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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019:: LATIMES.COM/BUSINESS
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Four of the country’s largest air-
lines have begun to accept reserva-
tions to fly on or after Oct. 1, 2020,
but those carriers offer little, if any,
warning on their booking sites
about the new security documents
that will be required to board a
plane after that date.
Under federal law, a traditional
state-issued driver’s license or iden-
tification card won’t be accepted to
board a plane. Starting Oct. 1, pas-
sengers can fly only with an en-
hanced identification card or driv-
er’s license — known as a Real ID —
or a federally approved form of iden-
tification such as a passport or mili-
tary ID.
Travel industry experts esti-
mate that 99 million Americans
don’t have a Real ID, passport or
another valid ID, according to a sur-
vey commissioned by the U.S. Trav-
el Assn., the travel industry’s trade
group. That means nearly 40% of
American adults won’t be able to
board an airline to visit family for
the holidays next year.
“Imagine the novice traveler, a
grandma who only travels once or
twice a year,” said Tori Barnes, an
executive vice president for the U.S.
Travel Assn. “She can’t come home
to her family. It’s really going to be a
significant problem.”
The nation’s travel industry has
been enjoying robust growth over
the last six years, with domestic
travelers spending $933 billion in
2018, up nearly 6% over 2017. Interna-
tional travelers spent $156 billion
last year, an increase of only 0.3%MILLIONSof Americans don’t have a document that will be required to fly as of Oct. 1. Above, at Chicago’s O’Hare airport in 2016.
Scott OlsonGetty ImagesReal ID edict may trip up many
Fliers will need one starting Oct. 1, but airlines aren’t getting the word out
A SAMPLEof a Real ID, one of three forms of identification that
fliers must use after Oct. 1. A passport or military ID will also do.DMVBy Hugo Martin
[SeeReal ID,C4]Starting in December,
people looking to buy elec-
tric vehicles with a price tag
of more than $60,000 won’t
qualify for California’s clean-
vehicle rebate. The rebate is
also disappearing for plug-in
hybrids with less than 35
miles of all-electric range.
The California Air Re-
sources Board approved
these changes, effective
Dec. 3, as part of a move to
distribute the state’s re-
sources toward lower-in-
come communities, and
away from wealthy buyers.
Standard rebates for fully
electric vehicles that qualify
will be reduced from $2,500
to $2,000, while the rebate for
plug-in hybrids will drop
from $1,500 to $1,000. Re-
bates for fuel-cell vehicles
will fall from $5,000 to $4,500.
Rebates for low- to moder-
ate-income buyers will stay
at $4,500 for EVs, $3,500 for
plug-in hybrids and $7,000
for fuel-cell vehicles.
Whereas previously con-
sumers could qualify for two
rebates, starting in Decem-
ber they will be limited to
one in a lifetime.
The Clean Vehicle Re-
bate Project, part of the
state’s low-carbon trans-
portation program, has seen
a steady climb in applicants
for clean-vehicle rebates
since it launched in March- To date, 346,423 rebates
have been issued or ap-
proved for all-battery elec-
tric or plug-in hybrid high-
way vehicles, according to
the Center for Sustainable
Energy, with a funding of
more than $773.5 million.
Demand exceeds the cur-
rent budget, and the pro-
gram has become oversub-
scribed in recent years, said
Melanie Turner, spokes-
woman for the project.
The Air Resources Board
increased incentive levels for
low- and moderate-income
consumers by $1,500 and im-
plemented high-income eli-
gibility caps in 2016, under
the direction of Senate Bill - The state Legislature
has continued to extend and
expand that policy. The
board last month approved
a $533-million funding plan
for fiscal year 2019-20 that in-
cludes $238 million for the re-
bate program, with a stipu-
lation that $25 million of that
be used to fund increased re-
bates for low-income con-
sumers.
“They’re trying to make
the money go further and
also direct it to those in dis-
advantaged communities
who would benefit the
most,” Turner said.
But the high cost of vehi-
cle batteries makes it diffi-
cult to make money on elec-
tric cars and trucks, which
explains why most new EVs
State
reins in
electric
vehicle
rebates
[SeeCars, C4]Changes in the
program as of next
month will focus on
lower-income buyers
and longer-range cars.
By Suhauna HussainThe high-pressure turbine blades in a
Trent 1000 passenger jet engine have to
withstand temperatures far above the
melting point of the nickel alloy from
which they’re made. It’s a fiendish techni-
cal challenge for the engine’s British man-
ufacturer, Rolls-Royce Holdings — com-
parable to trying to stop an ice cube melt-
ing inside a kitchen oven on full blast.
The solution found by the company’s
engineers: blow cool air through tiny
holes in the blades. Unfortunately, this
clever approach has encountered some
unexpected problems.Boeing 787 aircraft operated by
British Airways, Norwegian Air Shuttle,
Virgin Atlantic and others have been
grounded in recent months for inspec-
tions and repairs because the Trent 1000
engine blades have been degrading faster
than anticipated. It’s the type of problem
that’s becoming common in the industry
as the demands placed on engines be-
come ever greater.
The expense of dealing with these
things is rising too. Last week, Rolls-
Royce quantified the cost of fixing vari-
ous Trent 1000 issues at $3.1 billion, a cash
outflow the debt-laden manufacturer can
ill afford.
Few inven-PROBLEMS with Trent 1000 engines on Boeing 787 jets have caused some
planes to be grounded and left Rolls-Royce with mounting financial costs.Mike SiegelSeattle TimesJet engines under stress
Safety an issue as they push technical limits
By Chris Bryant[SeeEngines, C5]Richard Plepler — who
led HBO through a creative
renaissance with “Game of
Thrones,” “Silicon Valley,”
“Succession” and “Cher-
nobyl,” — is in advance talks
with Apple Inc. for a produc-
tion deal to create original
programming for the tech
giant’s streaming service,
according to three people fa-
miliar with the situation who
were not authorized to dis-
cuss it.
In February, Plepler
exited his longtime perch at
HBO in New York after three
decades with the premium
channel. At the time, there
were tensions after AT&T
Inc.’s takeover of the media
company.
Bringing Plepler into the
fold would give Apple the
services and expertise of one
of the industry’s most suc-
cessful programming execu-
tives. The Cupertino, Calif.,
company launched its Apple
TV+ subscription service
this month, but its shows
have had mixed results.
“The Morning Show” — with
Jennifer Aniston, Reese
Witherspoon and Steve
Carell — generally received
mediocre reviews, although
the L.A. Times described the
series as “a mix of melo-
drama and well-written
interactions that feel genu-
inely human.”
Over the years, Apple’s
programming efforts have
yielded a spotty track record
— a departure for a company
that has long been known for
producing high-quality con-
sumer products.
Apple is expected to ini-
tially spend $1 billion toRICHARD PLEPLER,right, with comedian John
Oliver, has enjoyed great success in programming.Andrew H. WalkerGetty ImagesBy Wendy Lee
and Meg James
[SeeApple,C6]Richard Plepler,
former HBO chief,
in talks with Apple
JetBlue rolls
out no-frills
airfares
Fliers who pay low
Blue Basic rates will
face more restrictions
and board last. C2Fiat Chrysler
stokes tensions
with dealers
The carmaker is
accused of making
outlets take vehicles
they don’t want. C3Markets....................C4