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…
Author Archive for Guru
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…
Thank you for Not Talking
by Guru •
The deprecated No Smoking Signs on aircraft may soon be replaced by “No Mobile Signs” on some planes next year, Reuters reports. This is not a new idea. Some planes have replaced these signs with “It is Now Safe to…
The Printed Timetable
by Guru •
When was the last time you saw a printed timetable? Fewer and fewer of these timetables are being printed by the airlines that still print them, relying on electronic means to do so. Their websites will often still offer printable…
Lessons in Smart Security
by Guru •
The Boston Globe comments on the lessons of security for El Al, the National Airline of Israel. El Al security focuses on intercepting bad people, as opposed to bad things(bottles of water, shoes, etc). They monitor behavior, and profilers interview…
They are Watching You
by Guru •
We here at Flight Wisdom tend to address the security situation with a degree of skepticism. It is not that we are unconcerned about the threat of aviation terrorism, or that we do not believe it should be taken seriously…but…
Airlines to Resume Charging for Luggage
by Guru •
To allow passengers to adjust to new security restrictions, many carriers relaxed their luggage restrictions. Today, it was reported that Northwest Airlines resumed its charge of $80 for passengers who wish to check a third bag. American and United have…
Delta’s Commuter and Regional Service
by Guru •
Reuters reports that Delta has sought bids to operate up to 143 regional jets for its Delta Connection service. Delta’s press release on the subject can be found here Commuter or regional airlines are smaller airlines that operate under contract…
Disconnexxioned
by Guru •
In a recent post, Staying in Touch In Flight, we commented on the loss of Boeing Connexion. As Airwise news reports here, part of the problem was that the Boeing equipment, which was satellite based, was large, heavy, and expensive.…
The Delta Wears Prada
by Guru •
We were amused to note one of Delta’s latest press releases. Delta is sponsoring the new season of Bravo’s “Project Runway” and will appear in two episodes. On select flights between August 23rd and September 6th, Delta flight attendants will…
Another Saturday Night Stayover
by Guru •
USA Today reported yesterday here that a larger proportion of fliers are sleeping at home on Saturday Nights than three years ago. The Saturday Night Stayover is a dated remnant from the past that many airlines still use. Now, first,…
Security Baggage
by Guru •
The Detroit News reports here that screeners are handling 30 percent more checked luggage at Detroit Metropolitan Airport since the increased security began. To some degree, as we’ve previously mentioned, the media has confused people or failed to educate them…
Farecast Launches Major Expansion
by Guru •
Farecast.com announced an expansion of its beta software on which its site is based. Consumers can now get predictions from over 55 cities nationwide. Farecast seems an intriguing idea worth monitoring, but as it is still in beta, we will…
EU-US Open Skies
by Guru •
Open Skies is a treaty between two countries that allows any carrier to fly between any city in one country to any city in the other, subject to local regulatory approval. In this case, a hotly debated issue is a…
Just When You Thought it Was Safe to Go to the Bathroom
by Guru •
After we reported on a Jetblue flight to Austin which was under intense scrutiny for bathroom graffiti, and an Excel Airways Flight that was under scrutiny for words on a barf bag, in our recent post, Safety First, Saturday night,…
United – Domestic Only from New York
by Guru •
In a previous post, we commented on United Airlines and its downsizing of its JFK hub. We commented on a prediction that United would cancel its New York to Tokyo service. In further review of this, we have discovered that…
Followup to Coping With Job Loss by Northwest Airlines
by Guru •
For those of you interested in our recent story about outsourcing at Northwest Airlines, here is a copy of the booklet that Northwest Airlines supplied to its soon to be outsourced ground workers. Here you will find some interesting commentary…
Living on the Air in Cincinnati
by Guru •
The Courier-Journal reported yesterday in this article that two years after Delta launched Simplifares, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is the most expensive airport from which to fly. From 600 flights a day last fall to 430 this summer, the amount…
The Spoils of the War on Terror
by Guru •
MSNBC reports here on what happens to items confiscated by the TSA. As reported, Pennsylvania is even listing the items on Ebay, although generally they are sold at public auction in bulk. To view these items on Ebay, the Pennsylvania…
The Roaming Gnome
by Guru •
Travelocity is one of the most popular of the online travel sites, having been around since the beginning of these types of sites. Travelocity is known for its commercials featuring the Roaming Gnome, enforcer of the Travelocity Guarantee. The provisions…
You Paid for It…
by Guru •
The JonBenet Ramsey case has been in the news a great deal lately, and the suspect is on a Thai Airways plane en route to the United States. According to the Houston Chronicle. The article reports that, “Before takeoff, Karr…
Frequent Flyer History Lesson
by Guru •
Insideflyer.com has a fascinating article on the early days of frequent flyer programs here. The days of frequent flyers getting special discounted fares seem gone. The majority of frequent flyer programs are based on awarding mileage or points based on…
Laptop Travel Gear
by Guru •
Today we introduce the first of our travel gear recommendations. Look for an extended review and other reviews on our website in the near future. The Lapinator is a portable insulated laptop desk that prevents the heat of the laptop…
