Know the code

One of the most frustrating things about airline travel is the seemingly arbitrary array of fees that come with it these days.
My biggest complaint with the fees is not that the airlines do it but that they explain it so poorly (or don't even attempt to explain it at all). For instance, Delta which is the worlds largest airline, doesn't even put the rules for their fare codes on their website. As a matter of fact, not a single airline website I searched offered a page that explained what fare codes meant and the benefits that came with each.
I was able to find definitions of the fare codes used by Delta Airlines and definitions of what each one of those mean and the benefits of them. They've been linked into my blog but you can see the page directly by clicking on the blue article title.
Thanks to www.cwsi.net/delta.htm for the article.





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Delta Airlines Fare Chart
Credit and thanks goes to DLfc for originally creating this document.

CheapOair.com

Fare Class	Domestic Segment Upgrade	Transoceanic PMU or mileage Upgrade	Description
A	Discounted First class	na	Discounted Domestic First class. A class of service are commonly HUP and QUP fares basis, making this fare technically an "upgraded" fare. Why is this important to note? Let's say you get rerouted, or there is a schedule change and you are booked in a flight where no more First class fares are available. You would not be eligible for compensation or partial refund as getting into First class on this fare is contingent on the space being available when booked. It is technically a coach fare. This makes it relatively important to book yourself a seat assignment when travelling in A.
B	Yes	Yes	Coach, Upgradeable transoceanic & domestic (also eligible for D511 mileage award domestic upgrade)
C	NA	Business Elite Fare	Business Elite Latin America (domestic first class seat, Business Elite service)
D	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	Discounted Business Elite transoceanic and domestic (limited markets)
E	No	No	Coach travel, promotional / contest awards no mileage accrual, no upgrades. Also used for SkyBonus (the company version of SkyMiles) awards
F	First Class Fare	NA	First Class Full fare - also used when involuntary rerouting any fare class passenger in First due to bumps, irregular ops, etc.
G	via PMU Points Award	NA	First Class, Domestic upgraded via Platinum Medallion Upgrade, North American Upgrade or Upgrade Points award
H	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
I	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	Published deeply discounted and/or promotional business class fare, also non published promotional or convention fare in business class. How to find Business Elite "I" fares.
J	NA	Business Elite Fare	Business Elite transoceanic full fare - also used when rerouting any fare class passenger in BE due to bumps, irregular ops, etc.
K	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) see note 1 *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
L	Yes*	No	Transoceanic or domestic (deep discounted fare) Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
M	Yes	Yes	Upgradeable, transoceanic & domestic (also eligible for D511 mileage award domestic upgrade)
N	No	No	Coach Points Award - non-upgradeable - no mileage accrual on award tickets
O	NA	Business Elite Award	Business Elite Points Award - no mileage accrual on award tickets
Q	Yes*	No	Non-upgradeable transoceanic, UPGRADEABLE domestic (no mileage award upgrades) see note 1 *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
R	First Class Award	NA	First Class, Domestic Award - - no mileage accrual on award tickets
S	Discounted Business	Discounted Business	This fare has been noted as a new discounted business bucket. The new order of business fares is J, C, D, S, I with J being the highest fare class. This fare may also be a non-upgradeable, transoceanic or domestic - consolidator fares. Generally changeable without fee through your booking agent (e.g. tour group). These are NOT priceline fares ... they are fares purchased by a consolidator valid on any number of flights, generally international, for coach travel. May be used for SkyBonus (the company version of SkyMiles) awards.
T	Yes*	No	Transoceanic or domestic New lowest fare typically for fare matching competitors. Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
U	Yes*	No	Coach (discount web fare. domestic and appears to be international too. see note 2). Award mileage cannot be used to upgrade this class of service. *Only Medallions receive domestic upgrades on this fare.
V	via segment	NA	First Class, Domestic upgraded via Segment upgrade
X	via segment	NA	Business Elite Domestic & Business Mexico upgraded via Segment upgrade (the Mexico flights are domestic First Class cabins coded as "Business")
Y	Yes	Yes	Full Fare coach, Upgradeable transoceanic & domestic (eligible for D411 mileage award domestic upgrade) - also used when involuntary rerouting any fare class passenger due to bumps, irregular ops, etc. which could allow an originally non-upgradeable domestic fare to be upgraded after the reclassification (if you are lucky enough to find available inventory under these conditions)
Z	NA	via PMU or Points Award	Business Elite, transoceanic and domestic when upgraded via Platinum Medallion Upgrade or Points award

