Astonishing Digital Recreation of the "Miracle On the Hudson"

If you have not seen this incredible digital recreation of US Airways flight 1549 and its miraculous landing on the Hudson River after a mid-air collision with birds caused both engines to shut down, you should watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tE_5eiYn0D0#t=109

London: The Rest of the Story

Christmas and New Year celebrations with family followed my return home from London in mid-December until now. Here, finally, is the rest of the story.

Only a lost soul could fail to find fascination with Central London around Christmas. My few days on foot in and around Mayfair were uplifting. Recovering from the shock that posh areas of London real estate no longer support more than a paltry number of traditional English pubs, I settled into the routine of dining at fast-paced shops like Itsu (fresh, delicious Japanese fast food, a new take on the Pret a Manger business model).

The Millennium Hotel London Mayfair continued to disappoint in small ways. Like being nibbled to death by ducks, a series of little things galled me. First, it was the bait-and-switch tactic of refusing my early check-in request, instead trying to make me pay for an upgraded room that was miraculously available while my standard room was supposedly not ready. Then the heating failed around midnight during a cold snap and wasn't fixed until almost 24 hours later. I was given an electric space heater to tide me over.

The bank of three hotel elevators never seemed to be sufficient for demand despite going up just 8 floors and the hotel not being fully booked. The hotel service providing Internet connection to my laptop double-charged me, or, rather, said it did on screen. When I called the business center for help, no one knew exactly what to do. "Take the matter up when you check out, and tell them not to charge you," I was told confidently. In the end the hotel comped my ISP charges because they could find no record of them when I did check out.

Two high spots at the Millennium: On a rainy night I was offered a complimentary umbrella for my walk to dinner and told not to worry if I lost it, and I found the depressing-looking lobby bar to have a very nice staff which took pride in delivering genuine service. None were English, which I found typical everywhere in London. The manager was Filipino, and the waiters came from Latvia, Macedonia, and Italy.

On the whole, however, I could not recommend the Millennium Hotel London Mayfair again. A short stay several years ago brings back fond memories, but not so this one. In addition to not receiving good value for the money spent there, the property is a wee bit shabby and frayed and not up to first class standards for such a location.

The journey home was divided into three parts: the cab from the hotel to Paddington Station; the Heathrow Express train ride Paddington to the airport; and the flight itself.

Whereas the taxi inbound stuck to city streets and took about ten minutes to reach my hotel, the driver to Paddington took me on a wild goose chase that chewed up 30 minutes to Paddington and cost double on the meter what I paid arriving London. He knew I wasn't happy about the delay and accepted his fare sans tip without a protest.

I had left the hotel early at 8:00 AM for my noon flight just in case. Lucky I did, because the next leg on Heathrow Express was also delayed. Our train left Paddington late without an explanation, and I noticed some people were fidgeting already and murmuring about being late for their planes. Regulars take the 15-minute train schedule as an article of faith, apparently.

Then the train stopped numerous times en route to Heathrow, resulting in a mild panic among the train's patrons. The driver finally came on the P.A. and announced a train had been sidelined due to a fire earlier in the morning and was left sitting on the tracks ahead, dead and impeding the flow of trains between Paddington and Heathrow. She apologized for the delay, but that didn't go over well on board because it didn't get us to the airport any sooner.

Having left Paddington at 8:48 AM (scheduled departure apparently had been 8:30 AM), we arrived Heathrow at 9:31 AM, about three times longer a journey, once moving, than Heathrow Express explicitly promises. I stood out of the way as the doors opened and the wild-eyed sea of humanity exploded onto the underground platform and then bolted en masse for the elevators and stairs. Once again I was glad I'd left early.

Once off the train I stopped by the Heathrow Express ticket window to see about a refund (Heathrow Express promises one if they are late). I was told no refunds are given if the delay is "not our fault."

But it was your train that caught fire and was left dead on the tracks after the passengers had been evacuated earlier in the morning, I said. Well, the nice lady explained, the passengers on THAT train DID receive a refund, but not patrons of ensuing trains. I failed to see the logic of her official line, but I knew a lost cause when I saw one, and departed to find my flight.

The night before I was delighted to find an email informing me that my business class upgrade came through on American Airlines for my nonstop LHR/RDU flight. It was worth the miles and the $350 to escape coach, where every seat was filled. AA has a dedicated check-in area for premium customers (first and business) at Heathrow Terminal 3, and I made my way to it. It's a strange small glass-enclosed area jutting out from one side of the terminal and not easy to spot.

Once inside, the bitter cold morning air followed me and dozens of others as the automatic glass doors stayed more open than closed. I found lines at the two check-in counters open and joined one. By the time I received my boarding pass, it was past 10:00 AM.

