Things you should know when you travel as a passenger as told from a career airline professional! Plus a little more from the airline industry from other blogs and news agencies.
It's time to give my opinion regarding Malaysia flight 370.
This American Airlines B727-223 was stolen from Angola in 2003 and was never found. Link
I think we may have a repeat performance of sorts with MH370. The difference is this was a live flight that may have been stolen and I think whomever did this was showing it could be done with disastrous intentions later on.
Keep passengers alive, secluded, aircraft kept hidden after landing on a make shift runway, painted with a different livery and serial number.
Eventually fly it out and land it at any airport in the region to show it can be done with the ability to keep the world in the dark.
Was the cockpit crew in on it? Maybe one of them but doubtful that both of them were doing it together.
If someone spent years building a runway in the middle of nowhere that could handle a B777 for landing and takeoff this theory is very possible!
Somebody who trained to fly the airplane could have done this solo, difficult yes but possible.
Satellites need to look at land masses in the range of the aircraft, they just might find something!
My two cents on this theory with many more infinite insider details that the news agencies and airlines care not to discuss.
If any parts of my theory is correct this could scare the airline traveling public, airlines and governments of many nations plus Boeing and Airbus. I hope I'm wrong but who really knows!
The First African-American Flight Attendant in the United States.
On February 11, 1958, (Actually December 1957) Ruth Carol Taylor was hired by Mohawk Airlines, becoming the first African-American flight attendant in the United States.[4] Only six months after breaking one historic barrier, Taylor's career ended due to another discriminatory barrier: the airline's marriage ban, a common practice among airlines of the day of dismissing flight attendants who became either married or pregnant.
Racial Desegregation in December 1957, Mohawk Airlines hired the first African-American stewardess in the United States, Ruth Carol Taylor. Within months, TWA announced that it would hire a black stewardess, making it the first large airline to break the color barrier in passenger service. Neither flight attendants nor their union representatives deserve credit for promoting the desegregation of cabin service.
Credit goes to the African-American applicants, overqualified except by their race, who finally broke down airline resistance and their allies in civil rights organizations and state anti-discrimination agencies, especially the New York State Committee Against Discrimination.
The breakthroughs of 1957-1958 were followed only by forced token integration on some other airlines in the early 1960s. Even after several airlines began to hire more African American women for stewardess positions by the mid-1960s, other forms of racial discrimination continued for several years.
Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!! This is just a small tribute to the first African American Flight Attendant to fly for the airlines back in the late 50's till now! Ruth Carol Taylor was that woman who broke the racial barrier and made it so many of us who are now flying and past flight attendants could enjoy what she loved and that was the desire to fly! It's days of glamour and exotic destinations have changed a bit and now the flight attendant is a intricate part of the flight crew and flight attendants have come along way. From the days of being an unmarried, single, nurse qualified individual and being called a stewardess if you were female (or "Stew") to the flight attendants of today who are multi-talented crew members and even move on in the industry to become pilots and eventually fly the plane they once served drinks and meals on! In the late 1920s, some airlines employed male crew members, known as aerial couriers, cabin boys, flight companions, airplane attendants, or stewards, on their flights. These men, who were usually teenagers or men of small stature, loaded luggage, reassured nervous passengers, and helped people get around the plane. Stout Airlines, which later became part of the United Air Lines group, is credited with hiring America's first male flight attendants in 1926 for its Ford Trimotors on the Detroit to Grand Rapids route. So I tip my future Captain's hat to Ms. Ruth Carol Taylor for going through what she had to go through to make a way for the rest of us!!! Martin Luther King and now President Barack Obama I'm sure as well as all of the flight attendants that followed in your flying footsteps would be proud and we thank you!
Always Be Proactive and not Reactive When You Fly and Enjoy Your Flight!
This is everywhere today, but it's still great. Canadian, musician Dave Carroll, was sitting in an airplane at O'Hare when he heard those words from another passenger. But I don't need to tell the story, as the music video does it very effectively.
