Tea, unless it’s of the “iced” variety, is generally considered a hot drink. Commercial jets, while smoother rides than some planes, are known to be occasionally bumpy. One Southwest Airlines passenger found out the hard way that these two facts could result in her being burned — and she’s suing the carrier for $800,000. [More]
air travel
JetBlue To Roll Out (Possibly) Free In-Flight WiFi In 2013
By 9.18.12
With most airlines going the nickel-and-dime route for amenities that had long been included in the price of a ticket, it’s nice to hear about a carrier offering something new for free… even if it may only be free in the very beginning. [More]
Airline Thinks My Wife Is A Man Because She Has A Ph.D.
By 9.18.12
Once upon a time, it might have been a good — but not sure — bet that someone with the title of “Dr.” was probably a man. But apparently no one told that to the reservations system at Singapore-based Tiger Airways, which has stuck one traveler with a ticket that bestowed a Y chromosome upon her — and which she’s going to have to pay to fix. [More]
Man Arrested For Fondling Himself, Looking At Porn On Southwest Flight
By 9.11.12
Flying from Baltimore to Denver isn’t very exciting. If you’re going to provide your own in-flight entertainment, though, please don’t follow the lead of a 63-year-old man who took that flight on Saturday. His choice of distraction got him arrested once he was on the ground for committing lewd, indecent or obscene acts in public aboard an aircraft. [More]
Airline Passenger With Her Own Bottle Of Gin Steals Food, Cigarettes, Demands Crew Put Some "F****** Music On"
By 9.10.12
Judging by the number of stories we see every week about airline passengers who have a few too many drinks, we sometimes wonder if the cabin crews are being a bit too free with the in-flight beverages. But then we hear about those terrible travelers who bring their own booze, freeing themselves up to cause a higher level of mayhem. [More]
Reclining Your Airplane Seat During Mealtime Could Ruin The Flight For Everyone
By 9.6.12
You’re several thousand feet above the ground, squeezed into an uncomfortable seat and sitting between people who reek of cheap aftershave and airport concession nachos. And though everyone else on the plane is now enjoying — or at least eating — their in-flight meals, you just want to relax, so you hit the button on the armrest and recline your seat back a bit. Little do you know that these actions are about to ruin everyone’s day. [More]
Family Booted From Flight, Claim American Airlines Didn't Want Son With Down Syndrome In First Class
By 9.4.12
UPDATE: American Airlines has issued a full statement to Consumerist on this story. It has been added to the end of the post.
————
American Airlines says the reason it refused to allow boarding to a 16-year-old with Down syndrome and his parents is that the teen was behaving erratically. The parents say that’s completely untrue and that the airline simply didn’t want their son in first class. [More]
Parents Of Twin Tots Appease Fellow Travelers By Handing Out Bags Of Candy, Ear Plugs
By 9.4.12
There is nothing like the experience of being stuck thousands of feet in the air in a tiny metal tube with screaming newborns. Knowing this, it appears that the parents of one set of twin babies wanted to get in the good graces of their fellow travelers by handing out bags of candy — and offering free earplugs to — the people around them. [More]
United Airlines Experiences System-Wide Outage, Leaves Travelers Stranded
By 8.28.12
ANOTHER UPDATE: After several hours, the airline says things are getting back to normal. [More]
JetBlue Expands 'Go Pack' 10-Flight Bundles Of Shareable Passes To 32 Markets
By 8.28.12
If you, or your business/family/social group plan on doing a lot of traveling in the next few months, JetBlue has expanded a limited time offer on “Go Pack” packages that lock in fares for 10 flights but allows buyers to share passes with other travelers and enjoy last-minute booking. [More]
No, My Drunk Seatmate Probably Can't Open The Emergency Exit
By 8.28.12
Patrick wanted off the plane. The overloaded Delta flight sat on the runway for more than an hour. He had the privilege of sitting in the exit row next to a very drunk man who was probably more likely to collapse on the emergency exit door than to be capable of opening it. When te flight attendant wouldn’t pay attention, he tried to contact Delta customer service and PR via e-mail for help. Some kind of help. When the flight attendants finally let a few people off the plane so it could take off, Patrick wasn’t one of the lucky few. Neither was Drunky McSeatmate. [More]
140 Passengers Get Stranded On JFK AirTrain, No One Notices
By 8.27.12
I once got stuck in an elevator with a few other people, several of whom began to panic after not getting an immediate response. So I can only imagine the panic felt by some of the 140 people stuck for nearly two hours on the AirTrain elevated rail system at JFK International Airport before anyone at the airport did anything about it. [More]
Locking Yourself Inside An Airplane Cockpit Is One Way To Get Yourself Arrested
By 8.22.12
Not that we suggest in any way that anyone try storming a jetway to hole up in a locked airplane cockpit, but if you’re going to do it, you should probably expect to end up in jail. [More]
Should Single Men Be Barred From Sitting Next To Unaccompanied Minors On Planes?
By 8.13.12
I’m a single guy (Hello ladies…) and I’ve also sat next to an unaccompanied minor on an airplane without issue. But if I were a passenger on Australian carrier Qantas, I would have to switch seats with an adult woman because apparently my Y chromosome tags me, and all adult males, as a potential threat to children flying solo. [More]
United Airlines Now Responsible For One-In-Three Consumer Complaints
By 8.10.12 — Updated: 3.26.13
When United and Continental decided to become a couple, they weren’t just combining their bank accounts and airplane collections, they also had to combine all the complaints people file against them. But even that doesn’t account for the huge increase in consumer complaints filed against the united United. [More]
Vietnamese Airline Fined $958 For Impromptu In-Air Bikini Show
By 8.9.12
A Vietnamese airline is in trouble — though not very much trouble — for allowing some beauty contestant passengers parade down the aisle for a few minutes while in mid-flight… and for allowing other passengers to record the show on video. [More]
El Al Error Allows Customers To Book Heavily Discounted Fares; Airline Decides To Honor Tickets
By 8.9.12
Earlier this week, a glitch in the El Al ticketing system allowed around 5,000 U.S. travelers to snap up heavily discounted airfares to Israel. And after a couple days of mulling over its options, the airline has just decided to honor those tickets. [More]
Want Your Airline Bags Delivered To Your Door? American Will Do It For A Fee
By 8.2.12
It’s not hard to believe that some fliers, sick of waiting at the baggage carousel for their luggage and then hauling it out through the airport and to their destination, might be willing to pay to have someone else do the schlepping for them. Now, American Airlines is hoping that enough people are willing to pay at least $29.95 for a service that just does just that. [More]
