'You would be amazed at what we find in the pipes when we clean the system - not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks and even children's stuffed toys,'

Continue reading Asian airline puzzled by mysterious mid-air toilet clogs

Asian airline puzzled by mysterious mid-air toilet clogs originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When passengers show bad behavior at the airport, everyone notices. Bad airport behavior is one place Hollywood gets it right, even when scenes are a bit outlandish.

Here are two scenes that show just what can happen when a passenger is vexed beyond sanity--either due to traveling with a family member or the actions of another passenger coupled with airline staff reactions.

Perhaps you'll see an element of yourself or someone you know in one of these scenerios. If you happen to have one of these moments when traveling for the holidays, try to keep a sense of humor. It can help.

Along with a sense of humor, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help you not go bonkers. If you do go bonkers, check in with Gadling, we'd love to tell your tale. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Continue reading Bad behavior at the airport, Hollywood style and how to tips for keeping your cool

Bad behavior at the airport, Hollywood style and how to tips for keeping your cool originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Three airlines just scored a first with the U.S. government: they were fined for leaving passengers in the lurch. Continental Airlines, ExpressJet (a Continental affiliate) and Mesaba (part of Delta) racked up a total punishment of $175,000 when their combined efforts left fliers on a plane in Minnesota for six hours.

Continental and ExpressJet were slapped with a fine of $100,000, while Mesaba was nailed for $75,000, according to the Department of Transportation.

With the busiest travel day of the year right around the corner, the timing couldn't have been better. Airlines that let their guards down could face stiff fines. And, let's face it: these airlines can't afford peanuts, let alone five- and six-figure fines.

On August 8, 2009, 47 passengers were stuck on a Continental Express plane, which was diverted to Rochester, Minnesota (the original plan was Houston to Minneapolis), where they were forced to spend the night. ExpressJet operated the flight, while Mesaba, the only airline working the airport, refused to let passengers leave the plane.

DoT gives airlines $175,000 reminder ahead of Thanksgiving originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

United plans for new image overhaul originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Obviously the best thing about being a flight attendant is being able to travel at a moments notice, as long as there's an open seat available on the flight. The second best thing about being a flight attendant has got to be all those days off! The third best thing about being a flight attendant is that we never know what the day will bring, and being able to leave that day behind as soon as we step off the plane - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Or the not so ugly as was the case on my last trip.

"I'm sorry," whispered my coworker, cutting his eyes at Taylor Treat, the winner of the Miss Oklahoma pageant this year. "But I'm prettier than her."

I looked at her, looked at him, looked back at her, and tried not to laugh. Because...well...In his own special way my colleague did indeed give the beauty queen a run for her money, all 200 pounds of him, with flawless coco butter skin, lashes as long as J-Lo, and....wait a minute, was that gloss? His lips were unusually shiny.

"Why Andre..." I handed a passenger a can of Dr. Pepper. "I do believe you're jealous!"

Snorting, he slapped a beverage napkin down on a tray table and turned to the last row of passengers. "Something to drink?"

Just another day on the job.

It had started out like any other day, only on this particular day when we arrived at the Oklahoma City airport I ripped my skirt leaping out of the crew van like a world class athlete. I don't know what I was thinking, trying to make that five foot jump to the curb. The sound of fabric splitting caused my entire crew to gasp, which caused me to walk backwards, or sideways, depending on where passengers were located, as I made my way into the airport, through security, and onto the airplane.

One thing I've learned over the years is that bad things can lead to good things. It's true! Because if it weren't for the ripped skirt I would have never met the passenger with the double-sided sticky tape, and if hadn't met the sticky tape man, I would have never met the beautiful young woman sitting beside him, a woman who will actually be competing for the Miss America title in January. And that's how I almost - ALMOST - got wear a sparkling crown during the beverage service. Only something tells me if I had worn it, Andre would have snatched it away and placed it on his own bald head.

One of the great things about being a flight attendant is that I meet all kinds of interesting people, flight attendants and passengers alike. Take for instance passenger 3B on our flight the day before. He sat in first class wearing a black polo shirt with the word POP ROCKS plastered across his chest in bright red letters.

