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Fred Harrison
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I'm not sure about the proposal to split the topics up. I imagine David has thought about it. But, just to illustrate the problem, the gun stuff, which doesn't interest me either, began as a travel piece, a trip report from Las Vegas. How (and precisely when) one disaggregates these things to topic-specific newsletters or blogs would pose quite a challenge. Same with gadgets. Many of the gizmos David reviews are, one way or another, travel-related. Not all, admittedly. But the somewhat eccentric choice of topics is part of TTI's charm.
Some of the disappointments seem to be power-related. Apple is clearly struggling to extend battery life. Sensible. By contrast, HTC's new EVO, a supposed iPhone killer, sacrifices battery performance for a few extra bells and whistles. One reviewer (http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/29/htc-evo-4g/) reports a struggle to squeeze four hours of moderate usage out of the thing. And that's without turning on the 4G antenna. Unacceptable.
Good work re BA. But the travel perks question isn't the only outstanding issue and it isn't quite as straightforward as you suggest. I gather BA will probably reinstate the privileges, but crew who went on strike will lose their seniority for the purposes of calculating travel allocations. That was an explicit written threat presented by management early on. Presumably the company feels conceding on the point will weaken its position for the future. The other outstanding issue concerns disciplinary proceedings against a number of union members, mostly with regard to behaviour while on strike. Willie Walsh seems intent on standing firm on this one. What's needed now are face-saving compromises from both sides.
Toggle Commented May 21, 2010 on This Week's Airline Roundup at The Travel Insider
I see the rules have been changed again: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8685913.stm But this isn't about responsiveness to day-to-day fluctuations, the change you point to above. It's about allowing higher exposures for short periods. Now would be a helpful time for engine manufacturers to disclose their risk assessments.
Fred Harrison is now following David Rowell
May 17, 2010
I'm surprised that the seriousness of this situation is only now dawning on people. It could continue for many months -- or, if the 10 times larger Katla volcano blows as expected, years. As prospective travellers adapt, the impacts will cascade through the travel and tourism sectors, particularly in Europe, and very particularly in the UK, which is highly aviation reliant. I wonder how many British summer vacations have been quietly shelved already by families fearful of cancelled flights or being stranded at Terminal 2. Terrorism, the Great Recession and now volcanoes. What next?
Um, what are the chances of Gulfstream and Nasa actually arriving at the same noise threshold "independently"? And what does cost effective mean in this context? Aerion says its offering, if developed, would cost around $80 million each, in an 8-passenger configuration. Gulp.
In a way, I suspect I'll regret the change. Writing "on the fly" is all the rage of course, but what I've always enjoyed about the weekly letter was its capacity, on major stories, to reflect subsequent disclosures and developments. I've a feeling you'll have some cause to regret the change a bit too. You'll be switching from a weekly marathon to a daily -- or, knowing you, more frequent -- sprint. Your routine is about to change completely. That said, all credit for making the change, and for doing a "soft launch" so that all of us -- author and reader alike -- get a chance to adapt. By the way, I hope you stick with this unadorned look. Very easy to read.
Fred Harrison is now following The Typepad Team
May 9, 2010