Once upon a time many youngsters dreamed of careers as pilots. The thrill of taking flight and the glamorous depictions on television and the big screen created fantasies of a career in the sky. Over the years the industry has changed. Recently regional airlines have reported new regulations, higher costs of school and lower salaries are causing a pilot shortage that could result in fewer flights for consumers. But a new report by the Government Accountability Office shows that the issue may be more complicated than it seems. [More]
airlines
This Winter’s Storms Have Led To Highest Number Of Flights Canceled In 25 Years
By 2.14.14
It’s not just your bad luck — this winter has been a you-know-what-show for flights every time yet another storm hits. According to a new report, this season’s batch of snow storms has led to the highest number of flight cancellations in more than 25 years. Not all records are fun to achieve, eh? [More]
Feds Warn Airlines Heading To The Olympics Of Potential Bomb Threat From Toothpaste Tubes
By 2.6.14
Travelers should be used to not hauling ginormous quantities of liquids/gels/aerosols in their carry-ons on airplanes by now, but you might find your tube of toothpaste under extra scrutiny if you’re heading to Russia for the Olympics. Federal officials have issued a warning to U.S. and some foreign airlines to be on the lookout for toothpaste, whose containers could hold ingredients used to make a bomb on a plane. [More]
How Airlines Make Money: Charge Travelers $25 To Check A Bag, Only Spend $2 To Transport It
By 2.5.14
Airline fees aren’t new to travelers; in fact, it’s almost second nature to shell out $25 to check a bag. Over the years airlines have tried justified their decision to charge consumers fees for things like checked baggage or reservation changes. But two new reports are shedding light on just how much airlines are making by employing those fees. [More]
Fliers Lost $2.5B In Air Travel Expenses In January Thanks To The Polar Vortex, FAA Regulations
By 2.4.14
If you believe Punxsutawney Phil, then we’re in for a lot more winter. More winter weather means the possibility of more flight cancellations and delays on the horizon. And that’s not a comforting thought for consumers who already lost more than $2.5 billion in travel expenses in January. [More]
After 23 Years, Eastern Air Lines Hopes To Rises From The Ashes To Fly Again
By 1.31.14
Consumers could have another option when looking for their next flight. After more than 20 years away from the tarmac, Eastern Air Lines Group filed paperwork this week to begin service. [More]
Visit The Place Where Old Airplane Seats Go To Be Resurrected
By 1.15.14
While some jets may stay in service for decades, it seems like the seats inside those planes are constantly changing — being shuffled around, rebranded, removed, replaced. Thus, someone out there is making a living off this continual turnover of those seats you hate to sit in. [More]
Congratulations, US Airways Passengers On Flight With Sick Guy: You Didn’t Get Tuberculosis
By 12.4.13
It’s not every day where you could be risking contracting a contagious disease just by flying from point A to point B. That’s why passengers on a US Airways Express flight from Austin to Phoenix over the weekend were likely a bit concerned when they were reportedly told to get a tuberculosis test on the chance that their fellow flier might’ve had it. [More]
Airlines Relaxing Change-Fee Policies Ahead Of Impending No Good, Very Bad Weather
By 11.26.13
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bit squirrelly over here on the East Coast wondering about my flight home tomorrow to the Good Land (yes, Milwaukee, Wayne’s World fans, and no, I’ve never heard that one before), in light of the harbingers of doom at various weather services. One bright spot — many of the major airlines are already announcing relaxed change-fee policies for fliers inconvenienced by the coming bad weather. [More]
If An Airline Passenger Must Buy Two Seats, Don’t Put Them In Different Rows
By 10.15.13
It’s understandable when airlines force passengers to buy two seats if they can’t fit in a single one. It’s less understandable when the airline puts those two seats in different rows. That just means extra embarrassment for the passenger when front-line employees don’t understand the company’s own policies. Yet this is what a man from Wales claims happened to him during a flight to Ireland. [More]
Air Canada Loses Dog, PR Guy Sends Dismissive E-mail To Reporters
By 10.11.13 — Updated: 9.23.14
Everyone in the news business knows that people love stories about animals. Is it the opportunity to gaze at photos of furry faces? A sign of the ultimate decline of American civilization? Probably a little of both. Larry the Italian Greyhound was flying from San Francisco to a new home in Canada when a well-meaning worker let the dog out for a walk. He ran away, and was last seen in a parking lot. [More]
Here’s What It Looks Like When A Passenger Has An Epic Meltdown On A Plane
By 10.11.13
There are times when a flight can be stressful. Crying babies, kids kicking seat, your fellow passenger keeps drooling on your shoulder. And then there are the times when someone won’t stop screaming at the top of her lungs while the plane is landing. In this case, a woman on a flight to Tampa gets extremely loud. And that’s putting it simply. [More]
Airlines Charging Fees To Be Extra Nice Because They Can’t Make Us Pay For Air To Breathe
By 9.30.13
We’ve come a long way from free luxury: Airlines have run out of finding ways to charge passengers for services that used to be free, like checking a bag or having a place to put your legs, so the newest add-on options are simply treatment upgrades. For a little extra cash, travelers can buy a bit of extra kindness or just a boost back toward the days of yore when airlines actually wanted to do something nice. [More]
Guy Sasses Discount Airline EasyJet On Twitter, Gets Grounded
By 9.25.13
EasyJet is probably best known to Americans as “the European discount airline that isn’t RyanAir,” if they’ve heard of it at all. Now they’re also the airline that grounds adults for sassing them on the Internet. That’s what happened to a law professor and columnist who was annoyed that he might miss his connection when an EasyJet flight was delayed, and more annoyed that a soldier might miss his. [More]
Which Airlines Offer The Most Legroom For Free (Gasp!) On Domestic Flights?
By 9.3.13
Unless you cherish the feeling of your knees shoved up against the seat in front of you, more legroom on a flight is a creature comfort that many fliers cherish but few receive — except for an extra fee. But hold your gasps and shocked faces of disbelief, folks: You can actually get extra legroom in coach… for free. Okay go ahead, gasp now. [More]
Sabre System Outage Causes Travel Snafus For Airlines Around The World
By 8.6.13
Travelers around the world faced flight delays and cancellations all because of one computer software outage that had the power to disrupt a plethora of airline reservations systems. When the Sabre system went down late last night, some airlines turned to good old-fashioned pen and paper to check in and board passengers. Just like in yore!
[More]
Even Astrophysicists Can’t Figure Out How To Make Flight Boarding Process Less Nightmarish
By 7.31.13
There are some people out there who are just so freaking smart it’s almost shocking when even they can’t begin to understand the most frustrating things in life. Like the process of herding passengers onto an airplane, an operation that at its most basic includes putting one foot in front of the other and stowing bags. But it’s so dang complicated, even an astrophysicist says he can’t figure out how to make the boarding line a less awful experience. [More]
It’s Safe To Say You Wrote An Effective Complaint Letter If An Airline Billionaire Notices It
By 7.2.13
Here at Consumerist we’ve read our share of complaint letters. Some are witty and pithy, others are full of rage and utilize all capital letters. Success can be varied, no matter how perfect your letter happens to be. But we think it’s safe to say that when the billionaire head of an airline Tweets your missive to his three million followers, you done good. [More]
