Whenever there’s any kind of friction between passengers, flight attendants have to get involved and try to sort out the situation. While sometimes it’s just a matter of smoothing ruffled feathers over a seating mixup or asking a rambunctious group to settle down, playing referee can get a lot more complicated when passengers turn nasty about their fellow travelers. [More]
airlines
JetBlue Installs Napping Pods For Weary Travelers At JFK Airport
By 4.20.16
You know the feeling: your head is full of stuffing, your feet are dragging, and you just need to find somewhere to rest your tired bones after a long flight and before you get on another plane. If you don’t have access to an airline’s lounge, there are limited options for napping at most airports: snoozing upright in a chair or perhaps tucked away in a corner on the ground. JetBlue is offering another choice with new napping pods at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. [More]
Which Airlines Charge A Fee To Buy Tickets Over The Phone Or At The Airport?
By 4.15.16
We used to live in a time when some of the only options for buying airfare were over the phone or in person at an airport ticket counter. Technology changed, and many airlines have added fees for those ticket-buying methods. While Delta Air Lines is now turning back the clock and will drop such fees, many of the other major players still tack on extra charges for those ticket-buying options. [More]
American Airlines Calls Out TSA For “Unacceptable” Lines At Airport Checkpoints
By 4.14.16
Not a fan of lengthy lines at airport security checkpoints? You aren’t alone: American Airlines is putting the Transportation Security Administration on blast for the kind of “unacceptable” long wait times that caused 6,800 customers to miss their flights during spring break week this year. [More]
Bill Would Require Airlines Ensure Families With Young Children Sit Together
By 4.12.16
It’s no secret that traveling with children can be a test of patience for families and other passengers. That’s especially true when the airline of choice can’t ensure that small children are seated with their parents. That could soon be changing, however, as Congress recently voted to add an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that aims to take some of the hassle out of traveling with children. [More]
Ryanair Opens Itself Up To Passenger Complaints With New “Rate My Flight” App
By 4.12.16
Ryanair, the European low-cost carrier whose customer service approach used to involve sticking its fingers in its ears and yelling “NANANANA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”, is trying to show it’s really and truly turned over a new customer service leaf: the airline is launching a new “Rate My Flight” app that allows passengers to air their grievances immediately upon landing. [More]
Passengers Suing Spirit Airlines Over In-Flight Brawl Sparked By Boombox
By 4.8.16
Three passengers who were aboard a Spirit Airlines flight when a brawl broke out over an overly loud boombox are now suing the carrier, claiming that Spirit “failed to protect” them from harm. [More]
Former LAX Baggage Handlers Charged With Trafficking Cocaine
By 4.5.16
As a wise uncle to a superhero once said, “with great power comes great responsibility.” Unfortunately, some folks succumb to the temptation to use that power for their own profit. According to authorities, two former baggage handlers at Los Angeles International Airport are prime examples of this, after allegedly using their jobs to traffic cocaine across the country. [More]
Alaska Airlines To Buy Virgin America In $4B Deal
By 4.4.16
Virgin Alaska? Alaska American? Either of those — and other combinations — could soon be the fifth largest airline operating in the U.S. after Alaska Airlines agreed to acquire Virgin America in a deal valued at $4 billion. [More]
American Airlines Ditching Confusing 24-Hour Hold Policy For 24-Hour Cancellation Option
By 4.1.16
Federal airline regulations require that carriers must either give most passengers a 24-hour window to cancel tickets without penalty, or allow travelers to put tickets on hold for 24 hours before being charged the airfare. Of all major U.S. carriers, American Airlines is the only one that doesn’t offer the cancellation option, resulting in costly confusion for some travelers. But AA says it is ditching that policy and will begin offering the 24-hour cancellation window instead. [More]
United Airlines Flight Turns Around After Passenger Wouldn’t Stop Doing Yoga
By 3.31.16
We’re no strangers to the idea of one unruly passenger prompting a commercial flight to change course, but who would have ever thought someone could disrupt a flight by doing something so peaceful as yoga and meditation? Folks, it can happen, and it did. [More]
KLM Passengers Can Use Facebook Messenger To Access Boarding Passes, Flight Info
By 3.30.16
Facebook is continuing its efforts to transform Messenger from simply a chatting platform into a customer service portal with a foray into travel: the social media company announced a new partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines that will let the carrier’s customers access their boarding pass and other flight information through the Messenger app. [More]
Virgin America Reportedly Gets Takeover Bids From JetBlue, Alaska Airlines
By 3.28.16
Well that was fast. Less than a week after Virgin America realized it was a pretty hot commodity and said it would consider putting itself up for sale, the company has reportedly received not one, but two takeover bids from rival airlines. [More]
Now That It Knows It’s Attractive To Buyers, Virgin America Considering Sale
By 3.23.16
Sometimes you don’t know if you’re interested in something until you hear about it. It’s like realizing you are craving a cheeseburger the moment your friend asks if you’d like a cheeseburger. Such is the case for Virgin America, which is reportedly mulling the idea of selling itself after receiving takeover interest. [More]
Authorities Searching For Flight Attendant Accused Of Leaving Bag Full Of Cocaine At LAX
By 3.22.16
Although airline personnel and airport employees may not have to take off their shoes or undergo the same security procedures as travelers, there are still checks in place to keep workers from carrying whatever they want onto planes — like, say, a bag full of cocaine. [More]
Alaska Airlines, Feds, & Apple Investigating After iPhone 6 Catches Fire Midair
By 3.21.16
Last week, a Delta Air Lines flight was delayed after an e-cigarette ignited itself in a passengers’ carry-on bag. Days later, an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a similarly explosive situation when the iPhone 6 of one traveler allegedly burst into flames midair. [More]
Delta Flight Delayed After E-Cigarette Ignites In Passenger’s Carry-On Bag
By 3.17.16
We’ve heard of passengers getting caught lighting up traditional cigarettes in airplane lavatories, but on a recent Delta Air Lines flight, an e-cigarette ignited itself in a passenger’s carry-on bag, causing the flight to be delayed. [More]
Five-Passenger Brawl Breaks Out Over Loud “Boom Box” On Spirit Airlines Flight
By 3.10.16
Passengers on a Spirit Airlines flight from Baltimore to Los Angeles had ringside seats to quite a brawl, reports say, after five women apparently got in a fight over a loud boom box. Yes, a boom box. [More]
