Wednesday-Night 887
March 3, 1999
see 880 13th. Jan, 1999
Reported by Herbert Bercovitz Edited Diana Thébaud Nicholson Robin Wohnsigl VP AC ..Satellite controlled systems, PAWOBs, Russian Stealth fighter, Mirabel Y2k?, Opera girls, NAFTA and U.S. threats .. Copps.. not magazines, but aimed at the Internet, not Culture but our 2 big publishers! ,Brazil , Viva Free Trade, Colin & Andrea Everard, euro with a converter
Following our previous high-flyers*, this week's guests will include Mike O'Brien of IATA. Mike heads the International Airport Development team which reviews and critiques development of airports around the world from the carriers' point of view. Perhaps he can be prevailed upon to discuss the role of airports and passenger handling in the growing number of "air rage" incidents. Bring your stories, peeves - and also your positive experiences -.
Y2K readiness is also within the scope of the discussion, as are environmental issues.
Robin Wohnsigl, VP Air Canada, is expected to add his usual wry perceptions of aviation matters.
Our favorite central banker is away on holiday, but our favorite former minister has comments on the Opening of the National Assembly, Fr. David will add to knowledge
Wednesday Night, March 3rd #887
The $290 Million hug
Despite our best intentions, the evening began with several video clips of straight-faced news reporters discussing the oh-so-terribly-important interview between Barbara Walters .. The bottom line was that this affair had contributed an estimated US$290M to the "Gross Domestic Product"! This includes $34 million to ABC for advertising, where the rate had been boosted by a factor of five, and a similar amount to TIME and Newsweek which had
featured Clinton on the front cover at least 13 times.As expected, the bulk of the benefits will accrue to the lawyers - some $95 Million in fees. Poor Monica only gets $5 M. Following the impressive blow by blow reminder of why America simply cannot be topped as the land of opportunity, we happily moved on to more challenging subjects
Thursday 4 March 1999 Monica madness BILL BROWNSTEIN Hot-damn, she is dynamite. She sings. She struts. She is genuine. Alas, she is Shania. There was no shortage of
thrills on the tube last night. But they were largely generated
by the Shania Twain special that preceded Barbara
Walters's interview of Monica Lewinsky on ABC's 20/20.
VHS Tape available
Mike and Suzanne O'Brien, new faces, were introduced. Mike heads up the IATA Airport development team, a flying squad of experts who advise international airports on how to meet the carriers' requirements in planned expansions. Suzanne coordinates the Jewish General's wonderful Hope & Cope programme for cancer patients and their families.
Air rage
Tuesday, May 18, 1999 Airlines catch some of the blame for passenger rage
Poor pre-boarding serviceJack Aubry ..blame for two out of five "air rage"
cases, (total about 44 a month), on their flights... one-quarter of attendants believe they had suffered passenger assault... low-fare charter airlines promote their flights as
"fun events," setting up their customers with false expectations... No SEX please ...21% of safety infractions -- 19 of 90 -- since 1988 were linked to passenger misconduct. Nat Post]
A video clip suggested that, as airlines try to conserve fuel, the airflow through the passenger compartment is insufficient for the high density of people found in planes today which could explain air rage -the high altitude analogue of road rage.
Is air rage originating in the terminals or in the aircraft? Both, but several recent incidents aboard aircraft have focused attention on the latter.
Complaints from air passengers, in general, are up 25%. Problems exist on the ground with passengers being denied boarding due to airlines overbooking.Passenger service these days equals crowd control as the numbers of passengers increase exponentially.
Flying is no longer a form of transportation reserved for the élite (and experienced) as the real cost to the flying public has gone down to such an extent that many more (including "riff-raff") are travelling, and have great expectations of good treatment. There is also a much higher level of apprehension aggravated by increasingly uncomfortable airports that process people like cattle, the unfriendliness of airport design, lack of information when delays or over-booking occur. Other possible causes include increased length of flights, too much grog, cramped quarters (due to the low pitch of the seats), too much carry-on baggage, restricting movement or a nasty mixture of all of these things.
Saturday 20 March 1999
It's all the rage JOSH FREED The latest rage is É rage.
Everywhere you look, people are throwing temper tantrums
and attacking those around them. In planes and trains, on
highways and in hospitals, angry is in.
