Five stories that have North Texas talking: Orbitz and American Airlines end their business relationship, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science scores a mammoth donation, the purchasing power of $100 in Texas, and more.
American Airlines will stop posting air fares on Orbitz, the Dallas Business Journal reports. The Fort Worth-based airliner tried working out a deal with the company, but American president Scott Kirby said using the service was too expensive. The two companies have had disagreements in the past. In 2011, American sued Orbitz and Travelport, claiming the companies were engaging in anti-competitive behavior. The suit was mostly thrown out. The year prior to that, American also asked Expedia to remove its fares from the website. Travelers who have already purchased American flights through Orbitz shouldn’t worry – the tickets are still valid – but reservation changes will have to be done through the airline’s website. Fares for U.S. Airways flights won’t be found on the travel website starting Sept. 1
- The Perot Museum of Nature and Science has acquired an almost complete mammoth skeleton. The skeleton was discovered in Ellis County on a private property, and is estimated to be anywhere from 20,000 to 60,000 years old, reports CultureMap Dallas. Experts speculate that the mammoth was female due to its small size of eight to 9 feet and other anatomical factors. The skeleton will be transported to the Perot sometime in September.
- How much purchasing power does $100 have in Texas? A new map by think tank The Tax Foundation breaks down how much a Benjamin is worth in each state, Texas Monthly reports. $100 in Texas has $103.63 in purchasing power when compared to the national average. In New York, purchasing power wasn’t so great. That $103.63 is worth about $86.66 there, and only $88.57 in California.
- Big Tex will have a new wardrobe for this year’s State Fair. KERA’s State Fair expert Eric Aasen reports on the cowboy’s new garb. Going along with this year’s denim trend, his new shirt will be dark blue with red accents. Big Tex has had his clothes specially tailored by Dickies since 1997. It typically takes workers two weeks to make the shirt.
- Welcome to Dallas, the city that likes to sleep a lot. The electronics company Jawbone has collected data from users of its fitness tracker, UP, to compile some interesting findings on sleeping and walking habits. The verdict: Dallasites go to bed early, sleep a lot, and don’t walk very much. According to the data, Dallas users sleep an average of 6 hours and 54 minutes per night. About 75 percent are also asleep by midnight each weeknight. [Dallas Observer]