In another incident causing an anti-drone ripple in the airline industry, a JetBlue flight in the midst of landing in Fort Lauderdale this morning reported seeing an unmanned aircraft flying near its flight path. [More]
travel
Delta Opening First “Sky Spa” To Pamper Employees Next Month
By 9.14.15
After flying thousands of miles and catering to (sometimes unruly) passengers, flight attendants might need a few minutes to unwind and forget about all that work for a while. That’s part of the reason Delta Air Lines is opening three “sky spas” where employees can be pampered in their downtime. [More]
Amtrak Extends Service That Allows Passengers To Walk Bikes Onboard
By 9.14.15
When you’ve already cruised the highways and byways of your hometown, the idea of a bike trip in another state can certainly be appealing — there are new hills to vanquish, deep forests or vast deserts waiting to be discovered on two wheels and long stretches of road to zoom on. To help folks who need to travel to hook up with popular bike trails and routes, Amtrak is expanding its service that lets passengers bring their bikes onboard trains. [More]
American Airlines Accidentally Sent A Plane To Hawaii That Wasn’t Certified For Long Flights Over Water
By 9.14.15
As anyone who’s ever looked at a plane surely knows, not all aircraft are the same. There are some that are designed for short hops or longer trips, and others that are made for long haul flights over water. American Airlines has admitted it got its aircraft a bit mixed up last month, sending a plane on a flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii that wasn’t cleared to make that kind of trip. [More]
Don’t Pay A Telemarketer $500 Up Front For A Discount Travel Club Membership
By 9.11.15
Everyone loves bargains, and there are some discount cards that are worthwhile. However, if someone calls you up and offers to sell you a discount travel card for only $500, save your money for your actual travel instead. One woman who purchased one of these cards wishes that she had saved her money instead: now that she’s bought the card, she can’t actually reserve any travel. [More]
Lufthansa’s Pilots Ordered To End Strike, Wednesday Flights Remain Canceled
By 9.9.15
The Lufthansa pilot strike that led to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday has ended after a German court ordered the pilots to return to work. [More]
British Airways Flight Catches Fire On Las Vegas Runway, 14 Passengers Injured
By 9.9.15
Fourteen people were injured Tuesday when a British Airways plane preparing for takeoff from Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport suddenly experienced engine failure that resulted in an intense fire. [More]
Lufthansa Canceling 1,000 Flights On Wednesday Amid Pilot Strike
By 9.8.15
If you’re heading to Europe tomorrow, or if you’re there already reading this and you’ve got a Wednesday flight with Lufthansa, you’ll want to check in with the airline right about now: the German carrier announced it’s grounding 1,000 flights tomorrow — affecting 140,000 travelers — amid a pilot strike. [More]
Pilot Flying As An American Airlines Passenger Caught On Video Texting During Takeoff
By 9.4.15
Where there are rules, there will inevitably be people who break them. But it’s still surprising when someone who’s tasked with enforcing those rules is instead doing exactly what they usually tell others not to do. That was the case for a man flying on American Airlines recently, who filmed an airline pilot traveling as a passenger on a flight from Charlotte to Tampa texting on his cellphone during takeoff. [More]
Delta Will Give Business Customers Travel Credits If Its On-Time Rate Dips Below Both United & American
By 9.1.15
In a move that seems meant to reassure business customers while simultaneously patting itself on the back for a job well-done, Delta Air Lines is talking up its current lead over United Airlines and American Airlines in the area of on-time flights by promising to pay travel credits into corporate accounts if it falls behind its rivals. [More]
Hilton’s Partnership With Uber Allows Guests To Grab A Ride Through Hotel’s App
By 9.1.15
Once upon a time, the hotel front desk was the go-to spot for guests who wanted something, whether it’s more towels or advice on the best spots in town to visit (and a cab to get there). You’ll still have to call for more towels at Hilton Hotels, but in a new partnership with Uber, hotel guests will now be able to schedule alerts through the HHonors app to remind them when they need to arrange a ride to check out the sights they’ve planned to see during their stay. [More]
Southwest Flight Diverted After Fight Breaks Out Between “Disorderly” Group Of Passengers
By 9.1.15
A Southwest Airlines flight from San Diego heading to Chicago last night had to make an unplanned stop in Amarillo, TX, after police said a fight broke out on board among a group of passengers who were traveling together. [More]
American Airlines Will Honor Super Low “Mistake Fares” That Discounted Flights Up To 90% (UPDATE)
By 8.28.15
UPDATE: After hearing from some Consumerist readers that American Airlines was canceling those tickets bought on the cheap due to a website error, the airline confirmed that while it it’s still going to honor some “mistake fares,” other folks won’t be so lucky. [More]
Allegiant Airlines Plans To Inspect All Planes After Yet Another Flight Disturbance
By 8.27.15
Last month, federal regulators announced they had stepped up scrutiny of budget carrier Allegiant Airlines after a string of in-flight disturbances and accusations from a pilot’s union of poor safety standards. Now, after yet another issue, the airline says it plans to inspect its entire fleet. [More]
Cheap Gas Prices Could Mean Travel Headaches This Labor Day Weekend
By 8.27.15
While we’ve all been dancing around at the gas pump over the news that fuel prices are cheap nationwide right now on average and will keep dropping until it’s below $2 a gallon, there’s a potential down side to the cheap gas glory: an estimated 35.5 million Americans will hit the road for Labor Day weekend, spurred in part by the low cost of gas. More people driving translates into more cars on the road, which could mean you’ll be stuck playing car games while waiting for traffic to move. [More]
Two Passengers Arrested After Pepper Spray, Razor Come Out During Fight On JetBlue Flight
By 8.27.15
You’ve probably had that feeling: the one where the plane has landed, and it’s only a matter of minutes before you’re standing up, walking down that aisle and finally getting off. But police say that moment got a bit too testy after a JetBlue flight coming from Jamaica landed at John F. Kennedy Airport yesterday morning in New York, when two female passengers got in a brawl. [More]
Airfare Deals Popping Up In Some Cities As Airlines Try To Fill More Seats
By 8.26.15
The bad news: No, you’re not going to score a sweet deal on a holiday flight or a weekend trip to a popular vacation destination. But there is good news: if you’re going to certain cities during off-peak travel times like the middle of the week, there could be a ridiculously low airfare out there just for you. [More]
Former Airline Catering Employee Sues American Airlines After Cargo Box Falls On Him
By 8.25.15
Depending on your job, going to work each day might entail putting yourself in harm’s way. However, most of us probably don’t envision going about our daily tasks and having a nearly 700-pound cargo box fall on us. But that’s exactly what happened to a Houston man, and now he’s suing American Airlines. [More]
