Some collected chum from the last few days lunchtime reading, all related to communications and transportation:
- From the “Fly the Friendly Skies” Department: Some interesting changes are coming to United Air Lines. The Daily Breeze is reporting how a lawsuit was recently settled that will make some gate changes at LAX for United. Specifically, United is giving up four gates in Terminal 6 (freeing them for other airlines), and giving up the customs facility in Terminal 7 (permitting higher fees). They have also reached a settlement regarding the former United Express terminal over by the Delta hanger. For those that remember it, this was where they used to bus you for propjets back in the Shuttle by United days. When United downsized, they moved the propjets to Terminal 8, and abandoned the Express terminal. Airport officials claimed that by doing this United was stifling competition and contributing to overcrowding at the airport (denying Terminal 8 gates to others). The settlement permits United to keep its propeller planes at Terminal 8 – but only at the gates closest to the street so that passengers aren’t blown off their feet by jet engines of passing planes.
In other United news, USA Today is reporting that United is dropping its Indian call center number for customer complaints. No, they aren’t moving it to the US. They are telling you to write a letter or send email. United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said the Chicago-based airline is able to respond better to customers who write, since they often include more detail, making it possible to provide a more specific response. Phone reservations agents in Chicago and Honolulu will be cross-trained to respond to written customer feedback, too. That will keep 165 jobs in those two centers, she said. No changes are planned at United’s third reservation center, in Detroit, which will continue to take phone calls (including after-flight responses) from United’s largest customers.
- From the “Time To Call Bill” Department: Tuesday, it finally happened. Two satellites collided in space, creating a cloud of debris. There are more details in the space.com article. Basically, what happened was that an Iridium 33 communications satellite collided with the defunct Russian military communications satellite Cosmos 2251. This was the first time two intact satellites orbiting Earth have accidentally crashed into and obliterated one another. The debris cloud is at about 790km above earth, and is currently being tracked. There’s less risk to the Space Station (at 354km), and more for Earth observations satellites, such as NASA’s Aqua and Aura spacecraft in orbit 438 miles (705 km) above Earth. There’s another satellite in a 497-mile (800-km) orbit just above the impact level. The Hubble Space Telescope orbits the Earth at about 372 miles (600 km).
- From the “Beaming the Music Down To You” Department: There’s another satellite collision a-brewin’: It appears Sirius|XM may be heading into bankruptcy protection (again?), and may collide with the owner of Echostar/Dish (Charlie Ergen), who has a bunch of Sirius bonds. This is because Sirius’s satellites are in much better positions than Dish’s, and bad position is one thing hurting Dish against DirecTV. Needless to say, Sirius is now in talks with DirecTV (which now carries its programing as a result of the XM merger). It is also noted that bankruptcy might permit Sirius to get out of some of its expensive talent contracts. Me? I just wish they would get on with it and bring back “Downstage Center”, which has been gone since the merger sacked XM 28.
- From the “Your Circle of Friends” Department: Speaking of mergers, it looks like the merger of Verizon and AllTel may bring the “circle of friends” promotion to select family plans. According to the article, Verizon Wireless, now the country’s largest cellular carrier, is calling the feature “Friends & Family.” It will be available starting Sunday. Customers on single-line plans starting at $60 per month will get five free numbers, and those on family plans starting at $90 per month for two lines will get ten free numbers. Here’s the announcement from Verizon. I’ll have to see if our plan is eligible.
