Jetstar flight attendant faces investigation for ‘posing’ as a pilot

by Jeffrey White on

A flight attendant for the Australian carrier Jetstar is facing some hefty discipline for being caught sitting in the captain’s seat during a recent flight.

A bunch of photos of the FA, sitting up front and smiling away, were leaked to an Australian news site.

No one knows who took the photos. But the person who leaked them said the FA’s presence in the pilot’s seat created several risks for the flight.

Now, before everyone rushes off to blame some crazy FA or Jetstar itself for needlessly putting passengers at risk, another pilot tells me that this happens all the time.

The FA really isn’t impersonating a pilot. For pilots to use the restroom, a FA has to sit in the cockpit before the second pilot is allowed to leave, in order to keep the cockpit’s vault-like door closed. Most pilots will tell you that they do not like it when the FA chooses to sit in the captain’s seat (they can usually choose the jump seat), and most airlines have a policy that they cannot sit in the captain’s seat. But sometimes they jump into the seat before anyone can object.

Is this a big deal? A lot of pilots will tell you: no.

In fact, I’m told you can ask any FA and they’ll tell you they have ridden in the Big Dog’s seat before.

I wonder if our own FA extraordinaire Heather ever has….

Click on the pictures below to read about “wild women in the air.”


See Antarctica by air on a 12-hour non-stop flight

by Abha Malpani on

I’ve heard of many cruisers offering trips to the Antarctic, but this is the first time I hear of a flight that takes you over the continent in 12 hours. The Boeing 747-400 covers five main spots on the continent’s east coast.

Organized by Croyden Travel, you can board one of these flights from Sydney or Melbourne, and cost between $999(economy)-$5699(first class). The plane doesn’t land, you don’t require your passport to travel, and you get to change seats once on the flight. Meals and drinks are provided too.

The next flight is new year’s eve 2008; if you take this flight you will be the first to see the Sun of 2009!

Although it sounds great and I’m sure the aerial view of the glaciers is mind-blowing, I’m not sure I’d want to pay that much for a trip where I’m couped up for 12 hours. I’d take a week long cruise instead.

10 tips for smarter flying


Orlando Gets Closer to Brazil

by Josh Lew on

In the past, most people flying from Orlando to Brazil, or most other country in South America for that matter, had to first catch a connecting flight to Miami. Therefore, the recent announcement by Brazil’s top airline, TAM, was a welcome one. The airline will provide a direct flight from Orlando to Sao Paulo. Given major airlines’ current aversion to adding new flights, this is big news, especially for Orlando.

As I wrote above, many area residents have to go to Miami, a hub for American Airlines, before continuing to their international destination. Though the TAM Orlando-Sao Paulo route seems trivial when compared to the numerous flights heading abroad from Miami, it’s always nice to see a mid-sized city sticking it to a big city hub that is controlled by a major airline. Perhaps more foreign airlines will begin looking to mid-sized cities to boost their business.

TAM was drawn to Orlando after it found the city to have ample demand, a willing airport and a complete lack of competition. So next time you are in Orlando, sweating away your holiday in a theme park, just remember, Sao Paulo is only a flight away.

Political Unrest Hurts Thailand’s Tourism

by Josh Lew on

As those opposed to Thailand’s leading political party clashed with its supporters, the country’s travel industry sat in the background and cringed. Thailand is already one of the most popular countries, if not THE most popular, amongst tourists heading to Southeast Asia. The Tourism Authority of Thailand had plans to draw even more would-be visitors than ever this year.

Are all those ambitious tourist quotas out the window because of the recent violence?

It looks like it, unless the situation changes. Thai Airways, which is already in the red because of high fuel prices, claims that the number of passengers from the Asia Pacific has fallen nearly 10% in the last few days. The drop is mostly due to cancellations, many following a travel warning issued by the governments of South Korea, China and Japan.

In Phuket, the protesting directly affected flights. The airport at the popular beach destination was closed as a security measure after anti-government protests broke out nearby. The previous military coup was not violent. Tourists were actually out posing for pictures with soldiers. This time, though, chaotic riots make for a much more dangerous situation. Those who are planning a trip to the Land of Smiles won’t find many smiling faces if they get caught up in a confrontation between pro and anti-government demonstrators or between one of the sides and the military. The US State Department has yet to issue any travel warnings concerning Thailand.

Gadling Take FIVE August 24-29

by Jamie Rhein on

First off, Happy Labor Day weekend if you happen to be in the United States. For anyone else, happy weekend and don’t work too hard. If you’ve read Gadling this week, perhaps you noticed posts on changes occurring , new additions to the travel field and what this means for travelers.

1. Josh, for example, talked about the upcoming opening of the Holiday Inn in Hanoi and what this signifies for the city. My first trip to Hanoi was in 1994 and I’ve been back four more times. As he noted,and what I’ve also noticed with each visit, the increased affluence has brought considerable change. Josh muses about the outcome.

2. If you’re one of those people who have noticed how air travel just isn’t what it used to be (how could you not notice) Scott’s read “The top eight things I miss most about the current state of air travel” may seem familiar. Oh, how I long for the good old days, and I’ve never been on the Concorde.

3. Abha pointed us in the direction of a new travel guide resource called Trazzler.com that tailors recommendations to your location and the type of travel you are interested in such as culinary arts.

4. In case you’re looking for the latest food snob trend, Jeffery found the answer at Forbes.com and added his two cents into the discussion. For all you backpackers who settle for cheese and bread while hopping on and off trains in Europe, you can go more upscale than those little triangles of cheese that doesn’t need much refrigeration. Jeffery, is not a cheese wiz, but you might be able to convince him with a bottle of wine. (In case you missed it, I made a play on words. Cheese wiz = Cheez Whiz)

5. Here’s a trend in weight saving that I, for one, don’t hope other airlines start using. Grant wrote about how Jazz Airlines, a subsidiary of Air Canada is doing away with life vests. If the plane lands in water, passengers need to hold onto their seat cushions as flotation devices.