American Airlines to stop flying to Delhi and Burbank!

Bad news for American Airlines’ Advantage program members, as the airlines is cutting some popular routes. Starting March 1st 2012, Airlines will stop flying the 14-hour direct flight from ORD-DEL-ORD.

Also, they will stop flying to Burbank, California.

The historical financial performance of the route and its future outlook given the global economic climate and high oil prices has resulted in a decision by American to cancel its New Delhi (DEL) – Chicago O’Hare (ORD) service.

o The last flight to leave for India from Chicago will be on February 28, 2012, while the last return flight from India to Chicago will operate on March 1, 2012.

o AA will continue to offer travel choices between the U.S. and India in conjunction with oneworld partners British Airways, Kingfisher Airlines and Finnair, via either London Heathrow or Helsinki (summer only), and through its codeshare partner Jet Airways via Brussels.

o The route is operated by three-class Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

• DFW-Burbank Service

o Flights between DFW and Burbank will be cancelled effective Feb. 9, 2012.

o Unfortunately, the cancellation of the DFW-BUR flights will result in AA exiting the Burbank market and closing operations at the BUR station.

o Customers can continue to reach Burbank as a destination by flying into Los Angeles, one of American’s cornerstone markets.

o American does not maintain employees in Burbank, as ground handling operations are provided by a third party, Airport Terminal Service.

From Dallas News

Makes me wonder, at this pace, if the Airlines will go from World’s largest airlines to smallest?

 

Seven US Airlines to offer free access to Facebook on their flights!

February could very well become Facebook-month for airline travelers in US as seven airlines will be providing free Facebook access for the month on their Wi-Fi networks.

The service will be provided on North American flights of –

• Virgin America
• AirTran
• US Airways
• American Airlines
• Delta
• United Airlines
• Alaska Airline.

The promotion will be sponsored by Gogo Inflight Internet and Ford.

Earlier, Gogo had offered free Wi-Fi on holiday flights on Virgin America, AirTran, and American Airlines.

Happy Facebooking all!

UK grounds Mile High Flights

If you were planning to join or re-affirm your membership to the Mile High Club using UK’s Mile High Flights, then you are out of luck. UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), equivalent of  FAA, has refused to re-certify Mile High Flights, over fears distracted pilots could crash.  Mile High Flights is a Gloucestershire (UK) based air charter company that allowed passenger to have sex while in-flight on its Cessna C208 Caravan airplanes. The aircrafts are fitted with a queen size bed in the rear of the aircraft. The company was started in 2008 by Mike Crisp

Mike Crisp doesn’t plan to give up that easy as claims he has invested more than $15,000 in equipping the aircraft with fire-retardant sheets, upholstery and bedding.

Mike Crisp who founded the company in 2008, reported “I’m not giving up on what was a popular business idea because someone at the CAA doesn’t like the sound of what goes on in our plane.

“Joining the Mile High Club is something a lot of couples dream of and we were providing the chance to fulfill that particular fantasy. In our two years trading we had people from all walks of life wanting to join the club, from 21st birthday flights to 60th birthday ones.” (Source: avstop.com)

The company offers its passengers the option of two flight packages, “The Big One” at $854 (£640) for a 40 minute flight and the “VIP” for a 60 minute flight. In addition for a third person to travel along there is an additional passenger charge of $166.  

Mile High Flights reports on their website that the fight time “will provide you and your partner ample time to indulge in your ultimate fantasies and experience an adventure fit for Hollywood.” The site also states once you arrive that the airport (Staverton) you will be greeted by the pilot who will answers questions, assist with boarding and provide safety instructions before takeoff. Once on aboard, the passengers are provided with chilled champagne and strawberries, an aphrodisiac. When airborne the pilot will inform the passengers when it is safe to engage in sex.

What is Mile High Club?

The Mile High Club (or MHC) is a slang term applied collectively to individuals who have sex while on board an aircraft in flight. There is no known formally constituted club so named. However, since “membership” of the “club” is really a matter of an individual asserting they have qualified, the qualifications for membership are open to some interpretation.

Or an alternate definition – the term “Mile High Club” refers to two or more people engaging in sexual activity (sexual intercourse) at an altitude of no less than 5,280 ft (a mile high above the earth) in an airplane.

