We are halfway through Hotel Month at Gadling and have added blogger Katie Hammel who is afraid of flying but has not let that stopped her from becoming a world traveler.
Here are items you may have missed that might astonish, surprise you or give you pause.
First up, Stephen’s post on Pet Airways. When I first heard about this airlines, I wasn’t sure if it was a joke or not. It’s not.
As a person who has been traveling through Montana, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico these last two weeks, Tom’s post on the fishing package deal at the Teton Mountain Lodge and Spa caught my eye. Very sweet. If you’re in the area, sort of, head to Bannack, a ghost town in Montana. You won’t be disappointed.
Would airbags on planes jack up your ticket prices? It doesn’t seem that way, according to MSNBC. The maintenance of safety equipment does cost money – there’s no question about it – but, as in many industries, costs really don’t drive pricing. Customer demand and market forces play the greatest roles, along with the cost of fuel (really the only major cost that impacts fares).
This is why airlines are always in a rush to cut jobs and amenities when they are forced to lower their prices. With fuel the only major cost that affects pricing and competitive pressures generally squeezing margins, the only lever they have to pull is to lower expenses that they can control.
By October 27, 2009, all new commercial planes will have to come equipped with airbags, as the seats will have to be able to withstand a force 16 times that of gravity. Now, these devices won’t show up magically – there are no elves poised to run into the factory the night of October 26 and surprise the manufacturers and airlines the next morning. And, AmSafe, which makes the airbags, isn’t likely to give them away for the greater good. Instead, they are forced to charge $1,250 a pop.
The money’s going to have to come from somewhere. This is a difficult thought for an industry that can’t seem to find a profit anywhere. The airlines will have to dig into their own lint-filled pockets, since, as you saw above, the customers can’t be expected to pay for safety (after all, safety isn’t like peanuts).
But, let’s be realistic. How nasty an expense is this? Over 20 flights, it results in an incremental cost of $62.50 per seat. Over 40 flights, it’s half that. The big number – when you add up all those airbags – can seem menacing, but on a per seat basis, it’s a bit more manageable. Of course, there’s maintenance on top of this: they have to be checked once a year and replaced after 14. It’s manageable. Unfortunately, it’s just another expense for an airline that can’t handle any more.
The good news? You’ll be protected by an airbag and won’t have to pay for it with higher fares.
Since you can’t talk about airbags without showing some crash test fun … remember this commercial? Crash test porn at its finest.
That was quick. In less than two months after opening shop for business, Jet Airways JetAmerica has decided it can’t take people from Toledo to points beyond after all. The end of May the airlines had started selling tickets to places like Melbourne, Florida, Lansing, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana with plans to expand to Newark, New Jersey and more. The airlines was to start flying this month.
Unfortunately, the okay for the route to Newark was taking longer than the airlines could withstand, so people are getting refunds. That’s according to what I’ve gathered from this article summarizing the situation in NYC Aviation.
The CEO said that the airlines hasn’t totally bitten the dust and is looking into other possible markets. Regardless, those people counting on Jet Airways JetAmerica cheap seats out of Toledo to Florida this winter are out of luck. If you’ve been to Toledo in the winter, you can see why this is a real shame.
At least the airlines didn’t pull a Skybus stunt by taking them to their destination and leaving them there or ruining honeymoon plans.
If you’re one of those people who is a bit concerned about what you’ll catch when you travel with people who are crammed into a cylinder shape for a trip that may or may not get there on time, here’s a possible solution.
Plane Sheets. They come in two sizes, and according to the Web site, are a great way to personalize and tidy up your allotted space.
Of course, there’s no guarantee about what the people you’re wedged between will be up to or how they’ll feel when you cover up your plane seat. They might think you’re a weirdo. Or, perhaps, they might make you an offer.
A non-stop United Airlines flight bound for Chicago from Sao Paulo diverted to Miami early Tuesday morning after the captain reportedly argued with a crew member who was not “respecting his authority”. (I think there’s a Cartman/South Park joke in there somewhere.)
Rather than continue the argument in the air, (which might have prompted the threat, “If you don’t behave, I will turn this plane around!”) the captain made the decision to divert the aircraft to Miami to resolve the issue on the ground. The unscheduled stop lasted about an hour. The FAA and United are investigating the incident.