Yes, I’m going to New York.  Some of us who were in the Gay Liberation Front are having an event at the Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center on October 25^th. The alumni association of my high school, the Bronx H.S. of Science, has also asked me to address the student body while I’m in town. I seesaw between anxiety and excitement.

Today, however, I want to talk about some financial aspects of this journey.

Extortion in the Skies…

The GLF event gives me a good excuse to bring our adopted grandkids, who are very excited about a trip to the Big Apple. Bete is 17 and her brother Benj is 14. We’ll be in the city for a week. The deal is that they have to put up with my speechifying on two occasions, but the rest of the time is theirs. “Make a list of what you want to see, and I’ll be your tour guide.”

I looked for affordable tickets to La Guardia or JFK and found them at United Airlines. Remember their slogan, “Fly the friendly skies?” Ha!

Now United and most major airlines have a new category, basic economy. Unlike regular economy seats that I was able to book in the past, basic economy means you can’t choose to sit together—they put you wherever they have space at the last minute. It also means you can no longer bring a carry-on suitcase and put it in the overhead bin—you can only bring a personal item that will fit under the seat in front of you. If you have a suitcase, you must check it in and that costs $44 in advance or $75 at the gate.

Our round trip basic economy cost $1,069. While booking on line, I called the kids’ mother to get some last bits of information. Then, when I returned to the website, it said my session had expired and wiped out all my entries. Frustrated, I called United and, after several minutes of yelling at a computer, got through to human being—one with an accent that told me he was working the night shift for peanuts in a Third World country. I gave him all the information. He said the fare would be $2,000+.

“But it was $1,069!” I protested.

“Dynamic pricing,” he replied, with a shrug in his voice.

I hung up, went back to the website, re-entered everything, and got the lower fare.

FYI: in 2025 Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, received a total compensation of $33.9 million.

…and on the Ground

My favorite childhood hangouts—the places my parents took me to when I was quite young, which sparked my interest in science—were the Bronx Zoo, and the Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium. Admission was free except for the planetarium sky show, which cost 40¢ in 1953. That’s around $5.00 in today’s money.

Today admission to the Bronx Zoo is $37.50 for adults and $32.50 for seniors. They don’t charge on Wednesdays—when most people are working or in school—but you have to reserve for a limited number of free tickets in advance. The Museum of Natural History charges $37 for adults and $30 for seniors or students. Special exhibits, including the sky show, are extra. New York State residents can pay “what they wish” for general admission, but aren’t allowed into special exhibits unless they pay full fare.

The kids also want to see the Coney Island Aquarium. Admission is $32.95 for adults, $29.95 for seniors. Wednesday is also a free day, but only from 3:00 pm to 5:00, when the aquarium closes, and again, you must reserve for a limited number of freebies. 

For all these facilities, you’re an adult once you reach 13. Why 13? You can’t vote, can’t join the military, can’t work (except as a babysitter or newspaper deliverer, or in your family’s grocery), and are considered a juvenile when charged with a crime.

I talked about these fees with Eleanor Coufos, president of the Bronx H.S. of Science alumni association. She said that many entering students have never been to these facilities. Their families can’t afford it.

I did a little research. When I entered the school in 1957, the student body was predominantly white, male, and Jewish (around 85%). Most of us were children of immigrants determined to give us the education they’d been denied. My parents took me to the zoo and museums Today 60% of the students are Asian—and 60% of the entire student body are children of immigrants, or immigrants themselves.

Significantly, about 50% of the students are from low income families. By comparison, over 75% of students from NYC public schools are low income. I expect that most of the middle and upper income kids attended private elementary schools.

A Good Friend

Of course this trip would be completely impossible except for the gracious hospitality offered by my friend Martin Rosenthal. Kudos to him!

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I’ll let you know more about the Stonewall event in a future post.