Man flies to London hidden beneath airplane

by Jeremy Kressmann on

A 20-year-old Romanian man is lucky to be alive after he was discovered hidden inside the rear wheel compartment of a jet arriving this week in London. The stowaway, who was apparently looking for work, braved low oxygen and outside air temperatures during the flight as low as 40 below zero. Upon his discovery at London’s Heathrow Airport, he was covered in bruises and showing signs of hypothermia, but thankfully still alive.

How exactly did a man manage to sneak inside a plane? And how did he make it through the experience? It turns out through a remarkable mix of luck, daring and stupidity. The man apparently climbed under a fence at Vienna’s Schwechat airport, hiding himself beneath a private jet that had been parked there since last week. He also lucked out with the flight plan – the plane had to fly at a lower-than-normal altitude to avoid bad weather, allowing the man to survive what would normally be a fatal combination of cold and lack of air.

UK authorities were surprised by the man’s unexpected arrival, though they declined to press charges. As Romania is part of the European Union, the “passenger” was technically allowed to visit on holiday. He was cautioned and freed with no further action. Frankly, this traveler is lucky to have survived the ordeal, let alone gotten off without legal action.

Next time you’re ready to complain about that horrible experience on your last flight, you might want to think again. Somebody out there has definitely had it much worse.

(Image: Flickr/Lili Vieira de Carvalho’s)

British Airways’ re-launched First is worth every mile

by George Hobica on

Recently, I spent $75 to get a seat in British Airways‘ new and improved first class cabin from New York to London, and although my original flight was ash-canned, I did eventually get there. And to paraphrase the Beatles, man, I did not have a dreadful flight.

To quickly explain: I signed up for a British Airways-branded Chase Visa Card ($75 annual fee) and was awarded 100,000 bonus frequent flyer miles, enough to cover the 75,000 (one-way) required for a ride way in BA’s newly-refreshed premier cabin. Heck, I don’t fly much these days, and my 56-year-old posterior isn’t as padded as it used to be, nor are my joints quite as supple, so $75 for a little comfort is just what the chiropractor ordered.

Had I actually bought that seat? Well, honestly, on my salary and at my pay grade, that would have been unlikely. It would have cost several thousand dollars-more if I paid full freight, less if I had bought a heavily discounted fare.

As it turned out, that Iceland volcano had other plans for me, and my flight was canceled. My hopes of attending a reunion at my Oxford college, where I was a graduate student 30 years earlier, were vaporized.

But last week, I was invited as a guest of BA, in my capacity as an airfare/airline pundit, to give First Class another shot.

Most air travel these days, whether to the former USSR or to Bangor, can be pretty dreadful. But not in seat 3K on a BA 777.

No one is quite sure who (Flaubert? Einstein?) first said that “God is in the details” (it’s also been said that the devil is in them too), but first class on most international airlines is already pretty fine, so the only way an airline can improve its premier product is by concentrating on the fine points.

And this, clearly, BA has done. The padding on the seats is plumper. The seats are 60 percent wider at the shoulders. The video screens are bigger. The cabin lighting is softer and prettier. The reading lights are brighter. The window shades are electronic. Each seat now comes with its own closet. The pillows are bigger. The bedsheets of a finer Egyptian cotton. The armrests disappear as the bed reclines to its fully-flat, fully-horizontal position, giving you even more room. The dedicated check-in areas are more exclusive-note the comfy easy chairs. The arrival and departure lounges are more luxurious. I particularly liked the terrace overlooking the bustle at Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

BA was in strike mode when I flew, so catering was a bit handicapped; thus I can’t say if they have improved the in-flight cuisine. I suspect they have, however (actually the substituted chicken tikka was quite good). I’ll have to wait for my next first class adventure to try the amuse bouche, and to find out if the 2004 Tattinger Champagne, normally served in First, is better chilled, or the caviar fresher.

After all, I still have those 100,000 miles burning a hole in my Executive Club account, and maybe I’ll be around for my 40th college reunion. By then that volcano will be extinct. I hope.

For last second fares, watch for United’s Twares

by Grant Martin on

As the social media monstrosity known as Twitter continues to grow by the nanosecond (did you know that the Whole Foods in Evanston, IL is now on Twitter?), more and more companies in the travel industry are now taking advantage of their followers to lure in new sales.

Sure it’s just another marketing technique, but where travel consumers and producers can really benefit is in the wholesaling of last minute capacity.

