Oct
9
Fewer Near-Crashes On Runways
Filed Under Airlines | Comments Off
The FAA reports that a substantial decrease has occured in the number of of near-collisions of airliners on the ground. It could be the result of a statistical hickup or the current reduction in airtravel, but the FAA states it is most likely the result of new policies addopted in 2007. Those safety improvements included new technology, revised taxi procedures and various improvements made by the airlines and airports. Read more at the Washington Post.
Oct
5
United Airlines announced today the launch of the Premier Baggage service. The new service will allow customers to pay a flat yearly fee of $249us for the ability to check two pieced of normal sized luggage on every flight you board for one year.
The fee covers the standard baggage also checked by up to eight passengers traveling on the subscribers confirmation number. Normal charge for a regular piece of luggage is $20 for the first and $30 for the second.
If you fly often or are planning a long trip with a group/family the new Premier Baggage may be a money saver. For more details view the programs web site.
It is valid for travel on both United and United Express flights in the US and international flights. You must use your Mileage Plus membership number.
I still think that luggage fees charged by airlines are a lot like “resort fees” it makes your original purchase price look better, but in the long run it all adds up. These fees cause after the vacation sticker shock when they view their credit card statement, adding to the average persons perception that vacationing and travel is expensive. Driving the trend toward staycations….
Aug
10
United Breaks Guitars
Filed Under Airlines | Comments Off
The YouTube video “United Breaks Guitars” has had over Five Million views….
The Resolution….
Remember to greet your next United Airlines employee “be careful with my guitar”…. Support Dave Carroll, buy one of his CD’s or MP3s. Perfect Blue
Jul
20
U.S. Airlines on-time arrivals have improved. A reduced number of flights due to less people traveling may be resulting in airport increased airport efficiency. Every month this year, the airlines improved their on-time arrival performance, except March. The Transportation Department reported that 80.5% of the flights operated by the 19 largest airlines arrived on time in May, compared to 79% during the same time last year.
Another thought reported by an aviation consultant is that airlines have lengthened the estimated flight times, making it easier to have an on time arrival. The best May arrival time average is Hawaiian Airlines at 90.3%, the worst is Comair at 71%, a regional carrier owned by Delta. One has to consider the routes of the carriers too; some being more predictable than others.
The Transportation Department also noted improvements in tarmac delays, mishandled baggage, customer complaints and cancellations.
Jun
8
The plane headed for the crash landing and the passengers braced for their lives. Pilot “Skully” Sullenberger skillfully landed the US Airways aircraft and all 150 passengers and 5 crew safely departed. Minutes after the “miracle” landing, one passenger wanted to get his briefcase off the plane before it sunk. All his documents, personal and business, were on the laptop and he hadn’t backed up.
It shouldn’t take surviving a plane crash to motivate you to back up your data. However, so many us of put it off until something catastrophic happens, like our laptop crashing, or getting lost or stolen. The passenger who hadn’t backed up was out of luck, but another passenger using an on-line back up service had his laptop completely restored within four days.
The “out of luck” passenger lost both computers he had on board, about 250 gigabytes of data from his employer Computer Associates. He had been good about backing up his data from sharing the contents of one hard drive to another. This trip was unusually because he was traveling with both machines due to a business assignment. He lost everything.
Fellow passenger Paul Jorgensen had a better story to tell. He had used a service called Mozy that his employer, Epocrates, provides to back up the night before. The software runs in the background and automatically backs up data while on the internet. He is grateful for the on-line service that helped him retrieve all his data simply and quickly.
The two key players in online back up services are Mozy and Carbonite and, offering peace of mind through online automated back up services for personal and business users. The basic principle behind backing up is to protect data from disasters and the best security is to have multiple versions of the data stored in an alternate location. Most businesses have systems in place; however, vulnerabilities in the processes still exist. Remote backup or off-site data backup allows users to back up data to a remote, off-site location using existing internet bandwidth. Additionally, this less cumbersome approach allows for quicker restoration of data.
The service that booth Mozy and Carbonite offer is software that back ups your files to their servers in the background when you are connected to the internet. Mozy offers unlimited back up for $4.95 per month for home users. For commercial use, see their web site, Mozy Pro. 2 GB of free online back is the promotion they are featuring. The process is like insurance for your data—stored, secured and encrypted in a remote location for safe keeping.
Carbonite Online Backup offers one year unlimited backup for $54.95 for unlimited backup and boasts important files can be recovered anytime, anywhere. The software runs in the background, backing up files as you work. The encryption service protects your data and their web site offers a 15 day free trial.