Color code	Description
x	Coach
x	First / Business Elite
Yes	Fare is Upgradeable
No	Fare is NOT Upgradeable
NA	not applicable
?	unknown - to be determined

No attempt is made to indicate fare rules like minimum stays, Saturday night requirements, advance purchase rules, etc. You will find that these will vary within a primary class. Class codes like Y06 for example, indicate a Y class fare but some special conditions exist (indicated by the suffix 06). Still, the upgrade rules for Y class apply.

Note 1: Delta classes of service letters do NOT apply to award space on partners, these are booked in partners award ticket class of service. Here is a breakdown of SkyTeam + Alaska Airlines (aka Multi-Airline awards):
Air France - Bus (O) Econ (X)
Aero Mexico - Bus (C) (except on MEX-NRT, where it is "R") Econ (U)
Alaska Airlines - Bus (A) Econ (W)
Avianca - Bus (A) Econ (Z)
Alitalia - Bus (Z) Econ (U)
Copa - Bus (E) Econ (G)
Continental - Bus (E) Econ (G)
China Southern - Bus (I) (P within China) Econ (O)
Hawaiian Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (Z)
Korean Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (E)
KLM - Bus (D) Econ (W)
Kenya Airlines - Bus (D) Econ (W)
Northwest - Bus (D) (Domestically is A) Econ(W)
Czech - Bus (Z) Econ (E)
Aeroflot - Bus (O) Econ (X)
Air Europa - Bus (P) Econ (A)

Note 2: Please note that while domestically only Y, B, and M class of service are upgradeable with mileage awards, Hawaii is an exception. For Hawaii, Y, B, M, H, Q, and K class of service are eligible for mileage upgrades.

Note 3: "Priceline and others 'don't-get-to-choose-the-airline' travel agents book seats into U, L, K, and Q classes. Regardless of market restrictions, these fares have the lowest possible freedoms (no upgradeability, changeability, FF eligibility, or refundability) by virtue they were purchased through one of these agents." ... This would infer that K & Q classes on Delta would NOT be upgradeable when tickets are obtained from these sources. I have no experience with these type of tickets. It is my understanding Delta does provide Skymiles for Priceline tickets and I am not familiar with any special conditions on domestic K & Q that would eliminate them from upgrade consideration - I pass along the comment just the same.

Medallion Upgrade Order Priority

Try our Medallion Upgrade Priority Calculator

Note: Executive Partner status is the secret top-tier status at Delta given to very high spenders at Delta. Think United Global Services, Concierge Key at American, Chairman's Circle at Continental, Premier at BA, etc. Invitation-only type clubs where if you have to ask to be invited, then you're not doing enough to make it.

When does your Medallion Status update? New

Delta is now processing members to elite status the night immediately following the flight that makes the member elgible for medallion status - no more weekend waits!

If I use "Pay with miles" will I be able to receive upgrades or accrued miles?
No. You will not be able to receive any upgrades or accrued miles including Medallion or Skymiles using the "Pay with Miles" option.

Comments? Corrections?
Send me an e-mail and I will incorporate them.

Credits
Thanks to DLFc, Adam S., Biometrist, Walter A., Winocas, and many other passionate frequent flyers that have helped put this together.

Support
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Facebook Status Classic

Another in the occasional series "Facebook Status Classics"


From my high school friend, Burl Fluharty, comes this gem "My 5 year old son and I were playing Star Wars with his two light up with sound lightsabers yesterday. He was Yoda. He hit me with the lightsaber and said, "hhhmmmmm....dumba$$ you are"

Former NWA (now Delta hubs) finish #1 and #2 in JD Power survey

I'm happy to see Detroit and Minneapolis land at the top of this report. I like both airports a great deal and as an employee of the old Northwest Airlines it's great to see our two biggest hub airports do so well.
Detroit is a treat because of the simplicity of the (former) World Gateway Terminal that Northwest and now Delta use as a hub. The terminal is clean with high ceilings and tons of glass that allows lots and lots of natural light to stream into the gate area. I've not been to the "other" terminal in Detroit since it was replaced but I'm sure that it is built in a similar fashion.

