Afghan Hijacker Scores Job at Heathrow Airport
South Africans Attack “Unwanted” Immigrants
A La Carte Insurance Protects Travelers From Flight Delays
Surprise: Passengers Give Airline Service “Dismal” Scores
AFGHAN HIJACKER SCORES JOB AT HEATHROW AIRPORT – InformationWeek
A considerable amount of innocent passengers are vexed when they find out they are mistakenly placed on the Terror Watch List, but how do you think they would feel if a hijacker scored a job at an airport, of all places? A man was driving around Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, and when authorities stopped him, they assumed he was a cab driver without a license. They soon discovered, however, that he actually was a convicted hijacker who had a cleaner job at the airport. He even had a British Airways employee pass, which granted him access to secure areas. The man was identified as Nazamuddin Mohammidy, who was one of nine Afghan hijackers who commandeered a British Airways aircraft. The plane was diverted to Stansted Airport, and the hijackers alleged that they were escaping from the Taliban. Once the hijackers completed their time in prison, they were awarded the right to stay in Britain. The real kicker? They were granted rent-free accommodations and were even paid a whopping £150,000 per year. Talk about a harsh punishment.
Link: InformationWeek
SOUTH AFRICANS ATTACK “UNWANTED’” IMMIGRANTS – The New York Times
For a week violent attacks spurred by xenophobia have erupted against immigrants near Johannesburg. As of Monday, at least 22 people had been killed in a series of horrific attacks against “unwanted” immigrants, and thousands of immigrants have fled their homes that are ransacked by angry mobs. “They came at night, trying to kill us, with people pointing out, ‘this one is a foreigner and this one is not,’” said Charles Mannyike, 28, an immigrant from Mozambique. Some of the boiling animosity is due to South Africans considering themselves disadvantaged. “If you have a surname like mine, you can’t get a job,” said Samantha DuPlessis, 23, a woman of mixed race. “I’ve been looking for a job for four years. All the employers want to hire foreigners.” Not all immigrants have seen such advantages, but Somalis and Ethiopians, in particular, have enjoyed success as shopkeepers in the townships.
Link: The New York Times
A LA CARTE INSURANCE PROTECTS TRAVELERS FROM FLIGHT DELAYS – The Wall Street Journal
Worried about a flight delay or cancellation? Many summer travelers are protecting themselves from being stranded at an airport due by purchasing “delay insurance” on their flights. Delay insurance covers hotel room and meal costs in case your flight is disrupted, and usually costs under $50 when flying on cheap domestic tickets. Even the airlines have joined the protection game, presumably for a quick buck: Air Canada has launched a new “travel assistance” service, which costs up to $35 each way to cover your hotel room and airfare in case of a flight disruption.
Link: The Wall Street Journal
PASSENGERS GIVE AIRLINE SERVICE “DISMAL” SCORES – Associated Press
An annual survey conducted by the University of Michigan found that passengers are more outraged with carriers’ customer service than in prior years. The industry’s overall scores have sunk for three consecutive years. Discussing a possible merger deal, United Airlines and US Airways Group Inc. hit the list second-to-last and last, respectively. Claes Fornell, a University of Michigan business professor and director of the research center that compiled the data, said, “There’s no other industry anywhere that has so many basic mishaps in terms of not delivering the basics.” Part of the reason scores have dropped are out of airlines’ control, such as airport congestion and rising fuel costs. Fornell also reprimands passengers, however. “[Passengers] buy primarily on price, and very little else. The result of that is very low service and a business model of cost-cutting that really leaves no one happy, certainly not the businesses, the shareholders or the flying public.” Referring to the merger talks, he also noted that splicing two negatives together would not generate a positive.
Link: Associated Press
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