IN THE early 1980s, American Airlines, strapped for cash, decided to start selling passes for unlimited first-class travel for life. At the time, the passes cost $250,000 (around $600,000 in today's dollars), with a companion ticket available for an extra $150,000 and discounts for older people. The Los Angeles Times explains what happened next:

"We thought originally it would be something that firms would buy for top employees," said Bob Crandall, American's chairman and chief executive from 1985 to 1998. "It soon became apparent that the public was smarter than we were."

The unlimited passes were bought mostly by wealthy individuals, including baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays, America's Cup skipper Dennis Conner and computer magnate Michael Dell.

Mike Joyce of Chicago bought his in 1994 after winning a $4.25-million settlement after a car accident.

In one 25-day span this year, Joyce flew round trip to London 16 times, flights that would retail for more than $125,000. He didn't pay a dime.

"I love Rome, I love Sydney, I love Athens," Joyce said by phone from the Admirals Club at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. "I love Vegas and Frisco."

In other words, Mr Joyce, who paid around $1m for his airpass, made back one-eighth of its cost in less than a month. If this seems like it was a fantastic deal for people who could afford it, that's because it was. (AA stopped selling the passes regularly in 1994, although it did offer them again in 2004, in the Neiman-Marcus catalogue, for $3m each. None sold.) It was such a good deal for flyers—who also earned airline miles on each flight—that American started regretting it. In 2007, the airline began investigating its passholders, to see if any were taking improper advantage of the programme.

You can click through to the Times piece to find out the outcome of AA's investigation. But there's a lot to learn from this story. It illustrates how having the money to make significant investments when opportunities arise can pay off enormously in the long-run. It demonstrates that savvy consumers really can take advantage of enormous corporations if the corporations make silly mistakes. (What's really shocking is how long American kept this deal going—it took nearly a decade and a half for the airline to realise it was getting the short end of the stick.) And it shows how much some people love to fly. If AA or another airline ever offers this kind of deal for that kind of price again, it's worth considering if you have the resources and expect to live long enough to take advantage of the deal. After all, it's way cheaper than having your own private jet—and you don't have to pay the pilots or the staff.

Friends of the site, the Gunnelpumpers were on WBEZ's Eight Forty-eight this morning. Here's a little sample of their appearance.

The 40-year-old French restaurant will close June 16 and the building will be torn down shortly thereafter to make way for a new development, Business and Development Coordinator John Melaniphy III said. Qdoba, Caribou Coffee and Supercuts will all set up in the new development, which can break ground after receiving approval from the Village Board through the planning process. Board approval is needed for any restaurant entering the village.

Sadly, not an apples to apples swap, but not at all surprising.

The Spunky Dunkers Arlington Heights location will open in June (est.) and will be at 3441 N. Arlington Heights Rd (near Dundee Rd).

"Xia blames the lack of business on the bad economy."

Nononononono....The lack of business is because Chin's is HORRIBLE. Today, there are way better Chinese and Asian restaurants in the area and diners are more sophisticated as to what real Chinese and Asian food is.

The only surprise here is that they didn't close down 10-15 years ago.

U.S. military personnel will land helicopters, probably at night, on Thursday, April 19, when they use the vacant Chicago Sheraton Northwest for training maneuvers, Arlington Heights Police Capt. Nicholas Pecora said.

Military officials told Arlington Heights about the plans as a courtesy, said Pecora, who did not reveal anything about what type of military operation is involved. He said the village notified Rolling Meadows and Palatine officials, and the Arlington Heights Police Department will provide security at the site.

Le Titi de Paris, an haute-cuisine fixture in the northwest suburbs for nearly 40 years, will close in mid-June, joining such 2012 dropouts as Charlie Trotter’s (closing after 25 years in August), Carlos’ (reborn after 40 years as the more-casual Nieto’s in Highland Park) and Crofton on Wells (which closed nine days ago, after close to 15 years in River North).

Check it out - Ttowa gets a good review in the Chicago Sun Times. Congratulations Terry and company!

Tweeted by William Gibson (@GreatDismal)

Help Arlington Heights Win Recycling Challenge

March 22, 2012

Arlington Heights is competing in the “Cans for Cash” municipal recycling challenge, April 1 – 30, 2012. All aluminum beverage cans recycled by residents through the recycling curbside pick-up program will be weighed by Groot Industries for this contest.

The National Recycling Competition, created by the United States Conference of Mayors, challenges communities across the country to collect recyclable aluminum beverage cans throughout the month of April. The more aluminum cans collected through the Village’s recycling program, the better opportunity the Village has to win up to a $25,000 grant award that can be used to support recycling efforts through local education and awareness programs.

Last time the Village participated in the challenge, 37,800 pounds of aluminum cans were collected. Let’s prove we can do better this time! Thank you for recycling.

Strongly suggest this video be watched in full screen with the sound up. The booster ride down is oddly sad.

Beautifully done.

Arlington Heights will give the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre $300,000 to start a reserve fund and forgive a $75,000 loan.

The Village Board was split on the issue, leaving Mayor Arlene Mulder to cast the tie-breaking vote in a lengthy budget meeting Monday.

The village will give the theater the $225,000 May 1 when its fiscal year begins, taking out the $75,000 loan the theater asked for to cover operating expenses when it experienced cash flow issues last October.

A very high flying bird's eye view of the growth of Las Vegas since 1972.

Didn't realize how much our congressional district (Illinois 10th) had changed.