It’s official—Delta has said they’re canceling a total of 275 flights, or about 3% of their worldwide schedule (we don’t know what the US percentage is), to complete inspections of wiring in 117 planes. To check whether your flight is impacted, visit this page on Delta’s site.
travel
Delta Says It May Cancel More Flights Today Over Inspection Issues
By 3.27.08
Delta will announce sometime today whether or not it will ground more of its planes to perform additional inspections, reports CNN. Yesterday, while American Airlines was grounding 200 of its planes for safety inspections, Delta also canceled an unnamed number of flights.
By 3.26.08
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The TSA is expanding it’s skiing-themed “self-selection” security lanes beyond Denver and into Orlando, Boston, and Spokane [TSA via Gridskipper]
By 3.26.08
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American Airlines canceled 200 flights today for safety inspections. Concerns arose over how a particular bundle of wires was attached to MD-80 airplanes. This is different from the bolt safety issue affecting Boeing 737s. [CNNMoney]
By 3.25.08
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FAA orders more inspections of potentially sketchy older “Boeing 737 jetliners after numerous reports of fuel leaks caused by a potentially faulty bolt,” says the Associated Press. [AP]
North Vancouver Comfort Inn's "100% Satisfaction Guarantee" Is More Like 10-15%
By 3.25.08
A man wrote in to travel writer Christopher Elliott to complain about the awful experience he and his wife had with Comfort Inn & Suites in North Vancouver, British Columbia. When they checked in, they were surprised with a “free upgrade,” but found the room was unclean and lacked linens. They asked to be given the room they initially reserved, then discovered the water was lukewarm during their entire visit, and the coffee machine was broken. The hotel’s ice machine was also broken. Richard said in each case he complained to the front desk but only got an apology—and when he contacted Choice Hotels to complain, they told him he should have brought the issues to the attention of the hotel, and consequently they would not honor their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Federal Court Overturns NY Passenger Bill Of Rights
By 3.25.08
A sad day for air travelers:
A federal appeals court has rejected a law requiring airlines to provide food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers trapped in a plane delayed on the ground.
Booking Reward Travel On Continental Airlines Will Give You High Blood Pressure
By 3.25.08
Reader Mike has lots of frequent flier miles that he’d like to cash in with Continental Airlines. As he found out, this is extremely difficult. Here’s an email he sent to the CEO of Continental, Larry Kellner:
By 3.24.08
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A piece of a US Airways jet has fallen off and landed somewhere in Maryland. [ABC2]
US Airways Pilot's Gun Fires During A Flight
By 3.24.08
THE QUOTE:In a statement, the TSA said that the agency and “Federal Air Marshals Service take this matter seriously and it is receiving immediate attention.”
Fly During "Shoulder Season" To Save On European Summer Airfare
By 3.24.08
Fare-prediction site Farecast.com says you can save an average of $350 on your plane ticket to Europe if you fly April-May or September-October. This is known as “shoulder season” because the price graph sort of looks like a pair of shoulders, with the summer peak forming the head. If you must fly to Europe, Farecast recommends either buying early or late; either buy in February March or wait a month or two before departure and look for summer fare deals.
The Final Word On Rule 240
By 3.23.08
Reader Laura was nearly stranded in Manchester when Continental canceled her flight two days before a major college test. She politely asked to be rebooked; she begged for another flight; when that failed, she invoked Rule 240. Laura’s experience presents the perfect opportunity to clarify once and for all what Rule 240 is and isn’t. First, her story.
Nasty Spring Snowstorm Affecting Flights In And Out Of Chicago
By 3.21.08
Just thought I’d get the word out… Chicago is getting smacked with a spring snowstorm. I just went outside and it’s nearly white-out conditions outside.
The FAA says:
JetBlue To Charge For Extra Legroom
By 3.20.08
JetBlue announced yesterday that they’ll be reconfiguring their Airbus A320 fleet to include several rows of seating with 38″ of pitch. These “Even More Legroom” seats will be available to you—for a small fee.
What Does A "Clear" Membership Actually Get You At Airport Security?
By 3.20.08
A PR hack sent us a stupidly long press release a few hours ago about Clear, the company that—for an annual $100 fee—will pre-authorize you with TSA to speed up your passage through security. Clear started operating in select airports over a year ago, and this month will add Reagan National and Dulles International airports to its list. So, is the service worth it? We guess that depends on how much you’re willing to spend to be able to jump ahead of all the poor people waiting in line like the common criminals they surely are. We wanted a slightly more objective way to evaluate it, though, so we started looking around online for first-hand experiences of what exactly happens when you flash your Clear card.
United Will Ground 20 Planes… And Maybe Their CEO, Too
By 3.19.08
The nation’s second-largest carrier said Tuesday it will ground and sell back to lessors 15 to 20 older, narrow-body 737s that are less fuel-efficient than others in its 460-plane fleet. It did not immediately specify what domestic flights or routes could be trimmed.
By 3.19.08
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Amsterdam doesn’t want your stinking worthless U.S. currency. [Reuters]
American Airlines Dallas Cancellation Party Not Going So Well
By 3.18.08
Reader Drew is currently stranded at Dallas Fort Worth airport and would like to speak with someone from American Airlines on the telephone. Unfortunately, we’re the only ones he can reach.
