JetBlue Tweet-spanks comedian Andy Borowitz for making bad jokes about their cranky flight attendant. [More]
Dramatic Animated Recreation Of Flight Attendant Quitting, Using Emergency Slide
By August 11, 2010
Taiwan news media produced this thrilling animated replay of how JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater quit his job, complete with cursing on the PA, beer grab, emergency slide run, and embracing his lover. This looks like the making of the best Sims mod ever! [More]
Flight Attendant Weighs In On Angry Passengers, Job Stress
By August 11, 2010
Steven Slater’s dramatic job walk-off slide-down on Monday wouldn’t have been anywhere near as cool if he hadn’t used that escape slide. Another flight attendant named Bobby Laurie, writing about the stress of the job for The Daily Beast, says popping the slide and stealing alcohol are “the two most taboo things in the industry.” He also says he’s fantasized about doing something similar after being forced to deal with angry or obnoxious passengers. [More]
United Overloads Plane, Kicks Off Passengers Who Paid The Least For Their Tickets
By July 19, 2010
Last week, a United Airlines flight from Burlington to Washington, D.C. was deemed too heavy to fly, so the company had to decide who to boot off. In a moment of what was almost certainly accidental honesty, they targeted the 20 least profitable customers. We know this was their criteria because they announced it to the rest of the passengers, so those who remained were able to rest easy knowing that all the cheapskates, budget travelers and poor people were gone. [More]
United Leaves Blind Passenger On Plane
By May 18, 2010
Jessica Cabot was born blind, but she’d been on two flights by herself before boarding a United Airlines flight last month, so she figured she knew what to expect. On all three flights, she was told by the flight attendants to remain seated until everyone else was off the plane, and then someone would help her off. That worked the first two times at any rate. [More]
Delta Passenger Fights Satan, Sprays Others With Water
By April 26, 2010
A Delta flight from L.A. to Florida had to make an emergency landing in Albuquerque, NM on Friday, after a first class passenger sprayed people with a water bottle from the beverage cart, threatened to “bring down” the plane, and shouted, “Get behind me Satan,” apparently referring to a flight attendant. [More]
American Airlines, Jet Blue, Delta Seek To Delay Tarmac Imprisonment Rule
By March 17, 2010
You know that new rule that says airlines have to let passengers off the plane if it’s stuck on the tarmac for more than 3 hours? It’s supposed to go into effect in April, but at least three airlines are hoping to delay it because they say runway repairs at JFK Airport will interfere with schedules. [More]
Jazz Air Kicks Stinky Passenger Off Of Flight
By February 18, 2010
Earlier this month, an American was removed from a flight operated by Canadian airline Jazz Air because of his “brutal” body odor. Apparently the flight crew tried to find a way to separate him from the other passengers, but eventually admitted defeat and asked him to leave. He flew out the next day. A spokeswoman for the airline told CNN that it doesn’t have an official policy about body odor. [More]
Founder Of FlyersRights Says Delta Hacked Her Email Account
By October 14, 2009
Kate Hanni, the founder of the passenger advocacy group FlyersRights.org, has filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines in which she claims they hacked her email account and acquired personal email messages sent between her, some journalists, and a guy who was at the time working for Metron, a company hired by the FAA to investigate Delta.
Should Airplane Passengers Be Allowed To Make VoIP Calls?
By September 30, 2009
Until now, airplane cabins have been blessedly free from idle phone chatter thanks to FAA regulations. Now, thanks to the introduction of wi-fi on commercial flights, it’s time to ask: should passengers be able to use Skype, Google Voice, or another VoIP service of their choice to make phone calls in the air?
Airline Passengers Bill Of Rights Lurches Down Congressional Runway
By July 20, 2009
Tomorrow, a Senate committee will hold a hearing on legislation that grants passengers the right to deplane if their plane is delayed on the runway for more than 3 hours. The legislation will also require that airlines provide water, food, and bathroom facilities during delays. If passed, it will be ignored by Delta.
10 Easy Ways To Keep Your Flight Attendant Happy
By July 19, 2009
A happy flight attendant makes for a happy flight, and 24-year-old flight attendant Brandi Lynne has a list of 10 things you can do to make your next flight a little more enjoyable…
Woman Misses Flight, Seems Slightly Annoyed
By February 17, 2009
It’s as if all the frustration from airline travelers across the world has collected into one crazy woman who’s just eaten a candy bar. We can’t believe we missed this last Thursday.
What Happens To The Baggage After A Plane Crash?
By January 16, 2009
Though it probably couldn’t be farther from their minds, at some point after many hugs and hot chocolates, the passengers of U.S. Airways flight 1549 are going to wonder what happens next to their baggage.
Airlines Have Bumped 343,000 Passengers This Year
By August 23, 2008
Over a quarter-million passengers were bumped from flights in the past eight months, a number that is set to grow as airlines try to boost anemic profits by slashing fleets. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to compensate bumped passengers with cash or vouchers, but savvy passengers can leverage their situation to negotiate heftier payments…
By March 6, 2008
A TSA screener contaminated a 14-year-old boy’s sterile backup feeding tube in the name of national security: “If I can’t open it, I can’t let you on the plane.” [WFTV via BoingBoing]
MAXjet Goes Bankrupt, Strands Passengers On Christmas Eve
By December 26, 2007
On Monday, the young all-business-class airline MAXjet filed for bankruptcy protection and ceased all operations, “leaving jets on tarmacs and stranding passengers on Christmas Eve.” To compensate, the airline has been booking hotel rooms through early January 2008 in the four cities it served, and trying to arrange for other airlines to take on their passengers—”Continental Airlines and Silverjet Aviation Ltd., another all-business class carrier, said they would honor limited numbers of MAXjet tickets.”
Peter Pan Driver Idles Bus For Thirty Minutes To Punish Passengers Who Complained About Swerving
By December 15, 2007
A Peter Pan bus driver took revenge on passengers who complained about his unsafe driving by refusing to let anyone off the bus while making an unexpected thirty minute stop in Framingham, MA. One angry passenger who noticed the driver’s erratic swerving, Brian Moore, blogged about his experience as a surprise hostage on the trip from New York to Boston.
