Another flight disrupted by a group of Muslims

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/17836

(Editor’s Note: Doug Hagmann’s popular site, the Northeast Intelligence Network is currently under transition to another server and will be back online later today.)

It happened again on Wednesday, December 9, 2009, less than a month after the incident aboard AirTran Flight 297. 

United Airlines Flight 227, scheduled to depart Denver International Airport at 1:50 pm Wednesday for Los Angeles was disrupted when several passengers who were described as Middle Eastern in appearance, confirmed by this investigator to be a group of Muslims traveling together, were removed from that aircraft due to suspicious behavior that originated in the terminal and continued to the airplane. Their behavior was consistent in some respects to the behavior of the Muslim passengers aboard AirTran Flight 297 on November 17, 2009 that caused a flurry of controversy over its legitimacy, and the now infamous case of the “Flying Imams” of 2006.

According to information obtained by this investigator, seven men of Middle Eastern appearance, boarded flight 227. Two took their seats in coach, while five took their seats in the first class section of the plane.  At a critical pre-flight point, the individuals appeared to act in concert with one another, changing seats and moving stowed luggage to very specific areas of the aircraft, often having to move the stowed bags of other passengers to do so.  They disobeyed or otherwise ignored the admonitions of the flight attendants to remain seated.

Their behavior was so overt and so apparently choreographed, according to our sources, that the flight crew demanded the passengers be removed from the aircraft. One report found on 9News in Denver quoted John Sloan, a passenger aboard that flight:

“I have never seen flight attendants so scared in my life. Everything turned out OK, but it was not a very good feeling..”

Following the removal of the passengers, officials brought a bomb-sniffing dog aboard the aircraft, focusing of the first class section of the plane. Subsequent to the search that found nothing, the offending passengers were removed from the flight and rebooked on another aircraft to their destination. According to federal officials, no criminal investigation is being launched into this incident, which was described as a “customer service” matter.

Early this morning, this investigator spoke to a law enforcement source in Denver who is intimately familiar with the incident. Many details have not been publicly reported about this incident, although it is clear that there is an agenda at play. Based on information obtained from this source and others relating to the previous flights disrupted by the deliberate behavior of Muslim passengers, it is clear that the airline industry, as well as the sensibilities of normal Americans, is under attack through Islamic ideological jihad. Additional information will be provided once our investigation is complete. 

Southwest CEO: Free Bags = $800 Million

DALLAS (TheStreet) -- Southwest(LUV Quote) says its strategy of eschewing fees for baggage handling and other amenities has boosted revenue by nearly $800 million annually, CEO Gary Kelly said.

Southwest has seen a market share shift of roughly one percentage point in response to its "immensely successful 'bags fly free' advertising campaign, in a time when we are actually reducing our capacity and the domestic market is actually shrinking," Kelly said at an investment conference. With the domestic air travel market worth about $80 billion to $90 billion annually, "a market share shift like that has a very significant positive effect for Southwest," Kelly said. 

Southwest spokeswoman Linda Rutherford noted the carrier's market share gains result not only from the bags fly free campaign, but also from being a low-fare carrier in a recession and from competitors' capacity reductions. Not charging for bags reinforces Southwest's image as a low-fare leader, Kelly has said. 

Other airlines have said that as they implement charges for baggage handling and other services, they have been unable to discern any resultant shift to Southwest. Last month, US Airways(LCC Quote) CEO Doug Parker told reporters in Charlotte that passengers may be avoiding multiple carriers at imperceptible rates, which in combination create a perceptible gain for Southwest. 
Kelly said Southwest expects to be profitable in the fourth quarter.

He said the carrier is benefitting from growth in select markets, including Denver and Saint Louis. However, he said he has seen no improvement in business travel. "I don't think it has gotten worse over the last several months, (but) I am comfortable in telling you it still lags," he said. "I am not expecting a rebound in business travel in 2010." 

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Asking For Orange Juice On American Airlines May Violate Federal Law

Something went very wrong on American Airlines flight 614 from Sacramento to Dallas this Sunday, December 6th. An American Airlines stewardess having an extremely bad day flipped the frak out on a first class passenger for asking for a glass of OJ and gave him a written warning from the captain for, "threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember." Here's an eyewitness account:

David Koss wrote us, "About 45 minutes into the flight I was awakened by a flight attendant named Helen, screaming at the man sitting in front of my wife. It was so loud, I could hear it over my headphones and the music playing. She was going off about how she didn't care if he was Platinum or Executive Platinum. I found this to be very odd. When she was done screaming, she came over to where my wife was sitting to ask what she wanted to eat. Then she said, "Sorry about that, he was just bitching." First of all, such language shouldn't be used by a flight attendant. Second of all, what business is it of hers to discuss the situation with other passengers?

Since I take the word of the other 5 friends I work with (including my wife) as truth, I will describe the events that led to the outburst. Helen was already having a very bad day. She acted upset to be working this job, which in this economy she should be grateful for, and was irritated at everyone. All my friends could tell that she was pissed. She was pissed that she was there, that people were blocking aisles while she was serving meals, and that they were getting up to use the restroom. She violently slid my friend's breakfast onto his tray, nearly spilling everything and then headed to the man in front of my wife. He had trouble getting his tray out, and she stood there rolling her eyes at him. When he finally got it out, she dropped the breakfast hard onto the tray.

He asked if he could have some orange juice. This is when it hit the fan. "This must be your first time in first class," she said. He asked what she meant by that. He told her he was actually on the flight that made him Executive Platinum for the 10th year in a row. She said, "You obviously don't know how this works." He told her in a calm voice that she was being very condescending. That's when she blew up on him and woke me up. He started looking the other way and asked her to stop yelling at him. The entire first class section was watching her go nuts.

She went to the front of the plane and disappeared for a while after making the previously mentioned comment to my wife. The man was shocked. He started looking around and asked the rest of us if we just saw what happened. We started talking to him about it, and didn't know why she was acting this way. At one point Helen went into the cockpit to talk to the captain. We all took turns talking to each other, and everyone saw the same thing. Our friend Barth was sitting on the opposite side of the isle, diagonally to the man who asked for orange juice. About an hour after the incident they began having a lengthy discussion.

