Nov 24th, 2009 at 8:00AM: 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, ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
firstclass posts
Airlines: why it always has to come down to price
Nov 24th, 2009 at 8:00AM: 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, ...American Airlines: open your wallet
Jul 25th, 2009 at 12:00PM: When you have to combat a brutal economic downturn, there are few choices. The airlines are cutting costs, cutting seats and looking for new sources of revenue. But, none of this compares to doubling down on the old revenue streams they've already devised! Why work so hard trying to come up with new ideas, when you already have old ones? So, get ready for bag-checking to get more expensive on ...Should first class passengers get a shorter line at security?
Jun 27th, 2009 at 3:30PM: In Boston's Logan international airport, I recently witnessed a meltdown in the security line. A first class passenger was livid -- furious because ordinary passengers were being directed into the shorter, elite x-ray lane by the TSA. For their part, the TSA were indifferent. All passengers are the same, they kept saying, as people shuffled past the ID checkpoint while the first class passenger ...United Airlines timelapse video shows how first class seats are installed
10 Passengers we love to, umm....not like as much as the others: Day 4 - The passenger who tries to score a free first class seat
Jun 4th, 2009 at 9:30AM: In Grant Martin's post, The top 5 myth's about getting an upgrade, he wrote...
Flight attendants have no control over who gets upgraded when there always might be one last business class passenger coming down the jet bridge right before departure, so they can't give away a seat. After the boarding door is closed? Maybe if you're discreet, but with everyone watching, the flight attendant will most ...Qantas cuts first class service, only you can bring it back
May 25th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Does two make it a trend? Along with British Airways, Qantas will get rid of some first class seating. While BA is doing it on new flights, Qantas is starting with three of its long-haul routes, because demand for the expensive seats is falling.
If you're rich and have plans to fly from Sydney to Buenos Aires, Sydney to San Francisco or Melbourne to Hong Kong to London will be affected. This ...British Airways scrapping first class on new planes
May 24th, 2009 at 5:00PM: It's official, we're in trouble. British Airways has decided to remove first-class seating on four of its new flights, The Guardian newspaper has reported. The carrier is also considering removing the service from other flights. The move comes after a fall in demand for first-class seating, brought on by the economic downturn, which apparently is even affecting people who will pay three to ten ...OpenSkies offers two for one tickets to Amsterdam and Paris
May 5th, 2009 at 1:00PM: With demand for airline tickets quickly shrinking, premium carriers like OpenSkies are scrambling to incentive passengers to continue flying Business and First class products overseas. OpenSkies' latest promotion is aimed at goosing that first class demographic. Passengers interested in traveling in their "Biz Bed" class (effectively their lie flat, premium product) can now get a free companion ...Galley Gossip: Lost in first class
Mar 12th, 2009 at 9:30AM:
It was dark in the cabin, the seat belt sign was on, passengers were watching the in-flight movie, and we, the crew, stood in the coach galley talking about...oh I don't remember, but I do remember we were flying from Los Angeles to New York and it had been an uneventful flight. Which was nice for a change. I had been just about to remark on the nice flight when the flight attendant working in ...Galley Gossip: Lindsay Lohan throws a fit when she's denied a first class seat!
Feb 5th, 2009 at 9:30AM:
Lindsay Lohan caused "chaos" at the airport in Tampa, Florida on Saturday morning when she was denied a first class seat on an overbooked flight, reports The Huffington Post. Chaos, their word, not mine, is a word that makes me wonder, just what kind of chaos could little old Lindsay create at the airport surrounded by hundreds of passengers?
Do they mean that she stood hovering over the ticket ...Separation of the airline classes made clear in a photo
Feb 4th, 2009 at 12:00PM: This is the kind of photo I could probably post without wasting too many words on. If you ever wondered what kind of perks a first class ticket will get you, then think about the coach class passengers up to their knees in freezing cold water, watching the first class passengers take a comfortable seat in the raft. I wonder whether any of the first class passengers demanded some hot nuts and a ...Galley Gossip: Rock of Love - on the airplane!