Passenger Paul Jorgensen’s positive experience with Mozy was exceptional because he had all his data back on his new machine within four days. He had no excuse not to get back to work; even after a surviving a plane crash on the Hudson River. In addition to catastrophic plane crashes that destroy your machine, less dramatic incidents like accidental deletions, drive failure, theft and breakage could set you back. Therefore, an on line back up service like Mozy or Carbonite may be a good choice.
May
22
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is implementing a new safety measure for travelers. The Secure Flight Program will require airline passengers to give their name, gender and birth date when making a flight reservation to determine if there is a match to the No Fly or Selectee lists. By providing the additional information, Secure Flight can effectively help prevent misidentification of passengers who have similar names to individuals on the watch list and be more effective in screening for airline safety.
Secure Flight shifts pre-departure watch list responsibilities from the airlines to TSA and carries out a key recommendation of the 9/11 commission. When a passenger makes a reservation with an airline, travel agent or online company, the new data will be required. TSA is sensitive to privacy issues. Processes are still being worked out for a smooth transition from the airlines to the government agency.
“In addition to addressing misidentification, Secure Flight protects sensitive watch list data and enables officials to address security threats sooner, keeping air travel safer. By implementing one watch list matching system, the program provides a fair and consistent matching process across all airlines,” according to a TSA press release.
If a passenger wants to book a flight 72 hours in advance, the name (should match the government issued ID he passenger intends to present at the airport), gender and birth date will be required for cross referencing by TSA. If the fight is made within the last 72 hours, TSA will require additional information at the time of the reservation. During the 72 hour window, TSA will have the ability to stop the issuance of a boarding pass until further screenings.
The Secure Program is being rolled out in stages; beginning with domestic flights first, then expanding to international flights to and from the U.S. The ATS encourages visitors to the U.S. and hopes this new program will facilitate approachable travel to the U.S. If a traveler has a complaint about the manner they were treated by a government program to promote safe travel, there is a one stop web site to voice concerns. There’s a big green button: File a Complaint.
The name of the web site is: Department of Homeland Security’s Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (www.dhs.gov/trip). It can also be used as the gateway to address watch list misidentification issues. Where travelers believe they have faced screening problems at ports of entry or situations where travelers believe they have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation’s transportation hubs. Secure Flight plans to use this web site to prevent future misidentification issues for passenger who may have similar names to individuals on the watch list.
May
8
The August 2005 Helios Airways plane crash north of Athens, Greece, killing 121 passengers and crew, was a direct result of the pilots experiencing hypoxia, a lack of oxygen resulting in loss of consciousness . The pilots ignored the warning system in the Boeing 737-31S of cockpit pressure failure and the tragic results followed.
Pilots are trained and understand the dangers of hypoxia which makes one curious to understand why a highly trained, capable pilot responsible for human lives would chose to ignore a basic safety system. The first reason is that the popular passenger 737 aircraft warning horn is confusing to pilots. The warning system serves two purposes. It warns the pilots that there is a problem with the configuration of the aircraft before the take off. After the pilot trouble shoots the pre- takeoff problem, they assume there are no more issues and dismiss the warnings, when in reality, potential problems of pressurization can occur in flight.
Other problems that pilots deal with are false alarms. Faulty pressurization equipment cause alarms to sound when they shouldn’t be. A publication sited that 25% of the 100 warning horns cited in the Aviation Safety Reporting System over the past 10 years were either alarms sounding when they shouldn’t be or visa versa. Because of the false positive altitude and pressure warnings, pilots have been known to ignore the safety signals.
The FAA has been investigating numerous reports of pressurized problems in the aircrafts. They have recommended a warning light to accompany the warning horn, and have also focused on after take-off procedures to include safety checks of the pressurization switches. The latest safety action happened last month when the agency mandated that briefings to instruct pilots to heed the altitude horns be implemented.
Boeing, the manufacturing of the aircrafts, have built a new and improved altitude warning system in their new aircrafts and are retrofitting older crafts with a improved safety altitude warning systems. More effective warning systems of pressure problems in flight may lead to less pilot hypoxia-related aircraft accidents.
The documented pilot errors and dismissal of warning systems have led to investigations and litigation. In the case of the August 2005 Helios Airways plane crash north of Athens, Greece, Helios executives were charged with man-slaughter. In additions, U.S. and Cyprus attorneys filed lawsuits in 2006 on behalf of the crash victims.