The hostility is highest in airplanes, where it's known as
Flier Ire. In recent months, airlines have reported an
epidemic of passengers slapping, scratching, spitting and
swearing at flight attendants. (saved)
IATA's concerns lie with flight crew safety as flight crew have been injured by air rage incidents. Trying to look after passengers and keep them entertained for 15 hours is
difficult. Seat back video systems are now appearing in economy class. Will passengers be able to surf the web from their seats? While this is technically possible, the current
bandwidth is a limitation. At present a maximum of four simultaneous phone calls are supported - but for a jumbo with maybe a 100 passengers surfing the web this is not practical today. Long-haul charters are relatively new and soon we will see ultra-long-haul (18 hours) with increased pressures on good behavior. At the same time, larger aircraft are being designed with capacities of 600 passengers
The problem may worsen as - at the same time - immigration and airline processing staff are being reduced. While a trickle-on approach will work for boarding, at the destination how do you get 600 hyped up people off the plane, through immigration and connected with
their baggage in a civilized way? Simpler controls will have to be adopted e.g. the European-style "green light, red light". Airport signage is a good starting point. Passengers need to be able to follow clear signs and get where they want to go easily. However, the proliferation of concessions impedes progress and contributes to visual clutter.
Airport design needs psychological input. There is too much steel, glass, concrete and hard edges. A "softer" design philosophy would do much to alleviate apprehension - soothing airport music, humane architecture, basic services like providing enough comfortable seats and quiet areas in the airports for travellers, and proper facilities for parents of small children. While IATA has been looking at reducing human interfaces, it appears that what may be needed is a more open attitude towards giving accurate information to travellers, more training for staff dealing with the public and less interference to passenger flow from Security ("Did you pack this bag yourself" may be an important question for security purposes, but it seems pretty silly to most passengers over the age of 6!). Could not more use be made of profiles of trouble-makers?
Over-booking - we learned a new term : "involuntary denied boarding". (This will join PAWOBs in our Robin-inspired lexicon.) Despite the publicity this issue has generated, less than 1% of Air Canada's flights are over-booked. With lower air fares, people are more casual about not showing up for their flights. The airlines over-book to compensate for the no-shows.
Curiously, the discussion never turned to the demographics of air travel, the increasing numbers of older persons who travel and the requirement to accommodate their special needs, such as reduced walking and standing time.
RELATED SITES:
(Each link opens a new window)
The Skyrage Foundation
Lost your luggage? Can't get a blanket? Seat too small? Is it really worth getting that upset about?
When you get on an airplane, you do have some rights. But throwing your food tray isn't one of them.
High Altitude Hijinks
The Smoking Gun's collection of bizarre air rage stories. Funny.
Are pilots overpaid?
The recent American Airlines pilots' "sickout" stranded some 100,000 people. The judge commented on the fact that pilots making over $250,000 were forcing passengers to sleep on the floor. In the restraining order, The judge not only fined the union $10M, but also fined the president of the union $10K and the vice president $5K personally (not refundable from the union). He also commented that he would reduce the war chest of the union to a size that would fit into the overhead bin of a Piper Cub!
Talk turned to pilot wages and airline operating costs. Air Canada's 2300 pilots earn 25% of the wages paid out to the airline's 20,000 plus employees. Fuel is the next highest cost of operations behind wages, while maintenance accounts for only about 10% of operating costs for the big airlines. Start-up airlines pay pilots less than the big airlines; they operate older aircraft and maintenance costs are typically higher, but those costs are balanced by lower cost of ownership.
Pilots have won high salaries due to smart public relations and airlines generally don't have the backbone to stand up to them. It was suggested that the public wants the pilots to be highly paid, it increases public confidence that these people are competent to withstand the "hours of boredom punctuated by a few minutes of stark terror". It was noted that Federal Express just settled with their pilots on the company's terms, a fact that is no doubt partly attributable to Fred Smith's reputation, and partly to the fact that an all-cargo airline doesn't have to worry about the travelling public's perceptions although it does have to answer to millions of shippers!
Anna Chung |
A question from Anna Chung, one of our International Aviation MBA students: in North America, could pilots be fired in the same way that controllers were fired? The situation is not the same for many reasons. Once again, public perception comes into play. Gerald Ratzer commented on Air Traffic Controllers as being the invisible other half of the communication link between the pilots and the ground. The public does not see controllers as being as crucial as the pilots because their work is behind the scenes.