We all thought there may be police waiting at the gate when we arrived and wanted to let him know we had his back. The flight attendant came out from hiding, walked straight up to Barth, kneeled down and said, "Do you have something you need to say to me?" Barth said, "The two of us are having a private conversation." She got up and walked back to the front. We knew something was terribly wrong with this woman. Now she was confronting other passengers now as well.

He stated that it would be best not to continue this conversation until we were on the ground. The other two flight attendants were as nice as could be. Nicer than usual actually. We were all too wound up to go back to sleep. My wife and I had about three hours of sleep the night before and had a long day ahead, but sleep was out of the question. We were actually nervous to be in the presence of such an unstable individual.

Helen came up to the OJ man, and asked him to come to the front with him. He started to get up, but I yelled at him, along with my other friends not to go up there. If he had a private conversation with her, there would be no witnesses, and she could tell authorities that he said anything she wanted. He stayed put in his seat. She came back to his seat with a written warning she said was from the captain. It stated that he may be in violation of Federal Law for "Threatening, intimidating, or interfering with a crewmember (section 91.11)." She said, "I didn't want to have to do this in front of every one, but here you go." According to the document, he could be put in prison for asking for his orange juice.

The tension in the cabin was mounting. We knew at this point someone would be waiting for us when we arrived. We were ready to give a statement. She called the older man that was in front of OJ man into the front of the plane for a private statement. That man would not have heard a word she said from behind his seat. It was way too noisy. He looked to be in his 70's as well. She came back and asked if anyone else wanted to be a witness. We all said no. We didn't want to say a word to her. She told us that she had witnesses as well. At the end of the flight, she asked us if we wanted anything else. There was no way I was going to eat anything that this woman was serving.

Helen had made our flight miserable. Upon arriving, we were greeted by a representative of the airline. She had been called ahead by the captain to meet us on the jet bridge. She had no idea so many people would be there to report what happened. We went to the gate and all gave a statement about what happened. She had someone else that had more relevance to the situation come down and talk to the man. This man stated that the Feds would probably have to investigate due to this warning being issued. The slips aren't to be given out unless it's a very big deal. We all wished him well and exchanged information. He had another flight to catch, and we were all glad to be on the ground safe.

Our group has about 130 people that fly 30 weeks a year. At an average of $300 per flight, that's over 1 million dollars a year spent. And I've been on the road with these people for nearly 10 years. So this is what we get for over $10 million in sales. If Helen doesn't like people, she should find a job like flipping burgers. That way, she won't have to talk to the customers. This woman's behavior is completely unacceptable and is a perfect example of what I've been seeing in AA flight attendants for years now. They don't want to be there, make up their own rules that don't reflect the company, and have huge disdain for the people paying their salary... the customers.

-Dave Koss"

The real terrorists can be found flying first class, drinking orange juice.

Reached for comment, American Airlines said they will look into the matter.

10 things you might not know about airline culture

By Mark Jacob | Dec 14, 2009

Airline culture is all over the news. The hit movie "Up In the Air" stars George Clooney as a frequent flier. The Transportation Security Administration is under fire for allowing the online posting of airport screening secrets. And the holiday season is upon us, with millions of Americans ready to go airborne. Here are some uplifting facts:

1 A cat flew across the Atlantic Ocean eight years before Charles Lindbergh. The cat, named Wopsie or Whoopsie, was a stowaway aboard the dirigible R34 when it traveled from Scotland to New York in 1919. The cat wasn't the only creature who beat Lindy to a trans-Atlantic flight. More than 80 people also did. But Lindbergh was the first to fly solo.

2 Qantas, the Australian airline, is a former acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. That name is strange, but others may be stranger. Airline pilot Patrick Smith, who writes a column for salon.com, suggested that two of the worst airline names ever were Russia's Kras Air ("always just an H away from infamy," wrote Smith) and Taiwan's U-Land Airlines ("That's right. U-buy, U-fly and U-Land it yourself.").

3 In 1987, American Airlines removed one olive from each first-class salad for a savings of about $40,000 a year. In a more recent cost-cutting move, American announced in 2004 that it would get rid of pillows on its MD-80 planes for an annual windfall of about $300,000. The next year, Northwest Airlines ditched free pretzels in coach class on its domestic flights, saving $2 million a year.

4 Joseph of Cupertino, a 17th century Italian priest, is a Roman Catholic patron saint of pilots and air passengers. Known as the "flying friar" because of his reported ability to levitate, Joseph annoyed his fellow churchmen, who banned him from attending choir or visiting the refectory for 35 years.

5 National Airlines launched an ad campaign in the early 1970s featuring attractive young flight attendants -- then known as stewardesses -- and slogans such as "I'm Margie. Fly me." A group called Stewardesses for Women's Rights picketed the airline's offices and complained to the Federal Trade Commission about the ads. National was forced to tone down the campaign by including other airline workers. But somehow the idea of "flying" someone like, say, Ralph the baggage handler seemed a bit less alluring.

6 The producers of the 1980 comedy film "Airplane!" considered talk show host David Letterman and singer Barry Manilow for the lead role of washed-up pilot Ted Striker before settling on actor Robert Hays. The co-pilot played by basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was originally written for baseball star Pete Rose. According to the Internet Movie Database, Rose was offered $30,000 but lost the part after asking for $35,000, which he wanted to spend on an Oriental rug.

7 Ten soldiers boarded a plane at California's Fort Hunter Liggett in the early 1960s, expecting a routine training mission. Instead, once they were airborne, the crew announced that an engine had stalled, the landing gear was inoperable and the plane would attempt to ditch in the ocean. Then the crew issued an odd demand: The soldiers would have to fill out insurance forms. After they dutifully did so, the plane landed, safely and routinely. The episode was an Army experiment to measure soldiers' performance under stress. Not surprisingly, a control group on the ground filled out the same insurance forms more accurately.

