The guy is full of crap..first of all when you call in for an upgrade they immediately look at your status to see if you fall into the upgrade window for your status.So if yiu have no status they won't even put you on the list. If you do have status there is a slim chance you can pull the wool over the GA but chance s are that if they see the scam they will bust you back and move someone else up.......even at the expense of time.
Imagine the public broadcaster telling the public how to scam a business...that guy ought to be fired for his ethics. If I was AC I would complain to the CBC about his method which was recorded in the LOO on a plane and that seems appropriate.
Strangest thing is that I called in for the upgrade last weekend, and my Elite number was not even on it! Though it was a M fare, but they did not even check whether or not if I have any status at all.
It could be that the AC rep thinks that I may get some status by the time that I fly.
Not to defend the podcaster or his practices, but it seems reactions here have been anti-CBC. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is taken from the journalist's PERSONAL website. The views expressed have nothing to do with those of his employers.
I reckon the problem, if any, is with the podcaster and not with the institution that happens to employ him, and with whom who he has been careful not to associate his personal "How To do Stuff" website.
We wouldn't hold CanWest accountable if one of their employees, in his private time, scammed his way out of paying for a meal, and published the way to do so on a personal website, now would we?
I think that many employers would take a great interest in any of their employees who promoted a means that are decitful or immoral even if their actions were of a personal nature. A persons character says a lot about how much they can be trusted. He can delete any blog entries that he doesn't like, it is his web site. His conduct with regards to trying to actively deceive AC into giving an upgrade with no intent of wanting to hand over a cert is completely different. How much of this travel that he perfected this on was on the CBC's dime? I don't know if any of it was but given his ethics it is a fair question to ask.
Not to defend the podcaster or his practices, but it seems reactions here have been anti-CBC. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is taken from the journalist's PERSONAL website. The views expressed have nothing to do with those of his employers.
I reckon the problem, if any, is with the podcaster and not with the institution that happens to employ him, and with whom who he has been careful not to associate his personal "How To do Stuff" website.
We wouldn't hold CanWest accountable if one of their employees, in his private time, scammed his way out of paying for a meal, and published the way to do so on a personal website, now would we?
All well and good except that the CBC web site has a link to his "hobby" site from the page that contains his column, and unlike most of the other external links it lacks a specific disclaimer. Sorry but the claim that this is his personal site is void when he's using his employers resources to promote it.
It doesn't matter who the employer is (CBC, CanWest, etc.) but the fact that he is teaching the masses to:
a) Try to screw the system; and,
b) Potentially screw it up for the rest of us by potentially delaying flights, angering gate agents, etc.,
is what we are up in arms about.
(And for the record, I said that I love the CBC. )
First, thanks for the lively discussion on here! That piece was always intended as a way to generate interest in my hobby podcast, so I'm glad you found it. I am, of course, a bit embarassed that even as a futurist, I didn't forsee how quickly it would spread.
In reading through your comments, I agree with many of them, so I have pulled that piece from my site. I should have thought more carefully about it.
I did want to clarify a few items:
1. The How to Do Stuff podcast is not a CBC production. It is only my own hobby podcast. In fact, I am on sabbatical from the CBC for a couple of years (though I still produce a technology column for them). This has nothing to do with the CBC.
2. CBC staffers do not fly in full-Y class. Policy dictates that they take the lowest possible fare. The only rule exception they have that I'm aware of is that engineers and technicians are permitted to check more than the usual limit of baggage provided the baggage is required broadcast equipment.
3. When I was with CBC, I rarely travelled on their dime. I do tons of flying, as a professional speaker (my "day job"). ( http://todmaffin.com/speaking/ )
4. I wasn't aware there was a link to my hobby podcast from the CBC site. I know they are in the process of redesigning that page, and I will ensure that link is removed when the new page launches. Thanks for letting me know.
Anyway, either way, I appreciate your feedback and agree with you that it was probably a podcast I should have kept in my over-caffeinated head.
Tod
P.S. This looks like a great board and I'm looking forward to participating once this well-deserved lashing is over. ;-)
By the way, while I know that CBC policy dictates that you're to take the lowest available fare, let's face it, Peter doesn't travel in anything but at least full Y (or at least used to before tango fares were introduced).
Location: Ottawa [AC SE through 2/10 (still no Alliance loyalty), HH Diamond]
Posts: 8,410
I remember seeing Ron McLean and Don Cherry in CP J to Toronto. Of course they might have been upgrades or they might have paid the difference themselves. Or they might not technically have been CBC employees.
I'm chuckling over all this crap on the same forum that featured several pages of posts from folks describing their success at scamming Hilton out of a free gold-card upgrade.
(..) the CBC web site has a link to his "hobby" site from the page that contains his column, and unlike most of the other external links it lacks a specific disclaimer (...) the claim that this is his personal site is void when he's using his employers resources to promote it.
)
Tod Maffin replies, with thanks
Classy, thanks for the post. And welcome to FT!
Pot/Kettle
