Jumpstart your US Airways elite status with Double Miles

by Grant Martin on

Tired of hearing about all of this “elite status” stuff and ready to give it a try? US Airways just started a double elite miles promotion that should help you find your way.

Between now and March 31st, any flight that you take on US Airways, US Airways Express and US Airways Shuttle will earn you double Dividend Miles, meaning that it will only take 12.5 – 50k miles to reach some sort of elite status. Sure, you might not be able to get them all in before the end of the month, but one quick trip to Europe will get you 2/3 of the way to Silver status. Oh, and you’ll be in Europe too.

Just make sure you don’t book flights on another Star Alliance member and expect to get double elite miles. This promo only applies to flights taken on US metal, so you unfortunately have to spend time on their aircraft to earn.

Also make sure to sign up before you book your flights, else your earnings don’t count. You can check out the details and sign up here.

Showering at 43,000 feet

by Annie Scott on


When we heard that you can shower on the Emirates A380, we were fascinated. The Sydney Morning Herald just published a first-hand account of the showers.

Never before has a commercial airplane bathroom been equipped with a shower, and we’re okay with that. I mean, what, are we gonna share a communal shower with all the sketchy looking people in coach? With us? This isn’t a hostel in Berlin!

The SMH reporter Sarah Maguire headed into the “shower spa” and chose from the lotions and potions on display, stripped naked, and “got to it” — but the door wouldn’t shut and the water wouldn’t turn on, so she stepped out in a towel to ask for assistance. Embarrassing!

She was directed to try the other shower spa down the way, and had to sheepishly traipse through the “first class social area” half-naked to get there. This lead her to imagine even worse nightmares, like sliding down the emergency chute wet in a towel.

Maguire bravely made it to the other side, and said this of the shower spa:

“… it was warm and lovely and had commendable pressure. While the time limit is five minutes, you can spend 30 minutes in the bathroom, which is stocked with Timeless Spa products developed for Emirates by the German brand Babor. Two dedicated staff also service the shower area.”

The Emirates A380 flight from Sydney to Auckland is approximately three hours and first class, shower-eligible seats start at $2,028 Australian. The shower would probably be more useful on a longer flight, but we have to say, that’s pretty affordable for this novel luxury! Thrillseekers, add this to your list.

[via Sydney Morning Herald]

Passengers protest peanuts, prefer pretzels

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Blame Northwest. Or, blame the merger with Delta. Either way, peanuts are back, and some passengers are pissed.

On February 1, Northwest began dishing out peanuts on flights, which Delta has been doing since dirt was new. The timing isn’t all that hot, given a national salmonella outbreak involving Peanut Corporation of America. And then there are the people who are allergic to peanuts … they’re also far from thrilled with the change.

A commenter on the Star Tribune website (local to Minneapolis, where NWA is headquartered) wrote, “Northwest is really out of touch with its customers and the reality of allergies to peanuts.” Another chimed in, “What’s wrong with pretzels?”

Indeed, what is wrong with pretzels?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 3 million people in the United States are allergic to peanuts (or tree nuts). Food allergies cause 30,000 cases of anaphylaxis, 2,000 hospitalizations and 150 deaths every year. On its own, this sucks. On a plane, it’s worse than sitting next to a fat person.

Delta is doing what it can to prevent an in-flight disaster, creating a “buffer zone” of three rows in front of and behind a peanut-allergic person’s seat. And, the airline is advising “cabin service to board additional nonpeanut snacks.” So, flight attendants who are busy with such trivial matters as keeping order on the plane and tending to broader safety issues will have to keep track of the “peanut zone,” as well.

[Via CNN]

What strange things have been found on planes?


Smaller planes are a growing trend. How safe is that for passengers?

by Jamie Rhein on

With the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 comes questions. Along with the question about whether the plane had gathered enough ice to make it crash is the question– how safe are smaller jets and turboprops? Because flight demand is down, airlines have switched out some of their larger jets for smaller ones. Those, along with turboprop planes, are often used to connect people to smaller regional airports.

In this New York Times article, the issues surrounding smaller jets and prop planes are examined. Because of the increase of their use–regional aircraft use is up 40% since 2003–looking at their safety records is important.

Here are the positives:

  • Pilots of smaller planes receive as rigorous training as those who pilot larger jets
  • Many smaller planes are new and have the latest equipment.
  • Regional airports and larger airlines have the same safety standards.

Here are the negatives:

  • Since 2000, there have been eight crashes at regional airports. (However, think about the number of traffic accidents you hear about where you live.)
  • Airplanes flying into regional airports often are flown by pilots with less experience.

Another negative about the smaller airplanes is one my mother experienced on her last flight from Columbus to LaGuardia. Because she was on a small plane, she had to carry her carry-on luggage up and down the stairs, and walk outside in order to get into and out of the airport, something that is hard for her to do when it’s cold. Luckily, one of the flight attendant’s helped her.

This photo by jsbarrie is of a prop plane going from Flores to Guatemala City. According to the description, there were boxes of baby chicks among the cargo.

Watching news worsens aviophobia

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Aviophobia, a fear of flying is not unusual. The American Psychological Association estimates that 10 percent to 25 percent of Americans suffer from it … despite the fact that we all have heard how much safer flying is than driving. What few probably realize, however, is that this fear can be exacerbated by news of travel disasters: a condition called vicarious trauma.

Flying is one of the two most common fears with which people struggle (the other is public speaking), and the recent crashes in London, Buffalo (i.e., Flight 3407) and New York (i.e., the “Hudson River landing,” Flight 1549) have the potential to ramp it up.

People become victims of vicarious trauma by seeing a crash in the media and putting themselves in that situation mentally. Eventually, they have trouble removing themselves from it. If you have several other phobias at work, they only add fuel to the fire.

Fortunately, you can break out of aviophobia.

Trust is crucial, and you can always get some tips from our resident expert, Kent Wien.

[Via CNN]