8 Last December, passengers preparing to take off on an Aeroflot jet from Moscow to New York revolted when the pilot appeared to slur his words over the loudspeaker. Officials of the Russian airline tried to calm them. According to the Moscow Times, an airline official said, "It's not such a big deal if the pilot is drunk. Really, all he has to do is press a button and the plane flies itself." But the passengers stood their ground, and the crew was replaced. The incident was another black eye for Aeroflot, remembered for a 1994 flight in which a pilot let his 15-year-old son take the controls. The boy accidentally disabled the autopilot, sending 75 people to their deaths.

9 When Amelia Earhart helped organize the New York, Philadelphia and Washington Airways in the early years of commercial aviation, the in-flight lunch consisted of hard-boiled eggs and saltine crackers, chosen because they seemed unlikely to contribute to airsickness.

10 A passenger boarded a Chicago-bound plane in Washington, D.C., in 2003 and handed a note to a flight attendant, asking her to take it to the pilot. The note read, "Fast. Neat. Average." The pilot had no idea what it meant and alerted authorities, who detained the passenger for questioning. The note was part of a well-known code at the Air Force Academy, based on cadets' answers on a dining-hall survey. If all had gone well, the passenger's note would have been returned with a note reading "Friendly. Good. Good," and the passenger would have been invited to visit the cockpit. But the pilot was not an Air Force grad, and the passenger missed his flight. As an Air Force spokesman noted, "Obviously, the world has changed since 2001."
Source: chicagotribune.com

Baby Born On Southwest Flight That Lands At DIA

Flight Continues On To Salt Lake After Diversion

DENVER -- A flight heading from Chicago to Salt Lake City was diverted to Denver Friday morning after a baby boy was born mid-flight.

Southwest Airlines Flight 441 was at about 30,000 feet, and 100 miles north of Denver, when the pilot asked if anyone had medical training. A woman had gone into labor and the captain made a call to divert to Denver -- the closest airport, said Paul Flaningan, a Southwest spokesman.

'They announced on the PA and asked if anyone had any blankets,' Morse said. But before the plane could land, the woman gave birth in flight. 'About 15 minutes later they got on the PA and announced we had a new passenger, a baby boy.' 'They immediately turned the plane around mid-flight and we landed in Denver. They got them out, the dad, mom and baby and took them off to the hospital,' Morse explained. 'All the Southwest staff did an excellent job, really calm. Everything was great. Everything seemed really healthy,' he added.

Flight attendants had thrown down a blanket in the back of the 737 and a doctor who was on the flight delivered the baby boy with the help of Stat Med, a company Southwest contracts with to help flight attendants with medical emergencies on flight.

"We now have a new passenger," said a flight attendant on the jet's public address system after the quick delivery.
The plane landed at Denver International Airport at about 10:20 a.m. The mother and her newborn were taken off the plane by paramedics and transported to Medical Center of Aurora, South Campus by ambulance.

The father and the couple's other kids, who were on the flight, also got off the plane in Denver.
"Mom and baby are doing fine," Flaningan said.
"It sounded like everything went pretty regular -- nothing out of the ordinary," said Denver Fire Division Chief Charles McMillan.

"The baby was delivered in flight, so we drove to the hospital," said Denver Health spokeswoman Dee Martinez, referring to the paramedics' role in getting the mom and baby to the hospital. "It's really the people on flight who did everything."

The flight continued on to Salt Lake City.
Flannigan said in-flight births don't happen very often.
"We might have passengers who are further along and have contractions. It's fairly rare to have a baby born in mid-air," Flaningan said.

"We're going to call the TSA on this guy," Flannigan said, laughing, when asked about the unscreened passenger.
Flight 441 originated in Columbus, Ohio with stops scheduled at Midway Airport in Chicago, Salt Lake City and Boise, Idaho before ending at Spokane, Wash.

Cover up! Airline breastfeeding policies…

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

This is an FYI for all or the parents out there! I'm not going to give my full opinion on breastfeeding while flying but I have one. I do want to hear what everyone else says first. I understand it from both side, as a father of a child who was breastfed and the working flight attendant and the uneasiness of other passengers with concerns regarding breastfeeding while flying. I found a blog posting with several airlines breastfeeding policies and I thought I should post it so my readers are as informed as possible. I'll put my two cents in at a later time and date. Don't worry it will be blunt and it will not be PC! I don't do PC either so remember I warned you!!!

Be prepared for holiday storms and delays so "Be Proactive and Not Reactive!" Plan for changes on the fly!!! (No Pun Intended!!!) lol

photo above: shows the logos of some of the airlines listed. Not all airlines shown have policies available for me to post for you. Check with your airline before you travel to be sure of their policies.

To see the list of some of the airlines that have policies regarding breastfeeding checkout phdinparenting.com for the full story!

Nursing mom files complaint against airlines

By Emily Bazar and Sam Hemingway, USA TODAY
A clash between a nursing mother and a flight attendant has sparked a discrimination complaint,
an airline investigation and a grass-roots protest.

Emily Gillette, her husband, Brad; and their then 22-month-old daughter, River,
were removed from an Oct. 13 flight from Burlington, Vt., to New York after a flight attendant asked Gillette to cover up while she was breast-feeding the girl. Freedom Airlines operated the Delta Air Lines flight.

Photo: Emily Gillette was asked to leave a Delta flight after breast-feeding and refusing to cover-up her daughter River, who was 22 months old when the incident occurred.

Gillette, 27, filed a complaint against both airlines last week with the Vermont Human Rights Commission alleging that the airline violated a state law that allows women to breast-feed
"in any place of public accommodation." The airlines have until Nov. 27 to respond,
Gillette's attorney, Elizabeth Boepple, says.

In a show of support, about 30 mothers and fathers and dozens of children staged a "nurse-in"
protest at Burlington International Airport on Wednesday.
"I've always nursed my children when I'm on a plane," says Carolyn Beer, 34, of Burlington.
"Their ears hurt with the altitude change, and it's a strange environment for them. The alternative is to let your kid scream."

The Gillettes, of Espanola, N.M., boarded the flight shortly before 10 p.m.
They had been in Vermont visiting friends and were headed to New York to see other friends and Emily Gillette's sister. Gillette took the window seat in the second-to-last row, she says, and her husband took the aisle.

