Qatar Airways flight diverted after pilot dies onboard

by McLean Robbins on

We’ve heard of medical emergencies happening in-flight, but this brings “is there a doctor on board?” to a whole new level. USA Today is reporting that a Qatar Airways pilot died this morning on flight 645 from Manila to Doha, the Qatar Airways hub.

The flight was diverted to Malaysia, where a new crew was secured. The flight arrived in Doha just over four hours after its scheduled arrival.

The pilot’s speculated cause of death was a heart attack, but the airline has yet to confirm the cause of death or if the flight was ever at risk.

The last reported case of a pilot dying in flight happened on a Continental flight from Brussels to Newark in June of 2009.

What a terrifying ordeal. Our thoughts go out to the pilot’s family.

New Continental – United combination already leading on-time performance charts

by Scott Carmichael on

The new combination of Continental Airlines and United Airlines is already off to a good start – the two just took the top spots in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among the leading carriers in the country.

The Department of Transportation measures the on-time performance, and the information is published in the Air Travel Consumer Report. Continental ended the month with 87.1% of their flights arriving within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, and United followed with 85.1% of their flights.

Yes – there is plenty to complain about in the world of aviation, but I’m sure we can all agree that having flights arrive on time is a great piece of news. Full press release is after the jump.

[Photo: AP/Michael Stravato]


CONTINENTAL AND UNITED LEAD IN ON-TIME PERFORMANCE FOR AUGUST 2010

CHICAGO, Oct. 12, 2010 – United Continental Holdings, Inc. today announced that Continental Airlines was first and United Airlines was second in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights among America’s five largest global carriers* for August 2010, as measured by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and published in the Air Travel Consumer Report released today.

Continental ended the month with 87.1 percent of flights arriving at their destinations within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, according to data published by the DOT. United was second in August with 85.1 percent of flights arriving at their destinations within 14 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, according to monthly data from the same report, when comparing Continental and United with Delta, American and US Airways – the five largest U.S. global carriers by revenue, available seat miles or passengers flown.

“These results demonstrate our commitment to get customers to their destinations safely and on-time,” said Pete McDonald, executive vice president and chief operations officer of United. “Ranking highest in on-time performance among our peers reflects the combined efforts of our teams at both airlines.”

About United Continental Holdings, Inc.

United Continental Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: UAL) is the holding company for both United Airlines and Continental Airlines. Together with United Express, Continental Express and Continental Connection, these airlines operate a total of approximately 5,800 flights a day to 371 airports throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa from their hubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Guam, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. United and Continental are members of Star Alliance, which offers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries worldwide through its 28 member airlines. United’s and Continental’s more than 80,000 employees reside in every U.S. state and in many countries around the world. For more information about United Continental Holdings, Inc., go to UnitedContinentalHoldings.com. For more information about the airlines, see united.com and continental.com, and follow each company on Twitter and Facebook.

*According to arrival data published today in the U.S. Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report, Continental was first and United was second in on-time performance for domestic scheduled flights as measured by the U.S. Department of Transportation (i.e., flights arriving within 14 minutes of scheduled arrival time) for the month of August 2010, when compared to the largest U.S. global carriers based on available seat miles, enplaned passengers or passenger revenue, which includes American, Continental, Delta, United and US Airways.

Airline passengers want more self-service options

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Hey, airlines: passengers don’t want your help. Seriously. We’d rather take control of our fates. Let us make our own choices and pay for what we consume.

Well, that’s what a new survey reveals. The fifth annual SITA/Air Transport World Passenger Self-Service Survey finds that air travelers would like a bit more independence. Seventy percent, this year, want automatic boarding gates – where scanning a boarding pass opens a turnstile – up from 57 percent. In fact, self-service is already the norm, with more than 70 percent using airport kiosks for flight check-in, and two-thirds want to see expanded kiosk use, including: paying baggage fees, purchasing meals, printing bag tags and getting delayed luggage.

I guess this provides support for that old saying: if you want it done right …

[photo by joiseyshowaa via Flickr]

Fallen American Airlines could be next to merge … with JetBlue?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

American Airlines used to be the largest airline in the industry – now it’s third. Merger activity has narrowed the field, with Southwest–AirTran and United-Continental the latest deals that hit the sector. So, all eyes are on who will succumb to the urge to merge next, and American is being eyed as the next player.

According to a Forbes blog post, analysts from Morningstar believe that American Airlines “needs to make a big splash” to remain a player in an increasingly competitive market. The post continues:

“Once the industry’s largest carrier, [American Airlines] is now the third-largest…and any scale advantage it may have garnered is gone,” the Morningstar analysts write. “Ironically, AMR is at a substantial disadvantage, given that it steered clear of bankruptcy during the recession,” [Basili] Alukos and [Adam] Fleck say, pointing out that American’s labor rate is the industry’s highest on an equivalent basis.

So, who’s the right partner for American? The analysts at Morningstar are looking at JetBlue, especially given the latter’s “lighter cost structure.” Notes founder of Training the Street and former M&A investment banker Scott Rostan, “Three dominoes have fallen – Delta/Northwest, UAL/Continental and Southwest/AirTran.” He sees Alaska, Frontier and JetBlue as likely to make some noise.

[photo by Andrew Morrell Photography via Flickr]

Skycouches bring fresh potential to airline seating

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Tired of having to scramble back to the lav when it’s time for a little high-flying intimacy? Well, the airlines are (finally) offering an upgrade with you in mind. Some carriers are catering to lovers – or amorous strangers – in the sky with “Skycouches.” Think of the potential: three seats in economy class that can be turned into a “large, flat space,” according to The Australian. The article continues that this innovative approach to seating is “suitable for families or couples who want to stretch out next to each other,” but it doesn’t see how easily this new opportunity could be used abused.

The best part is that you’ll be able to book the Skycouch at something of a discount. Air New Zealand, which is introducing the program, is offering a discount to couples who want to book the third seat – half off!

Look for these seats on some Air New Zealand flights from Auckland to Los Angeles in November, though I think we all hope they don’t take too long to make it to the U.S. carriers!

[photo by S.C. Axman via Flickr]