Apparently United now says they get it, and wants to use the video for in house training on how to handle a customer complaint. I'd say the price for that would be at least $1200, plus production costs. See Shiny Objects for more information and links to stories about the saga.
The actual guitar smashing happened in March 2008. Carroll admits he didn't file an official claim for the smashed guitar within United's 24-hour window, but he says he told three employees at O'Hare, who refused to help. There were no agents around when the flight landed in Nebraska at midnight, and he and his band, Sons of Maxwell, were tired and about to leave for a week-long tour.
After "United Breaks Guitars" hit the big time on YouTube this week, the Chicago-based carrier quickly responded, the Tribune reported. A managing director of customer service called Carroll and apologized, going so far as to ask if United could use the video internally to train its people. All this is well and good, and maybe Carroll's video will actually help United deal more fairly with its customers when they have a legitimate complaint. But if it doesn't, where does that leave the rest of us? Posting YouTube videos every time a big company screws up? Hmmm.
I started writing this with Dave Carroll's website (http://www.davecarrollmusic.com/) open, but when I went to click a link it 403ed, and then after a few minutes started redirecting to his myspace page so I assume the singer's personal site has been overwhelmed. The band is Sons of Maxwell (http://www.sonsofmaxwell.com/), and that site is still up and you can buy their music there.
As we move toward the end of the year and the busiest part of the travel season isn't ironic about the news that starts to come out with all of the airlines financial woes! This is a prime reason for passengers to become more "Proactive" in there travel plans than ever before. Now it's the scales the airlines could be using to nickle and dime you to death for every bit of cash they can get to stay above water another day! As you read the following story you will see what I mean and I also made a personal observation. How is it the cities with the most issues with bag weights are the cities with larger retired citizens in the Florida area (I'm curious to see what other retirement cities are like). One would think over-weight baggage we be most likely associated with the passengers traveling to the Caribbean (non-vacationer) like natives of the islands who tend to travel heavy going to the islands and coming back considerably lighter in baggage weight. Usually when your checking in to a flight and your checking a bag I would ask to see the scale and ask to have it zeroed before you put anything on the scale. If you think your bag will be close and a weight issue might be in the works at least be sure that it's weighing your baggage correctly.
Plan ahead and get to the airport early enough so that if weight is a problem you can adjust the items in your baggage maybe to another bag or carry-on to keep from having to pay an over-weight fee. There are some airports that have the scales accessible to you before you go to check-in and you can weigh it yourself to see were you stand and then adjust accordingly.
Weighing your baggage at home is also a good thing but remember the average basic scale for home use is a good range indicator (unless you have a newer digital scale) for the weight of your bag(s). So get an idea of the weight your working with and adjust as needed or at least make sure your not so heavy that you incur additional cost if your in the neighborhood of 100 lbs.
Packing your bag should be done methodically. Pack your clothing, shoes and personal products while thinking about their weight if your going someplace for a short period of time. Look at the climate of the place your going while packing to gauge what you need to check vs. carry-on. Somethings you can wait to get if your traveling to a friend or family members home you may not need to pick up some things and wait until you arrive to save you some ounces. Remember 16oz equals 1 pound and they add up quickly.
Sending your bag(s) ahead if you know where your going especially for the holidays and your spends several days in a place, think about checking your luggage ahead of time by sending it via UPS or FedEx. It maybe a little more expensive but you at least know where your luggage is all the time, you can send it 2-3 days ahead and have it waiting for you with family or friends when you arrive and your day of travel can be a light in day travel weight and much more comfortable and stress free about where your bag is if there is a delay or cancellation. Carry-on a small bag with food, personal items, medicine and at least a change of underwear and a washcloth just in case you get stuck in an airport and a hotel room isn't a viable option. Remember if you think everything is going to smooth in easy your already setting yourself up for disappointment.
