Nearly a month after a government report identified security weaknesses within the airline industry, including the possibility that newer airplanes with interconnected WiFi systems could be hacked, a recently obtained Federal Bureau of Investigation search warrant shows a security researcher claims he briefly took control of an aircraft after hacking into the plane’s in-flight entertainment system. [More]
flights
Family Claims They Were Escorted Off United Airlines Flight After Autistic Daughter Deemed Disruptive
By 5.11.15
A trip home from the most magical place on earth was anything but magical for an Oregon family after they claim their United Airlines flight made an emergency landing and they were escorted from the flight because of their autistic daughter. [More]
Police: “Serial Stowaway” Known For Trying To Sneak Onto Planes Arrested At Two Chicago Airports
By 5.6.15
A woman who’s been caught multiple times — with varying instances of success — trying to sneak aboard planes without a ticket has been arrested at two Chicago airports within a month trying to pull her signature stowaway move, police say. [More]
Dozens Of American Airlines Flights Delayed Over Pilot iPad Glitch
By 4.29.15
Flights get delayed for any number of reasons: bad weather, crew members running late, mechanical problems and trouble with pilots’ iPads. Okay, that last one doesn’t seem routine, but American Airlines says that was exactly the reason why dozens of the airline’s flights were delayed Tuesday night. [More]
Delta Cutting Some International Flights Later This Year
By 4.16.15
If you were planning to fly Delta Air Lines for an overseas trip this holiday season, you might want to start making other plans. The airline aims to cut its international flights by about 3% during the last three months of 2015. [More]
Frontier Airlines Strands Passengers At The Gate For 18 Hours
By 3.25.15
Passengers awaiting a flight from St. Louis to Denver over the weekend could have driven to their destination in less time than it took for their Frontier Airlines flight to actually board. [More]
Alaska Airlines Employee Buys Ticket For Stranded Delta Passenger
By 3.23.15
Generally when people decide to pay it forward, it involves purchasing the coffee for the vehicle behind them in the drive-thru or covering the cost of diapers for the woman ahead of them at the register. For an employee of Alaska Airlines in Seattle it meant taking out her own credit card to buy a new plane ticket for another airline’s stranded passenger. [More]
Cheapo Euro Airline Ryanair Denies Plans To Launch Transatlantic Flights To The U.S.
By 3.19.15
Maybe April Fool’s Day comes early in Ireland? Just four days after European budget airline Ryanair announced its board approved plans to launch transatlantic flights, the company backtracked, saying no such plans have ever been in the works. [More]
United Airlines Flight Forced To Turn Around After Passenger Reportedly Makes Run For Cockpit Door
By 3.17.15
A United Airways flight bound for Denver was forced to turn back to Washington Dulles Airport after a passenger reportedly made a rush for the cockpit door, and had to be restrained. An airline spokesman says the passenger “failed to comply with crew instructions” last night. [More]
Court Sentences Former Korean Air Executive To One Year In Prison For “Nut Rage” Incident
By 2.12.15
Showing that the country does not take it lightly when the upper-class behaves badly, a South Korean court just handed down a prison sentence of one year for the former Korean Air executive who went into an infamous “nut rage” over improperly served macadamias on a flight in December last year. [More]
If You’re Flying Anywhere Near The Northeast Today Or Tomorrow, Call Your Airline Now
By 1.26.15
If you watch TV, read newspapers, or consume any news source at all on the internet up to and including Facebook and Twitter, you’ve probably heard that there’s a monster snowstorm bearing down on the northeast. And that means bad times at the airport: over 2000 flights for today have already been cancelled, along with nearly as many tomorrow. [More]
United Airlines Expands In-Flight Entertainment To Android Devices
By 11.24.14
Travelers who use Android devices hoping to catch a movie on their next United Airlines flight finally have the same opportunity already afforded to their Apple counterparts. [More]
Plane Diverted After Drunk Woman Allegedly Demands A Parachute, Attacks Crew With Prosthetic Leg
By 8.1.14
It doesn’t matter what weapon you use — threatening anyone with bodily harm is never okay. That’s why a flight from Tunisia to Edinburgh, Scotland was diverted to London after a woman who was reportedly drunk allegedly attacked cabin crew with her prosthetic leg, after demanding “cigarettes and a parachute.” [More]
Old Man Winter’s Latest Storm Effort Has Canceled 4,500 Flights… So Far
By 3.3.14
Yes, winter happens ever year. But goshdarnit if people aren’t completely fed up with Old Man Winter’s blustery temper this season, which has already seen thousands of flights canceled. Including those canceled over the weekend in preparation for this latest bit of blizzarding, at least 4,500 flights have been ditched and thousands others delayed. [More]
Early Birds Beware: Buying Tickets To Europe Too Far In Advance Could Cost You
By 2.21.14
Planning a trip abroad? We’ve always been told that buying airfare far in advance was the best way to snag a good deal, but what if we told you that you could purchase significantly lower airfare just two months before your trip? You’d think we’re crazy. But we’re not. [More]
Plan Ahead If You Want To Snag Seats Together On The Plane For Holiday Flights
By 11.13.12
Times used to be, you’d show up at the check-in desk with carry-on bags full of liquids, check your heavy suitcases for free and politely ask if you could sit next to your husband/girlfriend/son/best pal Liz. But with window and aisle seats now selling for an extra fee, how’s a family supposed to make sure they can stick together up in the air this Thanksgiving? There are a few things you can do to tip the seating odds in your favor. [More]
The One Time A Plane Leaves Earlier Than Scheduled, I’m Running Late
By 10.3.12
Milton’s JetBlue flight took off early, leaving him behind. Since when do commercial airliners ever run early? The problem is that when he checked in, that particular flight was running late. The departure time printed on his boarding pass was 5:00. He barely made it to the airport twenty minutes before departure, only to see that the plane had already left. When he printed out that last-minute boarding pass, the flight had been running late. It caught up to its own schedule by the time it reached New York, and left on time. Which was before the departure time listed on Milton’s boarding pass, and after he got to the airport. [More]
Two Dog Owners Speak Out About Pets Killed During United Flights
By 9.26.12
Two dog owners from different parts of the country have spoken out against United Airlines this week, telling news outlets that the airline broke its promises of pet safety while they took cross-country flights with their dogs in cargo. Both dogs were young: a golden retriever and a Neapolitan Mastiff, each only two years old. [More]
