Last week, Kip Hawley, the head of the Transportation Security Administration submitted his own post to the people at Aviation Daily on the subject of employee screening and the recent increase in TSA activity in Florida. You can have a…
Monthly Archives: March 2007
Delta Looks to Simplify Tow and Tug Processes on Taxiways
by Guru •
Delta has entered into an agreement with Wheeltug plc to assist in developing a new system that might enable pilots to back away from gates with a tow tug, and to taxi without using jet engines. This would reduce fuel…
Columnist Accuses Jetblue of Bait and Switch
by Guru •
Virginia Buckingham of the Boston Herald this week wrote a misleading article accusing Jetblue of a bait and switch. She had a bad experience on a flight and blames Jetblue for the situation. We felt the need to correct her…
Consumer Stories from the Consumerist
by Guru •
We follow the Consumerist closely, especially when fellow aviation blogger Mark Ashley from Upgrade: Travel Better is guest-blogging. Here is a selection of airline-related stories from their files. An American Airlines pilot was acquitted of the charge of attempting to…
Roundup
by Guru •
On Monday, April 2, Expressjet and LA/Ontario International Airport will join together to announce the beginning of scheduled service, which is considered the largest expansion in the airport’s 84 years. United’s service from Washington-Dulles Airport to Rome will be beginning…
Roundup
by Guru •
Avianca, the flagship carrier of Colombia, announced an order for 10 787s. Later this week, Air Canada will be picking up its first Boeing 777, which will kick off its wide-body modernization program. Over the next two years, Air Canada…
Nine Times Travel Insurance Isn’t a Ripoff
by Guru •
We caught this Youtube interview from the Today Show through the Consumerist. Nine Times Travel Insurance isn’t a ripoff. Your flight is cancelled. Your bags are lost and your medication is in it. You need to have an emergency prescription…
Service Roundup
by Guru •
Qantas announced it will increase services from New York effective August 14th to offer daily flights to Sydney via Los Angeles. The new schedule will include seven flights per week from New York to Sydney via Los Angeles. Thirty five…
Passengers Held on Plane Due Illness
by Guru •
Authorities are holding 272 passengers from Continental flight 98 from Hong Kong to Newark Liberty Airport because several passengers appeared to have flu-like symptoms. The plane arrived around 2PM local time, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has…
Congress May Call for new DOT Powers and Fines for Service Breakdowns
by Guru •
As USAToday reports, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. James Oberstar(D-MN), has said that the code of conduct that the airlines agreed to seven years ago to avoid increased industry regulation should be updated. He also said that…
Pharmacy at the Airport
by Guru •
Roger Wu of USA Today reported that Harmony Pharmacy and Health Center opened its first drugstore this month at Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport. In addition to filling prescriptions, a nurse practitioner will be available to write prescriptions to…
Newsbriefs
by Guru •
The head of the Port Authority has stated that Stewart Airport in the Hudson Valley will not become New York’s fourth area airport even though the Port Authority will be running the airport. He stated that Stewart would never be…
FCC to Drop Cellphones OnBoard
by Guru •
USA Today reports that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is recommending the agency drop its plan to lift the ban on cellphone use on aircraft. We went on record as against it, cellphones being disruptive to the environment of the aircraft.…
Master Lock Sales of Travel Sentry Approved Locks Increase
by Guru •
Master Lock, the world’s largest maker of padlocks, issued a press release last week. Since it introduced them in 2004, sales of its Travel Sentry-approved locks have jumped 50 percent annually. As they put it… Increased security threats and recent,…
by Guru •
intends to connect to more of upstate New York. Delta will be adding 22 Delta Connection flights, operated by Big Sky Airlines using 19-seater Beechcraft 1900D aircraft, effective April 8th. The flights will connect customers in Albany, Massena, Ogdensburg, and…
Plane and Simple News
by Guru •
ABX Air today announced that it agreed to buy a 767-223 aircraft formerly operated by American, which it will convert to freight operation. ABX has 35 767 aircraft in its fleet. Reuters reported earlier this week that Boeing may increase…
Flight Stops to Remove Father who Attacked Son
by Guru •
The Associated Press reports that a United flight from Chicago to Portland, Oregon was diverted to Salt Lake City on Friday after Kenneth R. Bullard of Jacksonville, FL attacked his son during an argument about the son’s girlfriend. Bullard had…
Open Skies a Reality
by Guru •
The European Union Transport Ministers have unanimously, as required, backed the Open Skies pact with the United States. At Britain’s request, however, there will be a five month delay beyond what was previously advised, with full implementation taking effect March…
Roundup
by Guru •
The Star Alliance has launched a Visit South Africa campaign to “promote travel to Southern Africa and underscore the wide choice of flight connections to the African continent provided by the Star Alliance member carriers to US and Canadian traveler.”…
Virgin America Gets Tentative Approval to Launch
by Guru •
Reuters reported yesterday that Virgin America will be able to win government approval to operate if they replace their chief executive and increase its independence from the Richard Branson’s Virgin Group. In December, the DOT ruled that Virgin America’s “close…
Someone at Jetblue Thinks We’re Idiots
by Guru •
Last month, we ran a post summarizing Carl Howe’s thoughts on “The Difference Between Good and Bad Airlines” Howe thought that the defining characteristic of a good airline, or…to generalize, a good company is one whose employees are empowered and…
News from Jetblue that Doesn’t Involve a Service Meltdown
by Guru •
A Jetblue plane departing West Palm Beach for JFK returned to Palm Beach International after a piece of its engine cover fell off. Flight 830 took off around 6AM, and the pilot felt the plane vibrate and requested a return…
Cranky Flier Shoots A380 Video
by Guru •
For those of you who want to feel like you were there…which alas we here at Flight Wisdom could not be….The Cranky Flier was present for the arrival of the LAX A380 earlier today. Click here to catch a look…
Airports that Can Handle the A380
by Guru •
Courtesy of Business Week, a list of airports that meet FAA standards for the A380. Anchorage Denver Dallas-Fort Worth New York-JFK Los Angeles(LAX) Orlando(MCO) Miami San Francisco Washington-Dulles Memphis(Cargo Only) Louisville(Cargo Only) Ontario, CA(Cargo Only)
Airbus 380 Touches Down in the U.S.
by Guru •
The United States debut of the Airbus A380 Superjumbo jet was today, with two planes touching down on opposing sides of the country. New York won the title of the first city to receive an A380 by twenty minutes. Frankfurt…