For cash-strapped airlines, inflight urinals could be a money-maker

by Jeffrey White on

Can it be that urinals might soon be taking off on major long haul flights?

In a recent article for the online version of the German news magazine Der Spiegel, Andrew Curry writes about a German company that’s been busy designing a prototype pissoir for the new Airbus A380. The company, Dasell, hopes that if its concept is a hit, other airlines might start outfitting their long haul planes with them.

There seems to be interest. Dasell unveiled its urinal design at an airline industry expo in Hamburg, Germany, in April and many took notice. The reason? Like seemingly everything else these days in the industry, the cripling cost of fuel could make installing urinals on aircraft a way for carriers to earn a little extra money.

Dasell says their urinal lavatories take up less space — the equivalent of four seats — than traditional unisex lavatories. Given that most long haul aircraft have nearly 10 toilets, replacing some of them with the more compact urinals could result in getting a few more paying customers in seats.

It’s certainly a more intriguing money-making idea than simply charging for a second piece of checked baggage. Of course, one wonders why it’s taken the industry so long to conclude that urinals might be a good thing, both for bottom lines and — given, as Curry puts it, the inconsistent aim of many men, especially in turbulance — bottoms in general.

Don’t wear that Transformers shirt through security

by Grant Martin on

I hear a lot of complaints about the TSA, especially since the liquid bans were put into effect, but I’m usually pretty gentle with them. Most of the TSA officers seem to have the right intentions and are willing to work with you. Most of the time they’re just enforcing rules set by the DHS and you have no reason to give them a hard time.

This instance, however, is not one of them. Last week a guy traveling through London‘s Heathrow airport, a notoriously strict hub, got stopped and questioned for wearing a t-shirt with Megatron on it. If you’re not familiar with the program that was on the telly, Megatron is a fictional evil alien cartoon robot that’s on Transformers. A fictional cartoon robot with a gun for an arm.

Airport security didn’t like the fact that there was a gun on this guy’s t-shirt, so they made him change it, saying that they would arrest him if he put it back on.

Hey Chertoff: I know you don’t like depictions of weapons onboard your flights because someone could get confused and mistake it for the real thing. That’s fine. But this is a CARTOON ROBOT DRAWN ON A T-SHIRT. Don’t you think we could let this slide?

[Mind you, I realize that the TSA, proper, is not responsible for security at LHR — several commenters keep pointing that out. The UK’s own homeland security take care of screening at British terminals. The point is that the US & UK (and their respective agencies) share many ridiculous rules about prohibitions onto airplanes. Check out this article for a similar instance in the US. — GM]

Why charging extra for all checked bags–or for carry-ons–is a bad idea

by Jamie Rhein on

In the past week and a half, after Grant posted about the charge for checked bags, I’ve listened to commentators and have had conversations about the checked bag fee. The general feeling that I’ve heard–and also mine, is, if airfares need to go up in order to compensate for fuel costs, so be it., but charging for one checked bag makes people more disgusted with airlines. Nickel and diming people isn’t a well thought out plan for customer satisfaction.

Lately, I’ve noticed that the price of most grocery store items have gone up. Following the airline model of business would mean stores would charge extra for the person to pack your grocery bag. That’s what discount grocery stores do-but not stores that want to attract customers for the shopping experience. The extra cost for bagging groceries and for the cost of getting items to the store and on the shelves is in the cost of the food.

Recently, when I went to dinner at a restaurant, there was a sign posted to let customers know that the prices had gone up $1 per main course. The increase had started on April 30. Customers knew of the change before they sat down. That seems reasonable.

Knowing what something will cost beforehand, once and for all, provides better mental health, in my opinion. When I’m searching for airplane ticket prices, I’m drawn to the sites that list the total cost up front with the taxes added in right off. If the first price says $250 and then I find out that the added fees bring the cost considerably higher, I go from thinking I landed a deal to feeling like I’ve been taken for a ride before I’ve actually had one.

Four ways to join the Mile High Club

by Jeffrey White on

The Mile High Club: Myth or realty?

The legend of the deed probably far eclipses the actual number of people who have had sex in an airplane lavatory. Most of us have probably heard, third and fourth hand, of someone who’s done it. But that’s usually where talk of the club ends.

Personally, it’s not my thing. However, for those out there interested in giving it a shot, Ben Groundwater, who writes the Backpacker Blog at the Melbourne Age, has come up with a few sure-fire ways to have success up there in the friendly skies:

  • The Richard Branson method
  • The Girlfriend/Boyfriend/Husband/Wife method
  • The First Class method
  • The Random method

Seems to me the Richard Branson method has the best chance of lift off, if you will. Of course it relies heavily on having your own private jet — which, come to think of it, kind of removes the need for heading to the lavatory in the first place. To go this route, Groundwater suggests chartering your own flight. Yeah, O.K.

Can’t keep up with all these airline fees? This chart might help

by Jeffrey White on

It seems that every time we turn around, airlines are hitting us up with new fees, from baggage costs to making us shell out for pretzels inflight.

It can be difficult keeping up with this stuff.

Luckily, travel guro Rick Seany has compiled a pretty comprehensive chart of all the different fees we now have to contend with on his Web site. I’d bookmark it, and refer back to it often. It’s current through yesterday.

Everything is accounted for here: Luggage fees; fees to select your seat; which airlines are still offering inflight snacks and food; what different airlines are charging for unaccompanied minors. Everything. It’s handy. Check it out.