News and notes from around the interweb:
- Kudos to United for continuing to offer hot buy on board options in economy, something American doesn’t do. Here are the changes to United’s buy on board including the cheeseburger “served with a pretzel bun, lettuce, tomato, pickles and a side of French fry chips”
A return to their early 90s roots when they served McDonald’s in coach?
- New Zealand hijacker gets out of prison next month — and says she’ll do it again
- When you opt out of naked imaging, the TSA records it. When you request private screening when a manual pat down is required, the TSA records it. And after more than a year and a half of waiting the TSA responded to a FOIA request with statistics on opt outs.
It’s interesting that requests fell substantially between 2013 and 2014. It may be a result of greater use of PreCheck (fewer passengers going through nude-o-scopes) and it may be that passengers have simply become used to submitting. (HT: Jonathan R)
- Longest flight ever to depart Israel: Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson flew Tel Aviv – Honolulu on his personal Airbus A340-500. (HT: David H.)
- Here’s the new British Airways Buy Onboard menu for short haul economy. (HT: Head for Points)
Apparently if you booked any short haul economy travel January 11 onward prior to the September 29 announcement of no more free food in back you can email Customer Service for 1000 Avios (one time, not per trip).
- CFPB fined Equifax and Transunion for deceptive advertising of its credit score and credit monitoring consumer products
The decrease in opt-outs may be due to them changing the scan machines. I used to opt out every time when they had the backscatter machines. I don’t bother with the millimeter wave ones.
I had the new United cheeseburger yesterday. It wasn’t bad for an airline burger, although I personally think the hot roast beef baguette that it is replacing was both tastier and “more sophisticated.”
Since I’m a 1K, the sandwich was complimentary. It is not worth the reported $11.99 price. Which makes me wonder whether these hot dishes will survive, since most pax seem to share my assessment and sales seem to be very low.
UA is also rotating its beer selection. It’s a bit awkward because even the flight attendants don’t know what they have. The f/a yesterday asked me to look at the menu and see what he wanted. I did so, and he managed to dig up a Goose Four Star Pils. Too hoppy for my taste, but the hop crowd will likely disagree.
@iahphx – I am part of the “hop crowd” but I won’t disagree that the beer is too hoppy for your taste. 😀