However this raised questions regarding NAVCAN and the competence of Canadian
ATC. Both Gerald Ratzer and Carroll McCormick have written on this issue, pointing out that Canadian controllers are working lots of overtime, in a stressful job, and getting well paid, but a large number of controllers are about to retire. It costs between $250,000 and a half a million dollars to train a controller and the drop-out rate is horrendous. Canada should be expanding training facilities through colleges and with simulators.
Reed Scowen put in a good word for the airports and airlines saying that he goes into a trance, finds flying a non-event and comes out the other end in a good mood. Robin noted that one of the highest rated airlines in the States is South West. It has promoted and helped develop low expectations in its passengers, and the passengers accept this and rate the airline highly."No frills flying" goes back to the highly successful People Express and is certainly a way to address the problem of passengers' high expectations and disappointment.
Monday, May 17, 1999 Royal Bank links up with British Airways
Beats 30 other banks: Airline's clients
offered offshore banking services Susan Heinrich
Financial Post
Royal Bank of Canada will unveil a partnership today with British Airways. The bank will provide offshore banking services for the airline's clients -- a deal that Royal hopes will win it some permanent clients among the 40 million people that fly with the airline each year.
Royal beat out 30 other banks from around the world for the deal.... The minimum $20,000, or £10,000, balance was kept intentionally low to appeal to as many people as possible. ..."They have 80,000 people a year that move from the country that they live in.
Aéroports de Montréal
George |
Mike O'Brien stated that IATA had attempted to persuade ADM to look at long term development, what they will require ultimately and work back. Runway capacity at Dorval is not a problem, but the terminal and passenger handling needs to be improved. The "temporary international facility" at Dorval which cost $50 M offers no permanent solution.
George, another Aviation MBA student, mentioned the presentation made to the class by Nycol Pageau Goyette in which she stated that ADM will implement the first Canadian Free Trade Zone at Mirabel now that the Federal Government had agreed to the necessary conditions. This will hardly be a first. Winnipeg and Moncton are well underway with their zones, Vancouver is not far behind. With NAFTA in place, along with other international trade agreements,Free Trade Zones are becoming less relevant.
Dr. Judith Patterson |
Judith Patterson, Ph.D. , Associate Professor of Concordia's Geology Programme arrived from her curling match at this juncture. Dr. Patterson has written a number of papers on aviation matters, particularly pertaining to alternative fuels. Her work is well-known to several of the other guests.
Gorillas, guerrillas and tourists Congo/Rwanda/Uganda
Taking advantage of Marcus Hope's expertise, the subject changed to this week's hostage-taking and murder of eco-tourists in the Bwindi National Park of Uganda near the Congo border. Marcus pointed out that Rwanda has forced the Rwandan (Hutu) rebels into this always troublesome, very thick jungle area where Congo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
meet, an area which they share with the rebel forces of Congo. Meantime, the situation in Congo between Kabila and the rebels is stalemated.
Banks
On the business front, we watched a 55 second video of an Air Farce comedy troupe member doing a delightful parody of a Bob Dylan number where he sings off 1 x 2 foot cue cards, except the mumbling comedian was sticking it to the M-bank and its services, which, in his rendition, boil down to lots of ATM withdrawals and no teller service.
Québec
In Premier Bouchard's inaugural speech we learn that a "new reinvention" is necessary and that with the first balanced budget in 40 years, youth are now a priority.At the top of the list will be spending programs to help "create the winning conditions". John Ciaccia emphasized the new term "re-inventing Quebec" and said we should be aware of what this implies. The social union goes part of the way, but there is now a window for structural change.
Examination of the Cabinet also is enlightening; many of the ministers are not altogether happy in their portfolios, nor particularly qualified. The tension created would indicate that Cabinet members will have little time to get into mischief plotting referendum strategies.
Meantime, what is the strategy of the QLP? As the people do not feel that the Party reflects their aspirations, change will come from within the Party. Jean Charest needs to focus on making significant and positive contributions rather than focusing on the Referendum,. He needs to articulate a vision, but will he and does he have one?? His first speech indicated the beginning of a vision and support was at 57%, then the party-liners probably intervened and support dropped to 43%. The perception is that Charest is being "handled" far too carefully and is isolated from the caucus. Currently he is surrounded by PC and former Daniel Johnson advisors; he must distance himself from both.
By the same token, Québec needs a new vision from Canada. New ideas should be derived from the PCs and Reform; the federal Liberals shouldn't be allowed to dominate all thinking on Québec. We need a new Révolution tranquille for the whole country.
