Save a couple of bucks and fly on the holiday

by Grant Martin on

Flying around Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically the most stressful time of the year to be in the skies, both because of the volume of people in the airports and the egregious ticket prices. Since demand is so high to travel over the days preceding and following the holiday, airlines can get away with robbery.

But loads (and demands) are less strenuous during the holidays themselves; people want to be home with their families over the duration and not stuck in some snowstorm in Chicago. So if you’re really tight on cash but want to get home at least for the day to see mom and dad, try flying the day OF Christmas or Thanksgiving instead of the day before.

Perfect example: I want to fly from O’hare to DC to see my estranged Uncle Barish and drop off his fruit cake. Flying from the 21st (Friday) to the 26th will cost 200$. But if I fly from the 24th to the 25th its 150$.

I know, flying for such a short duration is tough. But if you’re a broke college student (or need an excuse to get back to your friends at home), you can always save a couple of bucks this way.

Angry passengers revolt at St. Petersburg airport

by Grant Martin on

Talk about overreacting to a flight delay. Passengers on an S7 flight between Frankfurt and Moscow that was diverted to St. Petersburg threw a fit when they found out their flight was further delayed and revolted. After they blockaded another flight from boarding in protest, “a boy in glasses who had been hired three months earlier” from S7 was dispatched to disperse them. He was promptly clobbered.

The Moscow Times article goes on to include some incredulous commentary, as well as some off-the-cuff remarks from the article’s source. Give it a read, close your eyes and try to picture the entire debacle.

I’ve been through Pulkovo a few times in the last few weeks and will admit, it does kind of suck. Nobody speaks English (much less German) and it can be really frustrating to get anything done. Come to think of it, I have distinct memories of being very angry in that airport, although in my defense I had a broken arm and was heavily medicated at the time. I wonder how I would have reacted in that situation.

Southwest airlines to allow higher-paying customers boarding priority

by Catherine Bodry on

Justin covered Southwest Airlines‘ boarding procedures as the company tooled around with changes (here and here). But as the boarding rules changed, one thing remained constant: all citizens were equal on Southwest flights. Here, the economy-class commoners mingled with business-class budgeters. There was no “class warfare” on Southwest, as there were no classes. It was all economy, all the way. No special boarding, and no special treatment.

But although Southwest is maintaining the illusion of a perfect democracy, those with more money will soon be able to board first and get their pick of seats. The airline isn’t adding a First or Business class, and presumably it’s still in the budget-airline category. But it is beginning to cater to business travelers by selling last-minute and more expensive tickets to “business select” travelers. Customers who buy these tickets are automatically placed in the “A” boarding group, which gets to board first. “Business select” travelers even get a complimentary cocktail!

Sounds like a new class has emerged at Southwest after all.

Read the full article here.

Remember Kyla Ebbert, the Southwest Airlines “Skirtgate” girl? Click here to check out her shameless MySpace photos.

Engine falls off Boeing 737 mid-flight

by Justin Glow on

Stop and think for a moment: what’s the worst thing you could see while looking outside of an airplane window mid-flight? How about seeing the engine fall off the wing? That’s what happened to a Nationwide Airlines Boeing 737 in Cape Town, South Africa yesterday.

“I heard this huge bang.” Passenger Ronel Derman was seated directly over the wing when a man next to her explained the situation. “He said, ‘That’s our engine that’s just fallen off.’ I couldn’t believe it. He had to repeat it to me,” she told the South African Press Association.

100 people were on board, yet no injuries were reported and the plane returned safely to the airport. Donnie Darko was unavailable for comment.

Love planes? Check out the brand spankin’ new Airbus A380, the largest passenger plane in the world:

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BA 747 narrowly escapes a mid-air collision

by Martha Edwards on

I’m constantly extolling the virtues of flying, telling my fearful friends how safe it is — much more so than driving, suntanning, crossing the street, etc. So I always cringe a bit when I hear stories about plane crashes or near crashes. Like this one: A British Airways 747, bound for Johannesburg, narrowly missed crashing into a Argentinian747 in the airspace over Marseilles, France, much to the horror of those looking on.

The incident happened in late September, but has only been revealed now. Witnesses claim that the whole thing has been hushed up. It’s thought that French air traffic control is to blame, but further investigation will hopefully determine the cause for sure.

Luckily, it all ended ok, but other close calls might not be so lucky. Hopefully whoever is at fault has learned their lesson.

See also:

Why not fly in style? Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380 has full size beds! Check it out:

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