She began nursing River, using one hand to hold her shirt closed. She says: "I was not exposed."
But the flight attendant approached, tried to hand her a blanket and asked her to cover herself, she recalls. "You're offending me," Gillette quotes the woman as saying.
"I'm not doing anything wrong and I will not cover up," Gillette says she said in response.
Spokesmen for the airlines declined to discuss specifics of the incident.

The flight attendant walked away, Gillette says, and a few minutes later,
a ticket agent boarded and said the flight attendant had ordered them removed.
The airline arranged for a hotel for the family for the night and a flight with a different airline the next morning, but Gillette wasn't satisfied.

"No woman should ever be ashamed of breast-feeding," she says.
She wants "both airlines to create policies that protect a woman from being harassed
for feeding her child on an airplane."

Delta is working with Freedom on an investigation, Delta spokesman Anthony Black says.
"Delta supports a mother's right to breast-feed-slash-bottle-feed her babies on our aircraft," he says. Freedom spokesman Paul Skellon says breast-feeding on a plane is OK if it's done in a "discreet way."

Forty-three states have some form of legislation protecting a woman's right to breast-feed,
according to Mary Lofton, spokeswoman for La Leche League International,
a group that encourages breast-feeding. Lofton says the league has had a growing number of contacts from women who say they were harassed for breast-feeding on planes.

Sharon Panitch, 37, a massage therapist who organized the Burlington nurse-in,
says people who object are "hypocritical." "We just want to take care of our children," Panitch says.

Woman Accidentally Smothers Infant on Transatlantic Flight

British media sources report that late last month, a woman who fell asleep while breastfeeding her infant accidentally smothered her four-week old child while on a United Airlines flight.

United Airlines B777-222 wearing the Oscar's logo up front

United Airlines flight 982 was a 777 en route from Washington Dulles to Kuwait City, and somewhere over the Atlantic, she reportedly awoke to find that her child had been smothered. The crew was alerted by to the situation by the screams of the 29-year-old mother.

A doctor traveling on the flight treated the baby, and the aircraft diverted to London's Heathrow airport, landing on the morning of November 25th. The baby was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

An autopsy has been performed and the authorities are awaiting results. At present, the death is considered to be from unexplained causes, and police and the Child Abuse Investigation Team are investigating the circumstances of the death.

http://www.airsafenews.com/2009/12/woman-accidentally-smothers-infant-on.html

Obese air passenger in economy seat has picture taken

The image, posted on Flightglobal, is thought to be genuine Photo: FLIGHTGLOBAL

An image of an obese passenger squeezed into an economy airline seat has reopened a debate about how airlines deal with growing numbers of oversized passengers.

By Alastair JamiesonPublished: 4:07PM GMT 27 Nov 2009

The picture, posted on an aviation blog, was reportedly taken by a flight attendant to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats. It is unclear if the man was aware his picture was being taken or whether the flight, on US carrier American Airlines, took off with the passenger spilling out of his seat.

Airlines already offer extended seatbelts to larger passengers to comply with safety rules but a number of carriers now insist obese customers buy an extra seat. US domestic no-frills airline Southwest has a “customer of size” policy that insists passengers who cannot lower both armrests buy a second ticket which is reimbursed if the flight is not full.

American Airlines does not have such a requirement but urges passengers to “recognize ahead of time that they may need to purchase two seats”. The image, apparently taken on a Boeing 757, was sent to writer Kieran Daly and posted on his blog at aviation news website, Flightglobal.
It is not clear if the image has been altered but Mr Daly wrote: “This is sent to me with the absolute assurance that it's a genuine picture taken by a flight attendant at American Airlines.

The F/A took it to show her manager what was happening on the aircraft (757???) and why she was unhappy about it. Seems the guy paid for only one seat and the gate staff let him board.” Comments below the blog entry illustrate the debate over how to deal sensitively with obese passengers while ensuring others have enough room.

In a statement, American Airlines said: "At this time American Airlines is unable to confirm whether or not the image referred to was taken by a member of flight crew but will investigate the situation internally to determine if any of the airline's strict policies were not correctly applied.

"American Airlines’ primary concern is for the safety and comfort of its passengers and crews and consequently passengers are advised to book two seats if they are concerned that they will require them. If a flight is not full, however, passengers' needs would be accommodated without charge wherever possible."

FAA Tapes Show Efforts to Reach NWA Flight

(AP) - After a Northwest Airlines plane flew past Minneapolis last month, air traffic controllers asked the pilots repeatedly for explanations about why they didn't heed radio calls, according to transcripts released on Friday.

The Oct. 21 flight had been out of contact for 77 minutes before the pilots responded. The pilots told controllers right away that they had been distracted, but didn't give details, according to the transcript of their radio conversations released by the Federal Aviation Administration.

After almost 90 seconds of conversation about the route they should take to Minneapolis, the controllers said, "I just have to verify that the cockpit is secure."

"It is secure, we got distracted," one of the pilots responded. The transcript says the pilot then said that they never heard a call from the ground.

A different controller took over and, after five more minutes of directions about routes and altitudes, asked, "Do you have time to give a brief explanation on what happened?"

"Cockpit distractions that's all I can say," was the response from Northwest Flight 188.





About 12 minutes after contact had been re-established, the same controller asked, "is there any way you can elaborate on the distraction?"

The pilot said that they were dealing with some company issues, and that's "all I can tell you right now at this time," according to the transcript.

Air traffic controllers ultimately had the pilots perform several turns to verify that they were in control of the plane. It landed safely in Minneapolis, and was met at the gate by police.

The FAA has said that after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, controllers have been told to alert the military when a plane goes out of contact for five to 10 minutes. They waited for 69 minutes in this instance, a delay that FAA head Randy Babbitt has called "unacceptable." The agency has said it will strengthen procedures for alerting the military when controllers lose contact with planes.

The transcripts also show controllers checking that the flight, which originated in San Diego, had enough fuel. The pilot responded that they had about two hours' worth of fuel on board and that it wasn't a concern.

The pilots have told the National Transportation Safety Board that they were discussing their company's complicated new crew-scheduling program over their laptop computers as their plane flew past Minneapolis by 150 miles. Northwest was bought by Delta Air Lines Inc. last year and the company has been working to integrate its computer systems.

