Aug 12th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Recently a couple of pilots found themselves in a situation that was foreign and perplexing to them; a scenario the designers of the airplane hadn't fully expected. They fought their way for 3 minutes and 30 seconds while trying to understand what was happening after a failure of one of the pitot static systems on their Airbus A330. At times the flying pilot's inputs exacerbated the problem when ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
AirFrance posts
Cockpit Chronicles: There's more behind the Air France 447 crash than pilot error
Aug 12th, 2011 at 8:00AM: Recently a couple of pilots found themselves in a situation that was foreign and perplexing to them; a scenario the designers of the airplane hadn't fully expected. They fought their way for 3 minutes and 30 seconds while trying to understand what was happening after a failure of one of the pitot static systems on their Airbus A330. At times the flying pilot's inputs exacerbated the problem when ...Airlines offer in-flight menu items at food trucks, pop-ups
May 7th, 2011 at 12:00PM: In a marketing move best described as "ironic," a handful of airlines are now offering land-bound folk a taste of the finest of what they serve in the air. The New York Times reports that Air France, Austrian Airlines, Southwest, and Delta are trying to lure potential passengers by tempting them with samples of in-flight meals "from" celebrity-chefs.
The modus operandi are primarily roving food ...Gadling's favorite airlines for 2011
Dec 9th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
Even with airlines falling over themselves in an effort to generate profits out of new fees and charges, flying retains some glamour and excitement. No? Not working for you? Well there are mileage programs to exploit and perks to chase. And even in the direst landscape for customers, there are always new routes to sample, smiling flight attendants to befriend, and reliable pilots to thank for ...Search for Air France 447 to resume
Nov 28th, 2010 at 8:00AM: French air accident investigators announced yesterday that search teams will return to a remote region of the Atlantic to resume the search for Air France Flight 447 in early 2011. Officials from the airline and the investigative agency recently met with families of the passengers on board that flight, who urged them to continue the search for the missing plane. Those families have lingering ...New Baghdad route for French airline
Oct 17th, 2010 at 1:00PM:
Where are you going for Christmas? Forget New England charm or warm islands where you can skip the traditional holiday and sun yourself without regret. Now, you can take the sort of vacation that will be the envy of all your friends: Baghdad. Your options were once limited, but now there's one more airline taking passengers into Baghdad International Airport – from a convenient spot.
...Sex over service? Airlines try vixen pitch with passengers
Oct 13th, 2010 at 12:00PM: It's no secret that airline customer service is generally perceived to be as pleasant as a root canal. I was thinking about this over the weekend, as I walked home from Penn Station, after catching Amtrak's Acela back from Boston. I had a fantastic trip (up and back) and was hung up on the contrasts to air travel.
Later that night, I met a friend for a glass of wine and talked through the ...Air France in-flight thefts solved - flight attendant arrested
Jul 20th, 2010 at 5:30PM: Earlier this year, we wrote about an Air France plane that had been hit by a pickpocket. The thief had emptied the wallets of business class passengers, and upon arrival in Paris, local police boarded the plane, but were unable to find the criminal.
Six months after that incident, French police have arrested an Air France flight attendant suspected of being behind the thefts. In total, 142 Air ...Photo of the Day (7.8.10)
Jul 8th, 2010 at 8:00PM:
Delays happen. Sometimes there are mechanical issues. Other times, weather plays a role in the form of ash clouds or blizzards. And other times, your flight crew just needs to sample every flavor of Jelly Babies, the UK equivalent of Gummy Bears.
This Flickr shot from OurManWhere captures a moment in Bangkok in the Golden Age of Air Travel (at least for the crew) when travel is still an ...Alitalia joins Air France, Delta and KLM to form trans-Atlantic joint venture
Jul 5th, 2010 at 11:00AM:
Several of the largest airlines in the world have teamed up to combine routes, creating the world's largest trans-Atlantic flight network. Alitalia signed an agreement to join Air France, Delta and KLM and share revenue and costs. The new combination will operate 26% of all trans-Atlantic flights, with almost 55,000 seats on 250 flights. The total revenue from this trans-Atlantic capacity is ...Concorde may once again fly - thanks to $22 million and a lot of hard work
Jun 1st, 2010 at 10:30AM: October 23rd 2003 is a date many aviation nuts will remember as the end of the era of supersonic passenger transportation.
It was the day the final Concorde flight took place, ferrying celebrities into London Heathrow airport.
