The Daily Valet. - 9/28/23, Thursday
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Thursday, September 28th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
What’s your frequent flyer program of choice? Me? I’m an American AAdvantage member.
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Today’s Big Story
‘Loyalty’ Up in the Air
Delta CEO Says Airline Went ‘Too Far’ With controversial New SkyMiles Requirements
For regular travelers, having an airline loyalty program can be a real game changer. If you tend to fly on planes, stay at hotels, or spend on credit cards (and so many of us do all three), sticking with a program (or two) can make travel more affordable and often, more enjoyable. Plus, if you play your cards right (pun intended), the rewards can add up relatively quickly.But while it used to be as simple as logging miles in the air, these days it's more complicated. And last week, Delta announced changes to its SkyMiles program that would make accruing status and taking advantage of perks much harder. On the one hand, the changes made the process far more simple: You earn status based on how much money you spend on Delta tickets and other travel booked through Delta, as well as the amount you spend on the airline's co-branded American Express cards. However, the amount you have to spend to reach the airline's top tier (known as Diamond Medallion), has more than doubled since 2021.The changes were so drastic that one of the reporters from The Points Guy declared that he's going to “stop chasing airline status” altogether. According to the Wall Street Journal, Delta's move put it in line with several other airlines, including American and United. But as you can imagine, people were angry. A quick look at the usual places people congregate online will reveal Reddit threads, X (formerly Twitter) posts, and forum conversations illustrating just how strongly people feel about what has been called a “middle finger” to loyal travelers.But then, on Wednesday, in a somewhat surprising twist, Delta's CEO Ed Bastian admitted that the airline went too far with its sweeping changes to its beloved frequent-flier program and will be announcing “modifications” within the next few weeks. He said, however, some changes will need to be made since the number of travelers with top-tier status has nearly doubled since the pandemic. This has created demand for perks such as premium seats, Sky Club space and dedicated customer-service help. And customers have been complaining about crowded lounges and harder-to-snag upgrades.Are these programs simply a victim of their own success? The Atlantic looked a bit depper and found that while the frequent flyer programs started out simple, “like the punch card at a café, where your 11th coffee is free.” But once the airlines joined up with credit cards and started rewarding money spent over miles flown, they turned frequent-flier systems into the sprawling points schemes they are today. “And they turned airlines into something more like financial institutions that happen to fly planes on the side.” What's worse, is that airlines also get to decide how much their currency (in the form of points) is worth and what it can be spent on. Which is why these new systems feels so opaque and, often, unfair.
Dig Deeper:
TIME magazine explores how deregulation in the late 1970s ultimately made the airline industry worse for everyone.
What Does This Mean for Trump Inc.?
The Former President’s lawyers ask judge to clarify fraud ruling’s impact on the Trump business
Donald Trump's legal team sought clarity Wednesday from a New York judge who issued a ruling Tuesday that potentially removes the former president's control over part of his real-estate empire—the very business that made him a national figure and launched his political career.New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, presiding over a civil case brought by state Attorney General Letitia James, ruled Tuesday that Trump and his company had committed fraud by falsely valuing his properties—claiming low valuations on properties to lower his taxes and inflating the value at other times to get cheap loans on better terms. As the Washington Post points out, there's a real difference between Trump, salesman-turned-politician overstating things to close the deal, and the Trump Organization presenting inflated data to potential lenders.The most sweeping part of Engoron's decision ordered the cancellation of legal certificates that have allowed the Trumps to do business in the state. That could have serious consequences for the future of Trump's business and even the homes that his family live in (since they're owned by LLCs under the Trump umbrella). And this summary judgment only resolved the “key claim” in James' lawsuit. Several others remain. Engoron is to decide on those claims and James' request for $250 million in penalties at a trial starting Monday, though Trump's lawyers have asked an appeals court for a delay. A ruling is expected later today.
Calculator:
How much would your house be worth if the Trump Organization owned it? This tool uses calculations taken from the judge’s ruling.
Partner
But having the right sodium levels changes your entire energy level. This supplement has been designed to do just that.
Good, Clean Fun
Cleaning is apparently cool now. No, really ...
