Do You Want A Seat With That?

None of the fees, inconveniences and cutbacks that airlines have imposed over the past several years have made me cut back on flying. But the new fees to reserve seats might do it.

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Firing Housekeepers Damages Hyatt’s Reputation

The blowback over the firing of 98 housekeepers from three Boston-area hotels continues to singe the Hyatt chain, the Boston Globe reports.

The governor of Massachusetts is threatening a boycott, union groups are hopping mad and some organizations are canceling contracts with the chain. On Thursday, 200 people were arrested outside the Park Hyatt Chicago in a demonstration of support for union negotiations there and of the fired housekeepers in Boston, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The housekeepers earned $14 to $16 an hour, hardly an extravagant wage in Boston but at least they got health and retirement benefits. They were replaced with subcontracted workers who reportedly earn $8 an hour with no health benefits.

Hyatt said in a press release that it has been forced to make some very difficult decisions.” One has to wonder whether these difficult decisions relate in any way to Hyatt’s bid to go public.

Anyway, we customers have some decisions to make, too.