The Southern Hemisphere’s largest airline may find itself grounded in the coming weeks, if pilots agree to carry out a strike.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA), the union representing Qantas pilots, will meet on Friday, February 10 to determine whether to go ahead with the strike. The meeting was scheduled after the airline rejected the union’s demands for a pay increase and measures to ensure job security.
Qantas has consistently rated as one of the world’s better airlines. Besides an enviable safety record, which Dustin Hoffman adamantly reminded us of in Rain Man, they typically provide great customer service, quality food, and a fantastic in-flight entertainment system. However, with competition from Asian carriers who can get away with paying lower salaries to their flight crews and domestic no-frills low cost airlines, it is questionable how long they can operate as is as a premium long-haul airline. Qantas may now face the unenviable choice of either alienating their pilots or their customers. Either way, both AIPA and Qantas must seriously rethink their strategies.
Think about your last flight: Were you comfortable the whole time, or did you feel more like a sardine shoehorned into a tin can?I’m always the sardine – guess that’s what I get for being six foot tall and cheap.That might be changing now, thanks to some old-fashioned airline innovation.
The Sydney-Morning Herald reports that Delta Airlines is getting ready to offer “economy comfort” seating that will offer four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more reclining.
Better yet – the new seating class is offering free liquor.The price? An extra $80 to $160 each way. High-level Delta frequent fliers will receive the upgrades for free, according to the Herald.
Five aircraft models are set to get the new seating option, including the Boeing 767.This is probably the most exciting development since some airlines started handing out those delicious Biscoff cookies on early-morning flights. After all, airlines are finding any way to tack fees onto our fares, so why not spring for a little extra comfort while you’re at it?
The price really isn’t all that bad either – and this is coming from someone who has seriously considered hiding her dog in her purse to avoid the pet surcharge.Yes, I did think about it – and no, I didn’t do it. Would you pay the added fee for the extra legroom on your next Delta flight?
A proposal discussing rural flight funding will be introduced today by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman John Mica. It could end the $200 million federal program that subsidizes rural air service by 2013, coverage in Bloomberg states.
The proposal, part of a $59.7 billion package, is part of a funding plan for the Federal Aviation Administration. Republican lawmakers such as Mica have criticized the government subsidies of rural air services like Essential Air Service, saying that the government “can no longer afford the program at a time of high deficits.”
The program was created by Congress in 1978 to combat small airlines losing flights as a result of degregulation. Congress’ 17 temporary extensions of the current law expire on March 31 and disputes in both the House adn Senate have prevented any long-term extension, over issues ranging from how many flights from the western U.S. should be allowed into Ronald Regan National Airport to individual taxes and subsidy funding for specific states and airlines.A $34.6 billion Senate version of the bill, which protects Essential Air Service, is pending on the floor of that body. The Senate bill is two-year legislation while the House version funds the FAA for four years.
No injuries were reported after a fuel truck clipped a Delta Air Lines plane at New York’s Laguardia Airport Sunday, a Delta spokesperson said. The airline says all 106 passengers aboard flight 2879 were sitting down and the plane wasn’t moving when the accident occurred.
The plane has since been removed from service and sustained wing damage. The flight, scheduled to depart for Fort Lauderdale, was canceled. According to source NY1.com, a Port Authority spokesman says the driver of the fuel truck suffered cuts to his face.
Let’s face it: airline lavatories are not the sexiest places. They are small, cramped and smelly – like the rest of the plane, strangely. They are unpleasant places, but they do afford the only privacy you’re going to find. So, it’s a usual favorite for daring couples looking to join the prestigious “mile-high club.” Yes, that club. For those of you not in the know, mile-high club membership entails having sex on a plane.
It’s difficult to join, and the recession has made it harder. Sure, you can get cheaper tickets, which effectively lowers the price of mile-high club admission. However, airlines cut routes over the past two years in an effort to increase revenue per available seat-mile. This means that planes are more crowded, constraining your mile-high club options. More people on the plane translates to an increased likelihood of getting caught. For some, that prevents membership (because the risk of an unusually aware passenger can impede the urge to join), while others may see it as a challenge.
Don’t care about the prospect of being sent back to your seat, but want options aside from the lav? Your choices are listed below:
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1. In-seat romance: how bold are you? Would you have sex in your seat (if you had three for you and your “friend”)? Oral only? This can be done, but I assure you, it isn’t for the shy. You won’t necessarily get caught, but the risk is incredibly high. Just know what you’re getting into.
2. Galley: this can be great for a little pre-lav action, especially if the beverage service is taking place when you dashed back. Get you and your partner in crime out of the line of sight, and stay on the lookout for any passengers interested I hitting the bathroom. I wouldn’t plan to “conclude” in the galley, but it will definitely get your heart pounding before you step behind a closed door.
3. Pay to play: there are services that provide you with a flight specifically to support mile-high club membership (there’s a list here). For a fairly digestible fee, you can get freaky high in the sky … and possibly take home something to remind you of the excursion.
4. Really pay to play: corporate and private jets … that’s the place to do it. You can get to be in charge in more ways than one, and it’s gotta be a total turn-on.
5. Boarding: this is still in-seat, but the dynamic is much different. Do not attempt this unless your flight is relatively empty. Get a seat toward the back of the plane, and STAY ALERT AT ALL TIMES.