Nickel-and-Diming Awards: Delta to Charge Frequent-Flier Users
Tips and Tricks on Scoring Cheaper Gas
Business Hotels Doing Just Fine in 2008
Don’t Play With the Bison; Boy Injured at Yellowstone
NICKEL-AND-DIMING AWARDS: DELTA TO CHARGE FREQUENT-FLIER USERS – Silicon Valley Business Journal
We’re starting to think this whole fuel price crisis is just an excuse for airlines to pillage and plunder its customers without guilt. Starting August 15, Delta will charge $50 to customers who use SkyMiles Award tickets for all domestic and international travel. “The price of fuel has nearly doubled in the last year, causing considerable financial stress to Delta’s business,” said Jeff Robertson, managing director of Delta’s SkyMiles Program. “As a result, Delta is implementing initiatives across all areas of the business to mitigate the extraordinary run up in fuel expense.” Delta claims that this hopefully will be a temporary move.
Link: Silicon Valley Business Journal
TIPS AND TRICKS ON SCORING CHEAPER GAS – SmartMoney
There’s not much we can do to combat those rising fuel costs, but there are some tips on getting around the problem. For one thing, try paying cash: Every time a driver uses a credit card, station owners are hit with a fee that ranges from 1.5 percent to 3 percent of the total purchase. As a result, there are about 500 gas stations in 23 states that will offer you 5 to 14 cents a gallon if you pay cash. You can also opt to buy gas in bulk, which means that you buy a set amount of gas each week or month at a discounted rate.
Link: SmartMoney
BUSINESS HOTELS DOING JUST FINE IN 2008 – BusinessWeek
The economy might be on a downswing, but demand from outside the U.S. is boosting the global lodging industry. Figures from the Commerce Department show growth in gross domestic product of 0.9 percent for the first quarter (a recession is usually defined as two straight quarters of GDP decline.) The lodging industry is projecting almost identical growth figures for 2008. And while you may not find deep discounts on your next trip, there are plenty of high-end business hotels that have opened their doors and are enjoying a sizeable income from travelers, both domestic and international.
Link: BusinessWeek
DON’T PLAY WITH THE BISON; BOY INJURED AT YELLOWSTONE – Newsday
A 12-year-old boy was injured at Yellowstone National Park after a bison he was posing near flipped him in the air at Yellowstone National Park. The Pennsylvania boy’s condition was not immediately made available after the attack Thursday. Reports say that the boy was posing with family members within a couple of feet of the bull bison; park rules require visitors to stay at least 25 yards from bison.
Link: Newsday
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