Here’s why it’s time to buy a private jet

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Getting your own private jet has never been easier. If you’ve had sticker shock in the past, it’s time to start shopping again. Prices have dropped severely, which means you now have a chance to travel without the rabble.

The latest from FT.com is that “[p]rices of some of the world’s best known business jets have plunged to remarkable lows as the stumbling global economic recovery puts a brake on spending by even the wealthy.” The implication, of course, is that you can make someone else’s loss your gain.

So, what do you want? A Learjet? You can score one that’s a year old for a mere $8 million – as opposed to the $13 million price tag hanging on a new one. How about a Cessna Citation XLS? You’re looking at a cost savings of around $4 million.

If you were on the fence about shelling out for a private jet, it’s pretty clear that the market is sending you a message right now.

*Breaking* St. Louis airport damaged and closed by tornado

by Grant Martin on

The historic Lambert Field in St. Louis was damaged by an apparent tornado last night, wreaking havoc on the main terminal and disrupting operations. According to the Huffington Post, “The storm lifted the roof off Concourse C and sent plate glass flying everywhere. Four people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after glass shattered as the storm hit.”

All inbound flights were diverted, while operations ground to a halt internally. As of this morning, no flights are operating in or out of the airport.

If you happen to be flying through Lambert Field this weekend, be sure to check your schedule for any cancellations. American Airlines Southwest Airlines flies the majority of routes out of Lambert, so that carrier may see the largest disruptions. American currently has a travel waiver available on their site here while Southwest has one here.

Luckily nobody was fatally injured in the storm. Lambert Field, however, will remain indefinitely closed until repairs can be made.

*update, we just received this youtube video from inside of STL airport during the action. Scary stuff!*

(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Sabre hates competition, alleges US Airways

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Can’t they all just get along?

Not long after American Airlines sued Orbitz, alleging anticompetitive behavior, another airline is suing link in the travel supply chain. US Airways is going after Sabre on antitrust grounds, Reuters reports. The airline believes that Sabre “shuts out competition and drives up prices.”

For US Airways, this is a pretty big deal, as it books 35 percent of its revenue through Sabre. That’s an awful lot of dependence.

Airlines, online travel agencies and global distribution systems have been battling each other since November, when American Airlines announced that it was pulling out of Orbitz. Since then, the number of skirmishes has accumulated to all-out war.

American Airlines flight attendants to protest company success

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Boston’s Logan Airport is one of 10 across the country to host flight attendant protests today. The American Airlines employees are pissed about compensation paid to the company’s executives.

Here’s the deal: flight attendants have had to stomach pay cuts, while executives have picked up a cool $100 million over the past six years. The flight attendants gave up $340 million a year in 2003.

I guess this is the difference between negotiating your own compensation and having a union do it for you.

American Airlines points out, according to the Boston Globe, that the largess doled out to the top dogs is incentive-based compensation, mostly tied to stock price. This isn’t unusual for the executive suite, as it requires the brass to generate value for shareholders in order to score big. So, the fact that the execs were able to rake in some dough means they rewarded shareholders first.

The airline also points out that its executives have only been paid 65 percent of their “intended compensation,” as the Globe puts it, over the past decade. Simply put: they have no choice but to take a pay cut when the airline fails to perform.

What’s interesting is that a flight attendant quoted in the Globe’s story wants “some accountability.” She doesn’t realize, however, that it’s already there. The comp structure is designed for it.

[Via Directorship]

Watch out, obnoxious passengers! Kung fu lessons for Hong Kong Airlines cabin crew

by Sean McLachlan on

Working as part of an airline cabin crew can be a tough job, just ask Gadling’s very own Heather Poole. Passengers get drunk, passengers get rude, sometimes even passengers go on strike. Now the cabin crew of one airline are getting trained to strike back.

Hong Kong Airlines staff are taking kung fu lessons, the Guardian reports. The cabin crew is learning Wing Chun kung fu in order to deal with obnoxious passengers. According to the airline, a female cabin crew member has already used her new-found combat skills to deal with an unruly passenger, who an airline spokesman described only as “a fat guy”.

Maybe getting your add kicked at 33,000 feet should be added to our list of Top 10 Hong Kong Experiences.

[Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons]