Some good Web resources for finding budget airlines worldwide

by Jeffrey White on

Six years ago, I wrote a piece about easyJet for the Washington Post‘s travel section in which I described a five-leg trip I took through Europe on the airline for the price of a long-distance train ticket.

The flights were so cheap, if I recall, that the question is this to good to be true? underpinned the journey. I was looking for the catch in flying a cheap-o airline and was pleasantly surprised when I did not encounter one.

EasyJet had been around for about 10 years at the time, but American travelers were only just becoming aware of it and awakening to the possibility of seeking out low cost airlines as a viable, cheap alternative. Since then the budget airline industry has exploded with growth in pretty much every region save Africa, and they are now pretty much the only choice for travelers looking to cover great distances quickly and affordably. They’ve also helped drive down fares at major carriers; it’s not impossible to get a better prices these days on Germany’s national carrier, Lufthansa, than on Germanwings or Tuifly, two German budget airlines.

And as major carriers worldwide bleed money in the current economy, budget airlines are among the only ones in the industry posting consistent, if in some cases meager, profits and boasting of increasing passenger numbers and future expansion plans.

There are a few good Web resources to check out as you plan your next trip. Wherever you are going — Europe, Asia, South America — chances are there is a reputable budget airline that can help you save both time and money.

  • Skytrax publishes its annual World Airline Awards, and the ones that focus on budget airlines are a good place to start if you’re researching the best carriers in a given region. And the rankings are reputable: Skytrax surveys more than 4 million travelers. EasyJet won top honors for 2008.

  • Skytrax also publishes comprehensive reviews and customer comments on all airlines. If you want to find out about a particular low cost carrier, go here and type the airline’s name in the search bar.

  • The Flight Safety Foundation publishes a reliable information on airplane safety. Not sure whether a budget carrier is reputable? See what this site has to say.

  • WhichBudget is a useful site that culls the cheapest flying options between two destinations you choose.

  • Low Cost Airline Guide is a great, easy to use resource for digesting budget airline options between destinations in Europe.

Flight attendants are a part of the history for work equality

by Jamie Rhein on

When the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed this week, there were echoes of women in the past who have worked for equitable pay and fair work practices. Flight attendants have a long history of pushing for such fairness.

One of the first flight attendants, one might say, was Katharine Wright a suffragette, and the Wright brother’s sister. She was the second woman to ever fly when she accompanied Wilbur on a flight in Pau, France to show that flying was safe for everyone. If it wasn’t for her, their success may not have been as great as it was. As women cast their eye upwards, they became part of the fabric of social and economic justice.

Here’s a timeline of flight attendants breaking the glass ceiling of the sky:

1945– First labor union of flight attendants in the U.S. was formed. The Air Line Stewardess Association (ALSA) worked for pay raises, duty limits and the right to see personal records among other things.

1957– Mohawk Airlines hired the first African American stewardess. Ruth Carol Taylor was the first African American stewardess, paving the way for others. TWA was the first major airlines to hire a black stewardess after Mohawk Airlines’ action.

1960s– Fought against airlines’ policies that flight attendants retire at age 30 to 35, but without success. Made some headway with the passing of Title VII, The Civil Rights Act. One part of the act forbade discrimination in the work place based n sex. By the late 60s, airlines dropped the age discrimination policy and the policy that said flight attendants couldn’t be married.

1972– A group of flight attendants formed Stewardesses for Women’s Rights and began to protest sexist treatment of stewardesses. Airline campaigns like “Fly Me,” (National’s) were seen as deeming and the sexy images of stewardesses being pushed to sell flying were seen as a way to keep women from being treated as equal to men and affected their ability to do their job effectively. What was their main job? Assure passenger safety.

1974 – Association of Flight Attendants formed in a separate union from Transport Workers Union which was male dominated. Union began to challenge airlines policies on maternity and weight restrictions.

Also in the 1970s, continued their long battle to be seen as recognition as safety professionals. There was a continued push for flight attendants to have some sort of certification program to prove their qualifications as having specialized skills.

2003– After September 11, 2001, proof that flight attendants were indeed safety professionals was evident. Congress mandated a licensing program for flight attendants.

So, now we know why Gadling’s own Heather Poole can save our lives, and have a child, and be married, and not have to worry about losing her job as she gets older–just because she’s getting older or gains a few pounds. Not too shabby.

