Apr 12th, 2013 at 4:00PM: The jury is still out on a recent study that says a result of climate change could take fliers on a bumpy ride. Scientists think passengers on transatlantic vectors could experience more unexpected ups and downs, the leading cause of in-flight injury, but agree that more study is needed. But just how dangerous is flight turbulence anyway?
Unexpected turbulence, called "clear air turbulence," ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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Flight Turbulence: Just How Dangerous Is It Anyway?
Apr 12th, 2013 at 4:00PM: The jury is still out on a recent study that says a result of climate change could take fliers on a bumpy ride. Scientists think passengers on transatlantic vectors could experience more unexpected ups and downs, the leading cause of in-flight injury, but agree that more study is needed. But just how dangerous is flight turbulence anyway?
Unexpected turbulence, called "clear air turbulence," ...Embedded Into Finnair's Flight Safety School
Aug 30th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Safety is top priority for airlines around the world, and each crew member goes through weeks of recurrent training to prepare for emergencies. They do it in an a flight training center, where situations such as fires, bail outs and all sorts of other crises can be simulated and practiced.
At Finnair, this place is called the Flight Academy, a sprawling complex on the outskirts of Helsinki ...Cockpit Chronicles: Getting More Out Of Layovers
Apr 19th, 2012 at 9:00AM: For some, life couldn't be any more perfect than if they were paid to travel. I've run across three airline crew members who have discovered ways to keep their jobs fresh and exciting by embracing what is for them the biggest benefit that comes with working for an airline: travel.
You hear about the turbulence in the airline industry nearly every week – layoffs, pay cuts, pensions lost ...Cockpit Chronicles: What's not to like about the 757? I'll show you. (Video)
Mar 8th, 2012 at 8:00AM: Powerful engines providing stellar performance and short field capabilities are just some of the features that set the Boeing 757 apart from the rest. But there has to be something that pilots dislike on the airplane, right?
Well, there are two features in particular that I don't care for.
I dream that someday someone from Boeing or Airbus will call me for advice on cockpit ergonomics. Each ...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 ...Association of Flight Attendants champions female employees
Sep 29th, 2011 at 1:00PM: The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA wants to point out that a lot has changed since the days of girdle and weight checks.
The world's largest Flight Attendant union, recognized the season premiere of Pan Am as a reminder of the extraordinary accomplishments of Flight Attendants at the forefront of the jet age, but noted that despite the glamorization of these women in the television ...Boeing moves flight attendant call button
Jun 22nd, 2011 at 10:00AM: It happens on many flights: you or a seatmate is groping blindly for the reading light or trying to plug earphones into to the armrest, accidentally hitting the flight attendant call button. This may happen several times per flight, causing flight attendants needless trips up and down the aisle to check on embarrassed passengers. It's a pet peeve on the Gadling team, among both crew and other ...American Airlines flight attendants to protest company success
Apr 21st, 2011 at 4:00PM: Boston's Logan Airport is one of 10 across the country to host flight attendant protests today. The American Airlines employees are pissed about compensation paid to the company's executives.
Here's the deal: flight attendants have had to stomach pay cuts, while executives have picked up a cool $100 million over the past six years. The flight attendants gave up $340 million a year in 2003.
I ...Virgin Blue flight attendant puts baby in overhead bin
Mar 8th, 2011 at 12:00PM: A Virgin Blue flight attendant has been fired after putting a 17-month-old baby in an overhead compartment as part of a peek-a-boo joke. Passenger Natalie Williamson was on a flight from Fiji to Sydney with her husband and son when the flight attendant put the baby into the overhead bin and locked it for 10 seconds.
"I stood up and there were people laughing and then I said 'Get my son out of ...Flight attendant weight restriction causes uproar
Mar 2nd, 2011 at 4:30PM: Thai Airways International imposed body mass index and waistline restrictions on its 6,000 flight attendants last June. According to the Bangkok Post, all flight attendants, both male and female, were given six months to comply with the weight restriction. For female attendants, a BMI of 25 and a waistline maximum of 32 inches was implemented. The male attendants had restrictions of 27.5 BMI and a ...Survey reveals hottest flight attendants - Virgin Atlantic grabs top spot
Feb 15th, 2011 at 11:30AM:
A survey by the Business Travel and Meetings Show asked 1000 of its members to pick the "most attractive flight attendants". The results are a mixed bag - as expected, the Asian carriers all scored very well, but top spot for "hottest flight attendants" went to Virgin Atlantic with 53% of the votes.
