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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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,…
We’re catching up on our backlog of exciting news…While we do that…why don’t you head over to our new spinoff, Infrequent Flier, for a bit of sage advice…namely Don’t Book with Cheapoair. Cathay Pacific announced a third daily flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Hong Kong to begin November 15th. Currently, they operate one…
American Eagle will add nonstop service from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and Raleigh-Durham beginning November 4th with six day a week service operated by 37-seat ERJ-135 jets. American Eagle will also add service between Santa Fe, New Mexico and both Dallas/Ft. Worth and Los Angeles. Service will be operated with 44-seat Embraer 140 regional jets.…
We are proud to announce the launch of our new sister blog, Infrequent Flier(www.infrequentflier.com), where we will be presenting information and advice for the less experienced traveler seeking to keep current. Here at Flight Wisdom, we will remain committed to the best in airline information for a more involved traveler…with new route news, safety and…
Effective August 4th, cigarette lighters will no longer be banned from aircraft. The change, which applies to disposable butane lighters, and refillable lighters, has been advocated by the TSA, which hopes to devote more time to looking for actual security threats…like bottled water. People in TSA security lines are already tense, due to the confusing…
It is a question we often ask ourselves…Perhaps a few bits of info should give you pause… The body of an Asian male in his 50s was found in the nose gear wheel well of a United 747 yesterday at San Francisco International Airport. Counting the most recent victim, the FAA has tallied 75 stowaway…
When we first launched this blog last year, we began with the slogan: Thoughts on improving your flight experience and Saving you Money Then…as time went by…we amended it to read: News, Advice and Thoughts on improving your flight experience and Saving you Money Now… News, Thoughts, and Advice on Air Travel and the Travel…
Qatar Airways touched down at Washington-Dulles Airport last night in its maiden flight on the route from Doha. The Airbus 340 was greeted by a water salute. Horizon Air has slashed fares from Idaho Falls to Seattle and Portland. Fares on the routes that were $183-$364 are now $139-$189 each way. All flights to the…
We’ve been away for a few days and there is a lot more than Virgin America that has gone on…Let’s catch up… Continental Airlines has announced it will begin nonstop service from Newark to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. The carrier will operate one daily round-trip flight, except between Jan. 8 and Feb. 13, when it not fly…
Virgin America….the airline that has faced numerous hurdles in its certification due to foreign control concerns…began selling tickets today. Tickets are available for sale at 1-877-FLY-VIRGIN(877-359-8474) and at the Virgin America website. Tickets are on sale from August 8th through February 12th. From its hub at San Francisco International Airport, Virgin America will inaugurate: Twice…
The Consumerist, which we follow, has an article pointing out how while baggage fees are being more stringently enforced…when a news crew accompanied an official from the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures to inspect United Airlines scales, they found all but one to be off. Airport scales, subject to a lot of use, are…
Virgin America has been certified for service in the United States and has been authorized to begin selling tickets. Despite the fact it is already July, Virgin plans to start flying in August from its hub in San Francisco. Virgin America also announced it has signed with NBC Universal, to feature its TV and film…
Last weekend, a 47-year old gas station owner named Kent Couch flew from Bend, Oregon to Union…a distance of 193 miles. The unique thing is that Mr. Couch did so without benefit of plane. He flew on a lawn chair tied to 105 helium balloons. Couch carried a GPS in his pocket, five gallons of…