I cleared security (this was before the mad crotch bomber of Christmas Day, but I still thought the security portal was pretty tough) and walked around aimlessly looking for the AA premium class lounge. Terminal 3 is not well-designed to get one to boarding gates and lounges, but it is exceedingly good at luring unsuspecting people like me into the maze of stores. My native navigation skills for getting around places like Terminal 3, usually superior, let me down that morning, and I finally asked for directions. Even with help, I made a wrong turn before finally arriving at the lounge.

AA has done a nice job appointing and stocking the Terminal 3 Heathrow lounge. It's light, airy, spacious, and offers excellent selections of food and beverages. My time there was limited to 40 minutes, though, as it was approaching 11:00 AM, and I knew I had a long walk to my gate.

Sure enough it took almost 20 minutes to reach the boarding area. Not more than 10 minutes later boarding was announced. I was standing by the door, now open, and waiting for an agent to check my documents for a third time, but one never arrived. People started streaming down the jetway ahead of me, so I joined them.

On board I had been assigned the aisle right-side bulkhead seat, 2H. I thought it odd that the window seat beside me, 2J, remained empty during boarding, and later realized 2J is the designated pilot crew rest seat. I was up and down the entire flight letting pilots in and out as a result, but I still prefer 2H on the AA 767 international seat configuration.

A surly, rude deadheading AA flight attendant was seated one row back in the center section (3G), and she had apparently brought every suitcase she owned with her. She'd been allowed to board ahead of us paying customers and proceeded to fill every overhead bin, including mine, in the first two rows. I had to go back to the third row to stow my carryon bag and briefcase. It was irritating to see at least two nonrev passengers (the pilots and the F.A.) reducing the 767 business class section from 30 to 28 seats and also taking the overhead space available for customers paying up to $6,000 for the privilege of flying in business.

Every seat was pretty soon filled, and not a square inch of overhead space remained. The miniscule 767 coat closets in business class were stuffed completely full. The FAs in business provided cheerful service despite the crowding. As I accepted a glass of boarding Champagne, I mentioned to the FA that I sure would be glad when AA put a 777 back on this route. She sighed and concurred, saying every flight attendant hates working the international 767s in both classes because the spaces are so small.

Our noontime departure came and went, and I began to fret over the delay. It had begun snowing, just a few flakes at first, but now it was snowing hard. I didn't want to get stranded in London. (Little did I know that Heathrow and Gatwick would shut down later the same day due to heavy snow and would not reopen for several days.)

Turns out we had to be deiced, a first for me in London, and the plane pushed back at 12:21 PM. We endured a lengthy wait in line to take off, but ultimately we arrived at Raleigh early, so my worries were in vain.

I have been a harsh critic of onboard service in US/Europe business class on AA and on Delta the past few years, so I am pleased to report that the 6-course meal served me on this flight was outstanding. Every dish was tasty and fresh, barring one dried-out piece of fish. The FAs just kept the service coming the entire flight.

The AA business seats were somehow more comfortable than I recalled, too. When they were first introduced, I didn't like them.

I also enjoyed the movies and entertainment on the flight. Altogether, my LHR/RDU flight was a very pleasant experience. (When have I said that recently?) Of course the crotch bomber rules were not in effect then, so I have no idea what that's done to diminish premium class service on US-bound flights now.

Coming in from overseas gave me the opportunity to check out the new international arrivals area at RDU. One of the long escalators was not working along the dedicated overhead concourse from the gate to the Immigration and Customs desks, and that made for a long, slow walk. Otherwise, it was as friendly and quick as it used to be. Again, I wonder what, if any, impact the crotch bomber rules are having now at the Raleigh/Durham Airport port of entry.

I am glad and surprised to have enjoyed this trip as much as I did. After all I didn't expect much--just another business trip. Going with a neutral attitude and low expectations can sometimes lead to a happy adventure like this one.

Happy New Year!

London So Far

On a brief business trip to London (Sunday-Wednesday), these quick impressions after a Sunday walking around central London:

Arrived a few minutes behind schedule at Heathrow this morning after a miserable 7 hrs 45 mins from RDU in coach on American Airlines--truly one of the worst flights I’ve ever endured in 49 years of flying. I slept in fitful on again, off again 5-10 minute naps for several hours but could never really get rested. Too many people and too cramped. Two lavs were out of order, which added to the misery, and almost every seat was taken. The onboard AA crew was nice as could be, but there was nothing they could do to make the cramped and uncomfortable seating conditions any better.

