American Airlines is disputing reports that the oxygen tanks were empty and that the aircraft’s defibrillator did not work on a flight in which a 44-year-old Brooklyn woman died of complications from heart disease and diabetes.
airlines
Sensing A Pattern: United Airlines Planes Clip Wings At Dulles International Airport
By 2.25.08
Pilots need to pay attention when they’re taxiing around the airport. Just a week after two US Airways planes clipped wings at Reagan Airport, two United Airlines planes decided to snuggle up at Dulles International Airport.
Woman Dies On AA Flight After Being Refused Help, Then Given Empty Oxygen Tanks
By 2.25.08
A 44-year-old Brooklyn woman was returning from vacation in Haiti when she began to have trouble breathing. According to her cousin who was on the flight with her, she was refused help twice by the flight attendant, then she was brought two oxygen tanks with masks—but both were empty. Her cousin requested an emergency landing, but before they could touch down in Miami she was dead, so the plane continued to JFK. The airline isn’t commenting on why the emergency tanks were empty in the first place. “After the flight attendant refused to administer oxygen to Ms. Desir, she became distressed, pleading, ‘Don’t let me die,’ Mr. Oliver recalled.”
By 2.22.08
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Today United Airlines raised most of its domestic fares by $10 roundtrip. Maybe now their flight attendants can start answering call buttons again. [Reuters]
TSA Brings All The Signage Of Skiing To Security Lines, None Of The Fun
By 2.22.08
The TSA is testing a new crowd management system at two airports in Denver and Salt Lake City that they hope will make the security process less troublesome. No, the new system isn’t less invasive or more security-sensible, but it does give families with kids/strollers/bags their own lane, both for their sanity and for ours. Early reports indicate families are happy with it but too many casual travelers think they’re experts and head to the black diamond lane, which is only for people who walk briskly and frown a lot.
By 2.22.08
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It’s snowing in NYC, causing the usual flight delays and cancellations. The FAA says that JFK, LaGuardia and Newark are expecting arrival delays of three to seven hours. The FAA is also reporting that 27 percent flights at Philadelphia International Airport have been canceled. Feel free to share your thoughts about this with us at tips@consumerist.com. [CNN]
We're Too Pretty For Southwest!
By 2.22.08
It seems that the “Too Sexy For Southwest” lady has some imitators! Is there room on the Today show and in Playboy for two more? Travel Troubleshooter columnist Christopher Elliott alerts us to this story out of Tampa, Florida
TSA Won't Let Parents Bring Extra Baby Food In Anticipation Of Delays
By 2.20.08
Two Boston doctors brought, by their admission, “probably two and a half times as much as we’d need” of baby food on a recent flight from Chicago Midway Airport to Manchester, N.H. The TSA agent told them it was above the official limit and confiscated it. The parents argued that in light of record delays, winter weather, and stranded-on-the-tarmac stories, they wanted to be fully prepared. The TSA officers told them they’d need a doctor’s note to bring that much food on board—but, um, from another doctor who wasn’t one of the parents.
United Flight Attendant Says Call Button Is For Emergencies Only
By 2.19.08
Christine learned an interesting bit of in-flight trivia on her recent United flight: those little call buttons are for emergencies only. What’s more, the flight attendants can psychically sense when it’s an emergency and when you’re just foolin’ with them, and they’ll ignore you if they suspect you’re just going to ask for water. And no, needing to take sinus medicine to prevent clusters of needle-explosions going off in your skull during descent is not an emergency, so go back to your seat.
By 2.17.08
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Like kangaroos? Flights down under may soon cost less thanks to an open skies agreement signed by the U.S. and Australia that will smash apart the duopoly enjoyed by Qantas and United. Richard Branson’s discount Australian airline, Virgin Blue, has already submitted an application to mix things up and drive fares south. [L.A. Times]
US Airways Downgrades Frequent Flyer Program
By 2.14.08
US Airways sent out an email this morning to frequent flyer members announcing that it was going to make it harder to earn frequent flyer miles. It used to be that no matter how far the trip was, you would earn at least 500 frequent flyer miles per leg. Now you will only earn the actual number of miles flown. “This pretty much kills anyone who makes US Air Shuttle Trips from NYC / Bos. / DC locations,” writes reader Mike. In addition, if you use your frequent flyer miles to schedule a ticket within 14 days of purchase, they will charge you a $50 fee. Full text of the announcement, inside…
Frontier Waives $100 Ticket Change Fee Due To College Exam
By 2.12.08
Matt writes: “Back in December, we had booked a family trip in May for the four of us to Costa Rica to celebrate my sisters graduation from college (and also a long-overdue family vacation). Unfortunately, after booking the tickets, the final exam schedule for my college was posted, and of course I had an exam which conflicted with the travel dates. We needed to push the reservation back exactly one week, and had concluded that it would probably require the obligatory $100 change fee per ticket. Ouch.”
Customs Searching, Seizing, Gadgets
By 2.12.08
Amir Khan, a Pakistani-born US Citizen, has had his laptop searched by US customs agents on five separate occasions when returning to the US from overseas. It’s no longer just rifling through your luggage, Customs is now going through laptops, Blackberries, and other gizmos, sometimes confiscating them, and sometimes never returning them. Please bend over and spread your laptop. Transcript, inside…
Continental Raising Unaccompanied Minor Fee To $150
By 2.12.08
Broken homes, take note, starting February 17th, Continental is raising the unaccompanied minor fee to $150 round trip, or $75 each way, up from $50 one way. Tipster Barbara, who is sending two of her kids to visit family this weekend, writes that it’s, “almost cheaper for me to fly with them than to send them as unaccompanied minors!”
Delta To Ask Northwest To The Prom, United And Continental May Drunkenly Hook Up
By 2.8.08
Here’s the state of the airline merger party.
5 Airlines You Shouldn't Trust With Your Luggage
By 2.6.08
The Department of Transportation’s 2007 Air Travel Consumer Report is out. Here are the 5 airlines with the most baggage handling complaints per customer in 2007. Better luck next year!
United Airlines To Charge $25 For Checking 2 Bags
By 2.4.08
Can’t fit it all in one suitcase? United is going to start charging passengers a fee for checking more than one piece of luggage, $25 per bag. Elite frequent flyers will skip the charge. The new policy begins May 5. It’s certainly one way to pass fuel costs on to passengers using more fuel, without raising up-front fare prices.