Of course, her fate had already been sealed when Air France flight 4590 crashed just outside of Charles De Gaulle airport in July 2000 killing 113 people.
Her ...Fly the Air France Airbus A380 from London to Paris for just $115!
May 13th, 2010 at 4:00PM:
Fancy a trip on the world's largest jet? Air France is about to start flying the Airbus A380 from London Heathrow to Paris Charles De Gaulle - making them the only airline to use the plane on a short haul route.
Normally, the A380 is used on long hail international routes, making it tough to experience the plane "on the cheap", but the Summer A380 London-Paris flights cost just £80 ...Air France goes prix fixe, not buffet
Jan 21st, 2010 at 2:00PM: Starting in April, Air France is going to make you pay for what you consume. If you consume only one seat, that's all you'll have to buy. But, if you require more than one seat, expect to whip out your plastic. For some reason, airline spokesman Nicolas Petteau calls it "a question of security," but I don't think so. To me, it seems more like a question of getting what you pay for ... and asking ...A380 encounters trouble - again
Dec 18th, 2009 at 12:00PM: Everyone was eager to see the Air France A380 leave New York and head for Paris this week, but a fuel-tank issue kept it on the ground at JFK. This was the second problem the world's largest plane had in getting off the ground since it started bouncing between New York and Paris just under a month ago.
The A380 is nothing short of hefty, accommodating 511 passengers, and it gets thirsty. So, when ...Air France Airbus hits severe turbulence 10 miles from doomed aircraft location
Dec 13th, 2009 at 12:30PM: Here is a scary piece of aviation mystery - On November 29th, Air France flight 445 from Paris to Rio had to make an emergency descent after hitting severe turbulence. Now, bad turbulence is something any air passenger will have to deal with at least once in their life. It isn't fun, but it usually goes away after 10-20 minutes.
In the case of this Air France flight, things get a tad more ...Air France's A380 comes to the USA
Sep 29th, 2009 at 8:30AM: The third official Airbus A380 route has officially been scheduled into the United States. Air France, the third air carrier to take delivery of the massive, double decker airplane, plans on using the behemoth to fly between Paris (CDG) and New York (JFK), a hotly contested, jetset route. The tightly packed 538-seat double decker will contain about 449 economy seats, 80 in business class and 9 in ...Air France knows how to treat customers right: Tips for other airlines
Sep 18th, 2009 at 12:00PM: There's plenty to kvetch about when it comes to flying. Every time I book a flight, I continue to look at the arrival and departure times as merely suggestions--a rough idea. I plan to be late. I plan for problems. In generally, I am pleasantly surprised and achieve a warm glowing feeling when flights land on time. In all the times I've flown, I've never lost baggage. Baggage has never been my ...Mile High Dining Club: Air France
Aug 1st, 2009 at 9:30AM: Welcome to the first installment of the Mile High Dining Club where I'll be exploring and reviewing all things delicious (and perhaps not so) in the air, on the tracks, and on the ground. As airlines continue to cut more services, the bygone Pan American days of bottomless champagne, caviar and carving stations of roast beef have unfortunately fallen to the wayside as more travelers now find ...Plane Answers: Turbulence causing aircraft to break apart and London holding patterns.
Jun 9th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Welcome to Gadling's feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from takeoff to touchdown and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away! Tai asks: Hi Kent, I'm an avid reader of both your blog and Plane Answers and plan to pursue a career in aviation. I generally keep an eye out in my news feeds for airline/aircraft related ...Breaking: Air France Airbus A330 disappears outside of Brazil
Jun 1st, 2009 at 8:40AM: An Airbus A330-200 carrying over 200 passengers lost radar contact off the coast of Brazil late last night. The flight was apparently reporting electrical problems experienced during turbulence on its route between Rio de Janeiro and Charles de Gaulle Paris. Hope is still standing for some reemergence of the aircraft, although it has been several hours since contact was lost. In addition, the ...Galley Gossip: Airline uniforms (plus a chance to win free tickets on Olympic Airlines)
Jun 1st, 2009 at 8:30AM:
Just like Cliff Muskiet, the uniform freak, I have a thing for airline uniforms. I think most flight attendants do. In fact, inside my guestroom closet hangs three different uniform styles from two different airlines. I've saved it all - the pants, the skirts, the dresses, the jackets, the vests, the blouses, the wings, and even the blue tie I snapped around my neck and the epaulets I wore on ...