The FAA has revoked the licenses of the pilots, Timothy Cheney of Gig Harbor, Wash., the captain, and Richard Cole of Salem, Ore., the first officer.

Best airports to get stuck in

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

So here is a little something I found from the Seatguru about some of the better airports in the US to get stuck in! If your stuck somewhere you need something to do and some way to keep yourself entertained for the time that your stranded!

So here is a list of the 5 best airports to get stuck in and roughly what is available to you if you get stranded for whatever reason!!!

Have a good flight and remember to "Be Proactive Not Reactive!!!"

BlkAv8tor2003

Terry Maxon/Reporter
http://www.seatguru.com/

In which airport would you like to get stranded over the holidays? SeatGuru.com, the Web service that gives advice on which seats are the best and worst on each airline's airplanes, has come up with five.
Without comment and reprinted verbatim, here's SeatGuru's list. See how it compares to your own observations:

•San Francisco International Airport (SFO). SFO's highlights include the famous Boudin's Bakery (and their sourdough bread), upscale shopping at Burberry, Coach and Gucci, XpressSpa services including massages and facials, museum exhibits throughout, shower facilities and a play area for children.

•Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Among other offerings, SLC offers free Wi-Fi throughout the airport, views of the Wasatch Mountains, numerous restaurants and has won awards in pollution prevention, recycling and as the best on-time airport for departures in the past.

•Portland International Airport (PDX). Named Nation's Best Airport by Conde Nast Traveler three years in a row, PDX is eco-friendly (new solar panels produce electricity and the Best of Nike store is powered by 75% solar energy), has free Wi-Fi, no sales tax and local restaurants have a strong presence with eateries such as Pizza Schmizza, Rose City Cafe and Laurelwood Brewing Company calling it home.

•McCarran International Airport (LAS). In addition to countless slot machines, LAS also boasts an aviation museum, massage locations, free Wi-Fi, the Jose Cuervo Tequileria, storage lockers to stash belongings, an oxygen bar, hotel souvenir shops, room check in for the MGM Grand and for long delays, it's just 5 miles from the strip.

•Miami International Airport (MIA). At MIA, travelers can get manicures, pedicures, massages and even spray tanning at the JetSetter Spa, view ongoing art exhibitions, enjoy a hair cut at the salon, rent a mobile phone, and for members of the U.S. military, there's an Armed Services center for personnel that serves food and refreshments. There are also 30 dining choices including cuisine from Cuba, the Caribbean, Japan and more.

ATC problems on East Coast (Computer Failure)

Thu, Nov 19, 2009 Eric Torbenson/Reporter
http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/air-traffic-control/

Looks like a computer equipment failure at the Federal Aviation Administration has caused some problems at airports around the country, but mostly concentrated in the Northeast where airlines and airports are dealing with bad weather to boot.

So far little impact at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love field according to both Flightstats.com and http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp. But the northeast airports are sort of lit up like a Christmas tree in terms of yellow and red delay status.

Terry got an update from American Airlines:

American Airlines Inc. spokesman Tim Smith said "the FAA issues had slowed American's operations somewhat, but serious. "I think we're doing pretty well, actually," Smith said.

He said American had been informed that the FAA computer problem had been resolved. With that, American and other carriers will simply have to catch up from the earlier problems, he said.
"Our longest delay... was just over an hour," Smith said. As he scanned American's schedule, "I saw nothing extreme. I saw some flights that were on time, a few that were early and others that had a 10-minute delay, 15 minutes, 25, all well under an hour," Smith said.
Smith said that American's D/FW Airport arrivals had averaged 94 percent on time at that point.

FlightStats.com indicated that as of 9:50 a.m., 64 percent of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport's flights had departed on time, and 88 percent of arrivals were on time or within 14 minutes of schedule.
More on the problem, ATC controllers union and FAA responses after the click:

The problem, according to wires:
Flights nationwide were delayed this morning after a mysterious nationwide computer glitch hampered a key Federal Aviation Administration flight processing system.
The system electronically inputs pilots' flight plans to computers, telling air traffic controllers the anticipated route and altitude of each flight after taking off. Controllers reached by ABC News say they have had to enter those plans manually, resulting in a slowdown of takeoffs and landings.

From the National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
WASHINGTON - There has been a major, nationwide air traffic control computer system outage this morning, and it is having a severe, negative impact on air travel across the country. Here is what we know thus far:

The NADIN system (National Airspace Data- Interchange Network), which is the computerized system for processing flight plans and information for every flight in the country, has failed in both of its locations - Atlanta and Salt Lake City. We do not yet know the technical reason for the failure. We have some reports that the system is coming back online, which is good news, but there will be flight delays throughout the day due to the "ripple effect" of this outage.
The NADIN- failure has created a domino effect of problems throughout the country, starting with the inability of FAA automated ATC systems at major regional facilities to process flight information, forcing the manual input of information by air traffic personnel. Air traffic controllers are without electronic decision-making tools and cannot keep up with the sheer numbers of flights -- resulting in delays.

FAA's statement so far:
This is the Federal Aviation Administration with all the information we have at this time about this morning's equipment outage that has been affecting flights nationwide. My name is Elizabeth Isham Cory.

We are starting to see systems come back up (approx 8:34 a.m. local). We are still seeing some delay as the correction works through the system, so we recommend you check with your carrier before flight today.

Early this morning (NEW time, approx 6 a.m. Chicago), one of the two centers that handles the filing of flight plan information nationwide had a problem with the electronic system that files those plans. The other center picked up as much as possible, and any surplus flight plans were entered manually. Flight plans are filed before flight - they include information about the flight - including planned destination, route and fuel on board, among other things.

Any delays we saw today were at the gate. Flights in the air were safe - we could always see planes on radar and talk to them. Again, the planes that were affected today were on the ground at the gates.

Again, the system is back up, so we should see any remaining delay work its way through the system shortly. The FAA is working to determine the source of this problem.

Air Canada is going to start charging extra for preferred seats

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

Well folks it's hit North America and I fair warned you! Paying for premium seating on your next airline flight is in your near future. Air Canada is going to charge you to be a little more comfortable on their flights! It's only a matter of time before the US carriers do the same! Exit row seating or bulk head seat assignments are the primary seats that are preferred and sought after.

