Southwest Airlines bucking industry, actually adding flights to its network

by Jeffrey White on

While other airlines have announced recently that they are scaling back flights in light of the rising cost of jet fuel, Southwest Airlines is going in a different direction.

It announced today that it was adding nine flights to its overall schedule.

O.K., it’s not as simple as that.

The airline said it was cutting 31 flights from its route system, but adding 40 more.

Southwest is making a big bid to win over some market share in Denver, currently the home of competitor Frontier Airlines and a United hub.

Other markets that will see new or increased service are Orange Country, Tulsa and Ft. Lauderdale, the latter of which will see four new nonstop routes.

Air India pilots doze off — jet wanders off through Indian airspace

by Grant Martin on

Think you’re the only one that’s tired after that redeye between New York and London? The pilots are too, and they actually have to fly the aircraft back in a couple of days. Good thing they get plenty of rest and drink a ton of coffee to stay alert in the cabin.

Or do they? Earlier this month, two pilots on an Air India flight bound for Mumbai fell asleep in the cockpit, completely missing the airport. They were halfway to Goa before air traffic control was able to wake them up. A source close to the incident is quoted as reporting that: “The aircraft should have begun its descent about 100 miles (160km) from Mumbai, but here it was still at cruising altitude. We checked for hijack.”

Your guess is as good as mine about how they check for a hijack.

After finally waking up the crew, the aircraft was turned around and pointed back to Mumbai, where the incident is now quietly trying to be brushed under the rug. A local bureaucrat downplayed the incident by suggesting that there was a communications error instead of napping going on in the cockpit. I suppose if you’re asleep and can’t talk, that’s a communication error, right?

Trolley cabinets: Airplane design for the home

by Anna Brones on

When flying, a common complaint is having your elbows hit by the airline trolley that carries the in-flight beverage service. Even worse, what about when you get up to go to the bathroom and beverage service has started — just how do you get around the trolley and get back to your seat?

But apparently not everyone has the same negative attachments to airline trolley carts that I do. If you have a soft spot for the carts, or want to make your home seem more like an airplane, you need to check out German design company Bordbar. Using original aluminum trolleys from various airlines, the designers have decked them out in flashy colors and motifs to turn them into a functional and trendy shelving systems. The trolleys are custom designed, so using the “trolley configurator” on Bordbar’s website you can pick out the exact color, motif and if you want drawers, boxes or shelf boards inside.

Unfortunately, the customized airline trolleys aren’t available for purchase just yet. But until they officially come out in October, you can rent them. Sounds like just the thing for when you want to make your staycation seem more like an actual trip.

Autistic child kicked off flight

by Iva Skoch on

This is an unbelievable story. It would also make you think we live in old communist Russia, not a country priding itself for valuing diversity.

Yes, a mother and her child were kicked off an American Eagle flight because she “wasn’t able to control her toddler.”

According to ABC Eyewitness News, the mother says she was “doing all she could to calm the autistic boy,” but got “no sympathy from the flight crew.”

The flight attendant kept coming over and tugging the kid’s seatbelt to make it tighter. He, in turn, kept wiggling around and trying to get out of his seatbelt. And, according to the mother, the flight attendant kept coming over, reprimanding him, and yelling at him until he got really upset and started rolling around on the floor. At which point, everyone involved lost it.

Then, the pilot apparently made an announcement that there was a woman and her child on the plane and the child is uncontrollable. He turned the plane around and headed back to the terminal.

American Airlines (American Eagle’s parent), of course, had a different story. They said the mother was pitching a “raging fit” and refused to comply with FAA regulations.

My question is: what did the other passengers do? Did they try to help the mother? Did they offer to wait until the child settles down? Or, do we live in a world where independent judgment and flexibility have vanished?

American Airlines announces details of service cutbacks

by Grant Martin on

Like nearly every other airline operating in today’s tightened economy, American Airlines is cutting back its capacity. This means that smaller and less profitable routes are going to be subject to downsizing, while under served airports are subject to closing altogether.

People from large hubs such as Miami, Chicago or New York will feel a bit of the effect, but the brunt of the action will take place in small town America. So if you live in a small city served by the airline, now might be a good time to review the cutbacks and make sure that your town isn’t getting the ax.

A combination of American and American Eagle will be closing service to the following airports:

  • Oakland, Calif
  • London Stansted
  • Barranquilla, Colombia
  • Albany, N.Y.
  • Providence, R.I.
  • Harrisburg, PA
  • Samana, Dominican Republic
  • San Luis Obispo, CA.

Additionally, 62 flights out of Chicago, 43 in St. Louis and 42 out of Dallas and New York’s Laguardia will be scaled back.

Changes go into effect starting in November, so between now and then you still have time to enjoy the expanded service. Make sure you try out the expanded WiFi while you’re on board.