Boycott

Latest news on boycott

Safina warns of possible boycott

Dinara Safina says leading players might boycott the WTA Tour in 2009 over changes to the schedule.

McCartney Versus McDonald's Battle Looms In Liverpool (AHN)

(AHN) - It will be a McCartney versus McDonald's battle as the former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney called Wednesday for a boycott of the hamburger chain for using the Beatles' image at a Liverpool outlet. - Wed, 8 Oct 2008 12:37:05 GMT

Supernanny banished to naughty step by report on children's rights

Britain could face severe international criticism for broadcasting 'invasive' reality television shows such as Supernanny. By Owen Boycott

Students boycott graduation ceremonies in cash row

Students are snubbing traditional graduation ceremonies as universities begin charging up to £50 for a seat.

Fans boycott affects charity bash

Ticket sales for a charity event at Shearer's bar at Newcastle United are down due to a boycott by fans.

Delta's Bogus Fees Wiping Out Surfers

Surfers are hacked that cashed-strapped airlines, particularly Delta, have gone big with the fees they charge to check surfboards and they've launched an online petition demanding the airlines back off. Delta's drawn the most flack for jacking up its fee to as much as $300 yet still letting golfers, hunters, pole vaulters, decathletes and skiers check their stuff for free. That's more than unfair, surfers argue. It's discriminatory. "Why are we being singled out?" Evan Slater, editor of Surfing Magazine, recently asked. "It's not like we're carrying nuclear weapons, and these surfboards aren't much heavier than a carry-on." Alexander Karinsky, a surfer leading the boycott, tells us that although the petition titled Stop Discriminatory Airline Surfboard Baggage Fees! is directed at all airlines, it specifically calls out Delta for raising its surfboard check fee to $175 each way for domestic flights and $300 each way for international flights. That's by far the highest in the industry. "I have a friend who bought a $297 ticket on Delta and then got hit with a $300 fee to check his board," Karinsky says. "It means he can't fly Delta at all." The petition promises to "let Delta and other airlines know that we will NOT fly Delta for ANY reason, business or pleasure, unless and until these discriminatory fees are changed." Surfers argue they're a vital source of revenue for airlines because they travel extensively, and they claim roaming surfers are the only reason airlines started making money flying to such exotic places as Bali, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Karinsky says the fees aren't the only reason they're mad. "Delta doesn't charge for golf bags, which are heavier than surfboards, and it doesn't charge to check skis, which are longer," he says. "It's completely unfair." Delta's fee structure for checked sporting goods is pretty straightforward: A golf bag weighing under 50 pounds can be checked for free, as can scuba gear, snowboards, pistols, rifles, shotguns, fishing equipment, javelins, parachutes, ski gear and vaulting poles. Only bicycles and surfboards get hit with the $175 surcharge. (Unrelated but interesting: It also costs $175 to check a pair of antlers).  Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton (who doesn't surf or golf) concedes surfboards -- which typically weigh anywhere from 4 to 15 pounds -- are lighter than golf clubs but says they're harder to carry. "Due to their size and shape, we can handle golf clubs the way we would a piece of oversize baggage," she says. "We need to treat surfboards more like cargo." Talton says that while she can't provide a specific formula the airline uses to set baggage fees, they're based in part on what shipping companies charge for comparable items. We did some research, and at first it looked like she had a point: It costs $205.98 to ship a surfboard via UPS Next Day Air, versus $175 to have Delta throw it in the cargo hold. But Talton's argument falls apart when you consider the cost of shipping a 30-pound bag of golf clubs: $318.56. That's exactly $318.56 more than what Delta charges. Is it discrimination? Karinsky says no doubt. "Golfers are big-money passengers, and Delta doesn't want to rock the boat with that group," he says. "You tell the CEO of Exxon that he has to pay to check his clubs and he's going to go ballistic." Talton says Delta is committed to serving all of its passengers, surfers included, and the airline doesn't discriminate. She does point out, however, that Delta sponsors several major golf tournaments, though she stops short of connecting this with the airline's fee policy.  More than 1,100 people have signed the petition so far, and Karinsky says 100 to 120 are adding their John Hancock each day. He says airlines should take it seriously, because signatories aren't asking for anything all that unreasonable. "We understand that most airlines will always charge a fee to take care of our boards, and we respect that," he says. "We just want to be treated fairly. That's all we're asking." Photo by Flickr user localsurfer

Edmonds begins TV licence boycott

Presenter Noel Edmonds stops paying his TV licence, saying the BBC is overly "threatening" to those who evade the fee.

POLL: Should Mike Ashley Walk

Newcastle United Owner Mike Ashley has distanced himself from the fans so much that there are protests and marches planned for the weekend's game against Hull. A full boycott of all food and merchandise is underway and Ashley himself will not be attending the game. Tyne-Talk is polling all readers to see if they think Mike Ashley should walk after the Keegan Fiasco.