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Prince William and Kate Middleton Get $300 Refund

This article was written by in Travel. 22 comments.


I’m no stranger to malfunctioning entertainment equipment on airplanes. Most of my flights are five-hour-long trips across country, and though I’d like to use that time to read or write, I’m usually not motivated to focus much in the confined space. I find myself preferring to listen to music or watch television when it’s available. On several occasions, my in-flight entertainment did not work right. Since I travel in economy coach class, the entertainment in almost always an additional cost. If the system is not working properly, I can opt to not buy the add-on service.

The situation is different for different travelers, apparently. If you are the royal family and you’re traveling in first class, the rules are different. Prince William and Kate Middleton experienced trouble with their entertainment system on a British Airways $8,000 per seat first-class flight from Los Angeles to London. Not that they need the money, British Airways was kind enough to refund the Royal Couple $300 for the inconvenience.

The refund is a bit excessive. $300 could pay for cable for at least six months in the United States. I’m not sure how the airline determined the couple’s suffering was worth this much, but I’d be happy with a refund of half that if my entertainment options malfunctioned for a ten-hour flight.

Is there any situation where a $300 refund for a malfunctioning entertainment system for as long as ten hours is warranted? Does it cost the airline more to deliver entertainment to first class than to economy? Even if every seat in first class were to have its own 3D HDTV, the refund is excessive. What would be an appropriate refund? On Continental, the price for in-flight entertainment is about $5 per seat. That seems like an appropriate refund amount.

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PenFed Credit Cards Review

This article was written by in Credit. 5 comments.

Even though you’ve probably seen hundreds of commercials for Discover, Citibank, Chase, Capital One, Bank of America and American Express, the best credit card issuer continues to be Pentagon Federal Credit Union, and their line of five — only five — credit cards, three of which we list below. PenFed is a credit union designed to focus on members of the military, but anyone can apply and be approved. The only requirement is that you be a member of the credit union, which can be obtained in a variety of ways, explained below.

Here is a quick review of each of the three credit cards currently offered by PenFed.

VISA Platinum Gas / Cash Rewards CardPenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card. This credit card is one of the kings of the cash back credit card world, offering 5% cash back on gasoline purchases paid at the pump, fuel purchases for airplanes and boats receive 0.25% cash back, and 0.25% cash back on all other purchases. This 5% cash back on gasoline purchases is the largest reward offered today for this spending category, and with no maximum or cap on the amount of rewards you can earn, this card easily finds its way into thousands of consumers’ wallets. The PenFed Visa Platinum Cash Rewards Card charges no annual fee, which is rare these days considering the sweeping credit card reform. The card’s credit line is up to $50,000, but the level of credit an applicant qualifies for depends on his or her credit history.

PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® CardPenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card. A top-notch travel rewards credit card, the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card offers 20,000 bonus points after spending $650 within the first three months of card ownership. That’s worth $250 toward your next round-trip airline ticket. All cardholders receive five points for every dollar on airfare purchases and one point for every dollar spent on all other purchases. Like all other PenFed credit cards, the PenFed Premium Travel Rewards American Express® Card carries no annual fee.

PenFed Promise VISA CardPenFed Promise VISA Card. For those not interested in rewards and more concerned about finding a low interest rate, the PenFed Promise VISA Card carries one of the lowest interest rates available today. First, the card offers an introductory purchase rate of 7.49% APR for 36 months. Following this introductory period, the purchase APR changes to 9.99% variable, which is still low compared to other credit cards on the market today. Without a rewards program, the PenFed Promise VISA Card offers other perks. This card is 100% fee-free, so there is no cash advance fee, no foreign transaction fee, no balance transfer fee, no annual fee, no late fees and no over-limit fees.

PenFed is a credit union, and in order to be approved for this card, you must be a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. Becoming a member is simple, and can be accomplished by meeting one of the following criteria:

  • Members of the United States Military or Uniformed Services
  • Employed by the US government
  • Members of an eligible military association
  • Family members of someone in the United States military
  • Employees or volunteers of the American Red Cross
  • Employees of a qualifying organization
  • Residents of a military base
  • One-time donation of $15 to Voices for America’s Troops
  • One-time donation of $20 to the National Military Family Association

Although the Pentagon Federal Credit Union is designed for military members and employees of the U.S. government, it’s quite simple for anyone to join. The one-time donations are likely the easiest gateway for most people who aren’t eligible through the other requirements.

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Manpacks

This article was written by in Consumer. 36 comments.

I’m a big fan of automation. Not having to think about mundane things on a regular basis is always attractive, since I want to be able to focus on things that are important as often as possible. Enter Manpacks, a service that automatically sends male underwear every three months, which they figure is just often enough to keep you well stocked.

On its face, it seems just about perfect: I’d have fresh, clean clothes for $8 a month. I certainly spend more than $8 a month on less important things, and I suspect some of my undershirts could use replacing, not to mention the mysterious drop in sock attendance I’ve noticed lately. (Mysterious, but par for the course.)

I did a little digging, both on the site and in my brain, and discovered some other aspects:

  • Shipping is $6, every three months, so it’s really $10 a month (admittedly not a huge jump)
  • I really have no idea how often I buy new socks, or other underwear. I know it’s more than every three months, but does that make me a slob?
  • There’s also the environmental cost of having trucks and planes deliver me this package every three months, when I could just be buying only what I need the next time I’m at the store buying other things
  • What do I do with the old underwear? (Pleasantly, Manpacks has some honorable suggestions, including Goodwill.)

As you might know, I’m currently aggressively paying down my credit card debt, (except when other things get in the way), but I’d love to live vicariously through one of you. Do you subscribe to any automatic necessity delivery services, clothing or otherwise?

