Virgin America grows, buys new aircraft

by Grant Martin on

News from the airline nerds yesterday morning was that the brass over at Virgin America was on a secret mission to Toulouse, France, the headquarters of Airbus. The goal? The acquisition of sixty new aircraft for use in the fleet starting in 2013.

Sixty new aircraft! That’s a lot of growth for the fledgling San Francisco based carrier, which is good news for us consumers. As they expand through the US market and even into the far reaches of North America, more competition among carriers means that costs will stay low and that quality will stay high — two great things for any airline passenger.

January’s order includes 30 of the new A320neo configurations, the fancy New Engine Options that burn almost 16% less fuel and have blended winglets. And as usual, all of the aircraft will carry the trademark mood lighting and bang up in flight entertainment.

Hopefully this means that expansion across North America will ramp up through 2011 and 2012 — the Midwest is getting lonely with its legacy carriers!

The five busiest air travel weeks of 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer on

So, when did we hit the road last year? There are some times of year that are more hectic than others, and we all know to avoid airports when we can. Yet, there are some weeks that bring crowded terminals even when we wouldn’t expect it. We all know the insanity of flying the day before Thanksgiving, but there are other time that can be brutal, as well.

Looking back on 2010, Orbitz has taken a look at the toughest air travel weeks of the year. Some of the results may surprise you.

1. Christmas week: this isn’t all that surprising, as we all want to be with friends and family at this time of year. The busiest week of the year to hit the road in 2010 was December 19 – 25.

2. The first week of August: it’s the last chance to go on vacation before settling into the reality that school is right around the corner. This week (August 1 – 7), you get that last taste of freedom – well, your kids do – before it’s back to helping out with the homework.3. The fourth week of June: as August is the last chance, June 20 – 26 is the first chance to get the kids on a plane after school has ended for the year. If you hit the road at this time, needless to say, you won’t be alone.

4. The third week of June: let’s face it – some schools let out earlier than others! June 13 – 19, therefore, is another popular week.

5. Spring break: the third week of March (March 14 – 20) is a popular vacation break for colleges and some high schools. Time to lick tequila off a hottie’s tight stomach … enjoy!

[flickr photo by UggBoy♥UggGirl]

jetBlue miserably fails TSA security test – ships random package for $100 cash

by Scott Carmichael on

When it comes to aviation security, this week will probably go down as one of the worst in history for jetBlue. First, one of their pilots managed to lose a backpack containing a gun – and now a new incident has made a total mockery of their security procedures.

When an undercover TSA security team tested jetBlue staff at Charlotte airport, they were allegedly able to walk up to a ticket counter, tell the agent that they really needed a package to get to Boston that day, hand over $100 in cash, and get the package labeled for the next flight out.
Horrifyingly – the agent pocketed the $100 himself, then tagged the bag using the name of a random passenger on the Boston flight.

The possibilities for disaster here are endless -the box could have contained a bomb, drugs or any number of prohibited items, and the jetBlue employee gladly assisted with whatever plans a terrorist could have prepared. Despite spending billions on airport security, scanning passengers with multi-million Dollar whole body imagers and forcing people to give up on full size toiletries, the entire aviation security system was defeated by one greedy moron.

After the failed Yemen printer bombs came close to blowing up passenger planes, cargo has been a real concern – and instead of beefing up security, incidents like this point out the major holes in our aviation system.

After CBS Boston broadcast their findings, jetBlue issued the usual kind of statement, saying they were “fully cooperating with the TSA’s investigation” and “the involved crew member is no longer employed at JetBlue.

Charlotte airport has its own share of security issues – last year, the body of 15 year old Delvonte Tisdale was found badly mangled outside Boston Airport after falling from the wheel-well of a plane he had hidden under. The boy had somehow managed to bypass the airport perimeter security and make his way to the gate area.

[Photo from Flickr/Willamor Media]

Shocking: Airlines have no long tarmac delays, world doesn’t end

by Tom Johansmeyer on

For the second month in a row, the world hasn’t ended. The threat of heavy fines has ensured that the airlines haven’t kept passengers trapped in the cabin on the tarmac for more than three hours at a time, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. October and November were good months for passengers, now that airlines are being held accountable. These are the only two months in which the airlines haven’t had tarmac delays since the DOT began keeping score back in October 2008.

So, the lobbyists and industry folks were wrong. They forecasted logistical catastrophe. Once again, this has not happened. And, it happened to coincide with record profits for the U.S. airline industry, which means that doing the right thing for passengers is probably good for business, too.

There have been a mere 12 tarmac delays of more than three hours from May 2010 through November 2010. For the same period the year before, there were 550. So, let’s be realistic: the airlines were more than a little lazy in 2009. When the threat of severe fines cause that drastic an improvement, the implication is that the airlines should have been doing a better job on their own.Of course, those representing the airline industry believed that the threat of fines would lead to a heavy rate of flight cancellation, as airlines would rather give up than risk having to pay large tabs to the government. Of course, this didn’t happen. In November, U.S. carriers posted a cancellation rate of 0.7 percent. Sure, it’s up from 0.5 percent, which is negligible, but it’s also down from 0.97 percent in October. The number of tarmac delays lasting more than two hours ticked slightly higher, from 224 for the May-to-November period in 2009 to 241 for the same seven months this year. There were 11 canceled flights in November 2010, up from none the previous November.

So, that’s a lot of canceled flights relative to the prior November, but how big a deal is it? Eleven canceled flights relative to more than 500 long tarmac delays shed? Those are pretty good numbers, suggesting the government can pass a useful law every now and then.

[photo by Simon_sees via Flickr]

Daily Pampering: Emirates and Montblanc create limited edition writing instrument

by Melanie Nayer on

Need a new pen? Emirates has partnered with Montblanc to offer customers the opportunity to win an exclusive Montblanc Skeleton A380 Limited Edition writing instrument, inspired by the Airbus A380.

The Montblanc Skeleton A380 Limited Edition is a collector’s dream. Its dual-leveled windows and dark blue precious resin dominates the writing instrument’s 18k white gold barrel and is designed to resemble the A380. There are 28 flawless diamonds and the crown bears the Montblanc emblem and there’s an engraved 18-carat gold nib with platinum plating on the writing instrument.

Want one? Of course you do!

Board an Emirates flight and purchase the Montblanc StarWalker A380 fineliner from Emirates’ Duty Free. When you buy the luxury writing instrument, you’ll also be entered to win a luxury trip to Hamburg, Germany, where you’ll receive the Montblanc Skeleton A380 Limited Edition. Book a flight now! The promotion runs only until June 30, 2011.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.