So as we cruise into this holiday season, keep your ears and eyes open for added charges when making your next flight arrangements because there may be some added fees!

From what I can tell so far this fee is only added (your charged) if you "choose" to sit in the exit rows or wherever the airline designates a preferred seating location. If your just automatically assigned upon check-in you will not be charged. I will break down the seating advantages at a later time and date because it can be somewhat lengthy!

Just an FYI for things to come this holiday season!!!

Remember to "Be Proactive, Not Reactive" and Enjoy Your Flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

The Canadian Press
Date: Friday Nov. 13, 2009
MONTREAL — Air Canada has been busy spending lots of cash on stuff like iPhone Apps, in-flight WiFi, and snazzy software for your Blackberry. This stuff all costs money, and like all other airlines, the money probably isn’t just pouring in up in Canada.

So the country’s flagship carrier is opening up the fee and charge toolbox in hopes of finding a good way to boost revenue. Air Canada is going to start charging extra for preferred seats with extra legroom including emergency exit rows and bulkhead seats.

Fees start at $14 per one-way trip for those wanting specific exit rows or bulkhead seats at the front of airplane sections.

Costs will vary by length of flight, fare class purchased and the customer's Aeroplan status. Fees can be waived or reduced depending on a number of factors including fare class purchased or a traveler’s status with the airline.

However, for most of us, this means that we are going to need to open up the wallet yet again at the airport. All these fees are certainly getting old, but we love airplanes and where they take us, so we’ll just have to ask for a second piggy bank for Christmas this year.

The service will be available on any Air Canada or Jazz flight.
Canada's largest airline is attempting to find $500 million in additional revenue and cost savings as part of its effort to improve its profitability.

It wasn't immediately clear how much money is expected to be raised from the new fees.

Animated Video With Audio Tracks of US Airways 1549 Crash In The Hudson River

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

Here is why pilots love what they do and how cool and level headed they are during an emergency! This is professional airmanship at it's finest and I think all pilots strive for in aviation excellence!!!

Good job to exosphere3d for their work on this video!

Remember to be "Proactive and not Reactive" and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

http://www.exosphere3d.com/pubwww/pag...

This video presents the alternate audio tracks and does so by splitting to L and R channels. The audio presented is: LaGuardia ATCT Cab Coordinator, LaGuardia ATCT South Terminal Control, New York TRACON South Control, and Teterboro ATCT Local Control positionRadar data is displayed in the upper right quadrant with aircraft identification and altitude (100's of feet).

The audio transcripts of the aforementioned audio tracks are displayed on screen for nearly all communications from the mentioned audtio recordings. Continuity is maintained with the audio transcript display, however the audible tracks are faded in and out and selected based on perceived importance to the accident timeline.

This combination of information is not a likely candidate for final presentation because of information overload. However, it does illustrate the usefulness and capabilities of a fully integrated reconstruction technique.

Alternate Video Link

Flight 1549 Alternate Audio, Multi-Perspective Composite Animation

Cell Phone Conversation Delays Flight FAA to investigate

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

As usual I have to chime in on this one! My comments are in italics and this is stupidity on the passengers part and I am surprised that other passengers didn't get upset or assist the crew during this incident. (as it's been reported so far)

So here we go, a passenger cause a flight to be delayed and eventually returns to the gate! I guess his cellular phone conversation or texting was more important that the passengers on the flight getting to where they were going to. People feel the need to be privileged when they do things without the concerns of others and then have the nerve to get upset when someone calls them out on it!

Well this passenger may catch hell on the backside from the airline for causing the Captain to turn the airplane around after pushing away from the gate and then returning to the gate when he would not comply with the flight crews request to turn off his electronic device! (It's in the announcements) I don't feel bad for him in the least bit and it sounds like the airline may try to prosecutor him in some fashion even though the FAA who mandates the use after a certain point on all airline aircraft doesn't plan to prosecute or really investigate the incident!

This sounds weird to me because this could be viewed as obstructing a crew from performing their safety duties and that is a federal offense. We shall see what happens on this one! If it wasn't for the tremendous amount of bad PR AirTran would get for suing him, I'd be inclined to sue him for the costs of the flight delay - fuel, crew times, missed connections (if any), etc. Not that I'd expect him to ever be able to pay those costs, but it might be enough to scare people into complying more with crew member instructions!

People please remember the crew members are only doing what they are required to do and if you can't comply with that and allow the crew to make sure that you have a safe flight then you should really rethink you mode of travel!!!

Here is the story as reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/cell-phone-conversation-delays-202143.html?printArticle=y

Remember to be "Proactive and Not Reactive" and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

An AirTran passenger, who was traveling with 12 others, was using his cell phone before takeoff, an airline spokesman said.

It’s unclear whether he was talking on the phone, snapping photos or texting, AirTran spokesman Christopher White said. But to airline officials and flight attendants, it didn’t matter. The plane had pulled away from the gate, and the phone was on, White said.
“Passengers are required to follow instructions of the flight attendants," regional FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said.

AirTran reported the incident to the FAA, Bergen said.
The federal Transportation Security Administration will not handle the incident, saying it is a customer-service issue between the passenger and the airline, a TSA spokesman said.
Houston-bound Flight 297 was scheduled to leave Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday.

The Boeing 717 was taxiing on the runway when a crew member asked a passenger to turn off his phone, White said.
“Flight attendants were telling him, ‘Turn off the phone, turn off the phone,’” White said.
But the man didn’t speak English, which complicated the matter, officials said.

Once the pilot learned of the issue, he turned the plane around and headed back to the gate. The man was asked to leave, White said.
“We can’t taxi with the cell phone on, and we certainly can’t take off,” White said. “Language barrier or not, you start to butt up against interfering with a flight crew.”

Another person in the group – someone who could speak English – got off as well to act as an interpreter, White said.
So, why didn’t he leave his seat to help in the first place?
“He told flight attendants that he could have helped during the taxi time, but he didn’t want to get up,” as passengers are to be seated at that time, White said.