Jan 8th, 2009 at 12:30PM: "When he walked aboard the flight the first thing I saw were the boots, and then the cool jeans and long blond hair. He didn't wear any makeup and his skin was clear and soft, a beautiful complexion. Then I noticed the bluest eyes I've ever seen. We were flying from Orlando to Los Angeles, I think," said my mother, who is also a flight attendant for the same U.S airline that I work for.
"I ...Galley Gossip: Where did the service go?
Dec 30th, 2008 at 10:30AM:
Recently I read an interesting article in the New York Times, Up, Up, and Go Away, about an ex flight attendant who worked for TWA in the 1970's when flight attendants were known as stewardesses and stewardesses were as glamorous as movie stars and passengers were treated like royalty and flying was..well...just better - in every way possible! The stewardess featured in the article above wrote ...Galley Gossip: A question about moving from coach to first class when there are open seats
Nov 13th, 2008 at 10:30AM: Dear Heather,
I love your blog, I always wanted to be a flight attendant but was told by many I'm probably too short so now I'm going for an Air Traffic Controller job. But I do have a question for you. On the past 4 flights I was on I was stuck in the middle seat because no window seats were available and I can't sit in the aisle. But I was stuck in between to large passengers that had to keep ...Galley Gossip: Why business class is the most junior position on the airplane (Plus a chance to win the book The Go-Giver)
Nov 10th, 2008 at 10:30AM:
I like working in business class. What I like even more are the other flight attendants who enjoy working in business. Call me crazy, but I even like business class passengers. I do!
What I find interesting about business class passengers is that the majority of them find it hard to believe that the cabin they prefer to sit in is the cabin that goes the most junior when it comes to company ...Ten annoying First Class passenger habits
Nov 5th, 2008 at 1:30PM: I've been lucky enough to sit up front on the plane more than I deserve, and in those flights I have come across some pretty bad behavior from my fellow passengers. digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Top_Ten_annoying_First_Class_Passenger_Habits'; Don't think the worst offenders are the ones in the back of the plane, because it's the ones up front that really can't behave themselves! "Do ...Toronto Airport Opens Lounge for All Passengers
Nov 4th, 2008 at 9:00AM: Toronto Pearson International has announced that it is opening a lounge for all passengers. Before you start envisioning a scene similar to the chaotic free-for-all at the local buffet, you should know that entry is $35. Pretty steep for those who just want to hang out and see if they can snag a few peanuts off the bar. What does the $35 get you? Lounge-users have access to wireless internet, ...10 reasons why first class air travel is the best way to fly
Oct 9th, 2008 at 3:30PM: Call me a snob, but when it comes to flying abroad, there is nothing like sitting up front in the first class cabin. Sure, it may still be the same metal tube the rest of the passengers are traveling in, but there is something to be said for three course cuisine over a bad sandwich, or 1 flight attendant for 6 passengers instead of one per 50. Unlike the 50's and 60's, when flying in first class ...MSNBC's Chris Elliot judges you and your Platinum Card
Jun 16th, 2008 at 3:45PM: One of our favorite airline columnists over at MSNBC.com and from Elliott.org published an interesting article today on the separation between coach and first class called "Frequent Criers: Elite Fliers are Ruining Air Travel". In it, he points to the increasingly childlike behavior among top tier passengers that has recently been giving first class passengers a bad name -- and asks whether this ...Plane Answers: "When did first class become the crew lounge?"
Apr 18th, 2008 at 10:00PM: Welcome to Gadling's latest feature, Plane Answers, where our resident airline pilot, Kent Wien, answers your questions about everything from take off to touch down and beyond. Have a question of your own? Ask away! Dennis asks: As one who travels somewhat frequently for business and pleasure, I have taken notice recently of just how pervasive it has become for United Airlines (the carrier I ...
