Jul 30th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Last weekend, United Airlines Flight 108 from Newark, New Jersey, to Edinburgh, Scotland, put 2011's Airline Passenger Bill of Rights to the test. It was not planned that way; we did not set out to see if the new regulations would kick in to help in a bad situation. But when things went wrong, rules established by the bill kept a bad scene from becoming a total disaster. I was on board and ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
airline posts
Bad Flight Saved By Airline Crew, New Laws, Amiable Travelers
Jul 30th, 2012 at 5:00PM:
Last weekend, United Airlines Flight 108 from Newark, New Jersey, to Edinburgh, Scotland, put 2011's Airline Passenger Bill of Rights to the test. It was not planned that way; we did not set out to see if the new regulations would kick in to help in a bad situation. But when things went wrong, rules established by the bill kept a bad scene from becoming a total disaster. I was on board and ...Airline Fees: You Get What You Pay For Or Weapons In Travel Class Warfare?
Jun 29th, 2012 at 1:00PM: Last month, the media was abuzz over increased airline fees for pre-assigned seating, with many concerned that it would especially affect families who want to sit together for no additional cost. Even New York Senator Chuck Schumer got involved, asking airlines to waive fees for families traveling with children. Rather than look for victims or call airlines "anti-family," however, look at the ...Airlines Push Entertainment Options, Legroom Too, Eventually
Jun 9th, 2012 at 3:30PM:
It sounds like a dream come true for many airline passengers. A new generation of technology promises to deliver in-seat headphones, video screens and the ability for airline passengers to use their own devices – all the time. But at what cost? Existing technology runs through miles of leg room-consuming wire threaded through seats, but the future promises great entertainment and more ...Virgin Atlantic Reveals New £100 Million Upper Class Cabin
Apr 26th, 2012 at 11:00AM: Cutting-edge airline Virgin Atlantic Airways has revealed their newly redesigned Upper Class Cabin, a £100 million enhancement offering enviable amenities for the luxury traveler.
Highlights of the new cabin include the brand new bar – the longest in the sky – which stretches eight feet and has space to accommodate eight passengers, bespoke Swarovski crystal curtains adorned ...House Oversight Committee requests feedback on TSA
Mar 24th, 2012 at 6:30PM: Public acceptance of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and its somewhat dubious methodologies has always been tenuous among the American public. Some feel that the technology they use is the only way to keep American travelers safe. Others feel that their power and influence reaches too far. In either case, there's lots to say, and for once, congress appears to be listening.
On ...FAA reconsiders use of electronics on airplanes
Mar 19th, 2012 at 7:30AM: Anyone who has tried to use an e-reader or tablet on their flight in the last several years knows about the strict rules that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) places on their operation. Taxi, takeoff and landing are periods during which most electronics are prohibited, a rule that has riled up frequent travelers and tech lovers alike. Even "Mythbusters" has an episode exploring the use of ...Don't forget to vote in our Airline Madness tournament!
Mar 14th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
The entire first round of Airline Madness, our tournament of airline annoyances, is now live and open for voting. We have eight match-ups that need your votes to help us move closer to crowning our top airline pet peeve. Polls close on Friday at 11:59PM EDT, so don't delay. The winners will advance to the second round, which will be posted here on Gadling next week.
Make your voices heard ...Get flight info and airport reviews with RouteHappy
Mar 3rd, 2012 at 12:00PM: When it comes to booking hotels, travelers have plenty of options for finding information, recommendations, and tips with TripAdvisor, booking engine reviews, and other user-generated sites, in addition to guidebooks and other traditional media. But as air travel gets more restrictive and less comfortable, how can you choose the easiest flights, or at least be prepared for the inconveniences? ...Tips for flying cheaper in 2012
Feb 7th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
We're in a different world of air travel in 2012. Airlines have upped the ante in the a la carte pricing and fee game, and the Department of Transportation has taken steps to reduce the volume of nefarious fare marketing. American Airlines is now bankrupt, while Malev Hungarian is almost completely out of business and Spirit Airlines is on the full offensive. To put it mildly, the airline ...LAN Colombia will begin flights to the U.S.