You can check out the airport here:
http://www.metroairport.com/

Minneapolis is nice because it is my current "home" airport. The airport is packed with shopping and restaurant choices and feels huge so if you've got a few hours you can really wander around and feel like you've seen something. The center part of the airport is built like a mall with lots of shopping options and a large food court. Scattered throughout the concourses are more shops and restaurants and even interesting and interactive advertising.

You can check out MSP here:
http://www.mspairport.com/

The full report is below or follow the link.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jd-power-and-associates-reports-although-technology-may-help-improve-the-airport-experience-the-basics-have-the-greatest-impact-on-passenger-satisfaction-84688587.html

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Although Technology May Help Improve the Airport Experience, the Basics Have the Greatest Impact on Passenger Satisfaction

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Indianapolis International and Kansas City International Airports Each Rank Highest in Overall Passenger Satisfaction in their Respective Segments

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WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Although technology has revolutionized air travel during the past decade, passenger satisfaction with airports continues to lag behind that of other aspects of the travel industry, largely because passenger expectations of basic needs—such as prompt baggage delivery, airport comfort and ease of navigating the airport—are not being met consistently, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study(SM) released today.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050527/LAF028LOGO-a)

The study measures overall airport satisfaction in three segments: large (30 million or more passengers per year), medium (10 million to 30 million passengers per year) and small (fewer than 10 million passengers per year). Six factors—assessed through 27 specific attributes—are examined to determine overall customer satisfaction: airport accessibility; baggage claim; check-in/baggage check process; terminal facilities; security check; and food and retail services.

Overall passenger satisfaction with the airport experience averages 690 on a 1,000-point scale in 2010, which is an improvement from 675 in 2008. However, satisfaction with airports in 2010 is considerably lower than satisfaction with hotels (756, on average) and rental cars (733, on average). (1)

Technology has helped drive efficiencies for airports and increase convenience for travelers—for example, through wireless Internet access, parking lot management systems and online check-in. However, the study finds that the areas with greatest impact on overall passenger satisfaction are speed of baggage delivery; ease of check-in and baggage check; comfort in airport terminals; and the amount of time required for security check. For many passengers, basic needs such as seating comfort and ease of moving through the airport are not consistently being met.

"As much as Internet access may be a fun diversion or enable productivity for passengers, getting passengers in and out of the airport easily and efficiently is of utmost importance," said Stuart Greif, vice president and general manager of the global hospitality and travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Airports can best facilitate passenger progress and improve satisfaction by focusing on key elements such as the clarity of airport signage, facilitating quick and accurate delivery of baggage and partnering with the TSA to reduce security check wait times."

The study finds that providing high levels of airport passenger satisfaction has a strong positive impact on retail spending. Among passengers who are "disappointed" with their airport experience (providing ratings of one to five on a 10-point scale), airport retail spending averages $14.12. However, passengers who are "delighted" with their airport experience (providing ratings of 10 on a 10-point scale), spend an average of $20.55 on airport retail purchases—45 percent more than do "disappointed" passengers. Only a small percentage of passengers—9 percent—are "delighted" with their airport experience.

At the segment level, passenger satisfaction with large airports has decreased in recent years. During the same time frame, satisfaction with medium airports has remained flat while satisfaction with small airports has increased.

Large Airports

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW) ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among large airports and performs particularly well in the terminal facilities and baggage claim factors. Denver International (DEN) and Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP), in a tie, closely follow DTW in the segment rankings. DEN performs particularly well in the airport accessibility factor.

Medium Airports

Kansas City International (MCI) ranks highest among medium airports, and performs particularly well in three of the six factors: airport accessibility, check-in/baggage check and security check. Following MCI in the segment rankings are Portland International (PDX) and Tampa International (TPA). PDX performs particularly well in the food and retail services factor while TPA performs particularly well in the terminal facilities and baggage claim factors.

Small Airports

Among small airports, Indianapolis International Airport (IND) ranks highest and performs particularly well in the check-in/baggage check, security check and terminal facilities factors. Following IND in the segment rankings are Fort Myers/Southwest Florida International (RSW) and Tucson International (TUS).

The 2010 North America Airport Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 12,100 passengers who took a round-trip flight between January and December 2009. Passengers evaluated their departing and arriving airports, and the study includes a total of more than 24, 200 evaluations. The study was fielded between January and December 2009. For more information, view airport ratings or read an article on JDPower.com.