The FAA acknowledged the problems of the warning horn problems and issued an airworthiness directive July 2006. Even so, there has been at least 3 more reports of horn confusion. The most recent FAA directive comes in March of this year that requires before the first flight of the day and following any change is flight crew members, Being 737 crews must be reminded to acknowledge the safety horns and take appropriate actions.
Apr
17
New Branson Airport Opens May 11th
Filed Under Airlines, USA - Missouri | Comments Off
Construction on the new Branson Missouri airport began in July 2007, and to date, 11 million cubic yards of dirt have been moved in order to construct the terminal and runway. The Branson Airport’s 7,140-foot runway, created by cutting the top off a mountain, is designed for midsized commercial type aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and 757, but can handle planes as large as the 767. This will enable the airport to receive non-stop air service from anywhere in the continental United States. The 4 gates will share a welcoming, spacious holding area. Official Site.
The recent press release also states that the facility will offer all the amenities of a full-service airport, with one critical difference. The Branson Airport will be the first airport in the country to put customer service first, by providing “concierge-level” service to all departing and arriving travelers.
Although the services listed are not that far off to what a traditional airport offers, screening, baggage claim, curbside service, concessions, shops and restaurants; the big difference is the that the employees work for the airport, not the airlines. Some unique differences notes are the welcome center, concierge service and the ability to check in to one counter for all airline services. Rental cars will also be available at the airport.
Total project cost is $155 million (includes private equity and bonds) and not one tax dollar was used in the development. The airport will expand the scope of the project to meet additional demand in the future. On the positive economic note, the community recognized $209 million in new revenues to the Branson Lakes regional economy, $77.5 million in payroll earnings and 3,299 jobs supported.
The Branson Airport is touting a better traveling experience where the employees are motivated to make the travelers experience better. As a profit-driven operation, Branson Airport has more incentive to treat its customers better. According the Branson Airport web site, “The arrival and departure experience will be infused with warmth, hospitality and concierge-like customer service. For example, associates will be on site to help arriving passengers customize their Branson experience. Travelers returning rental cars never even touch their bags. They step out of their cars, a porter picks up their luggage, hands them their boarding pass and they walk directly into the terminal”.
Designed to handle and process 700,000 deplaning passengers every year, the Branson Airport will significantly increase the number of new visitors from around the United States who will now be able to enjoy the wonderful Branson experience!
Apr
7
Virgin America has partnered with Carbonfund.org to allow passengers to purchase Carbon offset credits using their in-flight entertainment system. Travelers can also purchase these credits online from the Virgin America ticketing confirmation web page.
This is part of a continuing effort to implement environmental sustainability practices. Carbonfund.org is the nation’s leading nonprofit carbon offset provider, allowing travelers to help offset the environmental impact of their flight. Virgin’s sustainability statement can be found here: http://www.virginamerica.com/va/html/sustainability.pdf
The airline and Carbonfund.org have selected offset projects that focus on emissions reductions, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The operation of all the supported projects are independently verified.
Virgin America was launched last year with the goal of building an airline from the ground up that makes environmentally sustainable practices an important part of its business model. They operate a fleet of aircraft that is up to 30% more carbon and fuel than the average US airline.
The airline employs aggressive steps to reduce its carbon footprint, such as single engine taxiing, and regulating cruising speeds to reduce fuel burn.
Feb
2
JetBlue has announced that on May 21st 2009 they will begin service to Montego Bay, Jamaica. Flights will go on sale February 4th at www.JetBlue.com and will run between New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Sangster International Airport (MBJ). This while Air Jamaica cuts it’s schedule, read more. Flying European built 150 seat Airbus A320 aircraft with the most coach legroom of any US airline.
Montego Bay is JetBlue Airways 11th international destination that it serves. This includes the recently added Bogata, Columbia and San Jose, Costa Rica.
Schedule:
Depart JFK @ 7:55am – Arrive MBJ @ 10:51am / Depart MBJ 11:50am – Arrive JFK 4:39pm
On June 18th 2008 the airline has added LAX to its Southern California destinations. The first flights to/from Los Angeles (LAX) terminal 6 will be serving New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Boston’s Logan (BOS).
JetBlue joins Aeromexico,, Continental Airlines, Copa Airlines (Panama), United Airlines, and Virgin America in LAX terminal 6. Click k for more LAX details.
In addition to these new flights, JetBlue will continue to offer service to Boston and New York from the Long Beach (LGB) Airport. JetBlue also offers additional SoCal service via Burbank’s Bob Hope (BUR) Airport, to New York and Las Vegas.