A good reminder why I always spend miles to upgrade. I tried to upgrade on this flight, but AA took away its 3-class 777 last year and replaced it with a 2-class 767 on the RDU/LHR route. There simply are not enough Business Class seats to fill the demand on this route, so it's difficult to get upgraded.

Plane landed at 9:26 AM. After an interminable walk through the new BA terminal at Heathrow, I breezed through customs/immigration with no wait, then walked another several miles (felt like—not really) to get the Heathrow Express train into Paddington (a 3 minute wait once I finally reached the Heathrow Express platform underground), and was grabbing a cab to my hotel by 10:07 AM. Very quick to the city after getting off the plane (I never check luggage, so didn’t have to wait for it).

Despite promising me an early check-in, the hotel (Millennium London Mayfair in Grosvenor Square near the American Embassy) jerked me around by saying my room wasn’t ready unless I wanted to pay an extra $70/night (times 3 nights = $210) for a better room that was ready. I told them to stuff it, left my luggage with the porter, and walked around for 4 hours until the 2pm check-in time.

Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I went on a grand tour of Spencer House (only open on Sundays ten months of the year—and saved £3 by being over 60), the finest 18th century townhouse still standing in Europe.

Weather typically English: partly sunny for a half hour, then cloudy, then rainy, then cloudy, then rainy, then partly sunny. Chilly for London (30s-40s Fahrenheit). Had to use my earmuffs and gloves until I walked enough to warm up.

Mayfair is one central London district that charges tolls to all vehicles except London Transport buses at certain times and days for traffic congestion. Mayfair has also installed a number of electric meters where electric cars can park and “refuel.” I saw one small electric car, which looked somewhat like a Smartcar, parked and plugged into one of the electric stands (and took several pictures) around Berkeley Square (between Grosvenor Square and Piccadilly).

Mayfair (and perhaps the rest of London) also now has a system (assuming you can find a parking place) to use your cell phone to call and pay for on-street parking—innovative, I thought.

Walked the length of Piccadilly Street from Regent to Hyde Park Corner, around and through most of Green Park, around part of Buckingham Palace, part of Birdcage Walk, St. James, much of Mayfair, Regent Street, Burlington Arcade, Swallow Street, and more.

Stopped at Hamley’s, Liberty’s, and Burberry’s, all jam-packed with shoppers. Nothing is discounted here. You’d never know we are in the midst of the worst recession in living memory. Prices are astronomically high for all goods. Food seems a bit more reasonable. Main London shopping drag, Regent Street, was wall-to-wall with people shopping. It was difficult to get into some stores or even to walk past them.

Bought two fuzzy animals at Hamley’s Toys for the kids (the store is celebrating its 250th anniversary).

Also bought a shockingly expensive black business overcoat at Burberry’s (don’t ask; don’t tell), but I had to have something presentable tomorrow to look prosperous and professional—and that fits. I am too fat to wear the Burberry coat I bought 30 years ago this month in the same Regent Street Burberry store.

I am very disappointed to find that London pub life has all but vanished. I went into 4 Mayfair pubs this afternoon/evening looking for a pint and supper (including the Connaught), and they’ve all gone upscale. Not one had English bitter on tap. They are all selling very expensive wines and liquors, and I found each one to have just a single draft beer, often Stella Artois. Prices for fine wines were predictably through the roof, but no English bitter or even draft beer? I take it to mean that there’s no market for traditional English beer, either.

Another sad trend: Even at the Connaught’s vaunted bar and restaurant, there was not one English server. All speak with heavy accents and are from the Continent. Out of curiosity I began asking where they are from, and got these responses: France, Italy, Macedonia, Philippines, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, and Belgium. The French are particularly numerous and annoying. They seemed to have taken over Mayfair wait service.

Another phenomenon I somehow overlooked on previous trips: Pret A Manger outlets have sprung up everywhere. They are good but, again, no English person need apply. Every employee I met in the two I visited was from somewhere else and could hardly understand my order, nor I their thick accents in reply. (According to my cursory research, some years ago, of the company's London employees, 19% were from Britain, and 60% were from other European Union countries, mainly Eastern Europe. Pret A Manger employs 1 in every 14 applicants.)

So London is not the city I left 30 years ago (I lived and worked in the UK 1979-80). Of course I’ve been back many times since, but always with someone and usually on business with no spare time. Sunday was the first day in 30 years I’ve had to spend on my own (that is, alone) looking closely at things and comparing to my 1979-80 memories of living here.

I was quite surprised to see the levels of conspicuous consumption in the major shopping districts Sunday. A bartender told me that last Saturday (8 days ago) total UK retail sales topped £220 million, setting an all-time single day sales record. I don’t understand why they are not feeling the pinch of the recession as we are, but honestly you would never know there is a recession here.