   
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Large Airport Ranking (30 million passengers          J.D. Power.com
    or more per year)                                    Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County - DTW     705       5
   Denver International - DEN                  701       5
   Minneapolis/St. Paul International - MSP    701       5
   Orlando International - MCO                 700       5
   Phoenix Sky Harbor International- PHX       699       5
   Charlotte Douglas International - CLT       697       5
  
   Dallas/Ft. Worth International - DFW        692       4
   George Bush Intercontinental/
    Houston - IAH                              685       4
   McCarran International - LAS                682       4
  
   Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
    International - ATL                        666       3
   Seattle-Tacoma International - SEA          666       3
   Large Airport Segment Average               665       3
   Toronto Pearson International - YYZ         655       3
   San Francisco International - SFO           647       3
  
   Chicago O'Hare International - ORD          639       2
   John F. Kennedy International - JFK         635       2
   Philadelphia International - PHL            629       2
   Miami International - MIA                   617       2
   Los Angeles International - LAX             616       2
   Newark International - EWR                  609       2
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Medium Airport Ranking
   (10 million to fewer than 30 million
    passengers per year)                                 J.D. Power.com
                                                         Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Kansas City International - MCI             742       5
   Portland (OR) International - PDX           733       5
   Tampa International - TPA                   730       5
  
   Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
    International - CVG                        713       4
   Salt Lake City International - SLC          712       4
   Calgary International - YYC                 708       4
   Baltimore Washington International - BWI    707       4
  
   Oakland International - OAK                 691       3
   Chicago Midway International - MDW          684       3
   Lambert St. Louis International - STL       683       3
   Medium Airport Segment Average              683       3
   Memphis International - MEM                 682       3
   San Diego International/Lindbergh
    Field - SAN                                678       3
   Fort Lauderdale Hollywood
    International - FLL                        677       3
   Cleveland Hopkins International - CLE       675       3
   Honolulu International - HNL                675       3
   Reagan National International - DCA         672       3
   Vancouver International - YVR               669       3
  
   Dulles International - IAD                  646       2
   Boston Logan International - BOS            644       2
   LaGuardia International - LGA               604       2
  
   Overall Airport Satisfaction
   Small Airport Ranking
   (fewer than 10 million passengers per year)           J.D. Power.com
                                                         Power Circle Ratings
   (Based on a 1,000-point scale)                        For Consumers
   Indianapolis International - IND            777       5
   Southwest Florida International - RSW       767       5
  
   Tucson International - TUS                  755       4
   Jacksonville International Airport - JAX    754       4
   Austin-Bergstrom International - AUS        752       4
   T. F. Green Airport -  PVD                  750       4
   Palm Beach International Airport - PBI      740       4
   Albuquerque International Sunport - ABQ     735       4
  
   Pittsburgh International - PIT              729       3
   General Mitchell International - MKE        726       3
   Small Airport Segment Average               721       3
   Buffalo Niagara International
    Airport - BUF                              720       3
   Nashville International - BNA               717       3
   Port Columbus International - CMH           715       3
   Raleigh-Durham International - RDU          715       3
   Sacramento International - SMF              715       3
   Bob Hope Airport - BUR                      707       3
   John Wayne Airport - SNA                    706       3
   Houston Hobby International - HOU           697       3
  
   Bradley International - BDL                 691       2
   Reno/Tahoe International - RNO              689       2
   Dallas Love Field - DAL                     679       2
   San Antonio International - SAT             677       2
   Louis Armstrong New Orleans
    International - MSY                        673       2
   San Jose International - SJC                645       2

Also included in the study but not ranked due to small sample size are: Albany International Airport – ALB; Anchorage International Airport – ANC; Boise Airport – BOI; Dayton International Airport – DAY; El Paso International – ELP; Greater Rochester International Airport – ROC; Long Beach Airport – LGB; Louisville International Airport – SDF; Manchester-Boston Regional Airport – MHT; Norfolk International Airport – ORF; Omaha Airport Authority Eppley Airfield – OMA; Ontario International Airport – ONT; Richmond International Airport – RIC; Spokane International Airport – GEG; Tulsa International – TUL; and Will Rogers World Airport – OKC.