In United Airline’s case, the product is called a Tware. We first covered these Twitter Fares around this time last year, and since its inception the concept has really taken off.

In a nutshell, here’s how Tware’s work: Airline capacity managers identify a group of routes that are significantly undersold over a period of time, say, all flights from the US to Australia over the course of June. Knowing that there’s a low probability of all of those seats being sold at the current market prices, the capacity managers block off a bucket full of seats on select flights, heavily discount the fares and call the folks at the Twitter desk.

At the count of three, cheap seats open up and an advertisement goes on Twitter announcing that “A Tware to Australia!” has started. 70,000 highly focused, highly motivated followers suddenly tune in, everyone starts booking and the seats sell like hotcakes.

In the end, United makes some cash, when they formerly would have been flying empty seats and a few passengers get a great deal on tickets. Oh, and United gets a ton of free PR.

The only catch? Since the airline is clearing out empty seats most Twares are for travel within the next month or two. But if you’re flexible, adventurous and have a few extra dollars the formula is perfect for a quick jaunt to paradise.

You can follow @unitedairlines to tune into upcoming Twares. Be forewarned that most Twares only last a few hours, so have your credit card and calendar ready!

[Image credit, Pylon757]

Taking your cat on an airplane – a first-hand account

by Annie Scott on


There’s Pistol, my cat, turning around and around in her bag in the Delta Sky Club at LaGuardia Airport. If you’d like to know how we got to this point and how I prepared her for the trip, read my article from Friday, Taking your cat on the airplane – preparations. Once you’re all caught up, read on to see how we fared at the airport and on the plane.

Getting there.

I decided to call a Dial 7 sedan, as their drivers seem to be a lot more chilled out (and with a coupon, less expensive) than NYC taxi drivers. I didn’t want to risk a cheaper group ride or the subway, because that would add more time onto the trip — and one of my biggest concerns was that Pistol would have to go to the bathroom over the many hours ahead. While this isn’t really the point of the article, add that ride to the $100 pet fee and you have a significant difference in the cost of your trip — just something to consider.

I also chose an early morning flight so that we wouldn’t have to gamble against traffic. You may think I’m being overly cautious about the urination situation, but imagining the smell of cat pee on a three hour flight, and everyone looking at me like I was the devil, was enough to put fear into my heart. As I mentioned in the previous article, I also hid her water dish in the early AM.

Checking in.

Originally, I had thought it would be best to not check a bag, thus freeing us from waiting at the luggage carousel. Then, I attempted to carry the cat bag and my laptop bag and roll the suitcase … yeah, not the best situation. I entered the Special Services queue to pay for the cat ($100) and check my bag ($25). They required no paperwork for the animal. They informed me that I would not be allowed to remove the cat from the bag on the plane (obviously), and that the bag had to be stowed under the seat in front of me for takeoff and landing. That seemed reasonable. I hoped poor Pistol could take it. She’s only about 10 months old, so I figured she’d be adaptable — that’s another thing; if you think you might want to have a mobile animal, start them traveling early. Older cats and dogs can find this kind of experience pretty jarring.

Security, the most traumatic part.

Here’s something I didn’t expect: I had to take the cat out of the bag and walk her through the metal detector as they scanned the Sherpa bag.I held Pistol tightly as her eyes darted all over the place. There were so many people and so much to see, she might have been struggling to get away or she might have been intimidated and happy to stay with me — but I was holding her too tightly to tell. Chasing my cat through the airport was just … not an option.

Two lines were converging at the metal detector and the security guard let me jump the gun: “Let the woman with the cat through. Woman with the cat!”

In the confusion of taking my cat out of the bag, I had forgotten to remove my shoes. Oops. There was no metal in the shoes and they were thin little Haviana flip flops, but security wasn’t taking any chances on me. As I held the cat, they had me kick off my shoes so they could send them through the scanner, and Pistol and I walked through the metal detector once more. Satisfied, they released us. I forced poor Pistol back into the bag. That was probably the most traumatic part of the trip for both of us.

The Delta Sky Club.

As I entered the doors of my usual Sky Club, I had a sudden flash of concern that pets might not be allowed. Or, maybe they’d have pet treats or something. As it turned out, no one batted an eye, save for the enthralled children who sat near us and came to say hello.

Boarding.