Same with Mayfair hotels. I wandered into several upscale hostelries (well, of course they are all upscale in Mayfair) and asked for their rates and discounts (trying to plan ahead for better hotel rates if my business deal moves forward, since I know I’ll then be back with some regularity). All said this fall had been one of their busiest in years, with virtually no vacancies. I could find no hotel discounts in Mayfair, and I don't think it's simply because of the proximity to Christmas.

Who knows? These are but a few impressions with no quantitative analysis to back it up, but there’s a palpable sense that Christmas sales are way down in every Raleigh store, and that is not the case here in London.

Still and all, a surprisingly good day as a pedestrian in London that made me recall how much I loved London when I worked here in the UK and how much I enjoy walking around a European city. All my old haunts are still here, too, even venerable Fortnum and Mason.

Weekend at the Waldorf: Still Incomparable After All These Years

My wife and I try to take our kids to New York for a few days in Manhattan at least every three years, and we made such a visit last weekend. The fall lull between Labor Day and Thanksgiving is a good time to go because the weather usually turns crisp, and New York City is not as crowded as it is during the summer and Christmas holidays. We also plan a few Broadway shows into the mix, and then we do a lot of walking. All in all, very relaxing.

Six months ago when I planned our NYC trip, I was happy to find the Hilton's Waldorf=Astoria (the "=" is not a typo--that's the way Hilton markets the hotel's name) was selling rooms at a reasonable (for Manhattan) asking price. I booked a room with 2 double beds for $315 per night with a potential free upgrade to the Waldorf Towers, the hotel within a hotel where every president since Hoover has maintained a suite.

It's been over a decade since I last stayed at the Waldorf, so I didn't know what to expect. It was always one of my favorite places in Manhattan. I love its location, its posh and lovely decor, and its service. I never had a bad night at the Waldorf=Astoria.

Not that the room was cheap. With taxes the room was going to set me back about $800 for two nights, which isn't chicken feed. Ever since booking it, I scoured various hotel sites for a better deal someplace else just in case some fabulous room rate in a midtown hotel suddenly popped up. But one didn't, so I stuck with the Waldorf. Secretly I wanted to stay there again anyway, and to give my two kids a chance to experience it, too.

Meantime, I copped Orchestra center seats five rows from the stage for Disney's Mary Poppins at the gorgeous New Amsterdam Theater (a Saturday matinee and absolutely not to be missed!), and I found a good deal for similar seats at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular show (on Sunday morning and just OK). We figured we could work in a lot of walking and gawking around the shows, and we'd let our kids decide that they wanted to do on this visit.

Our arrival at the Waldorf was two hours later than we planned, thanks to inbound La Guardia flight delays. The hotel staff immediately won us over with the upgrade to a Tower room, 38F2. Technically, I think, every Waldorf Towers room is called a suite, but ours was the runt of the litter. Not that we didn't like it; we did. It's just very tiny to be called a suite. It has a small foyer, adjacent to which is the roomy bath, a decent-sized closet, and the bed room.

I was very pleased, as was my wife (always important). The extremely high ceilings made the smallish interior of the bed room feel much larger, another plus. The appointments were sumptuous if not luxurious, and the beds extremely comfortable.

The Waldorf Towers only go to 42 floors, so my kids were thrilled to be so high up. 38F2 offers a slightly obscured view of the Chrysler Building which did not disappoint them or us.

The bath room had the usual complement of so-called luxury liquids and doodads, but the bottles were all cheap plastic. The bath soap was the winner. It smelled wonderfully of allspice and cloves.

The tub and shower did not have the now-familiar Hilton curved shower rod and curtain, but it was very large and didn't need the artificially expanded interior. Best of all, the shower's water pressure was strong enough that my six year old daughter had to brace herself in its stream. No water conservation in the Waldorf Towers, thank God! With all that water pressure pumped way up to the 38th floor, one wonders what a ground floor shower experience would be like.

Oddly there remained the vestiges of an extra set of water valves for the shower/tub. The presence of the naked holes where the now disused valve handles once emanated gave the appearance of an old, tired hotel whose owners could not afford the expense of removing the cosmetic flaw. It was the one glaring contrast to an otherwise fine experience.

At check-in a small notice was slipped into the little key holder, the small folded cardboard one gets in hotels. Its title: "Our Dress Code." The Waldorf=Astoria wanted patrons to know that they are "proud of our heritage and of the central role we have always played in New York's social community" and therefore "after 6:00 PM each day" guests were to obey the dress code "for all public areas including our main lobby and restaurants." For men, this was defined as "collared shirt and slacks; jackets are optional." For ladies: "Either slacks, a skirt or dress."

