Jun 22nd, 2009 at 5:00PM: A Qantas Airbus A330-300 flew through what airline staff referred to as a "severe meteorological incident". The "incident" was actually bad turbulence, and it was so severe that the plane plummeted, sending passengers into the ceiling. The flight was en route from Hong Kong to Perth when it hit the turbulence. Because the drop was so sudden, the flight crew did not have the time to warn ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Qantas posts
Seven injured as Qantas Airbus slams passengers into the ceiling
Jun 22nd, 2009 at 5:00PM: A Qantas Airbus A330-300 flew through what airline staff referred to as a "severe meteorological incident". The "incident" was actually bad turbulence, and it was so severe that the plane plummeted, sending passengers into the ceiling. The flight was en route from Hong Kong to Perth when it hit the turbulence. Because the drop was so sudden, the flight crew did not have the time to warn ...Airline complains about fees?!
May 28th, 2009 at 1:30PM: Like all airlines, Qantas is looking to cut costs. And, it saw an opportunity by forming partnerships with some of Australia's airports. If all were to go according to plan, Qantas could make a dent in its annual airport costs of $544 million (AU$700 million). While some airports are willing to play ball, others (like Sydney and Brisbane) aren't ... leaving an airline to complain about fees, for a ...Naval officer finishes flight in restraints
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:00AM:
Something happened between Melbourne, Australia and London, England. A Lieutenant Commander from Canberra "became rowdy" in the sky and "accosted" another passenger. The details of the encounter were not revealed, but the Sydney Morning Herald reports that it involved a scuffle, landed the sailor in restraints and ended with arrest when the plane touched down at Heathrow Airport.
During the ...Snakes get loose on Qantas flight
Apr 16th, 2009 at 12:00PM: A Qantas Airlines flight from Alice Springs to Melbourne had to be grounded after four baby pythons escaped from their foam box in the plane's cargo hold. They were among 12 pythons being flown to Melbourne. Passengers were offloaded and transferred to other aircraft to make connections. The plane itself had to be fumigated. So far the bodies of the four snakes have yet to turn up. Authorities ...Fly to Australia for free?
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 4:00PM: The recession is not just an American problem. The economies of Europe and Asia are struggling as well. And, Australia is feeling the slowdown now, too. What does that mean for us? Potential travel deals in the future. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting Virgin's interest in participating in a program that would offer free flights for foreign travelers heading to Australia. The Mayday Project ...Airbus A380 is a big plane and a big pain in the behind
Jan 25th, 2009 at 1:00PM: The Airbus A380 has been in service for over 16 months and a total of 13 of these monsters have been delivered to airlines around the world. One of those airlines is Qantas, who use the plane on their Sydney-Los Angeles route. Of course, a plane this big offers some major logistical challenges to designers, but the airports they visit get their fair share of hassles too. Los Angeles airport has ...Get in on the airfare wars Down Under
Jan 24th, 2009 at 4:30PM: You gotta love a little healthy competition. Airlines to Australia have been caught in a price war, and we're reaping the rewards. It all started with V Australia whose new flights to the US begin February 27th. Their sales have ended, but Qantas' sales are still around. But book quickly--their sale ends Monday, January 26th. Get a Qantas ticket for $880 round-trip to Australia or New Zealand ...Man jailed after faking being a Qantas aircraft engineer
Dec 22nd, 2008 at 12:00PM: I've got another Qantas story that came across my desk recently. The BBC is reporting that an Australian man is behind bars and facing two years in jail after it was found that he had faked being a Qantas engineer for 10 months The guy's name is Timothy McCormack, and he admitted to some 42 different charges of deception, including forging an engineer's license. He was caught posing as a ...Qantas CEO Hints at Future Merger
Nov 26th, 2008 at 2:00PM: Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon might be stepping down from his post after eight hectic years, but he still has something to say about the future of the famous Australian airline. Though he did not announce a merger, Dixon stated that a future merger is "inevitable." "For Qantas, consolidation is highly desirable. It is in our interests to be at the leading edge of efforts to build a global airline ...Qantas Owns up to Price Fixing
Oct 28th, 2008 at 11:30AM: Qantas is eager to put this year behind itself. Several mid-air incidents caused the airlines commitment to safety to come into question. Also, their plan to outsource labor caused a ruckus with local unions. Nonetheless, the Qantas is keeping its head above water. It dominates lucrative routes between the US and Australia and holds its own against stiff competition in Asia. So when a ...Bus accident at airport sends passengers to hospital in a travel snafu
Oct 14th, 2008 at 3:30PM: If you've flown enough, you've probably been on one of those buses that transport you between airport terminals.
When riding in such a vehicle, who really thinks about anything but making a connection? After reading this article about an accident at the Sydney Airport in Australia this morning, I'd say, here's another reason to hope there's enough time for terminal transfers in order to catch a ...Passenger arrested for not turning off his laptop
Sep 4th, 2008 at 10:30AM: A 35 year old "well dressed businessman" was arrested yesterday when he refused to turn off his laptop for the final approach of his Qantas flight. The passenger was on board flight QF418 from Melbourne to Sydney and apparently found whatever he was doing on his laptop to be more important than listening to flight attendant requests. Upon landing, all passengers were told to stay seated while the ...Flight attendants to become the porn police
Aug 26th, 2008 at 1:00PM: Back in December, when Aaron posted about the etiquette questions raised by In-flight Internet, he wrote the prevailing thought was that "decency, good sense and normal behavior" would prevail.
According to this article at FoxNews.com, just in case decency, good sense and normal behavior go out the window, flight attendants will become the porn police.
I imagine that while the flight attendant ...Qantas jumbo jet diverts after fuselage ruptures
Jul 25th, 2008 at 12:36PM: A Qantas jet bound for Hong Kong was forced to divert into the Philippines today, after a portion of the fuselage just in front of the starboard wing ruptured. The explosion left a gash reaching into the cargo hold of the 744, resulting in a loss of pressure in that cabin and an emergency descent to 10,000 feet. Oxygen masks were deployed by the captain and the flight landed fortunately landed ...Another serious safety scare at Qantas
Mar 25th, 2008 at 2:40PM: With 4 safety scares in a month, Qantas seems to have serious problems to deal with. The latest: 4 tires of one of its 747's taking off from LA International Airport blew up on the runway. The 232 passengers and crew on board were not hurt; everyone was evacuated from the plane immediately and taken to a hotel. According to the story in the Sydney Morning Herald, the plane may leave today ...Wasps nest inside planes, cause delays
Feb 5th, 2008 at 4:40PM: The airline industry hardly seems to run out of reasons for flights to be delayed or canceled. Here is a really good one from Australia.
A total of five Qantas airline flights were delayed or canceled between January and March 2006 because of "wasp infestation." Yes, apparently, wasps had built 20-30 nests inside parts of the A330 planes while they were waiting on the runway, according to ...Qantas and Jetstar Offer CO2 Offsets for Passengers
Sep 23rd, 2007 at 10:37AM: While some airlines are complaining about environmental directives for air travel, Qantas and its budget carrier Jetstar are actually doing something about it. On Wednesday, the two airlines launched a scheme that allows passengers to offset their CO2 emissions. No, passengers don't hold their collective breath for the entirety of the flight; this offset is monetary. For example, the Associated ...