Power Circle Ratings Legend:
5 – Among the best
4 – Better than most
3 – About average
2 – The rest

(1) Source: J.D. Power and Associates 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study(SM) and J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Rental Car Satisfaction Study(SM)

About J.D. Power and Associates

Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, Web intelligence and customer satisfaction. The company's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Does it snow in West Virginia?

The locals here in Minneapolis like to take their winters seriously. They have a bit of a self congratulatory tone about themselves when discussing how they handle the months of long cold nights and the piles and piles of snow. Many times these same people want to know what I know about winter being that I'm from western Virginia. Once I'm done explaining that western Virginia and West Virginia aren't one in the same (North and South Dakota serve as a great reference point out here) I explain to them that West Virginia is more north than south and at a fairly high elevation meaning that I'm very familiar with snow and the added challenge of driving in it at a 15 degree angle.

I found this story today in the Charleston, WV Gazette. http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201002160493

When more than 200 inches of snow falls on your town so far this winter, where do you put it?

"The Department of Highways is better equipped than it used to be, and it's been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with the snow," said Rich Hopkins of the Pioneer Press publishing company in Terra Alta. "But the banks at the sides of the roads are getting pretty high and keep caving in. That makes the roads not as wide as they should be."

But people in the Preston County town are getting to work and going to the store. "There's not the big panic over snow that you have elsewhere," he said.

Hopkins said the local National Weather Service cooperative observer has already tallied more than 200 inches of snowfall at Terra Alta so far this season. According to the National Weather Service's Charleston Forecast Office, the Preston County community officially had 44 inches on the ground Tuesday morning, including 8 inches of new snow, making it the snowiest town in the state.

"We've been blessed by not having blowing snow," said Hopkins. "That would cause some problems."

Schools in Preston County were closed due to snow on Tuesday, as they were in all other West Virginia counties except Hardy, which operated on a two-hour delay.

According to the National Weather Service, Davis had 38 inches of snow on the ground Tuesday morning, followed by Snowshoe with 36 inches (not counting its ski slopes), and Bayard in Grant County and Kumbrabow State Forest in Randolph, each with 34. Kumbrabow picked up 14 inches of fresh snow during the previous 24 hours.

Snow packs of 20 inches or more were reported at Albright, Frost, Glady, Keyser, Parsons and Richwood.

Joe Stevens, spokesman for the West Virginia Ski Areas Association, said all of the state's snow resorts handled capacity crowds during the Presidents Day weekend.

"Back in the winter of 1995-1996, we had 290 inches of snow at Snowshoe, when I was working there," he said. "But this is the most snow I've seen since then. It's everywhere. Canaan Valley just passed the 200-inch mark for snowfall this season, and there's still a lot of winter left."

With their slopes covered by more than 4 feet of snow, officials at Snowshoe Mountain Resort announced Monday that they would extend this year's season one week, to April 5.

On Tuesday, state Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox told a Senate panel that the Division of Highways has already spent $49 million of the $54 million budgeted for snow and ice removal this season. If more than the remaining $5 million is used to battle snow, money may have to be appropriated from paving and other maintenance funds, he said.

Meteorologist Dave Marsalek of the National Weather Service's Charleston Forecast Office said the current pattern of scattered statewide snow showers can be expected to last at least through Wednesday night and possibly into Thursday.

"The higher mountains stand a better chance of long-term accumulations, while the lowlands won't get all that much -- just the occasional snowstorm that could drop an inch or so," he said. "It looks like things will get quieter late Friday and the first part of Saturday, but then the next system moves in Saturday night."

A winter weather advisory remains in effect through noon today for the Kanawha Valley, where continued light snow and gusting westerly winds are expected, making driving conditions hazardous.

Breaking Delta Airlines News

This is from a memo sent to employees today....


"Delta filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation today to fly between Tokyo International Airport, also known as Haneda Airport, and Seattle, Detroit, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Service at Tokyo-Haneda, which is centrally located and popular among business travelers, would complement Delta’s Asia hub at Tokyo-Narita, Delta said in a release today. The new service also would increase competition between the U.S. and Tokyo by providing an alternative to the service offered by the Star and oneworld alliances. Both alliances already have a strong presence at Tokyo-Haneda, accounting for 84% of scheduled departures and 90% of scheduled seats. “No U.S. airline has invested more in Tokyo,” said Glen Hauenstein, e.v.p.-Network and Revenue Management. “More customers and communities stand to gain from new Delta service at Haneda than can be served by competing applications.”