From the $290 M Hug to air rage to political philosophy, it was a full evening which concluded with a gracious thank you from John Ciaccia to the O'Briens and other aviation experts for a most informative discussion. Finally, on the stroke of midnight, the remaining guests wished John a very Happy Birthday.
From notes by Gerald Ratzer, Carroll McCormick and Diana Thébaud Nicholson
Edited by Diana Thébaud Nicholson
From: (O'BRIEN Mike)
Subject: Wednesday-Night
To: ('David and Diana')
Cc: (POTRYKUS Wanda)
Organization: I.A.T.A.
David and Diana,
Thank you both for a wonderful evening. As you could imagine, we had some
trepidation joining such an established and illustrious group, but your
hospitality, the nicely structured environment, and of course the other
guests, put us both at ease. We look forward to being invited again.
Best regards,
Mike and Suzanne O'Brien
NEWS OF WEDNESDAY NIGHTERS
Misha |
The agreement brokered earlier this
week between U.S. envoy Richard
Holbrooke and Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic averting NATO
airstrikes in Kosovo promises only a
short-term reprieve from a complex
problem that will require years of
intensive diplomacy to resolve.
That is the view of Mihailo Crnobrnja,
the 1999 Borgenicht Scholar-in-Residence, and who is alive and looks well, living in and sending Greetings from Williamsburg... Mihailo Crnobrnja
#891 31 Mar 99 Kosovo Axworthy US & NATO lose! With many Links to the War
Misha Crnobrnja writes from William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia
" … the Conference that we are preparing here on Bosnia …Gen.
Wesley Clark will be the keynote, Eagleburger, Zimmermann, Goldstone
and Bianca Jagger are participating, and yours truly.
Life here is peaceful and mostly filled with research, study, lectures, and writing. I have a lot on my plate: teaching a course on the break-up of Yugoslavia (30 students), helping organize the Conference, writing the new part for the 3rd edition of the Yugoslav Drama, writing a paper for the Conference, and a new book on Kosovo. So intellectually my capacities are used to the brim (and beyond).
I miss you too. I doubt that I will be in Montreal before May 15th but
I very, very seriously repeat my offer: DO COME TO WILLIAMSBURG!"
Mihailo Crnobrnja
Harriet Solloway is changing jobs and continents.
"There may be some administrative delay, but to make a long story short, I have
resigned from the ICTR. After 2 1/2 years, it is time for a change. I have signed a contract to be the Legal Advisor to the Chief of Mission (Ambassador William Walker), at the OSCE mission in Kosovo.
…I am really very excited about the job and the move to Europe. It is a very high level (the senior legal position at the 2000-person mission) and the work will be incredible. In spite of the non-agreement at Rambouillet, it seems that the mission will undoubtedly continue for some time (i.e. 3 years). The Europeans (and Canadians and Americans) are not about to leave Yugoslavia. The thrust may change, but the presence will not.
My departure date is still up in the air, but I am aiming for March 6."
Robert Aarsse and GAP. have now been in New Delhi since last Fall. In a long, witty letter, he tells of their adventures settling in and combating the Netherlands government policy that in "India one should have lower standards concerning loos, bathtubs, boilers, faucets. Thank you very much, not for us." They have traveled extensively and his delightful letter is filled with observations on everything from architecture, urban planning and history to politics, the social condition and caste system.
(NOT WORKING YET!)
Meantime, snail mail is:
GAP.& Robert Aarsse
6/50 Shantipath, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi 11021
Telephone: 91 11 649 87 15
Mile High Club with links to air sites
Closer to home:
#886 Davos Julius Grey intro Miriam Grassby and Bill Holt (Toronto) & Miriam Grassby family law ... "Peace Initiative"
Robert Stewart introduced Jim Barrable ex AC .. talk = GREENSPAN
Jacques Clément "Maurice Strong and William Turner are gurus Davos"
IUCN, FTA, NAFTA, Fr. David
This is one of Alex Weinstein's buildings click on the picture to take a tour
Allen Nutik with his son, Oren, at Zzzap headquarters on Decarie Blvd. The firm sells electricity-related equipment like power supplies and inverters through its Web site. Sales doubled last year to more than $2 million, and Nutik hopes they will double again in 1999.