Continue reading Galley Gossip - Miss Oklahoma, Pop Rocks, a ripped skirt & other strange things on planes

Galley Gossip - Miss Oklahoma, Pop Rocks, a ripped skirt & other strange things on planes originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Who was tops in Zagat airline survey? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Imagine what would be pretty much a perfect world, at least for airline CEOs. You're running a reasonable profit - let's say 10 percent, enough to keep the shareholders off their backs. And, they're growing annually at a low double-digit rate, as well. Again, the shareholders are seeing an upside, so there's no pressure on the airline's management. Since the numbers being posted are healthy, the need for cutthroat competition evaporates, and passengers make their choices by destination and service, the latter playing a minor role, because in this perfect world, service is pretty much consistent (and high) from one airline to the next.

Blissful, right? Well, it's just about impossible.

What shatters this fantasy, in which Santa's the pilot and the tooth fairy is pushing the drink cart, is the concept of price. The travel market - like any market - doesn't carve itself up neatly into the best possible outcomes for all involved. Some people make fantastic decisions, while others behave like morons. The leaders of each company think they can find an edge. Even in the perfect world described above, the mere possibility of an advantage can send the whole system into mayhem, but we'll get to that in a moment.

Continue reading Airlines: why it always has to come down to price

Airlines: why it always has to come down to price originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Overweight man barred from flight, misses uncle's funeral

Overweight man barred from flight, misses uncle's funeral originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been a tough month year decade for the airline industry. In the United States, it's lost $58.5 billion and cut 158,000 jobs. There never seems to be an answer, and news of an industry in jeopardy has become routine. So, .

But, it will be different this time. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says it will not be "just another advisory committee."

On his Department of Transportation blog, LaHood writes, "I am not commissioning some report to fill space on my bookshelf. This committee will make a difference."

He continues:

"Look, without a financially strong aviation industry, we will be unable to compete in domestic and international commerce. We could also fall behind in addressing our own infrastructure needs. So we must begin this important conversation in order to ensure a viable, competitive U.S. aviation industry."

But, he has his work cut out for him, as does the advisory committee. The estimated price tag to fix the most vexing problems the industry faces is $20 billion. And, many of the recommendations from the last two panels were never implemented.

Continue reading Another "blue ribbon" panel to fix the airline industry

Another "blue ribbon" panel to fix the airline industry originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

United Airlines offers a free "try before you buy" Wi-Fi session on all p.s. flights originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

1. Chicago, IL - Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
2. Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles International (LAX)
3. Denver, CO - Denver International (DEN)
4. San Francisco, CA - San Francisco International (SFO)
5. Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Hartsfield International (ATL)
6. Boston, MA - Boston Logan International (BOS)
7. New York, NY - New York LaGuardia (LGA)
8. New York, NY - New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
9. Newark, NJ - Newark Liberty International (EWR)
10. Seattle, WA - Seattle Tacoma International (SEA)

Continue reading Orbitz reveals which airports to avoid this Thanksgiving

Orbitz reveals which airports to avoid this Thanksgiving originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Contract negotiations between American Airlines and its flight attendants have stalled. So, the flight attendants kicked off a fake strike on Wednesday. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, they picketed, handed out leaflets and wore red badges, showing flights they feel couldn't run without them. So, just think of how strong a real strike would have been! Similar protests were held at 12 other airports, as well.

Because of federal laws that intentionally make it difficult for airline industry employees to strike, the fake alternative was the best that could be summoned, at least on short notice. USA Today reports that gauging public support for a flight attendant strike is difficult, but union officials seem unwilling to roll the dice by disrupting flights, especially with the holiday season coming. Smart move: if fliers have demonstrated anything this year, it's that they don't give a shit about the airlines. They just want to get from Point A to Point B for as low a fare as possible.

And, public sentiment aside, it's hard to draw blood from a stone. In less than two years, American's parent company, AMR, has lost $3.2 billion, and revenue has taken a dive. So, what's left for the flight attendants to demand?

Continue reading Flight attendants fake strike to make point

Flight attendants fake strike to make point originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. airline passenger revenue fell in October, completing a full year of dismal monthly performances. From October 2008 to October 2008, passenger revenue dropped 15 percent, according to calculations by the Air Transport Association. The study was based on a sample group of more than 24 air carriers. Falling ticket prices are said to be the problem ... which means we can trace it back to household finances, throwing the job market into the mix.

