Will $4 Gasoline Trump a 27-Year-Old Ban?
No-Flying by Any Other Name
Endangered Polar Bears a Tourist Draw in Canada
The Airline Alliance Do-Si-Do
WILL $4 GASOLINE TRUMP A 27-YEAR-OLD BAN? – The New York Times
As President Bush nears the final seven months of his term, and as gas prices reach astronomical heights, the White House is beginning to buzz about breaking the 27-year ban on domestic offshore oil drilling. Other notable Republicans are either jumping ship or joining the offshore bandwagon: Senator John McCain has dropped his previous opposition to offshore drilling, and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has created an online petition, 650,000 signatures strong, that supports the incentive, “Drill Here, Drill Now.” Mr. Bush said on Wednesday, “… Americans will rightly ask how high oil—how high gas prices have to rise before the Democratic-controlled Congress will do something about it.”
Link: The New York Times
NO-FLYING BY ANY OTHER NAME – Channel 9 News (Colorado)
On Wednesday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to help innocent flyers remove their name off the No-Fly list. The Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Redress Act (FAST Redress Act), would create an office in which misidentified travelers can complain and get on a list that clears their names. The cleared list also would be used by other government screening agencies. In the state of Colorado alone, there are 26 men named John Thompson who are inconvenienced almost every time they try to fly. “For some, like John Thompson of the country, flying is a painful and difficult experience. Not because of the items they bring through security or the way they act, but simply because of their name,” said Representative Ed Perlmutter (D-Colorado).
Link: Channel 9 News
ENDANGERED POLAR BEARS A TOURIST DRAW IN CANADA – Los Angeles Times
Locals in Churchill, Manitoba are expecting huge groups of tourists to visit the small Canadian town this fall as now-endangered polar bears make their annual appearance. The Bush Administration has officially decided to place polar bears on the threatened species list by the Endangered Species Act, due to the specie’s receding natural habitats. In general, polar bears are a very popular tourist attraction in autumn, but since they are now deemed endangered, higher numbers of visitors are expected. In fact, the Churchill tours are selling about twice as fast as usual. “People want to see them while they are still there,” said Frank Cregor of Tennessee-based Cregor Adventures. “For companies like us, it’s a sad thing, but it’s almost free advertising. The tours truly sell themselves.”
Link: Los Angeles Times
THE AIRLINE ALLIANCE DO-SI-DO – Upgrade Travel Better
Continental and United, unable to pull off a merger, have announced plans to partner under Star Alliance. Continental will leave the SkyTeam alliance, which includes Delta and Northwest; meanwhile Continental also is planning to align its schedule to coincide with United and Lufthansa, also part of the Star Alliance. What does this mean for frequent fliers? United is touting “reciprocity,” which means that you can receive and accrue benefits in either program, but this may not work out so neatly in the long run—Continental and United have very different frequent-flier programs in terms of how the miles are collected and how you cash in upgrades. Watch this space as this potentially messy situation unfolds.
Link: Upgrade Travel Better
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