Why would someone like to join this Club?

•  Bragging rights
•  Vibration of the plane for easier arousal
•  Fantasy of being a pilot or flight attendants
•  Plane/Metal Fetish
•  Taboo/Thrill

 

 

I would normally be OK with charter sex flights, but this time I agree with CAA. Cessna is a little too small for the sex act as the cockpit is right next to the make-shift bed. There is no way that a pilot will not get distracted with the sounds, visuals and movement! What do you think?

(from Mizozo.com)

Mile High Pickpocketer – an Air France flight attendant?

Lucie R, 47-year old Air France flight attendant dubbed as “Mile High Pickpocket“, is facing ten years in prison after admitting stealing from business class passengers as they slept on long-haul flights typically on flight from France to far east countries. She was finally arrested when she got off a Tokyo to Paris flight at 4.30am (local time)  last Friday.

‘It would all go missing on the routes she was working on,’ said a source close to investigators, who looked at 142 flights taken by the woman, who is married with children.

‘She knew that many of the passengers would fall asleep following a large meal and lots of alcohol.

‘This is the time that she would start rifling through their property, helping herself to whatever she could find.’

[Daily Mail]

 

She would steal credit cards, designer jewellery and cash as the passengers would fall asleep after having alcohol and big meal. The racket seemed to have been successful for her as despite her $61,000 annual salary, she would  regularly turned up for work in a top-of-the-range sports car and was buying plush apartments close to the airports where she worked.

Have you guys ever had any theft on flights? I have never seen or heard one before!

[Mizozo.com]

Quantas’ Jetstar to offer Apple iPad as inflight entertainment

Starting sometime this month, Australian Airline Jetstar Airways will offer the iPad for passengers to rent for $10 on selected domestic routes. The iPad provided on the flight will have movies and television programs as well as games, e-books and music.

Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said he expected the iPads to prove very popular onboard.

“Given the demand for the iPad so far, I anticipate it will have strong appeal amongst our passengers,” Mr Buchanan said in the statement.

“Based on demand for the iPads as part of the trial, we’ll be looking to roll out the devices across our entire domestic and international network later in the year.”

Source: news.smh.com.au

The company says the system will even allows for the iPad to be used during take-off and landing, when other electronic devices have to be shut off.

It is currently under trial and if it is successful, it might become standard on all flights.

It does make you wonder if US Airlines will consider a similar trail? A lot of airlines have cut back on the in-flight entertainment on domestic flights. It does make sense to rent out iPads that are light and are, if not bigger, almost the same size as a standard in-flight tv screen.

Is anyone listening????

From Mizozo.com

United Flight 935: Turbulence over the Atlantic results in 4 with fractures and 1 with sprained ankle

United Flight 935 (Boeing 777) with 196 passengers, 12 crew and 3 pilots, was flying from Heathrow (London UK) to Los Angeles (USA) over the Atlantic Ocean when it hit turbulence. The turbulence resulted in 4 passengers suffering with fractured bones and 1 flight attendant spraining her ankle. The seat belt sign was off when the plane hit the bump that resulted in the rapid altitude loss. Since the sign was off, there were passengers walking in the aisles resulting in the injuries.

The flight ended up landing at Montreal (Canada) around 1:15 p.m. and aircraft was taken out of service. United Airlines provided another aircraft from passengers to be flown from Montreal to Los Angeles.

So, please whenever you are flying keep the seat belts on!

Mizozo.com

10-year old kid is the lone survivor of the Libya Plane Crash that killed 103

Today (May 12 2009) Al Afriqiyah Flight 8U771 (Airbus 330-200) that was flying from Johannesburg (South Africa) crashed yards before the Tripoli Airport at Libya. Among the 104 passengers ( 93 passengers and 11 crew) only one person survived – one Dutch child aged between 8 to 10 years.

 

“The little boy has now come out of surgery, he was treated for fractures suffered during the crash,” a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesperson told ABC News.

“We hope our colleagues will be able to see him soon to establish his identity,” she said.

Source: abcnews.go.com

 

 

With his head bandaged and breathing through an oxygen mask, this is the sole survivor of 104 passengers and crew on board a Libyan Airbus that crashed in landing at Tripoli airport this morning.