The Dress Code further stipulates that "no shorts, T-shirts, or other very casual attire be worn in the evening hours."

This met with my approval, especially as I was already dressed in a tie, and my family also met the criteria. However, when we ducked into the bar between the Park Avenue entrance grand foyer and the interior Main Lobby (the Waldorf capitalizes it, not me) for a $17 gin-and-tonic (plus tax and tip), my wife and I noticed more than half the patrons did not meet the Dress Code requirements.

In fact we observed throughout the evening and again on Saturday night that many hotel guests had failed to read, or chose to ignore, the Dress Code.

Frankly, I was disappointed in their behavior. I am not a snob, but there is civility, even dignity, in dressing up a bit, and the Waldorf dress code bar had not been set very high to begin with. I thought that at least guests would not present themselves in jeans and T-shirts after 6:00 PM, yet there they were all over the place looking like slobs.

The Waldorf Towers features two unique services. First, there is a separate elevator bank which may only be reached by guests holding Towers room key cards. Second, there is the separate Waldorf Towers entrance on 50th Street. Inside is a small but elegant lobby and exclusive Towers service desk for checking in and out. All very posh and manned by well-mannered, knowledgeable, and surprisingly friendly staff.

We used the Concierge Desk in the Main Lobby several times, and every experience was a good one. Staff were quick and cordial to take care of our every need. For example, my six year old daughter needed several band-aids after developing blisters on her heels from ice skating at Rockefeller Center Plaza (about $19 for both skating privileges and skate rentals--a bargain), and the Concierge desk came up with band-aids and ointment in about 3 minutes.

I have already mentioned the lofty prices for a mere gin and tonic in the Waldorf bars ($17 plus plus). Our light late night supper Friday evening came to a more reasonable $72 all in.

Mornings we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast in the Concierge Lounge on the 26th floor. Though devoid of cooked foods, the selection of comestibles was stupendous for a so-called Continental breakfast, reminding me of breakfast bars laid on at the best European and Asian hostelries. There was something for every taste, and it was all good.

My only nit was that the 26th floor lounge was the sole such facility for the entire hotel, including the Towers. Only guests who paid for or earned the privilege of lounge access were allowed in, of course. Even so, the 26th floor room is not a dedicated space. It is a converted suite with small round tables and over-sized chairs more suited for a smoking lounge than a type of restaurant. Its obviously adapted quality (as opposed to an elegant purpose-built room) was oddly out of synch with the otherwise grand beauty of the hotel's public spaces.

It also seems out of keeping for the Towers not to have its own exclusive lounge. Frankly, sharing the one lounge with the unwashed who must reside in the main hotel is declasse and cheapens the Towers experience.

Weekend hours at the lounge begin at 7:00 AM; Monday to Friday hours are from 6:00 AM. When breakfast is concluded guests may use the lounge for relaxing and enjoy complimentary soft drinks. We did not sample the lounge's evening offerings, if indeed any weekend food and beverages are even available.

So many luminaries from the worlds of politics, business, and entertainment have stayed in the Waldorf Towers that it's hard to make a list. Start with every president since Hoover (who lived in the Towers after leaving office) and go on to Cole Porter (who also lived in the Towers and whose Steinway grand still graces the Main Lobby bar), Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, and Douglas McArthur. Only Buckingham Palace has hosted more heads-of-state than the Waldorf Towers.

I tried hard to find fault with the Waldorf=Astoria experience because no hotel stay is flawless. I mentioned above the few, relatively small chinks in the armor. Overall, however, it was a great experience, thanks in no small part to a great staff obviously proud to be serving at one of the most historic and graciously elegant hotels on earth.

Such an experience, however occasional, stays with me and helps me to endure the countless thousands of pathetic, pedestrian hotels that dot America like a bad rash. I realize, of course, that such a hostelry standard can only rarely be attained elsewhere. But I pray the next time I return to Manhattan that the grand old lady will still be there to enfold me in her arms, and that the Hilton upgrade gods will smile on me once more, enabling me to lay claim to another Waldorf Towers suite for a night or two.

Rail, Air, Automobile: It's All Slowing Down! We're Doomed!

Usually I write about my trials and travails with the airlines, because that's my usual transportation mode. Familiarity with airlines does tend to breed contempt if you fly a lot, and for good reasons, mostly.

Recently, however, I've been experimenting with other transportation options, such as driving when I have to go somewhere less than 300 miles distant from Raleigh (my home), and even taking the train when one's available.

I could spew a lot of words with examples, but I'll be brief because I want to write another, more upbeat blog entry about a delightful weekend experience in Manhattan in the Waldorf Towers.

