As a regular flier, I like to rate who I fly with. I am not alone. Over 16,000 readers of Consumer Reports magazine reviewed 31,732 US domestic flights in February, 2013 for the Consumer Reports National Research Center. The carriers were rated by the readers on six dimensions: 1. Ease of check-in 2. Friendliness and responsiveness of cabin crew 3. Cabin cleanliness 4. Baggage handling 5. Seating comfort 6. In-flight entertainment The results were not a huge surprise as to where the eleven US carriers ranked. The ranking was very close to my own assessments…
Airbus drops 100 feet
What caption would you put on this picture? This picture taken by Alan Cross and published to Instagram has gone viral. The two Singapore Airlines flight attendants sit calmly after being ordered to their seats when their Airbus A380 (registration 9V-SKH) encountered severe clear air turbulence 90 minutes into a Singapore to London flight on 26 May. Behind them is a scene of devastation. Breakfast was just being served when the plane dropped 100 feet. Eleven people had minor injuries as a result of the turbulence. The flight SQ308 continued onto London and landed safely…
Airline Alliances -no future?
Regularly, a debate seems to emerge as to whether alliances have an on going future. The latest salvo from James Hogan, CEO of Etihad: “The traditional airline alliances have evolved into slow-to-respond, bureaucratic organisations which struggle to deliver added value to their member airlines, many of which are no longer compatible with each other.” Tim Clark, CEO of Emirates said in 2009: We see alliances as having significant anti-competitive elements and believe that our membership in one would be an artificial brake on our own business plans Willy Walsh of British Airways owner which is part…
What floor am I on?
At a shopping centre in Bangkok, I asked for directions to the lavatory “second floor sir” For a moment, I paused, as my brain processed the information: “when she said ‘second floor’ what does she mean?” The world is divided into different types of conventions regarding how to count the levels of buildings: 1. The Ground floor is numbered 1 and all subsequent floors follow. In this case my lavatory would be a short escalator ride up one floor. 2. The ground floor is labelled G, the floor above is 1 so my lavatory would be…
Lion Crash-Scathing report
Lion Air, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, have been the brunt of a scathing preliminary report following a crash on April 13 just off Denpasar airport in Bali of a brand new 737-800. The plane, had been delivered brand new to Lion Air in February, 2013 and had only 142 hours of flying time. It was found to be airworthy. Four of the 108 (101 passengers and seven crew) on board, were seriously injured in the incident when the plane hit the water and broke up. According to The National Transportation Safety Committee (Indonesia’s…
Slovenia’s airline up for sale -again
Facing the prospect of an international bailout, the Slovenian government will sell 100 per cent of Adria Airways d.d. and airport operator Aerodrom Ljubljana plus 12 other state owned companies.The carrier has been flagged for ale before -with little real interest. Be interesting if they will find a buyer for the airline this time around. Air Berlin has been rumoured to be interested-although one would think they would be focused on their own financial survival.
Branson fulfills his bet
I would have loved to be on board but I missed out on seeing Branson in drag action on Air Asia in response to a long time bet with Air Asias’s owner: Tony Fernandes. On the flight, Branson dressed in the Air Asia uniform complete with his trademark beard, fumbled the safety briefing and tipped orange juice into Tony Fernandes’ lap. For revenge Fernandes sprayed champagne over Branson in Kula Lumpur. I wasn’t quite sure what the Malaysian public will make of the images of Fernandes kissing Branson -all in a good day’s work to…
Emergency landing caused by song
Soon after take off, a passenger aboard an American Airlines flight began singing the Whitney Houston’s song ‘I Will Always Love You’. She refused to stop. Half way through the flight, a marshall intervened. The plane diverted to Kansas City Airport where she was handcuffed and removed from the flight by air marshals. As you can see in the video, she kept on singing. The woman was later interviewed by police and released without charge. Perhaps she was a nervous flyer? Related Posts Chinese Air Rage goes viral! The T shirt that stopped a plane (almost)
Saving money and finding my way with “For Less” Guides
When travelling, I like to collect as many discount coupons or deals as I can. I like getting my two for one deal and 20 percent off. As long as they are genuine discounts, I am happy! I don’t think I am alone?! The For Less Guides gather discounts for restaurants, tours and attractions onto one free Iphone or Ipad app for Amsterdam, London, New York and San Francisco (and soon Paris). There are claims that American users save on average 50 Euros per day in Amsterdam. As usual with any discount scheme, some of the discounts are more useful than…
Aeromexico Air Strike incident
Controllers at Madrid airport are scathing about an AeroMéxico incident in April. A Boeing 767-200 (registration XA-TOJ) performing flight AM-2 from Madrid to Mexico City scraped its tail along the runway for four seconds as it took off at 14:58h (258pm). The craft left two pieces of metal behind on the runway. This metal punctured the tyres of an Air Europa plane as it took off at 15.29hrs (329pm) bound for Caracas, Venezuela. That flight returned to Madrid (after burning fuel for four hours). That aircraft sustained no damage, apart from tyre damage on the…
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