Many prefer the window seat on an airplane because you can gaze at the Earth below you and contemplate how far humankind has come since we climbed out of the primordial muck. But then again ,whoever was sitting by the window on a Delta Air Lines flight from Orlando to Atlanta last night might have had a more unsettling existential experience while watching a wing panel come loose and fly off. [More]
planes
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]
Nurses Hailed As Heroes For Treating Pilot’s Emergency Medical Condition In Mid-Flight
By 1.14.14
It sounds hard enough to be a medical professional, what with all that blood and guts on the job, but even when you’re not at work, it’s like you’re always on call. And thank goodness for that, after two nurses on a recent United Airlines flight had to step up and treat the plane’s pilot during a medical emergency in midair. [More]
Plane Lands On California Highway In The Middle Of Rush Hour Commute
By 10.4.13
Sometimes when you’re stuck in your car in the middle of rush hour traffic, don’t you just wish you could somehow lift yourself above it all and fly far, far away? Maybe that’s what commuters thought was happening when a small plane landed on a California highway yesterday — deliverance was arriving from on high. [More]
FAA Panel: You Should Be Able To Use Smartphone On Planes, As Long As You Don’t Use The ‘Phone’ Part
By 10.1.13
Travelers were hopeful last week when news came down that an FAA panel would soon be recommending that the use of smartphones be allowed during takeoffs and landings of commercial flights. Those recommendations have finally come through, but don’t get all excited and think that you’ll be using your phone to text or chat through the flight. [More]
TSA Decides To Ditch Plan Allowing Small Knives On Planes After All
By 6.5.13
Put your knives back in their wee little scabbards, folks: The temporary suspension on a new policy that allowed travelers to carry small knives in airplanes has now turned into a permanent decision. The Transportation Security Administration has announced that it listened to criticism from flight attendants and the public and decided not to ease restrictions on the little weapons. [More]
Watch Boeing Build A Plane For Southwest
By 4.27.10
This time-lapse video of a Boeing manufacturing facility is pretty awesome, if you’re into watching “how it’s made” type stuff or if you like to see sped-up footage of people. I recommend keeping the volume down and making up your own sound effects starting at 1:03, when employees begin to test everything on the plane. [More]
US Airways Pilot Pulls Plane Over To Kick Off Unruly Passenger
By 11.17.09
A 49-year-old Scottish man with an injured arm grew angry at the crew on his US Airways flight to London last night, so he demanded they turn the plane around and take him back to Philadelphia. Instead, the pilot, who has had it up to here with you kids, landed the plane at Logan International Airport in Boston and had him removed.
Poll: What's The Next Airline Fee?
By 7.23.09
With airlines now charging fees for not paying fees a specified way and contemplating charging for bathroom access, we wanted to take a crack at predicting the next annoying fee. Take the poll inside and suggest your own fee.
Scorpions On A Plane: Southwest Passenger Bitten By Venomous Beast, Panic Ensues
By 7.22.09
Doug Herbstommer and his 10-year-old son were preparing to disembark from a Phoenix flight when a three-inch poisonous bark scorpion dropped from the overhead compartment and bit Doug on the hand. On closer inspection, five more scorpions were found nestling nearby. Passengers started to scream and jump up onto their seats. Why, is there something scary about a bunch of poisonous scorpions whose bite can cause extreme pain, frothing at the mouth, and temporary paralysis??!?
Airline Passengers Bill Of Rights Lurches Down Congressional Runway
By 7.20.09
Tomorrow, a Senate committee will hold a hearing on legislation that grants passengers the right to deplane if their plane is delayed on the runway for more than 3 hours. The legislation will also require that airlines provide water, food, and bathroom facilities during delays. If passed, it will be ignored by Delta.
Get The Best Seat When Flying Coach
By 7.4.09
Snagging the best plane seat doesn’t always require an upgrade, thanks to a few handy tips from Condé Nast Traveler. Inside, how to avoid the dreaded middle seat and keep yourself entertained on the flight…
One Man's Publicity Stunt Is Another's Vision Of Hell
By 6.5.09
I mentioned comedian and filmmaker Mark Malkoff in passing in a post about Starbucks last week, not knowing that he would embark on a new project this week. He’s making a career out of bizarre feats of consumer endurance, such as visiting all 171 Manhattan Starbucks outlets in one day, and living in the Paramus, NJ IKEA for a week. Now, as part of a campaign to publicize AirTrain’s new in-flight wi-fi, he’s living on an AirTran plane for 30 days and posting his adventures on the Internet. Yes. That’s an entire month. Most of which will probably be spent on the tarmac in Atlanta.
Spirit Airlines Charges $10 For Buying Tickets Anywhere But Ticket Counter (Again)
By 3.24.09
Habitually awful carrier Spirit Airlines is bringing back its “passenger usage fee,” which charges passengers $4.90 each way for booking tickets online or over the phone. The only way to avoid the fee is by purchasing directly from a ticket counter at the airport. Convenient!
Man Sues American Airlines For Revoking Lifetime Pass
By 3.11.09
A man who paid nearly $400,000 in the late 80s for two lifetime passes from American Airlines is now suing the company, claiming they illegally revoked the passes after a supposed rule violation. The passes allowed him and a companion to travel anywhere they wanted in first class for the rest of his life, but AA canceled them after claiming he made “‘speculative reservations’ for companions.”
RyanAir To Liven Up Emergencies With Exciting New Escape Fees!
By 3.1.09
RyanAir’s toilet tax may not be the company’s worst idea after all, as reader Geoffrey reminds us with this mockup showing several potential fees the budget Irish carrier may well be considering.
Great, Airplanes Are Cleaner. Do You Care?
By 1.31.09
No longer distracted by high oil prices, airlines now claim that they’re starting to focus on customer service. Two of them, American and United, think that their biggest issue is dirty planes. Wouldn’t it be great if that were true?
White House To Citi: Don't Even Think About Buying Luxury Jets With Taxpayer Money
By 1.27.09
Yesterday, we wrote that Citigroup had decided to spend $50 million of its bailout money on a French luxury jet to ferry execs around town. The White House was not pleased about this.
