Fliers

Look at it this way, at least now the Dodgers have the threat of power on their bench. Because otherwise, the whole bench is the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid. " Slap hitters, on-base guys, lots of utility guys, but nobody who can actually place a small fear into the opposing manager's heart. Now you can argue just how much power Bobby Abreu actually has left at age 38 -- bet the Angels would -- but it still is going to be more than any of the other backups. Abreu has 284 career home runs -- though only eight last year -- which is 284 more than any Dodgers pinch-hitter this season.

The midair meltdown of a JetBlue pilot last month confirms what I try to deny while flying: Hurtling 30,000 feet above the Earth in an aluminum tube is indubitably nutty. JetBlue passengers tackled the pilot on the New York-Las Vegas flight, the airline said, when he stormed the cabin, rambling, due to a "medical situation. " While I sympathize with the captain's medical situation, I wonder if he was acting out what the rest of us are thinking when we're on a plane: I want off. I tried recently to become a fearless flier.

Frequent-flier miles clearly have value — why else would people want them? But do they also represent taxable income? Citibank seems to think so. It's sending tax forms to people who received thousands of miles as a reward for opening a checking or savings account. Those forms value each mile at about 2.5 cents and list the total dollar amount as miscellaneous income. This is news to tax pros. "I've been practicing for 25 years and I've never had an instance where miles have been treated as taxable," said Gregg Wind, a West Los Angeles certified public accountant.

A traveler who uses frequent flier miles and used American Airilnes and Japan Airlines on a round-the-world trip asks: What is the point of the airlines "stressing out" the loyal customer? Regarding "Not Feeling the Reward of Frequent Flier Miles" by Catharine Hamm [On the Spot, Dec. 25]: Recently, I returned from a round-the-world business and pleasure trip. I used a combination of frequent flier miles and revenue for ticketing 14 flights. As Hamm's article stated, it is getting increasingly more difficult to use frequent flier miles whether it's one carrier (American and Delta are my preferred airlines)

The Transportation Security Administration rolled out PreCheck, the expedited security program for pre-screened fliers, this week at Los Angeles International Airport, the sixth airport in the nation to participate in the pilot program since it started last year. In an announcement Wednesday, the TSA said the program at LAX so far is available only to American Airlines frequent fliers at two checkpoints in Terminal 4. Here's how it works: Fliers who are U.S. citizens provide personal information and undergo background checks to qualify for traveler programs approved by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, such as Global Entry, SENTRI and NEXUS.

When it comes to the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints, everything is up in the air. That's because their quarterbacks have thrown for a combined six miles this season. In fact, their playoff game is the first featuring two 5,000-yard passers. There were three of those this season: the Saints' Drew Brees — who broke Dan Marino's NFL record with 5,476 yards — New England's Tom Brady (5,235), and the Lions' Matthew Stafford (5,038). So the Stafford-Brees game Saturday will set the record for the matchup with the most combined passing yards (10,514)

A great city for any season I enjoyed the story about Bethlehem, Pa. [" ' Christmas City' Filled With Holiday Tradition," by Karl Zimmermann, Dec. 25]. It's an amazing place any time, and especially at this time of year. I live near there and know the Historic Bethlehem area well both at Christmas and at other seasons of the year. The Moravians have a marvelous, continuing tradition. Donald S. Heintzelman Zionsville, Pa. His own trip globetrotting I howled with glee when I read David Lamb's Dec. 18 story, "A Gift of the World.

Question: When are airline tickets that are paid for with frequent flier miles not free? Answer: Almost never, but some tickets, booked on certain carriers, are almost as expensive as a trip to the North Pole. This question, a composite of three recent letters, including one in today's Letters column, highlights a growing concern among travelers who pay for tickets with awards points: They do the work to accumulate enough for a ticket, and when they book it, they discover some amazingly high fees, sometimes under the label of a fuel surcharge.

I enjoyed the article about snowshoeing in the Travel section ["Hey, Waffle Feet, Mom Knows Best" by Sara Lessley, Dec. 11]. Organizations have found that by holding a snowshoeing activity, a nonprofit can organize a successful fundraising event. The participants walk over white flakes rather than walk or run over hard ground. Sue Chehrenegar Los Angeles Pasadena history I am a mystified that Christopher Reynolds failed to mention the Pasadena Museum of History in his close-up on Pasadena ["Marvelous Magnitude," Nov. 27]

Question: I traveled out of San Francisco this summer. My flight was supposed to take me to Chicago, where I would connect to my flight to Munich, but it was delayed, so a United agent booked me on a nonstop Lufthansa flight instead. My two children and I had two bags each. I have United elite status so there was no bag fee, but when we checked into Lufthansa, we were told we would have to pay for the second bag. Suddenly, I had $210 in bag fees. I can't seem to get United to refund this.