Regarding my several experiences driving during 2009, suffice it to say that none were entirely satisfactory. With 300 million souls in the USA, and with our Interstates not only over-crowded but crumbling, you just can't get anywhere fast without a police escort, and I am no governor or senator.

Driving a few weeks ago to Washington, DC was another in a growing list of personal disasters to get anywhere near our nation's capital. It took just a bit over two hours to get to Richmond (161 miles) but another four and a half hours to drive the remaining 130 miles. Reason? Traffic, simply too many cars on the road. Weather wasn't bad, just too many cars. No accidents, either. Just too many cars trying to occupy the same stretch of I-95 North.

Returning was no better. I tried to beat the traffic by leaving the city early at 11:00 AM. Apparently everyone else had the same notion because I was still creeping for miles and miles and miles on I-95 South. I can't believe I am writing these words, but flying to and from DC is better.

Or maybe rail? My experience with Amtrak last week right here in North Carolina put the lie to that possibility. I took my children to Greensboro last Wednesday (Veterans Day school holiday, formerly known as Armistice Day) on the train because they love going anywhere by rail. Thanks to North Carolina DOT-Rail Division, which offers several NC-funded trains, there is a good out-and-back connection from Raleigh to Greensboro with a one hour wait time for the return train.

You might recall last week that the remnant of Hurricane Ida was making its slow way up the Atlantic coast, and we got a lot of rain. But not so much to cause floods.

Enough, though, that Norfolk Southern Railway dispatchers, over which Amtrak operates in parts of North Carolina, declared a 15 MPH speed limit for passenger trains and a 40 MPH limit on freight trains.

Why the speed limits? Because NS has cut their track maintenance staff so deeply that they have no one to inspect the roadway when it rains.

Why do they need to do that? Well, they really don't need to do it, barring a deluge and serious flooding (and last week was not that circumstance). The NS culture, however, is so risk averse now that they are scared of their own shadows, so the speed limit was a CYA by management.

Why did they allow freight trains to run faster than Amtrak in the rain? Another CYA. However remote, they don't want the liability or bad press of a passenger train accident.

What was the effect last Wednesday? A 3 hour and 59 minute delay on our return train from Greensboro to Raleigh (which was then going on to New York). I had to call my wife and plead with her to drive the 60 miles to Greensboro to rescue us. The Greensboro Amtrak station, though beautifully restored, is a cold, austere environment with no restaurant or diversion to fritter away a long delay, and it's remote from downtown, too.

The worst news, though, is my discovery (after making some inquiries) that such 15 MPH speed limits are ROUTINE when it rains for Amtrak trains over the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks, and that they are likely to be routine when it rains even for the NY-Washington-Atlanta high-speed trains that eventually come through here.

So much for traveling by rail in that part of North Carolina over the NS Railway.

Can you imagine slowing every train down every time it rains? Trains once gave the post office its proud slogan that went something like this: "Neither sleet nor snow nor rain nor fog nor gloom of night shall prevent the Post Office Department from delivering the mail." The P.O. could make that boast truthfully because mail moved mostly by rail, and trains ran at the fastest allowable track speeds through any weather. And they did that for more than 100 years! So why not now?

Meanwhile, ICE trains in Germany and TGV trains in France are never slowed by a little rain, and they often make close to 200 MPH. Shame on us in the USA.

Finally about my air experience last Friday RDU/LGA: Getting in and out of any New York airport (EWR, LGA, or JFK) is always iffy, but last Friday that darn hurricane (what was left of it) remained stalled over the northeast dumping rain. Clouds and rain at La Guardia always produce miserable delays. Friday was no exception.

Long story short, my AA Eagle flight was 2 hours late, and I was happy it wasn't canceled altogether given the weather. Just another waste of time combined with sheer boredom.

So where does that leave us in the United States in terms of transportation options? I don't have any answers. Every time you head for the train station, the airport, or take to the Interstates, it's entirely a crap shoot.

My advice? Go anyway. Travel is always worth it. Just make sure you bring a book along, or maybe two.

Hertz's Secret Agreement With PlatePassCom Charges You $30 For 30 Minutes on E470 Toll Road Out of the Denver Airport

Be warned that this true tale has so many layers of "wrong" in it that my head is swimming.

In the summers of 2007 and 2008 I have flown into Denver airport and then driven 600 miles up to Montana via Cheyenne, Wyoming to visit my wife's family. Both years we rented a Hertz car.

The most direct route to reach the Interstate to Cheyenne when leaving the Denver airport is via a short stretch of Colorado toll road E470. The E470 link takes about 15 minutes in each direction.