At the allocated time, we headed to the gate to board. I sat down and put the carrier in my lap and unzipped it just enough to stick my hand inside the case. Pistol curled her whole little body around my hand and started to purr. I knew we were going to be all right. Pre-boarding began and I approached the agent with my ticket. She took one look at it and said “We’re not boarding your row yet.”

“I have a cat,” I said, naively assuming that was call for pre-boarding. “We don’t pre-board pets, only children,” she said curtly, and I slunk sheepishly back to my seat.

The flight.

Boarding (once I was allowed) and getting situated were a cinch, and when it was time to depart, I placed Pistol under the seat in front of me. I tried to keep my feet in her line of vision so she’d know I was there. She didn’t cry or anything. I was afraid all the bumpiness of sitting on the floor would freak her out, but strangely enough, I think she liked it. She looked at me during the start of the flight, and then I’m pretty certain she fell asleep for much of takeoff.

Once I was permitted, and I saw her eyes had opened back up, I took the case out and put it in my lap and stuck my hand in again. I patted her and, after some time, she slept. I put her back underneath for landing, and then I left her there as long as I could, not wanting to jostle her too much.

Final details.

As it turned out, no one ever asked to see Pistol’s paperwork. It was a domestic flight, so there was no customs ordeal or anything. This may differ from state to state, and if we’d been detained for any reason or randomly searched, they may have asked to see vaccination records. Still, Pistol and I deplaned and headed to the baggage check like everyone else.

Pistol looked around excitedly at all the activity of the claim area. My mom and dad had come to pick us up, and they all had a little chat. She was patient, but by the time we got her to the car, Pistol was noticeably antsy. She even cried, just once. I gave her a treat but she didn’t want it. I couldn’t wait to get her to the house.

We got her home about 20 minutes later and set her right next to the litterbox (so she’d know where it is), and opened the case. She hopped out and started sniffing around, purring and happy as could be to be free again. I write you just a week later now, and she’s happily settled into the house. I’m sitting at the kitchen table and she’s under my chair, sniffing at my feet.

Little does she know that three days from now, we’re going back to New York. At least this time, we both know we can handle it.

Photos by Annie Scott.

Airline law ends long Tarmac delays, fine threat improves performance

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The world didn’t end. No logistical disasters emerged. In fact, everything got a hell of a lot better.

Several months ago, the prospect of a maximum three-hour tarmac delay had the airline industry proclaiming the arrival of the four horsemen. They claimed that it would severely disrupt the industry to have to give passengers the option of getting off the plane would lead to chaos. People would be furious by a lone passenger wanting to bring the plane back to the gate, and crews would be forced to operate within the constraints of customer demands (you know … like other businesses).

Well, the airline industry doesn’t appear to be any worse off than it was. In fact, it looks like the new three-hour rule is having a positive effect. Three-hour tarmac delays have effectively disappeared, and on-time arrivals have improved overall. Everything seems to be running better than it was before the airlines faced fines of up to $27,500 per passenger.

How big a different did it make?Well, only four planes sat on the tarmac for more than three hours in April. In March, 25 hit that mark, and April 2009 had an astounding 81 planes on the tarmac for that long.

So, you’re probably wondering if the airlines stacked the deck, canceling flights to protect their stats and mitigate the risk of having to yank planes back to the gate or shell out big bucks fines. Year over year, the DOT reports that cancelations fell approximately 50 percent, with only 3,637 of 529,330 flights getting chopped.

Overall, on-time performance for the 18 airlines that report to the U.S. Department of Transportation climbed to 85.3 percent in April – up from 79.1 percent in April 2009 (and better than March’s 80 percent. Most of the late arrivals were caused by aviation system delays (e.g., bad weather or heavy traffic).

Efficient use of New York airspace and generally calm weather contributed to the improvement. LaGuardia‘s on-time rate surged to 87.4 percent from 67.4 percent. JFK showed a similar improvement – from 67.3 percent to 83.5 percent.

U.S. Airways led the pack in on-time performance among major airlines and followed Hawaiian and Alaska Airlines in the total market. American Airlines was the bottom of the barrel for the large carriers, with its sister carrier, American Eagle, sucking most among all airlines.

Let’s do the math on this. Holding airlines accountable and offering up the threat of hefty fines for mistreating passengers didn’t jeopardize their ability to operate. If anything, it led to improved results. For once, it seems, the government got it right. If that sounds weird, think of an airline that takes off and lands on time. Weird, right?