Lastly, it is already snowing in some cities now and the airlines use different average weights to calculate the weight and balance for an airliner. Summer weight for average passengers is about 180 lbs (general average) and 200 lbs for the winter time and the airlines start using those numbers roughly around October and end in April and they can be adjusted because one way or another because of a cities specific climate conditions. Also when you fly into smaller cities that use commuter size aircraft weight becomes more critical and if your traveling to a ski resort plan on delays, cancellations and bags not arriving on-time when you do because of weight limits of that particular aircraft. Places in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, N.E. Corridor and of course Canada to name a few will have ski resorts near the local airport and it doesn't take much to have an airport socked in and flights can't land.
So be mindful, proactive and have your guard up in the winter months because things happen and you or the airline won't be able to control it so make the best of the situation my thinking that things may not go as planned and have a great flight and holiday travel season!
BlkAv8tor2003
03Nov08
“Before packing your suitcase and heading to the airport this holiday season, consider this: The airline’s baggage scale may be the reason you’re paying extra for an overweight bag. A Sun Sentinel analysis of nearly 2,000 South Florida airport scale inspections found that more than one in four resulted in failures from 2005 to mid-2008, many for technical reasons but some because they couldn’t weigh accurately. Palm Beach International Airport had the worst record for weight-related failures, 12 percent, while Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Miami International had 4 percent. Inaccurate scales could mean travelers are unnecessarily shelling out money for heavy bags, as some airlines have increased fees for overweight luggage to compensate for extra handling and higher fuel costs. Airlines said only a very small percentage of customers pay overweight bag fees, which are usually at least $50 each way for bags more than 50 pounds, and charges most commonly occur on international flights. Some consumers have filed complaints with the state in recent months, including Joseph Jablonski, of Flanders, N.J. The 20-year-old and his mom packed a single bag for their four-day Bahamas cruise in July. It weighed 50 pounds on the bathroom scale at home and the JetBlue scale at the Newark airport. Returning from the cruise, Jablonski said he was surprised when a ticket agent in Fort Lauderdale said his bag was too heavy. “They were trying to tell us the bag gained 35 pounds in four days,” he said, noting they didn’t buy much on vacation. “
I saw this post and I had to post it too! I have always said since all of our latest airline troubles that the industry is going back to a formof 1960-1970's style of flying. Hats, coats and purses are going to be about all you will be allowed to carry on an aircraft. So when I saw this post on gadling.com I had to post it to my readers too! It's many of the old commercials from the past and it's from some of the airlines that no longer exist!!! Sit back and enjoy....I did!!!
Take a walk down memory lane - 10 vintage airline commercials by Scott Carmichael Sep 15th 2008 @ 10:00AM Taking a page out of the "they don't make them like this any longer" book, I've compiled a list of 10 fantastic vintage airlines commercials. Take a walk down memory lane with me, and see how flying looked back in the 70's, or listen to people tell you how awesome their (now bankrupt) airline is.
Wien Air Alaska - "When it comes to experience, Alaska's first airline has the last word" (1981)Yes, that is a video of Captain Wien, father of our very own Kent Wien! The video took 35 takes to get right, because pilots are apparently better at flying a plane than acting on command. And here is a bit of trivia for you; Wien Air Alaska was the second airline in the country, and at one point they flew to more places in the world than any other airline (excluding Aeroflot). Sadly, Wien Air Alaska ceased operations back in 1984. I just hope they found a good home for the Canada Goose!
Eastern Airlines - "we earn our wings every day" (1984)Eastern Airlines is another airline that is no longer around. They closed up in 1991 leaving 18,000 people without a job or pension. This video clip taken in 1984 and shows a bunch of very happy employee/owners, completely unaware that just 7 years later their investment would be worthless.
Republic Airlines - "Nobody serves our republic like republic" (1982)Catchy music? Check! Smiling flight attendants? Check! Catchy slogan? Check! This 1982 commercial has everything that made 80's commercials the hilarious relics they are today. Republic Airlines was born in 1979 out of a merger of 2 other airlines, and in 1986 Northwest Orient Airlines and Republic Airlines merged to form Northwest Airlines, which is still operating strong today. The old Republic Airlines hubs (Detroit, Minneapolis-Saint Paul and Memphis) are still the main hubs for Northwest today.
