diplomats, many of whom declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak about anything related to the next U.S. president, some said spending money at Trump’s hotel is an easy, friendly gesture to the new president.
“Why wouldn’t I stay at his hotel blocks from the White House, so I can tell the new president, ‘I love your new hotel!’ Isn’t it rude to come to his city and say, ‘I am staying at your competitor?’ ” said one Asian diplomat.
- While the biggest and most profitable US airlines (Delta, United, and American) hope that the election of Donald Trump means greater protectionism and success in abrogating Open Skies treaties with Qatar and the UAE, Australia has just signed an Open Skies agreement with Qatar. These agreements — as US policy has recognized for forty years — are valuable for both businesses (like Fedex with its Mideast hub, and Virgin and Alaska who grow from their codeshares) and consumers (who have more flight options and lower prices) alike.
- Qantas raising the price of frequent flyer mileage upgrades. Relevant to Citi ThankYou Points cardholders.
- T-Mobile 3rd and 4th line free
- Congressman Bill Shuster (R-Airlines for America) sees an opportunity with the new administration to bring back up the idea of moving air traffic control into a private non-profit corporation (something United and American favor, Delta — which has older planes and wants to avoid required tech investment — opposes).
Article title shows your bias. Nobody is being forced to stay at Trump’s hotels, as your article title implies. Gutless anonymous sources are all the story can cite, which tells you something. Besides, any diplomat that isn’t there just to lick his boot and beg for US $$ would likely stay elsewhere anyway out of fear of Trump hotels being bugged.
I agree with WR. I think I will not read your blog anymore. I used to enjoy reading your travel hacking and clicking on your credit card link so you get commission.
I, too have to argue that your headline mischaracterizes the story. Firstly, your headline refers to “Trump Hotels” while the article clearly refers only to the new DC hotel. Secondly your headline says foreign leaders while the story makes clear that leaders generally stay in their embassies while staff stays in hotels.
Any influence any government official uses in any form that they profit from is an ethics violation. Of course, ethics never meant much to Trump as his business dealings have proven.
Don’t worry Gary, I’ll make up for those missing clicks.
Guys, lighten up. He’s just linking to a story…are you going to be this insecure for the next four years?
Duck this country. Nothing trump will do is bad enough. Nothing Clinton did was good enough. I am not a Democrat and I could see republican hypocrisy. Republicans are no different than isis. Some more poverty and these fuck!#s would be out committing violence (they had threatened as much if Trump had lost)
@Credit you are delusional. I suppose its Republicans rioting, looting, and inciting violence the last few weeks? Youre a joke.
Gary, there must be some travel information more important than your “Click Bait” headlines on this post. Is this a foreshadowing of the blog content you will be posting over the next four years (maybe eight years)!
Isn’t almost time to start in depth investigations of deicing solutions?
Get over it Gary. You lost and you’re starting to look pathetic.
WR you are delusional. You would be pretty freaking moronic if you were committing violence even after winning the election.That you are not commiting violence currently is not an argument for you being civilized. An argument that the election was rigged and stolen can easily be made by liberals, whether it is true or not is immaterial. Truth is meaningless.
Anyway I think the Democrats were freaking out of touch. Both Obama and Hillary are pair of morons. So out of touch with the population. Absolutely no leadership. But that congressional republicans are also just buckets of scum is also beyond a doubt. Like I said, Eff this country. Ass holes everywhere.
Apparently, the University Finance guy who does not know what a fuel hedge is strikes again by showing he does not know how to read as well.
Kinda embarrassing for the HR department of that institute that hired him…
I typically despise Gary’s flagrant GOP bias. However here it’s clearly factual and obvious. Of course it’s a conflict of interest, but Trump is truly the Teflon president. Nothing bad he does, sticks.
Some headlines are misleading; some headlines are overly sensational; some headlines are dubious clickbait. But your headline is just an outright lie. Foreign leaders do not “have to” stay at Trump properties. Your blog has gone from sharing meaningful information to showing off your free cakes and making political statements. Shameful
All these people whining about you being biased never seemed to complain when you had articles that were favorable to their party.
@Gary, I generally appreciate your posts, especially when they contain useful factual info. I must join those who have already criticized this particular post for having (at best) a misleading title, and accompanied by contrary info. If you care to share facts backing up the allegations in the post’s title, I believe that will advance the discourse. Jmho. Cheers.
Why would you stay at a Trump hotel when Inside Edition found out within the first month of opening they were NOT cleaning the USED guest bathrobes! Short cuts on a $400 a night hotel to save $1. in cleaning That is Trump change!
Stay at the Willard, at least there is history of honesty and fairness by the guests.
@TomRI – Did Inside Edition investigate The Willard too?
Dishonest headline. Apparently, you do not value honestly if it doesn’t suit your political views. I was going to comment a few weeks back on your unprofessional, politically biased headlines and articles, but others did such a good job, I thought you must have got the point. Apparently not. I will not be visiting your site regularly anymore.
Good grief – your site is a travel blog – what’s up with the political pundit transition?
And I am sure Trump will sell another 20% of our Uranium supply to a leader who stays at his hotel. The liberal idiocy is absolutely astounding. Hillary made $150M selling what product? At least half of the electorate has some common sense.
I’m pretty sure staff staying at a DC Trump hotel as a “gesture” is pretty small time. Not right, but what can big T do? If forbidding them from booking there is what you want, it seems like he’d go along with that. Vastly different than the scale of pay-for-play that went on with HRC.
In the end, though, the deals we cut as a nation will be the defining merit.
Yawn, this blog used to contain some relevant info now it’s basically just a copy & paste job from information Doctor of Credit digs up intermixed with a new found flair for adding in non-relevant (or in this case completely fabricated headline) political commentary for some unknown reason.
Used to be a daily visit, now it’s a once every couple of weeks one to see if anything improved. Sadly it’s not.