Wednesday 3 March 1999 Online powerhouse Montreal-based Zzzap plugs into Net with
electrifying results ANDY RIGA (saved)
click to see www.zzzap.com/
Wednesday 3 March 1999
Tracking the rebels Concordia professor lands grant from U.S.
think-tank to develop online archive of
anti-government groups (saved)
IUCN, the World Conservation Union 5oth Anniversary
Mac Mercer distributed copies of the special 16-page advertising section in Newsweek celebrating the 50th anniversary of the creation of IUCN, the World Conservation Union. Entirely paid for by advertisers, Degussa, Hoechst Marion Roussel and Vivendi, the attractive and compelling message reached the world-wide audience so important to IUCN's work. This would have been impossible had Newsweek had to produce a number of split-run editions with constraints on advertising and content.
See
extend deLavigne through the project, to Atwater? Not a good project! PEGGY CURRAN writes ...
they gave developer Rene Lepine exactly what he wanted -
the right to build 78 dwellings and chop down more than
half the trees on a 276,975 square-foot lot ..- only Jeremy Searle
and the MCM's Michel Prescott voted against -
..But a deal's a deal, and taxpayers can't afford to let an
upscale housing project slip away. It's not fair that
Westmount gets all the high-end developments. Besides,
according to Vision Montrealer Colette Paul, parkland is
overrated anyway - people in her east-end district are
always complaining that they live too close to parks where
rowdy kids hang out. Really, they're doing the residents a
favour.
but .. property-tax revenue on
houses in the $350,000-to-$900,000 price range.
DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE MORNING MEETING SUMMARY
Monday, March 01, 1999
Intel - Charles Boucher
- INTC $119.94 Market Perform was BUY Target: $160.00
- Charles is lowering his rating on Intel from Buy to Market
Perform as recent evidence has shown that PC market growth in the
March quarter is not as robust as earlier indications had
suggested. This is especially true in the corporate PC market
where Y2K effects have shifted IT spending.
- although Charles continues to like INTC over the long term he is
concerned that because of the changing fundamentals of the PC
market INTC will likely be under pressure in the near term
- as a result of the downgrade we will be removing INTC from the
US AGGRESSIVE GROWTH PORTFOLIO
- EPS EST: 1999E $4.50 was $4.65; 2000E $5.30 was $5.45
Friday 26 Feb 99
INTC $130.38 BUY Target: $175.00
INTC was under pressure yesterday due to rumors that the
company's business is beginning to show signs of order slowing
and booking cancellations. Charles cannot confirm the rumors but
he notes that Pentium II demand is no longer outstripping supply.
INTC will be introducing their new Pentium III processor tomorrow.
Charles would not be surprised to see some Pentium II order
cancellations to account for double ordering when the chips were
in short supply. Further he expects that demand for the Pentium
II will slow as OEMs gear up for the transition to the Pentium III
Charles feels that INTC's management has accounted for these
developments in their guidance
the investment case for INTC is still very much intact. Charles
feels that we are in the beginning of a cyclical turn in the
semiconductor industry driven by strong PC demand
EPS EST: 1999E $4.65; 2000E $5.45
the launch of its Pentium III computer despite much pressure from civil-liberties groups. .. at speeds of 450 and 500 megahertz,($696 and $496us per units of 1k) with a 550-MHz version due in the second quarter.
Intel (INTC), said the new chip can transmit a unique serial number internally and to Web sites that request it. Intel said the technology was designed to help online merchants eliminate fraud, but some privacy [idiot ] groups say it gives
companies unprecedented ability to trace a consumer's digital footprints as they wander the Web. {so what ... all the better ti help you]
Intel responded with am avaiable block!
Nonetheless, the Washington-based Center for Democracy and Technology [Maud Barlooows are in the US too] Thursday said it would file a formal complaint about the Pentium III chips with the Federal Trade Commission, alleging unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Other privacy groups previously organized a boycott of the new Pentiums. [more idoits]
Friday, Intel said its Pentium III processors feature 70 new instructions that enhance the performance of advanced imaging, 3-D, streaming audio, video and speech recognition applications.
PC makers said they will offer machines with the Pentium III for prices as low as $1,899 with a 17-inch monitor. That is well below the $2,499 that manufacturers charged for the first Pentium II machines in 1997 and reflects Intel's determination to keep pace with the industry's rapid price cutting.
Medtronic - Steven Halper
Please phone (514) 934-0023
or e-mail us your thoughts.