The Dutch boy, believed to be between eight and ten years old, is being treated at a Tripoli hospital after he was flung clear by the explosion as Afriqiyah Flight 8U771 disintegrated just one metre from the runway.

He appears to have escaped with minor injuries including broken bones. He is expected to survive.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

 

It seems like a miracle that the boy was saved during the horrible plane crash.

There have been other cases of sole survivors of plane crash. Overall there have been 14 sole survivors of a plane crash and surprisingly 10 of them have been children.

Last June, a 14-year-old French girl was the sole survivor of a Yemeni plane crash off the Comoros Islands.

Bahia Bakari attributed her survival to being ‘ejected’ from the Airbus A310 which broke up on a flight from Paris.

She is thought to have escaped through a small gap in the broken fuselage.

Her size, youth, and good health were all viewed as vital factors in enabling her to survive.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

From mizozo.com

How would the United Airlines and Continental Airlines Meger look like?

United Airlines and Continental Airlines today announced that United Airlines has agreed to buy Continental in a $3 billion-plus deal that would create the world’s largest carrier with a commanding position in several top U.S. cities. Interestingly, the headquarter will move to Chicago IL but it would be run by Continental CEO Jeffery Smisek.

So, how would the merged company look like –

• United Continental Holdings Inc.
• Headquarter – Chicago, IL
• Hubs – Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (Guam), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Houston), Newark Liberty International Airport, Denver International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, O’Hare International Airport (Chicago), San Francisco International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport
• Fleet Size – 339 (+83 orders) + 360 (+50 orders, 100 options) = 729 (+153 orders, 100 options)
• Current United Fleet – Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200, Boeing 747-400, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-200ER
• United Orders – Boeing 787-8, Airbus A350-900XWB
• Current Continental Fleet – Boeing 737-500, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 737-900, Boeing 737-900ER, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 757-300, Boeing 767-200ER, Boeing 767-400ER, Boeing 777-200ER
• Continental Orders – Boeing 737-800, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9
• Frequent Flyer Club – OnePass or Mileage Plus
• Alliance – Star Alliance
• CEO – Jeffery Smisek
• Revenue – $29 Billion

In response to US Airways plan to merge with United Airlines, Continental CEO Smisek remarked –

“I recognized that United is the best possible partner for Continental,” Smisek said on a conference call. “I didn’t want him (United’s Tilton) to marry the ugly girl; I wanted him to marry the pretty one, and I’m much prettier.”

The merger will make it the number 1 carrier in US, with Delta the 2nd and American Airlines number 3. US Airways will the distant 4th (for US carriers with international carrier).

US Airways should be proud – their merger talks always result in someone else merging.

The new tarmac delay rule starts today: Should we really rejoice?

The new tarmac rule of airline passengers goes into affect from today. The rule is – the airlines will be fined up to $27,500 per passenger for tarmac delays that exceed 3 hours. The rule does not apply to international airlines.

There are two exceptions –

1. A pilot doesn’t have to deplane passengers if he determines there’s a safety or security issue.
2. If air traffic control tells him that deplaning would disrupt the airport.

So, if you don’t have a gate available at the airport, then no fines, since passengers can’t walk on the tarmac.

So, should we rejoice? I say no! There is no reason for us to rejoice at all. My reasons –

• Airlines will tend to cancel flights that might look like taking too much delays. This means that they will have to rebook all the passengers on other flights and if you are not high up on their frequent flier program, you can be stuck for a long time.
• Some delays are genuine and understandable (like snow in Dallas, which results in a long wait time for deicing) and return to the gate will result in even worse delays.
• If there are no gates available for the airline, then forget deplaning!
• The passenger doesn’t see any part of the fine or does he/she?

Delay at the tarmac is just one fix to the whole line of problems. Before it, the government should have looked at the following –

• Improving the air-congestion in areas like New York.
• Imposing a rule that each terminal at the airport should have spare gate (s) to be used when all are occupied.
• Airlines should not be allowed to overbook flights
• Improve the tarmac congestion by better management of traffic – in and out.
• Improve airport constructions to improve traffic – in and out. Example – Philadelphia’s parallel runways obstruct both in and off traffic.
• Make airlines to post better departure times or arrival times.
• Fine for missed bags

What do you guys think?

London’s Heathrow opens up again!