Airlines are scaling back service at smaller airports, driving up fares and driving customers to drive to airports with more service. Several years ago, carriers ordered a large number of 50-70 seat regional jets to replace its aging turboprop fleet…
Monthly Archives: August 2006
Jetblue Inaugurates New Service
by Guru •
Jetblue began service from New York’s JFK Airport to Nashville Airport today. This service kicks off six weeks of inaugurations, with a new Jetblue destination every week. On September 7, they will begin service to Houston’s Hobby Airport. On September…
Westjet Looks to Join Oneworld Alliance
by Guru •
Westjet, the second largest airline in Canada, is holding talks to join the Oneworld Alliance. The Oneworld Alliance consists of American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Lan, Finnair and Iberian. Aer Lingus is scheduled to leave the alliance later…
Strikewatch ’06 Update
by Guru •
The Star-Tribune reported that the Northwest Flight Attendants union has told the federal judge who postponed their planned strike that Northwest has little incentive to negotiate. No negotations are planned, and there is no reason to believe there will be…
5 Dirty Secrets of Airfares as Told by CNN
by Guru •
We recently reviewed CNN Money‘s ’5 dirty secrets of airfares’. We have added our own commentary. 1. Low cost carriers don’t always have the lowest fares – Remember, the legacy carriers are competing with them. If their fares were not…
Policing the Skies
by Guru •
The Travel Security Blog reports on the training given to air marshals. Given reports of what has caused these highly trained individuals to break cover and take charge of a situation, ie passengers who don’t obey the fasten seatbelt sign…we…
Fast Pass
by Guru •
As reported by the Seattle Times, Seattle-Tacoma Airport has decided not to apply for the government’s Registered Travel Program. The TSA’s Registered Traveler Program is set to provide expedited security screening for passengers who volunteer biometric and biographic information and…
The Goal of Terrorists is to Create Terror
by Guru •
Bruce Schneier, author of several books on security technology, comments on his blog. We must agree with Mr. Schneier and suggest that all click through and read his thoughts on the subject. If terrorists can cause us to hurt ourselves,…
More Potty Humor
by Guru •
CNN reports that the pilot on an Air Canada Jazz flight from Ottawa to Winnipeg on Saturday returned from the airplane lavatory to discover he was locked out of the cockpit. With 30 minutes to go, the pilot went to…
Katrina at One Year
by Guru •
In a press release yesterday, Airtran resumed service from Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. With this move, all nonstop markets served from Gulfport-Biloxi prior to Hurrican Katrina have been restored, and flights are 120 percent of pre-Katrina…
Freedom of Speech is Dead
by Guru •
It is reported that on August 12, Raed Jarrar was about to board a Jetblue flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Oakland, CA. Allegedly, four officials, either from the airline or security stopped him and informed him he could…
USAirways Lowers Fares
by Guru •
In a press release earlier today, USAirways has announced a reduction in fares from Huntsville, Alabama. USAirways has lowered its fares in various markets and eliminated Saturday night stayover and roundtrip requirements in various markets as part of its attempt…
MAXjet to Launch Las Vegas Route
by Guru •
MAXJet, the all business airline with service from the US to London Stansted Airport announced today they will be beginning service from Las Vegas on Mondays and Thursdays effective November 2nd. A press release can be found here.
San Jose Airport
by Guru •
San Jose International Airport, in the heart of Silicon Valley, is the largest US city still operating a major commercial airline terminal without jetways, forcing passengers to walk across the tarmac to board their aircraft. Airport officials are in negotiations…
Potty Humor
by Guru •
Our colleagues at our sister blog, opening this week, Gadget Wisdom sent us this link from Slashdot A passenger lost his Ipod in the airplane lavatory, and despite advising the flight crew some minutes later, the plane is diverted to…
What You Shouldn’t Put in Your Luggage
by Guru •
Last week’s entry on Candidates for an Award for Travel Stupidity referenced a 21 year old man, one Howard McFarland Fish, who had a stick of dynamite in his checked luggage. on a flight from Buenos Aires to Houston and…
Insanity is Boundless
by Guru •
A USAirways flight from Philadelphia to Houston was diverted to Tri-Cities Airport in Tennesee after a bomb threat was found in a note on board. Reuters reports that although all 52 passengers were offloaded, it turned out to be another…
Comair Tragedy
by Guru •
On Sunday morning, a Comair Flight bound for Atlanta took the wrong runway upon takeoff from Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. All but one of the 50 people onboard were killed. We mourn the loss of life in this…
New Routes and New Planes
by Guru •
Toledo Express Airport has been awarded $400,000 in grants for air service. The Small Community Air Service Development grant will be used to secure non-stop passenger air service to New York City. The federal monies will be used to offset…
Darwin Award Candidates
by Guru •
The Darwin Awards are ones given to those who contribute to the improvement of the human genome by honoring those who remove themselves from it…essentially people whose stupidity gets them killed. Here at Flight Wisdom, we honor those whose stupidity…
Strikewatch ’06 Part 2
by Guru •
As we reported earlier, the Federal Judge deciding on the case of the Northwest Airlines Flight Attendants and their right to strike blocked them from going on strike today. He has issued an injunction, stating that a delay was necessary…
Strikewatch ’06 Part 1
by Guru •
In the tradition of the major news networks, we present our coverage of the Northwest Strike… Late Wednesday night, the U.S. Department of Justice sought to block a threatened strike, maintaining it would violate the Railway Labor Act, which does…
Confirmed Standby
by Guru •
Milwaukee-based Midwest Airlines announced today the introduction of confirmed standby for its passengers. Confirmed Standby is a newer concept in the airline industry. Previously, airline policy was very black and white. Either standby was not permitted for earlier flights or…
Mama’s Boy
by Guru •
A 29-year-old man in Chicago opted to face arrest rather than face the disappointment of his mother. We must commend Madin Azad Amin for not wanting to disappoint her, although we question his intelligence. He was stopped on August 16th…
Sweet Freedom
by Guru •
We reported yesterday that the Dutch were holding twelve passengers from a Northwest Airlines flight to Mumbai. No evidence could be found that they were anything but difficult passengers. It appears they were merely rowdy. It is a lesson to…