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What the iPad Is and Is Not

This article was written by in Consumer. 42 comments.

I’m an Apple fan, which I define as being anybody who takes time out from the workday two or three times a year to watch their media events and keynote speeches. I’m happily using a Mac Mini as our entertainment hub at home (Boxee, Front Row and Hulu Desktop? Yes, thanks), I use a MacBook Pro for work, and both my wife and I have an iPhone.

Earlier this week Apple showed off their forthcoming device called the iPad, which they explained is something in between a laptop and an iPhone (or iPod Touch). They pointedly contrasted it with Netbooks, as well they should, since tablets and netbooks serve different purposes. If you sold hardware, and you had to decide which aisle to put the iPad in, you’d put it in the “tablet” aisle.

The rumors and speculation leading up to the reveal were rabid and annoying, as is the resulting disappointment and backlash. I admit I was initially disappointed, too, but I gave myself some time for the information to percolate, and here’s what I’ve concluded.

It’s the User Interface, Stupid

There will always be a kind of person who can’t understand Apple’s appeal. All they see is another computer, but more expensive. My main problem with Apple used to be that you couldn’t buy software for it in the mall, you had to use a catalog, but the Internet fixed all that. I spent more than ten years suffering through Windows before I finally had the resources to switch. And I’m happier for it, since I’ve found that Apple developers think through many more user scenarios than their Windows counterparts do. The interface just makes more sense to me, but it’s clearly not for everyone. You have to unlearn a lot of Windows before you can learn OS X.

“It’s just a huge iPod Touch.”

There’s only one positive hardware difference between the iPad and the iPod Touch: it’s much bigger. But I’ve never had trouble reading anything on my iPhone. When something is too small, I just zoom in. So at first, the iPad was looking nearly useless.

At the Apple event, they made one huge mistake, which was that they didn’t show off any third-party apps which took advantage of the bigger screen. (Gaming might be enough for some audiences, but not yours truly.) They showed off some existing apps, but zoomed them in. Whoops. It wasn’t until the next day that I started imagining special iPad-sized apps for, say, Nurses, or engineers on oil drilling platforms, or cruise directors, or stage managers at fashion shows, maybe. You know, people that you often imagine holding a clipboard. People that need to see a lot of information at a glance.

Is It an E-reader?

Apple talked about the iPad being great for books, newspapers and magazines. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried reading an entire book off of a normal computer screen, versus something that uses electronic ink like Amazon’s Kindle. I have, and I failed each time. It simply hurts the eyes. I tried the Kindle app on my iPhone, and had the same problem. I will reserve official judgment until after it starts shipping and I get some reviews from normal folks, but my suspicion is that it’s not good for reading books.

Is It an iPhone Replacement?

I would say that if you already have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you won’t be replacing that with an iPad, if only for this reason: it doesn’t fit in your pocket. That means you can’t plug in some headphones and take it outside to go rake the leaves.

“That keyboard looks weird to type on.”

I agree. Especially in the preview video, when typing with both hands, it looks awkward. But then I remember that I had the same doubts when the iPhone was new. In fact, the software keyboard was, in my opinion, going to make or break the iPhone’s success. Then I taught myself to type on it, and it’s fine. I’m hoping that with the iPad, you’ll still be able to reach around with your thumbs and type that way. I’ve gotten pretty fast.

“What’s this about no multi-tasking?”

While I haven’t personally found much need to run simultaneous apps on my iPhone, I can understand the usefulness. Contrary to some reports you may have heard, you can listen to music while using other apps. That is unless Apple has grown more stupid since the success of the iPhone, because I can do that on my iPhone.

What It Does Well

To summarize, I think the iPad will be good for:

  • People who often carry clipboards
  • People who spend too much time on airplanes (because of the battery life)
  • People who sell books, magazines and newspapers. If you’re in this group, please consider choosing just one business model instead of insulting your subscribers with advertising.
  • People in the entertainment industry. It’s likely more effective to show off your demo reel on a tablet screen as opposed to a mobile phone screen.
  • Helpless early-adopters and interminable show-offs. (Not judging, I swear. I love you guys. You let me play with the shiny toys before I decide if I want to buy one.)

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Wrapping Up a Decade: Better Off in 1999 or 2009?

by Flexo

This decade flew by. Ten years ago, I had recently graduated college and had been working for a non-profit arts organization. At this point in my life, I didn’t know it, but I was setting myself up for financial problems. Despite working 80 or more hours a week during the summer and fall, despite living ... Continue reading this article…

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Get Ready to Pay More to Fly

by Flexo

As gas prices approach $4.00 nationally this summer, airlines are looking for ways to keep their profit margins without increasing ticket prices. Even though the average today is still “only” $3.20, some airlines have begun to make some changes. Carriers have been scrambling for ways to “up-sell” fliers, including selling first-class upgrades, fancy alcoholic drinks ... Continue reading this article…

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The New Emergency Fund: Five Components of an Emergency Plan

by Flexo

In an world of overly simplified platitudes and one-size-fits-all “advice,” there is little repeated more in personal finance than the importance of the emergency fund. Typical popular financial advice prescribes a high-yield savings account in which one can store three to six months’ worth of expenses. Suze Orman suggests aiming for eight months’ expenses in ... Continue reading this article…

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Ten Free Ways To Improve Sleep, Part 1

by Flexo

I’ve never been a good sleeper. Even as far back as high school, I remember lying in bed for hours before finally drifting off and having trouble getting out of bed in the morning. This continued for a long time. College wasn’t much better, and after college it was more of the same. I’ve used ... Continue reading this article…

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