In 2007 and 2008, I paid the tolls in cash. On 8-03-08, for example, I passed two E470 toll plazas and paid $2 + $2 for a total of $4, and then returning to DEN two weeks late on 8-18-08 again paid $2 + $2 for a total of $4 in cash, for a grand total of $8 in tolls.

This summer, however, I paid a grand total of $30, $22 more than last year, to travel the same 30 minutes (15 minutes in each direction). Here's what happened:

In August, my family and I again flew into DEN and rented a Hertz car. Just as in previous years, we traversed the short stretch of E470 to reach the Interstate to Cheyenne, but this year (on 8-08-09) we found the cash lanes have all been closed, leaving no obvious way to pay the tolls.

In place of the permanently closed cash toll booths, I saw new overhead license plate readers, but Hertz never warned us of any automatic billing based on reading our license plates. I wondered how this would play out, but since it was only a few dollars, I didn't worry about it at the time.

Two weeks later on 8-22-09, we returned from Montana through Cheyenne, Wyoming, and once close to the airport we traversed the same short stretch of E470 to get back to DEN. As before, we found all cash lanes permanently closed.

I asked Hertz about it when I returned the car at DEN but the people processing returns had no information.

Then on my 9-15-09 American Express Platinum Card statement I found two charges from an entity called (exactly as printed on my AmEx statement) wwwplatepasscom for $15 each. There was no reference to Denver, to E470, or to the dates we drove on the E470. The charges were dated 8-27-09 and 9-10-09. There was also no reference to Hertz.

I phoned American Express and had them remove the charges as unrecognizable pending an investigation, and I then phoned 1-877-411-4300, the number American Express gave me for wwwplatepasscom.

The wwwplatepasscom customer service rep who answered, Mary Coon, told me that they indeed had charged me for driving on the E470 out of the Denver airport, and that they had a contract with the State of Colorado for toll collection—now entirely cashless—on the E470.

Ms. Coon also told me platepasscom has a separate contract with Hertz to obtain Hertz renters’ credit card numbers so they could charge the tolls direct to the renters instead of through Hertz.

Funny, I thought, that Hertz would be giving third party companies like platepasscom my credit card number WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT.

As if the shock of finding Hertz was willy-nilly handing out my AmEx number to companies I never heard of was not enough, I got another jaw-dropping bit of info from Ms. Coon: She said that the actual tolls were now $2.50 at each toll point (up from $2.00 in 2008), so my actual toll charges were $2.50 + $2.50 for a total of $5.00 on 8-08-09 and the same amounts ($2.50 + $2.50 for a total of $5.00) on our return journey across E470 to get to your airport on 8-22-09.

Not too bad, I thought, just a fifty cents per toll plaza increase from last year.

But then Ms. Coon dropped the bomb on me when she further explained that wwwplatepasscom charges a $10.00 per week “administration fee” on top of the actual tolls for Hertz renters as part of their agreement with Hertz. Yet Hertz did not make me aware of any wwwplatepasscom charges, either in writing or verbally.

Thus I was charged by wwwplatepasscom $2.50 + $2.50 + $10.00, for a total of $15.00, on 8-08-09, and wwwplatepasscom charged me another $2.50 + $2.50 + $10.00, for a total of $15.00, on 8-22-09.

Later that day I contacted the Denver Airport authority, and they are still investigating (they knew nothing about the scheme).

I also phoned the DEN Hertz Station Manager, who identified herself only as Vicki. Vicki told me that I was supposed to have been given a one-page flyer among my Hertz paperwork that explained the wwwplatepasscom charges if I drove on E470. I told her I still have all my paperwork from the rental, and there is nothing there about wwwplatepasscom.

I asked Vicki to mail the wwwplatepasscom flyer to me so I could see it, and I gave her my address, and also my Hertz Rental Agreement number. To date, one week later, I had not received any such flyer from Hertz.

Vicki also advised me to avoid E470 at all costs, saying she and her colleagues NEVER use the toll road any more since it went cashless because of the ridiculous charges.

I then called Hertz Corporate Public Relations to ask:

1. Why I was not apprised of these charges and thus warned before driving on Denver-area toll roads that are part of these agreements;

2. Whether Hertz Corporate knew of the absurd $10/week “admin fee” tack-ons to the actual toll collections: and

3. Where in my Hertz Master Agreement or Rental Agreement that I gave Hertz the right to share my American Express card number with another entity.

Hertz Corporate had no immediate answer, saying they were unaware of the details, but they promised to look into it and get back to me. To date, one week later, I await their callback.

That’s where we are today on the Denver part of the story about Hertz and platepasscom.