There are even a few surprises in the lineup - with Aer Lingus coming in fifth, and KLM ...
Portuguese flight attendant says yes to inflight marriage proposal
Jan 19th, 2011 at 2:30PM:
Portuguese flight attendant Vera Silva got the inflight surprise of her life when her boyfriend picked up the P.A. microphone to propose to her. While Ms. Silva was busy preparing drinks in the back of the plane, her boyfriend told her that he was on board because he loves her, and because he wants to "ask her a question".
With the help of her fellow crew members and the pilot, the proposal ...
Five ways to join the mile-high club around the world
Dec 24th, 2010 at 8:30AM: Generally, it's best to avoid an airline lavatory for any reason. It's cramped, smelly and generally not a pleasant place to be. If you're planning to use the lav for something other than its stated purpose, you're going to need to brace yourself. Unfortunately, it really is the best environment on the plane for joining the mile-high club (for those of you not in the know, that means having sex on ...Christmas list: five things I want from the airlines
Dec 22nd, 2010 at 1:00PM: 'Tis the season, right? Regardless of beliefs, we're all secretly wishing for something, even if we're not hoping for a big fat guy to slide down a slim chimney to deliver it. And, I don't think I'm unusual in having my own list of wishes. I'm not so naïve as to think the airline industry will turn my Christmas list into its New Year's resolutions, but I can always dare to dream!
So, here ...Extra airline fees could mean better service! This is the FUTURE
Dec 21st, 2010 at 3:00PM: Soon, airlines could make all their profits on the extra fees you pay. Seriously. Yesterday, the Department of Transportation revealed that airlines have had their most profitable year since it started tracking the data back in 2002. And, a good chunk of revenue came from baggage fees, reservation change fees and ancillary fees. In the third quarter alone, it was good for more than $2 billion. So, ...The 10 easiest ways to improve air travel this holiday season
Dec 16th, 2010 at 3:00PM: It's time for you to drag your screaming kids, annoying spouse and endless amounts of overstuffed bags through the airport, as you find your way over the river and through the woods. Thanksgiving is behind us, and that's the really ugly time to travel, but Christmas is no picnic either. The gate areas and bars will be crowded, and it's going to be awfully hard for you to be happy while darting ...Former flight attendant feels overwhelmed and tubby
Dec 9th, 2010 at 2:00PM:
During a visit at the Queens Criminal Court to report on his substance abuse treatment progress, former JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater said, "I am a little overwhelmed." He added, "I'm trying to stay focused and organized and keeping my priorities straight," according to the NY Post.
The former flight attendant was ordered into counseling as part of a plea agreement to two counts of ...Flight attendant trainee suing Qantas for failure to provide shrink
Dec 7th, 2010 at 3:30PM: So, you're new on the job. In fact, your title still has "trainee" in it. And then something goes wrong. That's enough to make you go home, pop the cork on a bottle of wine and lament the fact that you work for a third world company. Now, imagine the whole thing happening 30,000 feet from the ground. Yeah, it sucks. You need more than a bottle of wine to take the edge off at that point. In fact, ...Ryanair insanity: Captain Morgan suggests mutiny, ordered to Lithuania
Dec 7th, 2010 at 1:30PM: If I could make this stuff up, I'd become a novelist. Seriously.
Captain Morgan Fischer, a pilot with Ryanair, decided to try out the type of stunt for which his boss, Michael O'Leary, is famous. And, he learned what happens when you tangle with a master media whore.
Apparently implying that O'Leary is a moron, Fischer took public issue with the company CEO's notion that a co-pilot could be ...Dog bites passenger and flight attendant, forces US Airways landing in Pittsburgh
Dec 7th, 2010 at 12:00PM: Mandy is one tough bitch.
On US Airways Flight 522 from Newark to Phoenix, this 12-pound Manchester terrier busted out of its cage. You would have too ... if the drugs had worn off. With no more sedatives in her system, Mandy bit a man sitting next to her 89-year-old owner. Then, the dog shot up and down the aisle, also biting a flight attendant, according to the NY Post.
As a result of this ...