With unemployment now above 10 percent, consumers are being careful with their extra cash (if they have any), and dropping cash on plane tickets is pretty difficult. Hey, that's why more people are driving this year than in the past.

In October, the number of people flying on U.S. airlines fell 3 percent, and the average price to fly one mile dropped 13.5 percent. Basically, the number of people flying hasn't fallen much, but they're demanding much better pricing for their business. Airlines have to take it on the chin in order to bring any revenue in the door at all.

Airlines watch 15% of last year's revenue disappear originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New airport tug puts the pilot in charge, reduces emissions originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Maybe the flight attendants should start talking to the cockpit, too. When a plane overshot Minneapolis last month because the crew was playing around with personal laptops, national attention turned to what actually goes on in the front of the plane. Congress is kicking around the idea of a new bill that would kick personal electronic devices from the cockpit.

Unsurprisingly, the pilots and airlines aren't crazy about the idea. They say that the measure would impede progress by making innovation less accessible. Scott Schleiffer, a cargo pilot who's also thrown some brain time at safety issues for the Air Line Pilots Association, told USA Today, "We would like to have access to tools, and as tools evolve, we would like to have better tools."

FAA chief Randy Babbit agrees, saying, "We need to be very careful," in regards to the prohibition of personal devices in the cockpit.

Airlines are starting to bring new technology into the cockpit, with laptops and other devices used to improved weather and safety information. The devices aren't all that different from what distracted the Northwest pilots who missed Minneapolis. JetBlue has issued laptops to pilots, which are used to push through calculations during takeoff and landing. But, the airline doesn't allow personal use of them.

Continue reading Only approved electronic devices allowed in the cockpit?

Only approved electronic devices allowed in the cockpit? originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EasyJet has apologized to everyone who will listen over a fashion shoot that appeared in its inflight magazine.

Did the models wear too little? Did they look like fourteen year-old cokeheads? No, none of the usual stuff; they happened to be posing at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial.

Yes, some fashion photographer decided the concrete blocks known as the "Field of Stelae", properly called the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, would be a cool place for slinky women to show off designer duds. The editor of the magazine at INK Publishing thought it was a pretty neat idea too, and easyJet didn't notice until too late.

Now they've yanked the issue from all their planes and are "reviewing their relationship" with the publisher.

This was probably an honest oversight by easyJet, who acted quickly and appropriately when the issue came to their notice, but what about the magazine's editors? Or the photographer? Or the models? Didn't anyone stop and say , "Hey, millions of Jews died in the concentration camps. Perhaps we should take these photos somewhere else?"

Nope, apparently not.

EasyJet apologizes for Holocaust fashion shoot originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Exclusive video: inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch

Exclusive video: inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch event (photos)

Inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch event (photos) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Four pieces of great inflight WiFi news from Gogo

Four pieces of great inflight WiFi news from Gogo originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We aren't staying at home, but we're definitely not flying. That's the word out of AAA this year. Thanksgiving, always a travel-heavy holiday, will see more cars in the road than people crammed at the gate, as travelers respond to the recession and recent increases in airfares.

AAA puts the number of people driving 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving at 38.4 million -- up 1.4 percent from last year. The number of people traveling by car (regardless of distance) is set to edge 2.1 percent higher. Meanwhile, the number of people taking to the skies is expected to drop a hefty 6.7 percent. The Air Transportation Association sees the passenger count dropping 4 percent, but that's for the "holiday period," which stretches from November 20 to December 1. "Economic headwinds" are the primary reason, the ATA says.

The economic situation's role in the decision to drive versus fly isn't limited to the change in prices. Airlines have been pushing their fares up for the past few weeks, but for consumers, the decision is based on cost relative to their willingness to spend. Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com, tells MSNBC, "A leisure traveler might have bought a domestic ticket for $350 last year. Lately, $250 has been the breakpoint; above that, they just weren't going to buy."

Continue reading Passengers to become drivers for Thanksgiving this year

Passengers to become drivers for Thanksgiving this year originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.