[Facts found in Femininity in Flight: A History of Flight Attendants, page on “Flight Attendants & Labor History.”]

Continental Airlines to drop out of SkyTeam alliance on October 24th

by Jeffrey White on

Back last June, Grant first reported the coming alliance between Continental and United Airlines, which also means that Continental will be dropping out of its current SkyTeam alliance network, which includes Delta, Northwest and Air France, and joining up with the Star Alliance network, which includes United and US Airways.

Now there is a little more information available about when this move is actually going to take place.

As a Continental OnePass member, I just received a note that the airline will drop out of SkyTeam after the last scheduled flight on Oct. 24, 2009 and that its participation in Star Alliance will begin “promptly after we leave SkyTeam.”

I’ve heard rumors that Continental is considering allowing OnePass members to carry miles over when the airline makes the alliance switch, but so far all Continental is telling its frequent fliers is that “we continue to work through the details of our planned exit from SkyTeam and entry into Star Alliance…”

Personally, I’m psyched about the change. Not only do I fly Continental often (one of the few American carriers with direct service to and from Berlin) but the Star Alliance network consists of some airlines that I fly pretty regularly, including SAS, Lufthansa, Austrian and, yes, even Poland’s national carrier, LOT.

It’s important to note, as Grant did, that Continental is not merging with United, but pledging a much closer working relationship that will mean cooperation and codeshares and an increased flight network.

We’ll let you know more news on this front as it develops.

Spirit Airlines staff fed up being called DD MILF’S by their employer

by Scott Carmichael on

The hard working cabin crew at Spirit Airlines are fed up – they are annoyed that their boss is inviting passengers to check out their DD’s, and asking people to come book a “MILF”.

For those that missed out on a “movie classic”, MILF is a reference from American Pie, and the abbreviation means “Mother I’d like to F**K”.

That’s right – Spirit is using that cheeky reference as a way to get passengers on their low cost flights. In the world of Spirit Airlines, MILF means “Many Islands Low Fares”, a reference to their $9 island flights.

Oh, and DD? It doesn’t refer to the breast size of their staff, it’s just a way of saying “deep discounts”.

Still, the cheesy innuendo has become so much of an issue that the staff have asked their union to force Spirit to pull the series of ads.

Another hot issue is ad placement – Spirit began selling ad space on tray tables, cups and napkins. The next item in line for ads was the staff apron which has become a placard for Bud light, and the crew is fed up with it.

Union reps claim that flight attendants will have a hard time telling drunk passengers that they will be cut off from booze sales, when they are walking around as walking beer commercials – and I happen to agree with that.

Of course, the airline says the initiatives help the company grow, and secure jobs, but there have to be better ways to make a few bucks, especially if it is annoying your staff this much.

(Via: Foxnews.com, image from Zazzle.com)

British newspaper: Sitting in the window seat could kill you

by Jeffrey White on

Are you a window seat or aisle seat person?

A British newspaper alleges that the distinction is akin to choosing life or death.

Britain’s Daily Mail is citing a new report out in the British Journal of Hematology by a Dutch research group that says sitting in the window seat significantly increases the chance that you will develop deep vein thrombosis, a dangerous blood clot that, if it travels up to your lungs or heart, could kill you.

DVT occurs when you sit for long periods of time and therefore impede the natural flow of blood through your veins. The thinking is that window seat passengers are more likely to fall asleep and therefore remain relatively motionless for long stretches of time, increasing the risk of developing DVT.

By how much? Window seat passengers are twice as likely to develop DVT than passengers who choose to sit on the aisle, the report says. If you’re fat, you’re six times more likely to develop a blockage sitting by the window versus on the aisle. Perhaps not surprisingly, business class and first class passengers are less at risk.

What about middle seats, I hear you asking? The researchers found no difference sitting there versus the aisle.

Health experts for some time now have been warning about the risk of DVT for airline passengers on long haul flights, and highly recommend stretches and walks around the cabin at regular intervals to keep the blood flowing. Uma Thurman recently took this to heart.

Researchers found that drinking water had no impact on results. However, they report that drinking one alcoholic drink appeared to help against developing blockages– which makes sense. One reason you’re not allowed to drink a day or so before surgery is that alcohol impedes blood’s natural ability to clot.