StreamThru for iPhone – the ultimate all-in-one trip manager?

by Scott Carmichael on

Last week, the developers of a new iPhone app asked me to take a look at their newest creation – now, I’ll admit right away that I get about 30 of these requests a week, and a large portion of them are just not “travely” enough for Gadling. But in the case of this app – I’ve been taken by surprise and may have found a new favorite travel app.

StreamThru is a mobile travel assistant that takes all the best parts of many other travel apps, and turns it into a single all-in-one assistant.

With StreamThru, you can email your travel itinerary to their service, and it’ll automatically add your trip to your online StreamThru account. Those trips can then be viewed inside the iPhone app. But the best part is the amazing amount of information included inside the app.

Not only do you get your schedule, but you can also check the weather, airport amenities, information on how to get from terminal to terminal, airport terminal guides, city guides, local events, phone numbers and more.

Flights can be added using the email option, or by manually entering it into the app – which is assisted by a flight schedule system – so you only need to enter the date and city pair, and StreamThru will display all available flights. Once flights are entered, StreamThru will notify you of any flight changes and status updates.

Itineraries can also be accessed using the web, where you’ll also find additional (paid) add-ons like daily weather reports and a destination assistant feature that provides phone based translation services.

All in all I’m amazed by the app – but the best part is that it is (currently) free of charge. The app is also available for Nokia devices, and can be found in the Ovi store.

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Spirit Airlines grounded by pilot strike – UPDATED

by Scott Carmichael on

Spirit Airlines has found itself grounded this weekend, after contract negotiations with their pilots failed to result in an agreement.

The pilots have been negotiating for four years – and Spirit claims they have offered a 30% pay increase over the next five years, along with several other perks.

Sean Creed is the head of the Spirit Airlines pilot group within the union, and had the following to say:

“No one wanted this strike-certainly not this pilot group. We have sacrificed so much to see this company prosper. Now we are sacrificing our paychecks until we get a contract that reflects our contributions to this airline,”.

As of right now, the strike should end this evening, and all flights will resume as normal tomorrow.

UPDATE: The strike has been extended through Tuesday June 15 2010.

Passengers on canceled flights will be issued flight credits along with an additional $100 Spirit Airlines credit. More information on the strike can be found here.

It has been five years since the last strike at a major US carrier when mechanics and cleaners went on strike at Northwest Airlines. The last major pilot strike was back in 1998 – once again at Northwest Airlines. Of course, it could always be worse – British Airways just got out of their third batch of strikes in under a year.

Flight attendant: Packing heat was a mistake

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Let’s be clear: Amber Robillard said she didn’t mean to put a loaded handgun into her carry-on bag. The flight attendant – keeper of order, safety and beverage cart service … not to mention explainer of the rules – says she accidentally packed heat, without a license, when she went to Indianapolis International Airport.

It’s all a big mistake.

On June 4, Robillard was charged with carrying a handgun without a license, in addition to “entering a controlled area in an airport with a weapon,” according to the Associated Press. The AP further explains:

Court records say the 39-year-old told police she mistakenly picked up a bag containing her gun during a trip to Indianapolis. Inspectors found the gun in her bag when she arrived at the city’s airport to work on a Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta.

Yeah, she took her gun to work – with an airline. Genius. Next time this flight attendant tells you to turn off your Kindle or BlackBerry, how much credibility will she have?

Galley Gossip: Blocked ears – how to ease the pain in flight

by Heather Poole on

You’re on a flight trying to get a little rest when the kid whose been kicking your seat for the last half hour suddenly begins to scream.You do what any normal passenger would do and spin around, shooting the parents an evil look. When that doesn’t work you ring your flight attendant call light and ask the attendant if perhaps she can help, all the while thinking thank God we’re landing soon. What the heck is wrong with that kid!

Blocked ears. Altitude changes increase air pressure as the plane lowers. The change in pressure pushes the eardrum inward. Because children have relatively narrow Eustachian tubes, they may not function as effectively as an adults’, especially if they’re clogged by an inflammation or ear infection. Blocked ears can cause severe pain, dullness in hearing, and can occasionally lead to hearing loss.

What a parent can do

  1. Don’t allow the child to sleep during descent
  2. Find something to suck on; a bottle, pacifier, gum or hard candy
  3. Postpone any future air travel if a cold, sinus infection, or allergy attack is present.
  4. Ignore the jerk seated in front of you.

What to do when your own ears hurt

  1. Steam helps. Many passengers will ask for wads of hot wet paper towels stuffed inside plastic cups that are then placed over the ears. The steam seeps from the cloth through the cup and into the ear. But because so many people have been burned using this technique, flight attendants (at my airline) no longer do this.
  2. Chew gum or constantly swallow or yawn during descent. This allows the muscles in the Eustachian tube to contract and open, equalizing the pressure. When you hear a clicking noise, you’ll know it’s working.
  3. Use a nasal spray or decongestant. When you’re feeling congested, use it a few hours before the flight and also an hour before landing.
  4. Do the Valsalva maneuver. This is the best way to clear clogged ears. Pinch your nose and close your mouth while forcibly exhaling through your nostrils. Continue to do this periodically until landing.Once on the ground do not use Valsalva maneuver.

Are your ears bothering you after a flight? Do what I do and try taking taking a hot steamy shower and drink plenty of hot tea. If plagued with ear pressurization problems, invest in a pair of disposable ear plugs like EarPlanes which can be found online and at local pharmacies in sizes for both adults and children, and don’t leave home without them!

Photo courtesy of TomD

Daily Pampering: Cathay Pacific Business Class flights

by Melanie Nayer on

If you’re going to fly to China, you might as well fly in style. After all, the 15-18 hour flight (depending on flight path and departure city) can seem like an eternity in a 777.

Having just completed a round-trip flight to Australia I was mentally prepared for the long flight across the Pacific. I’ve learned that if you’re going to make the journey, you want to be comfortable, thus, my first trip to China started in Business Class on Cathay Pacific. I stepped into pod 27A, and prepped for the 16-hour flight from New York’s JFK airport to Hong Kong: eye mask, noise-cancelling headphones, cashmere wrap, lip balm, iPod, computer – check. What I didn’t expect was an amenity kit, courtesy of Cathay, filled with face wash, lotion, more lip balm, another eye mask and eye cream.

Cathay’s business class seats feature an amenities sections – everything fits neatly into compartments around your pod or under your foot rest so you don’t have to go far to get your in-flight necessities. The flight attendants, who are all impeccably dressed, continuously make their way through the cabins offering bottled water and champagne cocktails and within minutes you forget you’re 35,000-feet up in air.

The in-flight entertainment options offer dozens of movies, TV shows, radio stations and CDs to keep you occupied. I watched two movies, ordered a few snacks, indulged in some quiet time (otherwise known as “sleeping” for those who can sleep on planes), and thanks to the size of the pods, was able to comfortably stretch without invading anyone else’s space.While I didn’t indulge in any full means in flight, the menu was rather extensive. Each meal in business class came with three options and usually included a vegetarian option in addition to the typical salad that accompanies the meal. Desserts included fruit cups, cakes and cheese platters and when I got hungry about 10 hours into the flight, the flight attendants warmed up a cheese sandwich for me – the perfect midnight snack.

The combination of adrenaline and excitement kept me from sleeping on the flight to Hong Kong, but the comforts of business class made up for the lack of sleep. I arrived in Hong Kong at 6:30 a.m. local time, freshened up in the business class lounge and boarded the 2-hour flight to Shanghai. I arrived the Expo City by noon, ready to take on China.

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

*Cathay Pacific sponsored my flight to China, but the views expressed in this post are strictly my own.