The remaining 11 passengers in that group followed them off the plane as well, White said.
“It’s a fine line that we have to play,” White said. “Is there any safety or security reason to bring the plane back? Yes, there was a safety reason.”
AirTran gave the 72 other passengers on the plane the option to stay on that flight or switch to another one without paying any fees, White said. Of the remaining passengers on the plane, 12 decided to take another flight.

The 11 others in the 13-passenger group got back on the plane, which took off for Houston, White said. TSA officials spoke to the man with the cell phone as well as the other person who was acting as an interpreter, and they took a later flight to Houston, White said.
White declined to identify the passenger. No charges were filed. And, for AirTran, the case is closed.

“Once we determine there is no other problem, it’s our responsibility to get everyone back on and get the plane taken off as quickly as we can,” White said.

Alaska Airlines Unveils Apolo Ohno Airplane, Gives Out Faux Facial Hair

Alaska Airlines and Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno unveiled a specially-themed Boeing 737-800 Tuesday (Nov. 17th) at Sea-Tac Airport, painted with a larger-than-life image of the celeb athlete and telling people to “follow Apolo.”

To celebrate Ohno’s race for gold, passengers boarding the “Follow Apolo” jet received Ohno trading cards, copies of Ohno’s signature bandana and press-on faux facial hair (faux facial hair??? dang…now we’re sorry we missed this photo op!).

While we certainly don’t know any humans who’ve actually sprouted wings and can fly on their own, the unique design features a huge painting of the Seattle native on the aircraft’s fuselage and also promotes his new Alaska Airlines-sponsored website www.followapolo.com as he pursues winter gold in Vancouver, BC during the upcoming Winter Olympics

“It’s an honor to be featured alongside Alaska’s trademark Eskimo and have the support of my hometown airline for the most important race of my life,” said Ohno, after seeing the plane for the first time.

A team of Seattle-area youth speed skaters aspiring to follow in Ohno’s path accompanied the athlete onboard the aircraft as it was unveiled at Sea-Tac Airport Tuesday. The skaters are members of Pattison’s Team Extreme and train at Pattison’s West Skating Center in Federal Way, where Ohno trained as a teen:

Apolo Ohno and members of Federal Way's Pattison's Team Extreme.

A native of the Seattle area, Ohno began his speed-skating career at age 14 in Seattle and Vancouver. He went on to become the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title in December 1999. Ohno has since won 11 national champion, 18 world champion and five Olympic medals.

If you’d like to “Follow Apolo,” you can either grow wings and attempt to fly behind (or alongside) his cool new airplane, or you can just click here and check out his website.

(Some Photos courtesy Alaska Airlines and Airliners.net)

Pilot charged after UK airport arrest

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

Well this is again a sad move on the part of a professional airline pilot. Drinking and flying or at least almost is wrong in all senses of the words! Do I hear true alcoholic in the cockpit? Well if that is the case he should have gotten help along time ago. I'm happy that this was not found out in flight. I hope this captain gets the help he needs! I don't condone what he did especially with what a pilot has to go through to obtain a pilots license, ratings and of course the coolest dream job on the planet!

I'm glad that an employee reported it and although this is very serious at least it didn't turn out as an accident. This gives pilots a bad name and not all pilots do something this stupid! If he can't control himself after drinking on a layovers then he should not be doing it! (said from experience and self control on layovers)

As a pilot and former flight attendant, who all follow the same strict alcohol rules I think we are held to a higher standard because what we do can harm many people. Our careless disregard for others is not acceptable and it's our job to help main the safety of our passengers!

I hope he gets the help he needs and hasn't thrown away what took a lifetime of sacrafice to obtain!

Remember to "Be Proactive, Not Reactive" and enjoy your flight!

BlkAv8tor2003

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British police said they stopped a United Airlines pilot from flying while intoxicated earlier this week, pulling him from a Boeing 767 aircraft before boarding plane, police say at London's Heathrow airport and charging him with being on duty while his blood-alcohol level was over the limit.

Scotland Yard said that Erwin Vermont Washington, 51, was taken off the plane just before take-off Monday. Washington, of Lakewood, Colorado, has since been released on bail.
United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said that "the pilot has been removed from service" during an investigation.

The departure to Chicago was "imminent", with 124 passengers on board and 11 members of crew, when police arrived at the airport.
Passengers were put on to other planes after the flight was cancelled but they were not told the real reason why.

A source said the pilot was on board the Boeing 767 when he was told that police wanted to speak to him. He was then breath-tested once he was off the plane, out of view of the passengers.
A BAA Heathrow spokesman said: "He was reported to police by United Airlines staff. I believe departure was imminent."

"United's alcohol policy is among the strictest in the industry, and we have no tolerance for violation of this well-established policy," she said. Megan McCarthy says the pilot has been "removed from service" during investigation.

Washington remains in the United Kingdom, Scotland Yard said.

Alaska Airlines Launches Hawaii Service From Bay Area

Media Release:
OAKLAND—Alaska Airlines today will inaugurate four-times-weekly service between Oakland, Calif., and Kahului, Hawaii, on the island of Maui, and tomorrow will begin thrice-weekly service between Oakland and Kona, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

“Known for its beautiful beaches and stunning sunsets, the Hawaiian Islands are among our most popular leisure vacation destinations,” said Alaska Airlines’ President Brad Tilden. “Customers will enjoy Alaska’s low fares, convenient schedule and award-winning service.”

Summary of flights
Start date City pair Departure time Arrival time Day of week
Nov. 9 Oakland-Maui 7:45 a.m. 11:05 a.m. Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
Nov. 9 Maui-Oakland 12:05 p.m. 7:10 p.m. Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat
Nov. 10 Oakland-Kona 7:45 a.m. 11:15 a.m. Tues, Thur, Sun
Nov. 10 Kona-Oakland 12:15 p.m. 7:30 p.m. Tues, Thur, Sun

All times based on local time zones

“Travelers will start their vacation with a smooth departure from Oakland International, where they can park close to the terminals and quickly access their flight,” said Deborah Ale Flint, the Port of Oakland’s acting director of aviation. “Oakland’s on-time performance record allows passengers to easily begin their Alaska Airlines experience,” she added.

