American Airlines has announced it will team up with AirCell to test in-flight internet across the United States beginning in 2008. The test will be conducted on their Boeing 767-200 aircraft that mainly fly transcontinental service, and if successful…will be extended to other aircraft. The service will include nationwide in-flight service, usable via wi-fi connections,…
In a late breaking news story, ABC news in Salt Lake City has reported that sources has reported that Delta will unveil new service from Salt Lake City to Paris. Paris, unlike London, the focus of planned Delta expansion in Europe, is the hub of Air France, a Delta Skyteam Partner, which would give it…
China…land of a thousand aviation opportunities…and a lucrative destination to gain for an airline. The DOT is once again accepting bids for new service to China. We’ve put off talking about these developments…but it is time to review the candidates. American Airlines has applied to operate Chicago to Beijing service. They even have a website,…
Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed New York’s Passenger Bill of Rights into Law. We previously reviewed the document, approved by the state legislature, in this post. Airlines operating out of New York airports must provide passengers with food, water, fresh air, power and working restrooms on any flight that has left the gate and been…
Here’s a collection of interesting articles we’ve been sitting on for a while and haven’t yet written about. PCWorld, in a series of articles, asks about what should a passenger do if a passenger next to you if watching pornography on his laptop? Or passengers not watching movies with headphones? (Credit to the Consumerist for…
We have an issue with the Coalition for Luggage Security for their outrageous claims to sell a currently marginal service. The Coalition began an ad campaign last month(see below) in Washington newspapers. They want to draw attention to the tens of thousands of pieces of lost luggage. They commented on the evacuation of Terminal F…
For those of you passing through the European Union…new EU rules forbid airports or airlines to deny disabled or elderly passengers from flying. Under additional laws, which will come into effect on July 26 of next year, passengers with reduced mobility will no longer be charged for extra assistance such as wheelchairs or help with…
Northwest CEO Doug Steenland continues to apologize for Northwest’s flight cancellation. Northwest continues to blame the problem on pilots, however, instead of blaming their own practices. Northwest Airlines and the Airline Pilots Association confirmed an agreement on contract issues and work rules to help improve the problem, the agreement implements contractual changes on work rules…
Frontier Airlines is expanding its service to Puerto Vallarta with flights from San Jose and Sacramento, beginning December 15th. Service will be operated three times weekly from San Jose, and four from Sacramento, with 76-seat Embraer 170 aircraft, operated by Republic Airlines. One of the San Jose flights will be operated by Frontier’s own A319…
Recently, we had occasion to be at Terminal 4 at JFK Airport, and walked by the Airport Chaplain’s office while we were looking at the various airline lounges. And it occurred to us that we know very little about these individuals and the service we provide. The Internet was rather helpful, producing a Times article…
Virgin America inaugurated service today, with a celebration at JFK’s Terminal 4. However, early this morning, a massive rain storm hit New York in a short period of time, flooding all of New York’s subway lines, clogging highways, and shutting down commuter rails. At the airport, there were, of course, multiple delays. Stephen Colbert, of…
Frontier Airlines announced new nonstop service from Memphis to Ft. Lauderdale on November 15th. Service from Las Vegas will increase to five days per week on September 6th. On November 15th, a third flight to Denver will begin. Finally, on December 15th, a second flight to Orlando. San Francisco has rolled out the red carpet…
Today in the Sky reports that, unannounced, Delta raised fees on August 1st. Same-day confirmed standby has doubled to $50, the direct booking fee has doubled to $20, their $50 change fee is now a $75 change fee. $75 is now also the charge for redepositing unused frequent-flier miles and for booking frequent flier tickets…
Allegiant Airlines has announced a score of new service in the last month that we’ve neglected to report on. It will launch a new base at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport in November, and at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in October. Allegiant Air operates a fleet of MD82/83(150 seats) and MD87 aircraft(130 seats). New Service Notes Service…
Security officials at Cairo airport were horrified when the search of a 22-year old passenger’s carry-on revealed live snakes, baby crocodiles, and chameleons. Transporting live reptiles out of the country is illegal in Egypt and the animals were confiscated. The Saudi man claims he was unaware of the ban and was transporting the reptiles for…
We’ve been away for a few days and there is a lot to catch up on… Northwest has announced its new regional subsidiary, Compass Airlines, will launch its new Embraer 175 regional jets this coming Tuesday with a flight from Minneapolis to Omaha. Compass, which was created uses the assets of Independence Air, which Northwest…
Alaska Airlines opened a new reservations call center in Phoenix, replacing a facility in Tempe operated since 1989. It specializes in serving elite frequent fliers and Spanish-speaking customers. We are currently unaware where the facility for most customers is located. American Airlines will offer new service to Buenos Aires, Argentina from Chicago-O’Hare effective December 13th.…
Delta has officially announced their nonstop flight from Salt Lake City to Paris beginning June 2nd, 2008, with a Boeing 767-300ER. The flights will be operated in cooperation with Air France, and will offer over 200 destinations on either side beyond the flight’s endpoints on both carriers. The new route is also expected to offer…
We are looking for the people who actually take the Coalition for Luggage Security seriously. Let’s review some recent airline news through their lens… On August 3rd, they noted that British Airways was forecast to lose over 1.3 million bags this year. British Airways has a less than stellar baggage handling record. Solution from the…
The FAA has ordered the inspection of all wing slats on newer Boeing 737s based on findings about a fire that destroyed a China Airlines plane in Japan last week. Investigators have discovered that a bolt from a right wing slat had pierced the fuel tank. Thus, within 24 days, all US planes must have…
A friend of the blog and occasional commenter recently flew ExpressJet from New Orleans to Austin. We asked for them to send us their opinion… This weekend I took a flight from New Orleans to Austin using ExpressJet. To start with, I prefer discount airlines as they are more efficient and timely than the premium…
Ryanair has done it again…For those of you who haven’t noticed, we aren’t big fans of the European discount carrier. For a better understanding of some of their safety concerns, you can check out the Youtube presentation of a documentary….Ryanair: Caught Napping(Click to Play), which doesn’t even cover their disgusting business practices, just the inflight…
We first defended Spirit, despite some negative aspects of its record, then blasted it when it transitioned to an “ultra-low-cost carrier” the likes of Ryanair(which we frequently blast). Buzzing around on the Internet is the tale of what happens when a CEO accidentally emails his internal comment on a customer complaint back to the customer(We’re…
Boeing announced today the delivery of its 3000th widebody airplane from its Everett, Washington plant. The plane was a 777-200ER delivered to Korean Air. The plant, celebrating its fortieth anniversary, has made 747, 767, and 777 models. Boeing widebody aircraft have flown more than 34.5 million flight, logged more than 148 million flight hours and…
Midwest Airlines is adding a fifth roundtrip to service from Milwaukee to both Philadelphia and Omaha beginning October 1st. The new service will be offered on 50-seat CRJ-200 regional jets, featuring brown leather seats, chef-prepared buy-onboard Best Care Cuisine meals and baked-on-board chocolate chip cookies. Continental Airlines has upgraded its website to allow passengers who…