Monthly Archives: January 2012

What You Say On Twitter May Keep You Out Of The United States

We were disturbed by reports today that two British travelers were questioned, detained, and deported by the Department of Homeland Security, allegedly because of two tweets.  Leigh Van Bryan and Emily Bunting say they were questioned for hours, detained, placed in a cell with violent criminals who stole their food, and finally sent back to…

Rethinking Electronics in Flight or What’s Airplane Mode?

Interior of Virgin America A320

A few weeks ago, we commented on the ban on portable electronics. The truth is, in terms of the FAA’s stated rationale, there is little evidence presented that indicates the majority of electronics have any effect on aircraft systems. But, the other reason, the one not covered by the regulation, is the one that is…

God No Longer On Board Alaska Airlines

Having never flown Alaska Airlines, it was news to us that for 30 years, together with their meals, the airline has distributed prayer cards featuring serene color pictures and verses from the Book of Psalms.  Now we’ll never have a chance to get one, as the airline announced that it will stop distributing the cards…

Angry Sun Erupts, Sending Planes South

For the second time in a week, the Earth has been hit by a coronal mass ejectionin the most severe solar storm since 2003.  The increased radiation from the charged particles of the storm which can interfere with communications is strongest near the poles where the ozone layer is thinnest.  The additional radiation poses little…

California Man Changes Flight 510 to Flight 420

43 year old Adam Blumenkranz of Los Angeles was arrested at Newark’s Liberty Airport Monday after he was discovered smoking marijuana in airport restroom on JetBlue flight 510 from Fort Lauderdale to Newark.  Blumenkranz, who was somehow unaware that smoking of any kind is prohibited on aircraft, tried to show his medicinal marijuana card to…

Ron Paul Decries TSA Police State, White House Defends TSA

After his son, Senator Rand Paul, was detained and denied boarding for refusing an invasive pat-down, Representative Ron Paul issued a sharply-worded statement promising to eliminate the TSA should he be elected President “The police state in this country is growing out of control,” the elder Paul said in a statement released by his presidential…

Heavy Turbulence Sends 5 American Airlines Crew To Hospital

All was normal aboard American Airlines Flight 980 from Brazil to Miami.  Then, two hours into the eight hour flight, with food service underway, the plane suddenly lurched violently. The unexpected turbulencesent a food cart flying, damaging the ceiling and landing on and injuring a flight attendant.  In all, six members of the flight crew…

What Did US Airways Do With Angeline O’Grady’s Husband?

Angeline O’Grady wants to know what happened to her husband.  On November 1, she was traveling through Philadelphia International Airport with the ashes of her late husband, Brian.  She was told by TSA agents that she could not bring the ashes through security with her. TSA policy explicitly allows cremated remains to be taken on…

Senator Rand Paul Refuses To Be Groped By TSA Agents, Detained In Nashville

We don’t agree with most of what Senator Rand Paul stands for, but we agree wholeheartedly with his stand for liberty and personal freedom this morning in Nashville.  It is being reported that Paul, the son of Texas congressman and Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, refused an “enhanced pat-down” by TSA agents after setting off…

We’re Getting Bigger, Seats Are Getting Smaller

Every time we read or write a story about a customer of size, there are a lot of comments claiming that the onus is on the customer for being of size. We’re not going to go there. If it is a fact we have an obesity epidemic in this country, it is outside of the…

TSA Very Proud Of “Checpoints”

The @TSABlogTeam just tweeted a picture of “9 of the 24 loaded firearms found in carry-on bags at TSA checpoints[sic] last week”. We have 3 questions that we hope they will answer for us, but we presume they won’t. 1) Is there any evidence that any of these 24 guns were connected to a planned…

Is A Turboprop In Your Flying Future?

Out with the new, in with the old.  After years of seemingly inevitable decline in the face of competition from jets, turboprops are making a comeback as oil prices remain high. ATR, a turboprop manufacturer partly owned by Airbus parent EADS, received firm orders for 157 planes in 2011, with options for an additional 79…

Fed Up, Man Seizes Opportunity In Spirit Carry-On Fees

While most airlines have been adding new fees, no American carrier has been more aggressive about doing so than Spirit Airways.  Spirit ‘s strategy has been to tease outrageously low fares with obnoxious and vulgar advertisements, but  charge exorbitant fees for normal services.  Perhaps the most egregious of these is their charge for carry on…

At Sacramenento Checkpoint, Man Bolts, Gets Jolt Of Volts

It was a shocking experience for 26 year old Edwin Barton at a TSA checkpoint in Sacramento last week.  After disembarking his flight from Connecticut and leaving the secure area, Barton realized he had left a bus ticket on the plane.  He was given a pass to enter back into the secure area but became…

Shocking Secret Cause Of Alec Baldwin’s In-Flight Meltdown

Much has been made of Alec Baldwin’s run-in with a flight crew last month resulting in his being removed from a plane for failing to comply with the instructions of the flight crew.  Mr. Baldwin, it seems suffers from a powerful addiction: Words With Friends.   Now, we have finally discovered who it was that introduced…