American Airlines flight attendant accused of racist remark

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Dudu Nobre, a Brazilian singer, has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines. He, his wife and producer are looking for $4 million in damages, claiming that flight attendants used racial slurs when talking to him and that they stabbed his producer with a sharp pen. So, the next time you’re wondering what could make the long flight from Sao Paulo to New York worse, in a world where amenities and seat space are declining seemingly daily, Nobre is equipped to let you know.

One flight attendant is said to have called Nobre a monkey repeatedly in Portuguese during the flight – pushing it further by making monkey-like sounds. Apparently, these sounds are the closest thing to comment, as American Airlines is remaining tight-lipped.

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Ryanair fumbles check-in, hundreds delayed

by Katie Hammel on

Hundreds of Ryanair passengers were left behind on Sunday, when a shortage of check-in desks caused them to miss their flights out of London’s Stansted Airport. The airline, which encourages passengers to check in online, only opened 11 check-in desks on one of the UK’s busiest travel weekends of the year, when 255 flights were scheduled to depart. 23 desks were open the previous weekend.

Over 500 passengers missed their flights. Ryanair issued an apology saying that their baggage handler, Swissport, (who also issued an apology statement) was short-staffed.

As of October, the point will be moot though, as Ryanair will no longer offer airport check-in. The airline has also announced that plans are in the works to eliminate baggage-handling as well. Passengers would need to carry their own bags up to the airplane doors.

Paying for the toilets, loading your own luggage, standing on flights. . .what’s next Ryanair? I’m guessing the planes won’t even bother to land, and we’ll just need to parachute out at our destination.

[via Breaking Travel News]

JetBlue, United jump on Twitter for cheap tix

by Tom Johansmeyer on

JetBlue and United Airlines are pushing the first taste of cheap fares out on Twitter. They hope to use what USA Today calls the “uber-trendy form of messaging” to push seats on flights that may have vacant seats prior to wheels-up. After deals appear, they don’t always stick around long. JetBlue’s first “Cheep” (a variation on “tweet”) offered a $9 one-way fare from JFK to Nantucket. The model that’s emerging puts JetBlue’s fare tweets out on Monday mornings and offers around eight hours to act on them.

United Airlines has had its “twares” in action since May, and the element of surprise is a factor. The discounts can be released without warning, and there’s no discernable schedule. The deals can live for as little as two hours, forcing Twitter-using travelers to act fast.

Five ways to protect yourself when getting bumped from a flight

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s hard enough to cope with the risks of volunteering to give up your seat on an airline, but what happens when you get bumped? More than 63,000 passengers were booted from flights last year, despite the fact that they had tickets. Airlines are cutting routes in an effort to save some money, and this is leaving some passengers at the gate.

Nonetheless, you have rights, and the U.S. Department of Transportation is taking them seriously. It just nailed Delta with $375,000 in fines, though half of that could be forgiven if the airline improves how it handles oversold flights. You may remember, I dealt with this situation while traveling to the Gadling meet-up in Chicago a few months ago.

So, you’re about to get bumped … or you’ve been booted already. Here are five factors to keep in mind:

1. The airline has to start by asking for volunteers: if your travel plans are not extremely flexible, keep your mouth shut; you don’t want to get wrapped up in the drama of waiting and possibly missing your next flight.

2. Wait for big money: some airlines will work the numbers up slowly, starting with a voucher for $100. But, others will amp it up to $400 right away (Delta does this). At the $400 threshold, the airline‘s advantage goes away, so don’t hold out for more.

3. Delayed for double: if you are bumped to a flight that gets you home between one and two hours later than your original time, you’re entitled to the price of a one-way ticked, up to $400, in cash. If it takes longer than that, the amount goes to $800.

4. Be careful with vouchers: they may feel like cash, but they can come with restrictions, leaving you with less value for your sacrifice (willing or not).

5. Don’t expect the royal treatment: policies vary, but there are no government requirements that an airline feed you and put you in a hotel room for the night, even if it’s their fault. But, you do have room to negotiate, especially if the airline doesn’t look bad. If it’s the airline’s fault, you can use that to your advantage.

26 hurt on turbulent Continental flight

by Katie Hammel on

On most flights, turbulence is a minor inconvenience. You have to return to your seat and buckle in, and you may have to wait a little longer to get your next vodka and cranberry (oh, is it just me that needs a cocktail, or three, to relax on a plane?). Planes are generally able to avoid the worst of the bumps, thanks to radar and reports from other planes in the area. But sometimes, turbulence strikes seemingly out of the blue, and that may be when it is the most dangerous.

This could be what happened on Continental Flight 128, which hit severe turbulence on its way from Brazil to Houston and was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami early on Monday. The plane encountered the turbulence just northwest of Puerto Rico and landed at Miami shortly after 5:30 a.m.

The turbulence was so rough that it catapulted passengers from their seats, slamming them into luggage bins and bashing their heads into overhead seat controls, cracking the panels and breaking glass in the reading lamps. 26 people were injured. Four of the injuries were reported as serious and 14 people were taken to the hospital.

Passengers stated that the turbulence didn’t last very long, and that after it had passed everyone remained calm. There’s no word yet on what exactly caused the turbulence, but the FAA is investigating.

[via ABC News]