Air Travel
11.19.09
Flights in several major hubs across the nation were heavily delayed
early this morning by a glitch in an Federal Aviation Administration computer system that helps
manage air traffic. The snafu resulted in no accidents, but it raises an obvious question: could future such problems put passengers in danger?
The short answer, according to FAA spokesman Hank Price, is no.
“Radar coverage and communication with aircraft were never affected,”
he told me. “So it’s not a safety problem at all.”
What happened was that the system that automatically generates
flight plans crashed, forcing FAA personnel to input the data manually,
and thereby slowing down the whole system. Flight plans are electronic
documents that tell air traffic controllers where each aircraft is
going, when, and by what route, and are required for all commercial
flights. If an airliner’s crew can’t be issued a flight plan, it simply
has to sit on the ground.
Read More
11.09.09
The holiday travel season just got a little bit better…if you’re flying
Delta, that is. Starting on Tuesday, November 24th, over 250 of Delta’s planes will have free WiFi, via the Internet service provider Gogo,
sponsored by eBay.
Read More
11.05.09
Like many Americans, I have three names. Stuart Clark Mitchell. I like all of them, but they’ve led to confusion my entire life.
First of all, they could all be first or last names. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called “Mitchell,” especially in situations where names on a roster are listed last name first. Secondly, my parents had the bright idea of calling me by my middle name (“Clark”). As a result, on the first day of every class in college, I had to explain that I was indeed “Stuart,” but “Clark” would be my preference. Then there’s the question of spelling—some, including a certain person on staff here at T+L, insist on making my name a little fancier by writing “Clarke,” even after years of correcting.
While all of this may seem trivial compared to keeping our country safe, the new TSA program, Secure Flight, which launches early next year, is bound to affect people like me.
Read More
11.03.09
More and more pet owners in the U.S. are choosing to travel with their pets, and while the Travel Industry Association of America (TIAA) estimates that only 6% are doing so by plane, the numbers are on the rise. And airlines are stepping up their game offering everything from frequent flyer programs for furry friends to “pet-only” airlines. Here are some of the highlights:
Frequent Flyer Programs
Midwest Airlines is the only airline offering pets free trips through their Premier Pet Program. For every six paid one-way flights, pets earn a free round-trip ticket. The cost to fly your pet is $300 round trip below the cabin and $250 for in-cabin travel.
Read More
10.26.09
Just in time for Caribbean travel season,
JetBlue today kicked off service between New York’s JFK and St. Lucia. We’re
big fans of the blue airline, so it’s exciting to see their destinations
expanding. It’s even more exciting to see the kickoff deal: only $129 each way.
Sure, there are strings attached: you have to act fast (book by this Friday)
and travel between November 2 and February 8, 2010 (yeah, Valentine’s Day is
going to cost more).
Read More
10.26.09
I already know that Virgin America is a favorite airline of our readers—it scored No. 1 in the domestic airline category of T+L’s 2009 World’s Best Awards—but I’m happy to report that Richard Branson’s company is continuing to impress with new deals and fun in-flight amenities.
Here's a selection of some of its latest low fares:
$109 one-way from San Francisco to Virgin’s newest destination, Ft. Lauderdale
$100 one-way from Los Angeles to Boston
$40 one-way from San Diego to San Francisco (cheaper than a tank of gas!)
Read More
10.15.09
This week, American, Continental, Delta/Northwest, Southwest, United, and US Airways announced fare increases that range from $5-10 for short hops to $8-16 for flights farther than 751 miles—a move that will result in millions in profit for the beleaguered airline industry.
In the plus column, the airlines haven’t ascribed new fare hikes to “amenities” like those HandiWipe headrest covers or, you know, lighting and oxygen in the cabins, but FareCompare.com, a site that tracks ticket pricing, reports that airlines are ganging up to raise fares nonetheless.
Read More
10.01.09
Starting today, JetBlue will offer flights between New York’s JFK Airport and Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown, Barbados, in the lower Caribbean. To take advantage of the airline's introductory price of $99 each way, you must book before Oct. 8 for travel through December 19th, 2009 (with Thanksgiving blackout dates).
Barbados is the twelfth international destination on JetBlue’s growing route map (flights to Jamaica begin May 21, 2010).
Read More
09.28.09
A few weeks ago we reported on airlines cutting flights to match falling demand and save money. Another way the shrinking industry is offsetting losses is by introducing new fees.
It’s no secret that airlines, both here and abroad, have been sticking it to passengers, charging us for everything from checked baggage to blankets—even water. (A recent report from the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reveals airlines made an incredible 3.8 billion on such fees in the first six months of this year alone.)
Next week, however, the airline industry will hit a new low in its quest to separate travelers from their hard-earned dollars.
Read More
09.16.09
A flurry of reports this week reveals just how bad things are for the shrinking U.S. airline industry. Not since 9/11 have there been so few planes in the sky, which means we leisure travelers are in stiff competition for fewer seats, and likely paying more, on average, to fly.
Rick Seaney, the CEO of FareCompare.com, thinks the best of the fall sales are over. With airlines cutting capacity, and having sold many fall seats during the recent promotions, planes will be crowded. [AP/Yahoo News]
Read More
