Archive for January, 2006
January 23 2006
Some people’s lives just suck.
Business class passengers on American Airlines learned recently that the airline was eliminating make-your-own sundaes in business class and replacing them with, wait for it wait for it, PRE-MADE SUNDAES. Da horror! Da horror!
Before you go storming AA’s offices in Dallas, American has decided that perhaps this wasn’t a great idea and after what I can only imagine was a dozen meetings, has re-instated make your own sundaes. But only at dinner. During lunch, you’ll get pre-made, pre-toppinged sundaes with all the gloop, whether you want it or not.
The end.
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January 20 2006
The TSA is expanding the Registered Traveler Program beyond its 5 pilot cities beginning in June. What the hell does that mean? Good question (thank you). If you submit to a background check and pay a fee, you’ll be able to sail through airport security without being subjected to a search that would be Rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America and listed on Cinemax as having Strong Sexual Content.
Private companies would run the program and it would be up to them to figure out whether you’re just a dude selling software or whether you’re a member of an Al Qaeda sleeper cell in Nashville. There’s a big question as to how these companies will figure that out. Regardless, the program is going forward and, assuming you pass the check and pay the $80 or so, it will make your airport security passages much easier.
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January 19 2006
If that headline meant nothing to you, then you haven’t been following the crazy world of India’s airline industry (and I applaud you for not being a complete freak). Jet Airways, India’s largest domestic carrier, purchased Sahara Airlines for about $500 in what many think is just the first bit of consolidation in the rapidly growing industry. How fast is India’s airline biz expanding? Domestic ticket sales rose 56% last year, and India’s airlines placed $13.6 billion worth of orders for 150 new aircraft—more than any other country. Plus, 12 airlines have applied for certificates to fly in the country. It’s a free-for-all over there, and this is just the first step in rationalizing the growth.
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January 18 2006
The guys at Flyertalk have discovered a 2 night air and hotel vacation from Los Angeles (and any number of other west coast cities) to Honolulu for $94. You read that correctly. $94 gets you a round trip flight and hotel. There’s no catch. Read the details here (remember when you book…choose ONE person for dates in March, and use promo code WVRQ400)…
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January 18 2006
France, which had published a blacklist of airlines it had forbidden from flying to the country, has removed Mozambique’s national airline (LAM) from said blacklist. Mozambique, which noted that the airline had flown to Paris every week since the 1980s without incident, protested the blacklisting, saying that it was unjust and hurt the country’s reputation (?) abroad. Following an inspection by an outside consultant, the airline was deemed perfectly safe to fly. LAM hopes to resume Maputo-Paris flights soon.
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January 18 2006
A Spanish court has given two Ryanair passengers a four-month suspended jail term for stealing 3 lifejackets off a Ryanair flight from Nottingham to Barcelona two weeks ago (damn, that’s swift justice!). Ryanair has now banned the passengers for life which, depending on your feelings about the relative comfort of flying on Ryanair, may be more of a blessing than a curse.
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January 17 2006
(Thanks to D-Lux for the heads up):
Boeing is offering a 50% discount on its onboard wireless Internet services for the month of January (roughly a $15 savings, depending on the airline). The service is available on select flights on El Al, ANA, Asiana, China Airlines, JAL, Korean Air, Lufthansa, SAS and Singapore (details of the service are available here).
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January 17 2006
A mechanic working for Continental Airlines was killed in a grizzly accident at El Paso Airport when he was sucked into the engine of a parked 737. Investigators are trying to determine how the incident occurred but, incredibly, a Boeing spokesperson says that this type of accident has happened before.
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January 17 2006
Friends of mine often ask me about the safety level of various airlines (I’ve mentioned this before) and I always say that airlines (save for a handful in Africa) are universally safe. I also usually add that just because an airline flies from a country that seems sketchy does not mean that their airline is sketchy.
It turns out that just because you fly an airline from a wealthy country, it doesn’t mean that the airplanes have been well inspected. SAS, the Scandanavian carrier, flew ten planes last year that were supposed to have been grounded for safety inspections. The problems with maintenance are being blamed on a subcontractor, but that shouldn’t make you feel any better about flying on an aircraft that is past its safety inspection date.
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January 16 2006
Good morning. The OTR offices in the US are closed today for the holiday, so there will be no posts. But our Buenos Aires, Cairo and Karachi offices are open, so feel free to call the staff there. See you tomorrow.
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American Airlines: Fine, We’ll Give You Sundaes