Jan 28th, 2012 at 1:00PM: On February 1, LAN Colombia will celebrate the airline's inaugural flight to the United States when it touches down at Miami International Airport from Bogota. The event will be marked by a water cannon salute and will be attended by the iconic Juan Valdez (and possibly his mule Conchita) in an effort to promote his coffee brand-which will now be served exclusively on all of LAN's long-haul ...Southwest airline interior evolves, gets planet-friendly
Jan 20th, 2012 at 2:30PM:
Called Evolve: The New Southwest Interior, Southwest Airlines introduced a new cabin layout this week at their Dallas headquarters. Due to be rolled out fleet-wide over the next year, the plan will cut 635 pounds off each plane and add six seats per aircraft in an eco-friendly way.
Many of the new developments were fabricated using products and manufacturing processes that favor the ...5 airlines with great in-flight services in economy class
Jan 9th, 2012 at 8:30AM:
Last week, I spent 13 hours desperately trying to fall asleep on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to London; my economy class seat didn't have a personal entertainment system and the cabin monitor was pitch black from my angle. The week before, my sister took a red-eye United Airlines flight from Honolulu to San Francisco without the benefit of a pillow, blanket, or snack.
For many ...Your bag's perspective from Atlanta to New York
Dec 23rd, 2011 at 11:30AM:
Ever wonder what happens to your bag after you send it down the tunnel behind the gate agent at the airport? I was always under the impression that it was handled by a series of Oompa-Loompas who gently carry your bags from point A to point B on their heads, quietly singing the song of the baggage handler as glitter falls from the sky.
Apparently that's not the case. The kind folks over at ...
Cockpit Chronicles: Video—Food in the cockpit. How it's prepared and what is served
Oct 12th, 2011 at 11:00AM: "I'm getting kind of tired of these chicken Caesar salads."
I said those words just a few months into my career at American. The statement resonated loudly after I was furloughed and flying for a freight airline with barely a bottle of water on board, so I vowed that I would never complain about a crew meal again.
In fact, when I came back to AA I nearly cried when a flight attendant entered ...Video of the Day: Tiny overhead bins
Oct 3rd, 2011 at 7:30PM:
We've all seen it: that guy who has crammed a large bag in the overhead bin of the airplane and then can't seem to understand why the door won't close. It's aggravating for everyone witnessing it. Why do so many people lack such basic spacial relations? We were reminded of that frustration when we discovered this commercial for 1Time, a low-cost South African airline. Granted, the ad is a few ...
Bob Crandall thinks out loud, on topics you wouldn't expect from a former airline president
Sep 28th, 2011 at 10:30AM: As much as American Airlines employees loved to hate Bob Crandall, their outspoken President and Chairman in the '80s and '90s, many are now longing for the leadership he provided not just to AA, but the entire industry. At the time, he was the Steve Jobs of the airline world.
Credited with developing the first frequent flyer program in the airline industry and pioneering modern reservations ...Cockpit Chronicles: A captain's line check
Sep 16th, 2011 at 10:30AM: Once every two years a captain is required to be observed by a check airman. And captains over sixty must be checked every six months.
I touched on the line check in the last Cockpit Chronicles, and I've had yet another trip with a check airman performing a line check, making it two in the last eight days. Both of the captains I was flying with were over sixty. As a result of the change in ...Hurricane rebooking madness: US Airways wins, American loses
Aug 30th, 2011 at 10:00AM:
Stella Service just captured an interesting slice of airline customer service data during hurricane Irene. The weather catastrophe, which stranded hundreds of thousands of travelers throughout the weekend, left many trying to rebook their tickets at the airport and on the phone -- only to be met with hours of on-hold-music and frustration.
Not all airlines handled the disaster equally, ...Cockpit Chronicles: One long date with Hurricane Irene
Aug 28th, 2011 at 10:00AM: Plunk, plunk, plunk, went the water as it dripped from the ceiling into a trash can behind me.
"I'd just as soon call it quits here and go to a hotel." the captain said, looking at the latest weather report for Santo Domingo and the radar picture of hurricane Irene which was just northwest of our destination. All of Puerto Rico, where we were contemplating our decision, had just been through ...UK strike slows down ports and airports
Jun 30th, 2011 at 8:30AM: UK airports and ports are experiencing delays as many customs and immigration officials are on a one-day strike.
The UK Border Agency is one of several UK public sector unions on strike over plans to change pensions, a move they say will have employees working longer, paying more into the system, and getting less out of it when they retire.
Some Border Agency workers started early, at 6pm ...