But there are more unexpected charges for unwary Hertz renters out there across the country: I also discovered that platepasscom has an agreement not just with Hertz at Denver, but also with Hertz through the Northeast (e.g., NY and NJ tollroads), in the Chicago and Indiana areas, and in Florida and Texas, to collect tolls and charge renters from the license plate tied to your Hertz Rental Agreements.

And there is no relief, no opt-out possibility, when you rent from Hertz. Thus I will henceforth stop renting from Hertz, even though Hertz is my preferred vendor of rental cars. This is not something I do out of spite, but what am I to do? My clients won't pay for these stupid charges, and I am not going to swallow them myself.

This is so wrong on so many levels:

- Colorado, along with Indiana, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and other states rip out their toll road cash lanes, forcing drivers to pay electronically or be subject to huge fees and violation charges;

- Hertz makes a secret deal and doesn't tell its renters about the unreasonable admin fees;

- Hertz dispenses confidential credit card information to third party vendors without the cardholder's knowledge or consent;

- American Express has no idea what the charges are and doesn't really care;

- Denver Airport has no idea what the scam is about; and

- Hertz Corporate claims ignorance of its own company's outrageous scheme.

And nobody, NOBODY seemed to care when I questioned it!

FOOTNOTE: Here are two references to the platepasscom/Hertz deal, the original of which says you are charged only for the days you use it. Then the Flyertalk thread makes it clear that the terms changed:

www.businesstravellogue.com/accommodation/hertz-rental-cars-hertz-platepass-program-allows-drivers-to-use-ez-pass-lanes.html

www.flyertalk.com/forum/hertz/947200-caution-platepass-daily-admin-fee-charged-entire-length-rental.html

If others have had similar experiences with Hertz and platepasscom, or with platepasscom and any other car rental companies, I hope they will comment here.

British Airways: Stupid Is As Stupid Does

Even Forrest Gump's jaw would drop at this news from British Airways, courtesy of my friend, Joe Brancatelli, from his weekly newsletter at www.joesentme.biz:

"British Airways has told travel agents (but not customers yet) that it will begin charging for advance seat assignments effective on October 7. If you want to choose a seat more than 24 hours before departure, it'll cost you $30 in most coach or premium-economy (World Traveler Plus) rows and $75 for an exit row.

"But wait, it gets more insane. Spent thousands of dollars to book a business-class seat on British Airways? You'll pay $90 for the right to choose your seat more than 24 hours before departure. That's not only each way, but per segment. Which means you'll pay upwards of $360 roundtrip in business class if you fly on BA to somewhere via London. Apparently the only exceptions are premium members of BA's Executive Club and full-fare business-class passengers.

"I'll have further details next week as I get my hands on more specifics, but let me give you a quick read: Why would any sane human being give British Airways $90 a segment more after paying thousands of dollars for a business class seat? And why would BA, which is still trying to overcome justifiably negative perceptions of Heathrow Terminal 5 and desperately needs premium-class connecting passengers, think anyone would pay them $360 more roundtrip for the "privilege" of flying over London in a pre-assigned seat? This is the height of stupidity from an airline that increasingly looks like it is being run by top executives who are in over their heads. This is Mickey Mouse.

"This isn't how you treat premium-class customers, who, even if they are flying at a discount, are paying $2,500 or $5,000 or more. It was bad enough a couple of years ago when BA told business-class customers that they couldn't have an advance seat assignment until 24 hours before departure if they traveled on anything but walk-up fares. But to turn around now and try to sell a premium-class customer an advance-seating option is simply pouring salt in an open wound.

"I'll tell you what: Business-class customers have other options if they are flying to and from London. And they can surely find reasons not to connect over London with BA. I suggest you talk with your wallet. If you're booking international business-class travel, avoid BA until it drops this insane fee. And boycott any other carrier that tries to match BA."

Usually posts here are entirely my own writing, but this little item was so astonishingly dumb that I felt it deserved the widest possible audience. It's just stupid, stupid, stupid.

In memoriam

"Wisdom of the grace of God that as we act,
we do not become the evil that we deplore."

- Rev. Nathan Baxter, Dean of Washington National Cathedral

Suffering from jetlag, I woke up in my Sydney CBD hotel room in the early morning hours (Australia east coast time) of 9/11/01 and switched on the TV to lull me back to sleep. It took me a moment to process the horror I was seeing broadcast from New York City, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

Like everyone, I'll always remember where I was when I learned about the attacks on our soil. Yet still, eight years later, I cannot fully understand them.

I agree with what Joe Brancatelli said in his column this morning:

"Today is the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when four passenger aircraft were used as weapons against us. Three thousand people died. Their names and some of their pictures, if not their stories, are here:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/

"What else is there to say? I never seem to know."