Northwest Airlines - first airline to ban smoking on domestic flights (1980)Remember when checking in at the airport meant picking smoking or non-smoking? This commercial from 1980 shows Northwest Airlines bragging that they are the first airline to ban smoking on domestic North American flights.
Continental Airlines - "If you can't fly Continental you might as well not fly at all" (1977)Ah, the 70's... This commercial is the cheesiest of them all. The theme song is soap opera meets bad radio jingle, but it's the kind of bad song that sticks in your head.
United Airlines - Gene Hackman flying the friendly skies (1994)This is the youngest commercial in the list, but even at 14 years old it shows how much has changed since then. The commercial brags about the 1000 flights and 135 destinations United flies to every day. In just 14 years they have grown to 3200 flights and over 200 destinations. Of course, it also shows that 14 years later, they are still using Rhapsody in Blue for all their commercials.United Airlines - The new DC10 jetliner featuring the Friendship Room lounge in coach! (1971)Here is an early United Airlines commercial where they get to show off their new DC10 jetliner. Featuring specially designed spacious seats, and a luxurious lounge in coach! This 1970's plane shows just how miserable flying as become nowadays.
Braniff International - The end of the plain plane (1965)A funny commercial from a time when it was still considered acceptable to brag about your attractive flight attendants. This clip tries to convince people that Braniff has the most colorful planes and "that they won't get you there any faster, but it sure will seem that way!"American Airlines - Doing what we do best (1982)Warm meals in coach, full service no matter what you pay and a skycap who opens your cab door to help you out. It's how flying used to be, just 26 years ago. This vintage AA commercial is another from the feel good era.
TWA - Steak in coach! It's the new widebody L-1011, it's built for comfort! (1977)The last Lockheed L-1011 rolled off the assembly line in 1984, after just 250 of them were built. They can still be found today, but none are in operation with any major US carrier. This TWA commercial shows the spacious wide body cabin, the fantastic steak dinner in coach and the captain explains that their Rolls-Royce engines mean you'll get a smooth ride!
Here we go, as the airlines are charging for almost anything and everything windows seats and leg room are at a premium. The trick will be are you able to get your money back if the flight is not full? If there are enough seats for you to sit anywhere or the seat next to you is open and you paid a premium for the extra legroom and you end up having enough room will you be refunded? It's just a thought and how much grief are you going to catch or hoops you will have to jump through to get that refund. Also don't forget cancellations and changes in your reservations they may not carry across if you miss a flight because the next flight might be sold out of window seats by the time you get to it. Paying extra to talk to a human...that's a new one....I think but then again what are the odds that the person you’re talking to is actually in the US. I'll revisit this one later but here is the article from UPI.
*note* Supposedly Jet Blue doesn't charge for window seat or legroom.
Published: May 4, 2008 at 3:01 PM
BOSTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The practice of charging travelers extra for such premiums as window seats and extra leg room is gaining a hold among U.S. airlines, analysts note.US Airways, Jet Blue Airways Corp. and Air Canada recently began charging $5 more for a window seat, $10 for extra stretching room and $25 for passengers who want to be able to connect with a reservations agent if s flight is delayed or canceled, The Boston Globe reported Sunday.US Airways additionally plans to charge most passengers at least $5 extra to reserve an aisle or window seat in the first several rows of coach class, beginning Wednesday.The charges are a way for the airlines to offset rising fuel costs in an economic climate that has been the worst for the airlines since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.Although some passengers are sure to grumble over the increased costs associated with air travel, others may welcome the charges as a way to give them more control over what they pay for to fly."Ultimately, they will be more satisfied because they will be in control of their travel experience," said Henry Harteveldt, principal airline analyst for Forrester Research Inc.
The First African-American Flight Attendant in the United States.
