mike carey

I open to being corrected on this, but my understanding is that the source of the problem is that the aircraft is inherently unstable and therefore the software is necessary to compensate for that. The original software on occasions misread what the aircraft was doing so was correcting problems that did not exist. So yes, the software can be and needs to be fixed but it will still be fighting the aircraft rather than simply operating it. No matter what they do, I'm yet to be convinced to fly on one of these jets if they return to service.

This made me think of Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister who would say, 'Courageous decision, Minister', which was code for, 'Are you mad?' (I'm not suggesting that you said ambitious to mean crazy.)

What? *Reaches for smelling salts.*

Bon anniversaire!

An interesting question indeed. While @BasketBaller's coming out to his sons was understandably challenging I doubt that them disclosing to their girlfriends would be fraught in any way. My impression is that for that generation being gay is a complete non-issue. They may be interested in how he came out but not that he is gay.

Yes, you are entitled to avoid non-kosher contamination in your food. But whether an airline needs to facilitate that is a separate question. I doubt they have any obligation to provide dietary choices to passengers (they are not obliged to provide food at all, so how could they be obliged to meet specific requirements), but they do so as a business decision. In doing so they do their best to meet those requirements. While they may have a legal obligation to ensure there are no nuts in a meal provided do someone with an allergy, I doubt they could be required to meet all the tests for religious observance. By all means ensure no prohibited foods (pork, shellfish) but expecting that they meet all the minutiae of kosher or halal is not reasonable. (Although halal slaughter is an easy standard to pass.) I seem to recall that in Islam, the obligation to accept hospitality is higher than the obligation to adhere to dietary rules. That could provide a useful way to consider airline food. Choose the option that most closely meets key observance criteria, don't insist on detailed adherence to some set of rules.

Ok, AVG, I confess, I didn't read the article. But then, as a non-Instagram user, I was never the target audience for the 'influencers'. Not that I would have been even if I did frequent Instagram. The whole thing is sort of interesting as a phenomenon viewed from afar but not something that affects me. So, 'yawn'.

Thanks, I figured that. I presume there's still a lounge for those pax, just not as fancy.

On the subject of their Signature Suite, the definition of 'paid' J-class comes up. Some airlines have business upgrades via internal entitlements but many only give them for substantial numbers of points. I wonder if a business seat that cost the passenger 50K FF points counts as 'paid' or 'upgrade'?

This highlights something of a dilemma. AC has this at Pearson, but I suspect nowhere else. Airlines have to have enough traffic at any airport to justify establishing any sort of lounge. My guess is AC only have enough paid J pax to justify their Signature Suite at one airport (so far). Airlines have to balance the selectivity of their lounge access against the volume of traffic that would make a business case for setting one up. You can see that when some airlines share lounges (One World at LAX international terminal) or arrange access for their passengers to another airline's lounge (QF uses Air France's at SFO). (Having set up the Qantas Club, with access by membership subscription, paid or upgraded premium cabin and gold elite status, the lounges became crowded. In recent years they set up Business lounges at their busiest domestic ports for [any] J class and platinum elite status.)

Peter is a delightful man, and pleasant to the eye. I'll be back.

No probs.

Escorts can build their reputations here. Or not. It's their choice.

Is this the man you're talking about? https://rent.men/Relaxwithmee

Indeed, the poster is introspective, wonders what he can do to make things better, and accepts advice with grace. He owns the issue. Apart from that, they're the same [as if].

I have discussed airline preferences with three escorts. They all had elite status, one with each of the big three. Each was [currently] confident in his choice (and none seemed about to change). A fourth favours Delta mainly because his home base makes it the only realistic choice. If the 737 Max comes back into US service, my desire to avoid flying in those jets will override my airline preference for internal US flights.

Ok, got it. I wasn't sure where you were going with that, it could have been either way. Thinking about it, Qantas Club has similar rules domestically here (and 'no ripped clothing' includes the modern trend for 'designer' ripping). Their lounges are pleasant places to be. On my first flight in a number of years (Y class and no elite status) the [male] flight attendant commented on the fact that I was wearing a jacket. (I realise this has veered far away from kosher meals, but that happens.) That range of different gins looks great.

There are dozens of small distilleries here, many of them using Australian botanical aromatics in their gins. I hope that Qantas is using some of them at their gin bar. And, they have a dress code?

I am destined never to experience one of these UA lounges (OK perhaps if I were flying Air New Zealand or Singapore Airlines and they didn't have a lounge in that US port), so the only ones I can comment on are Admirals and Flagship at JFK and One World and Qantas First at LAX. I wouldn't waste my time taking my own food into any of them. Even without having experienced a trans-Pacific flight with an Asian carrier, in any class, I would happily rely on their catering as well, as I do with Qantas.

I had seen his profile, so many men so little time!

I understand your point of view, but to me buying something in the expectation that it will appreciate in value (like company shares) is just as much an investment as buying for cash flow. Of course if you are buying for capital gain, timing is everything. What one invests in is a matter of personal choice. *Yes, I realise shares often provide an income stream in the form of dividends.

I'm a bit like you @BasketBaller, I like to catch a train if I have the option. That trip to Chicago sounds great, but the delays not so much. In big (in area) western countries like the US, Canada and Australia, there's a threshold when you probably need to start thinking of train travel as more like a cruise than a scheduled passenger service. When meals are included in the fare rather than being available to buy would seem to be an indicator of that (even though in the case of the Capitol Limited that's only for the sleeper fare). A long distance trip in North America is still on my list of things to do. I've done them here and in Russia.

I saw that! Rather than 'Next year in Jerusalem', Matt is an exemplar of 'Next year in Palm Springs'! Or anywhere.

Not the look of Cassius for us!

@sexymonk I absolutely agree about @peterhung85 he is a delightful man.