These kids today ... when I was younger, I put off cleaning in order to go out and have fun. Of course, I didn't particularly like coming home to a mess, but I wasn't about to forfeit precious weekend time. But thanks to the power of CleanTok (we're talking 84 billion views, here) people are coming around to the fact that staying home on the weekends and completing a chore list makes for one hell of a satisfying Sunday—something I didn't realize until recently.Cleaning evangelists have long drawn fans (remember Marie Kondo?), but the pandemic helped vault cleaning from the mundane to the celebrated. According to the Wall Street Journal, cleaning videos can, for some watchers, elicit soothing ASMR sensations. While others have simply found that tidying up has helped give them a sense that their life is organized.Homegrown hacks, of course, are another big draw: such as scrubbing a couch with a cloth-wrapped saucepan lid, using dryer sheets to clean baseboards, and using a coffee filter sachet of baking soda to deodorize sneakers. The #SundayReset is another trend taking off, which is all about setting yourself up for the week ahead. So embrace your inner neat freak (or introvert) and make a plan to clean up your life this weekend.
Don't Eat It:
Some experts warn that while many of the organizational methods may look pretty, they could put young kids at risk.
Mercedes Beats Tesla on Self-Driving Cars
Hands-off with the first Level 3 autonomous car in the U.S.
Mercedes invited a group of auto journalists to Los Angeles to drive its EQS sedan in some of the worst possible traffic conditions—and they were stoked about it, because it let them test its new DRIVE PILOT system, the first actual hands-free “Level 3” autonomous drive system certified to operate in the United States.You see, autonomous drive systems are ranked from level 0-5, describing how much capability the system has. In general, levels 0-2 are primarily human-driven, and levels 3-5 are primarily driven by the car's onboard computers. The Three-Pointed Star brand recently bested Tesla in achieving Level 3, allowing the sedan to smoothly pilot itself in dense traffic up to 40 miles per hour.According to Car and Driver, when specific driving criteria are met, Drive Pilot allows the driver to look away for long periods and keep their hands off the wheel. For instance, their reporter was watching Beyoncé concert clips and “when the other cars sped up, the Mercedes EQS580 we were driving (riding in? overseeing?) would beep gently, requesting that we retake the wheel.” That's a big leap up from so-called hands-free Level 2 systems—Tesla's Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” included—which still require the driver to be in full control, looking ahead and paying attention.
Meanwhile:
Why did we stop putting animals on our car hoods? Mental Floss examines the disappearance of hood ornaments.
In Other News
It hit the lowest seasonal peak on record, with a missing area larger than Texas.
Travis King, the U.S. Soldier Who Crossed South Korea’s Border Into North Korea, Is Now Back in U.S. Custody
Have you heard about ...
Partner
Health Is a Process
Make sure you’re dialing in your nutrition and hydration with the right electrolytes
How do you know when your electrolytes are out of whack? Your body will let you know—you'll feel sluggish, maybe your muscles will twitch or you'll have some mysterious numbness. You could just feel a little weak and lightheaded. The key to getting your electrolytes back in balance? Sodium, according to the dieticians at LMNT. Their team has found, along with a growing body of research, that optimal health outcomes occur at sodium levels two (sometimes even three) times the government's outdated recommendations.LMNT's popular electrolyte drink not only tastes great, but it delivers a truly meaningful dose of electrolytes without the sugar, junky fillers or artificial coloring found in other sports drinks. Each packet contains 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium—this is the ratio they found works best for obtaining optimal health and hydration. The added bonus? It's vegan, paleo and keto friendly and comes in a range of flavors to suit anyone's tastes.
Try it yourself:
Free sample pack with any purchase. That's eight single serving packets with any order.
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A candle
What does “preppy” smell like? If you ask Jack Carlson, the founder of Rowing Blazers, he might tell you it smells like sweet spice and a touch of tobacco. Because that's what the brand's candle smells like. It's part of Rowing Blazer's highly-anticipated Target collection that just dropped. Much of the clothing sold out almost immediately, but a lot of unexpected gear—from ping pong tables and water bottles to candles—are still available for purchase. But you'd better move fast.
Get It:
Tobacco and Cardamom candle, $10 by Rowing Blazers x Target
Morning Motto
Change doesn’t have to be scary.
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