Flights are available for purchase at alaskaair.com or by calling 1-800-ALASKAAIR
(1-800-252-7522 or TTY/TDD line 1-800-392-0228).

The new flights are operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, accommodating16 passengers in first class and 141 in the main cabin. All flights to Hawaii offer Hawaiian-themed beverages and meal service. Customers in the main cabin are offered complimentary Mauna Loa macadamia nuts and a complimentary Mai Tai or POG juice, as well as a Hawaiian-themed meal-for-purchase option for $6.

Inflight service includes Alaska Airlines’ digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features.
Alaska Airlines Vacations offers a full line of vacation packages for travel to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Packages include air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and tours. For more information about Alaska Airlines

Vacations, visit alaskaair.com/vacations.

United Was Wrong to Deny Track Suit Guy His First Class Seat, But Still, a Track Suit?

Hello All BlkAv8tor2003 Checking In!!!

So I guess the airlines, specifically United is questioning how there customers dress when riding in first class. To a point I can see their (United) point but I still believe you have to deal with certain situations on an individual basis. A gate agent who did not feel that a customer was dressed appropriately for first class travel gave a upgraded passenger a little bit of a hard time because he was wearing a sweat suit.

I posted the story as it was written from the news reports but a few things seem sketchy at best. The agent a contract employee working for Air Wisconsin (United express Carrier for United) was working a mainline United flight. Air Wisconsin must pull double duty working United flights out of Dulles as well as United Express flights during their day.

After everything happened a United spokes person said the employee thought the passenger was a company employee. This would not be true because when they upgraded the passeneger his ticket info would have indicated if he was an employee or at least traveling on some type of industry pass, his boarding priority would have indicated this right away.

When employees travel they are required to dress a little different compared to the regular traveler. Employees, parent and kids are required to almost dress like your going to church especially if there is a chance of getting put into first class. This is somewhat adjusted depending on the destination too and if an employee is upgraded and not dressed appropriately (gate agents discretion) then they will be asked to change clothes before boarding.

So most employees will dress nicer in the beginning just to avoid the last minute hassle or trying to change clothes during the last part of the boarding process where employees are usually given their seat assignments.

Now this regular passenger was mistaken for an employee, I doubt that but it will be a quick fix for the airline in the eyes of public opinion. Passengers do dress pretty bad or what the airlines would consider inappropriate. Southwest removed a passenger for dressing risque' (exerpt: a few months ago waitress Kyla Ebbert (who works at Hooters, where scantily-clad is a good thing) was escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight from San Diego to Tucson because her outfit -- a miniskirt, tank top, and cropped sweater -- was too revealing (I don't see any cleavage and she was wearing a bra). She put up a fuss and was eventually let back on the plane after a lecture on her dress, or lack thereof. http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/09/05/passenger-too-sexy-for-southwest-airlines-luv-miniskirt-gets/) and they eventually changed their minds and let her travel.

The days off dressing up when you fly have been gone since the 70's but at the rate we are going we may see a change on the horizon. I have a feeling the ways of the past are slowly coming back where you dress to fly, hat and coats are your carry-on and the last thing you wanted to do was give a flight attendant a hard time!

I don't think this situation was very good for United and hopefully they will verify before the upgrade another passenger what kind of passenger they are upgrading. This time I think they got off lucky (so far anyway) and no legal troubles have popped up yet but we shall see what happens in the next few weeks. The passenger (Mr. Alvarez) is a corporate executive and the airline should and usually knows when they are ona any given flight (their reservation will indicate it at check-in) and they should have extended him the standard corporate executive courtesies but this went way wrong.

The airlines' bread and butter is the business traveler because they pay high fares, travel on short notice and they fly alot so, United needs to pay attention because word of mouth advertising still works very well and keep this kind of activity up and you will hurt yourself in the long run when you start losing major travel accounts and business travelers starting using someone else for their corporate travel.

Read on and see if the passenger was right or wrong or was it the airlines fault on this one.

As always remember "Be Proactive, Not Reactive" when you fly and enjoy your flight!!!

BlkAv8tor2003

Did you hear the one about the guy who was denied a first class seat on a United Airlines flight because he was wearing a track suit? It's a corker. Armando Alvarez (not pictured), an executive at Best Buy, used his frequent flier miles to upgrade to the front of the cabin for a flight from Washington Dulles to Connecticut on October 26, but the gate agent refused to let him enter the cabin, WTTG-TV, Washington, reported Thursday.

The gate agent took one look at his Puma getup and deemed him unworthy of the fancy seats, insisting he sit in coach with the riffraff instead. "I was handed a first-class boarding pass and then it was pulled back out of my hand," Mr Alvarez said.

Mr Alvarez was wearing a Puma track suit with white trainers when he was stopped by the gate agent. He said he checks-in his suits to stop them from getting wrinkled and travelling in a track suit just makes sense.

Mr Alvarez said he complained to United Airlines Customer Service Department and the airline's board of directors, but hasn't received a response. United has come out and said it was all a big misunderstanding, and that the agent apparently thought Alvarez was an airline employee - and thus required to follow a dress code - but not before the story became the latest example of the inhumanity of airlines today.

Alvarez said the agent told him he was dressed too casually for first class.
"I was humiliated. I was embarrassed and when some of the passengers were boarding behind me they said, 'Hey, what just happened?' And I said the agent just said I wasn't properly dressed to go in first class today. And they said, 'Was he kidding?' I said obviously not because I'm boarding and not getting in first class," Alvarez said.

United Airlines said the gate agent, a contract employee who works for Air Wisconsin, is being interviewed and security footage is being reviewed as part of a probe into the incident. Officials said United's dress code only stipulates that passengers wear clothes and shoes.

I agree that United was wrong to treat a paying passenger this way, and they have admitted as much, but the incident reminds me of just how much air travel has changed since the glory days of the fifties, sixties, and seventies. People treated flying like a special occasion back then, and dressed for the part.

When I was a kid in the seventies, my parents made me wear a jacket and (clip-on) tie for every flight. Of course, we were an airline employee family, so those dress codes applied to us, but it seemed like everybody around us at least made an effort to look decent.