Clipmarks | reimers's 'airlines' clips

scary... news effect on stock price

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:27:48 GMT

clipped by: reimers
clipper's remarks: Its impact on United's stock was swift and terrible. In the span of 10 minutes, 24 million shares changed hands. The stock, trading at $12.45, crashed to $3, according to Nasdaq. So severe was the market's response that Nasdaq halted trading from 11:06 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The exchange says the rest of the day's trades will stand.

The problem, as most in the financial news industry and traders around the world now know, was that the story was six years old. The Chicago Tribune story ran Dec. 10, 2002, and appears to have been republished or resurfaced accidentally Sunday afternoon on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's site.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

At 10:53 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Monday, a reporter at a Florida-based investor information service did a routine Google search and found a story saying United Airlines was declaring bankruptcy.

It seemed credible: It was from the Chicago Tribune and it was posted on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a sister paper also owned by Tribune. United Airlines parent company UAL (nasdaq: UAUA - news - people ), based in Chicago, has a long history of troubled finances.

He didn't call the company, but he did write up a headline, "United Airlines: Files for Ch. 11, to cut costs by 20%" and published it, not only to subscribers of the Income Securities Advisor, but also through Bloomberg terminals, to which ISA, in the parlance of the Internet news industry, aggregates its content.

Win Points for McCain!

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:44:28 GMT

clipped by: reimers
clipper's remarks: Rewards Program for Online Commenters

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Spread John McCain's official talking points around the Web -- and you could win valuable prizes!

That, in essence, is the McCain campaign's pitch to supporters to join its new online effort, one that combines the features of "AstroTurf" campaigning with the sort of customer-loyalty programs offered by airlines, hotel chains, restaurants and the occasional daily newspaper.

On McCain's Web site, visitors are invited to "Spread the Word" about the presumptive Republican nominee by sending campaign-supplied comments to blogs and Web sites under the visitor's screen name. The site offers sample comments ("John McCain has a comprehensive economic plan . . .") and a list of dozens of suggested destinations, conveniently broken down into "conservative," "liberal," "moderate" and "other" categories. Just cut and paste.

Clip Source: www.johnmccain.com

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Sexy Flyer Lands in Playboy

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:38:33 GMT

clipped by: reimers
clipper's remarks: Boy... I never saw this coming.

Clip Source: money.aol.com

DALLAS (Nov. 15) - The 23-year-old college student who was forced to alter her skimpy outfit before flying on Southwest Airlines is wearing even less on Playboy's Web site.

Crissy Pascual, SDU-T / ZUMA Press

Kyla Ebbert, seen in August wearing the outfit that one Southwest Airlines employee found objectionable, says she doesn't "see anything wrong with the female body."

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Kyla Ebbert appears in a series of pictures - some in lingerie, some nude - under the heading, "Legs in the Air."

"They're very tastefully done," Ebbert said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. "I don't see anything wrong with the female body."

Ebbert said she was paid "less than six figures," but wouldn't give the specific amount.

A Southwest Airlines Co. employee pulled Ebbert off a flight this summer and forced her to adjust her outfit of a tank top, sweater and miniskirt before getting back on the plane.

Tags: playboy, airlines, nude, ebbert

The Airline Rewards Credit Card Prank

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:36:33 GMT

clipped by: reimers

Clip Source: www.zug.com

I'm on the plane, and they're trying to sell me an airline credit card.

This is a sign of desperation, an airline on its last legs: peddling us credit cards during the flight. It's not enough that they've taken our meals, our leg room, and our on-time departures. Now they take our dignity, by hitting us up for an airline credit card while we are held captive on their smelly planes.

Here's how US Airways does it: they turn one unlucky stewardess into a seat-to-seat saleswoman. She gives you the pitch, then she walks down the aisle with applications, while people try to avoid meeting her gaze. It is awkward.

After the commercial, the stewardess walked down the aisle offering applications to anyone who might be interested. Guess what? Nobody wanted one. Surprise. This proves it is a useless promotion thought up by useless marketing people who should be fired.

It was time to prank these guys.

Next: The Prank E-Mail!

Tags: credit, airlines, prank