Lonely Planet Writer Plagiarized, Writes Book About It

FAA Clears All American Airlines Jets

Will Beijing Be Ready for the Games?

The FAA’s Image Crisis: Promoter, Regulator or Both?

Airline Deathwatch: Get Your Wallets Ready

LONELY PLANET WRITER PLAGIARIZED, WRITES BOOK ABOUT IT - CNN
An author who wrote for Lonely Planet guidebook series confessed to plagiarizing and downright fabricating portions of books he wrote; even better, the author claims that he was paid so poorly by the company that he dealt drugs on the side. Thomas Kohnstamm, the infamous author, said he didn’t travel to Colombia to write a guidebook on that country because “[Lonely Planet] didn’t pay me enough,” he told Australia’s Daily Telegraph. Not only did the 32-year-old author write the Colombia guidebook from San Francisco, but also he also admits that he “got the information from a chick I was dating—an intern in the Colombian Consulate.” He also claimed to have accepted free travel, which is a violation of Lonely Planet’s policy. The book’s publisher, Piers Pickard, conducted an “urgent” review of the books Kohnstamm wrote, but found no inaccuracies. On an entirely unrelated note, the travel writer has a book about the ethics and adventure of travel writing coming out next week.

Link: CNN

Related: A Job With Travel, But No Vacation

FAA CLEARS ALL AMERICAN AIRLINES JETS – CBS
Federal Aviation Administration gave American Airlines clearance to operate all 300 of its grounded MD-80 jets on Saturday. Since Tuesday, the airline canceled nearly 3,300 flights, costing the carrier tens of millions of dollars, which includes vouchers to reimburse stranded customers, overtime for maintenance crews and lost revenue. To prevent future groundings, Gerard Arpey, chairman and chief executive of American parent AMR Corp., said AA would hire a consultant to help the airline comply with FAA safety regulations. Arpey said the airline will also accelerate the replacement of its MD-80s because newer planes get better mileage.

Link: CBS

WILL BEIJING BE READY FOR THE GAMES? – BusinessWeek
In preparation for the Summer Olympics, Beijing is pushing to complete construction projects before the millions of tourists arrive. The city’s once-ancient skyline now is overwhelmed with skyscrapers—many of which are new. New arenas, condos for athletes, parks, and new hotels are replacing dilapidated apartment buildings, as 6.4 million visitors are expected to visit. The world’s largest airport terminal, Beijing Capital International Airport’s modern Terminal 3—opened in February. China even is beginning to tend to its environmental problems, but will the city be ready for the games?

Link: BusinessWeek

THE FAA’S IMAGE CRISIS: REGULATOR, PROMOTER OR BOTH? - Salon
The last few weeks have been tough for the aviation industry, taking into consideration the aircraft groundings, maintenance scandals and the abrupt shutdown of at least four airlines. During the unfolding of aircraft falling short of safety regulations, increasing scrutiny loomed over the Federal Aviation Administration. “The FAA is dealing with an image problem, if not an outright identity crisis, born from its conflicting role as both a promoter and a regulator of civil aviation,” reported pilot Patrick Smith, and critics are concerned that the FAA is cozying up with airlines and is too sluggish to act on time-sensitive matters. With the shutdown of four airlines and reduces flights, the FAA’s job should be getting easier.

Link: Salon.com

AIRLINE DEATHWATCH: GET YOUR WALLETS READY – Elliot.org
Although bloggers took a step back from the “airline deathwatch” game in 2002, bets are now back on. Business is decreasing and fares are increasing at United Airlines. Is the end near for this airline? Christopher Elliott says the odds are 1,500-to-1. As the world’s largest carrier, American Airlines has been stifled with inspection-related cancellations. Will it hit bankruptcy? Elliott says the odds are 1,000-to-1. Alitalia fell apart last week, but will it shut down? The odds are 6-to-1, says Elliott.

Link: Elliott.org

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