This seems to be Delta's first response to Japan Air Lines (JAL) recent decision to stay in oneworld and not make the move to SkyTeam. Pointing to the concentration of international flights by the other two major airline alliances (oneworld and Star) Delta is playing the "more competition" card it downplayed just last week when touting the benefits of JAL moving to SkyTeam.
Furthermore, the move if approved, will put more pressure on JAL which recently filed bankruptcy to quickly reorganize and make decisions concerning its future.
I suspected that Delta would retaliate quickly over JAL's decision and that there would be a step up in competitive pressures and this one will be fun to watch play out.

A new blog for you to enjoy

www.dumpbachmann.blogspot.com

Many of you know the name Michele Bachman. Ms. Bachman is a Republican Congresswoman from the 6th district here in Minnesota and has been the center of constant controversy for several years. Some of her famous incidents have included stating she was called by God to run for the seat, and that she and her husband fasted for three days to be sure. Congresswoman Bachman is a member of a church that is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, whose doctrine teaches that the Roman Catholic papacy is the Antichrist identified in Scripture ( Here is the link to the Synod webpage that states just that, with their justification http://www.wels.net/about-wels/doctrinal-statements/antichrist?page=0,5)
She has also introduced legislation to bar the US from recognizing currency other than the US Dollar (which is already they case), claimed that CO2 isn't harmful, told listeners on a radio show that Thomas Jefferson told us that "having a revolution every now and then is a good thing." and recently claimed that she would not participate in the 2010 census (even though CONSTITUTION requires it).
Bachman has always won with narrow margins and it looks as though, even in a year where Democrats are in retreat, her seat is very much vulnerable. She won reelection in 2008 with only about 46% of the vote and a spread of less than 3% points.
Tarryl Clark is the DFL'er running against her (Minnesota doesn't have a Democratic party but a Democrat-Farmers League that is the defacto Democratic party in the state). Her site is http://www.tarrylclark.com/
I put up the link to the Dump Bachmann site for your entertainment. Click through and sift through the insanity that is her. Enjoy!

The Great Blog Overhaul

As you come in and out visiting my blog (cause I know you make this a daily ritual!) you'll probably notice that the page has been overhauled. I just thought that it was time to freshen it up a bit and see what happens.
I like it right now but we'll see if I continue to like the changes. You might notice more things change or revert back as I move forward but for now, this is it!

Southwest Airlines being investigated AGAIN for safety.

Things keep coming for SWA. After two previous investigations and a record breaking fine of nearly $100 million, SWA is being investigated AGAIN for safety related issues.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-southwestprobe_09bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3f6a35a.html

CRW overrun blamed on pilot error.

Click on the blue hyperlink above or cut and paste the link below. I suspect there are gonna be unemployed pilots over this.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704820904575056084012937888.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs=article

Craig Ferguson waves to me!

I made it out to a taping of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" last night and he started a new segment of Twitter reading. One of the first ones read is from "TheAntiPalin" (which I suggest you start to follow on Twitter) which is my friend Alisha. He reads our Tweet and waves at us at about the 3:45 mark. Look for us in the audience waving!

Foul-mouthed West Virginia Mountaineers student section under fire - ESPN

WVU is finally addressing student behavior at basketball games. I'm sorry to hear that it has come to this as the WVU students are great fans with lots of passion for their school and sports teams.
Furthermore it does seem to me that sometimes WVU is held to a different standard than other schools. While the behavior in Morgantown is rowdy and sometimes uninviting it does seem a bit hypocritical for opponents to be "offended" or "put off" by comments of Mountaineer fans and then make references to our fans as "hillbillies" and "rednecks" and "inbreds". Maybe if we could get a little less of THAT (particularly from a fan base located in KENTUCKY of all places) we'd be less likely to chant "Karen Sypher" at a head coach.


Foul-mouthed West Virginia Mountaineers student section under fire - ESPN

Planes with maintenance problems have flown anyway - USATODAY.com

Great report by USAToday about outsourcing airline maintenance to the lowest bidder, shoddy oversight by the FAA and the ever constant pressure from consumers who demand ever cheaper flights.

Planes with maintenance problems have flown anyway - USATODAY.com