Airline safety survey kiboshed by NASA

by Grant Martin on

NASA appears to be sandbagging on reporting the results of a survey they conducted a few years back on airline safety. Their data, which is taken from phone interviews across 24,000 pilots, apparently suggest that the number of “incidents” in airline travel are significantly higher than reported by the FAA.

Asked to reveal the data to the AP, NASA politely declined, stating that revealing the findings could damage the public’s confidence in airlines and affect airline profits.

Since when does safety take a back seat to airline profits? Does anyone else see the airline lobby at work here?

I’m well past the conspiracy theory and into the complacent stage in my life where this sort of stuff doesn’t bother me anymore. Perhaps its because I’m still confident in the general safety record of the industry. As the MSNBC article concedes, there is only 1 fatality in about 4.5 million departures. I suppose I can take my chances for now.

Open skies agreement starts to bear fruit: Delta/KLM/Air France routes to open

by Grant Martin on

Much of the hullabaloo about the Open Skies Agreement between the United States and the EU died down after consumers realized that prices won’t be drastically affected. Despite speculation that 10£ transatlantic tickets were on the horizon, marketing and the low-cost-carrier airline network have a long way to go before we see anything like that.

Another benefit to the OSA though is the available collaboration among carriers for landing slots. Alliances such as Skyteam and Oneworld now can substitute their partner flights in place of older, less used routes. For example, if British Airways’ LHR-JFK flight isn’t doing so hot, they can cancel the slot and give it to Cathay Pacific for LHR-HKG.

Why do we care? This means alliances can shuffle volume between EU and transatlantic sectors and create more routes across the pond. In the most recent venture, Delta has teamed up with Air France and KLM, permitting Delta to use several of Air France’s hubs across Europe. Directly, this means more non-stop flights from the US to EU. I would venture that more supply means lower prices, but with the volatility in the airline market these days, who knows?

Are Airport Terminals Actually Becoming Somewhat Enjoyable?!?!?

by Neil Woodburn on

As the amount of time spent by passengers waiting in airports increases–up to 108 minutes on average–airports are starting to do something about it. No, they aren’t working harder to decrease the wait time, but they are trying to make it more tolerable. In fact, some are actually making it enjoyable.

Making money off of bored, restless passengers was once the sole domain of duty frees and expensive eateries. But now, an increasing number of attractive alternatives are popping up in airports across the globe. In fact, some retailers and concessionaires are fighting over each other for what is increasingly becoming prime real estate according to journalist Peter Pae’s LA Times piece, Flight delayed again — that feels good.

Plan things right, and your three hour layover could include wine tasting, pedicures, massages, haircuts, manicures, surfing the web, renting DVD players and a movie, and even sleeping in mini pod hotels. Or, of course, you can just wander through duty free shopping for things you don’t really need.

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Stop in Taipei, Save $100

by Catherine Bodry on

Good deals abound for the traveler willing to take a Taipei pit stop. Not only will the usual $100 landing fee surcharge be lifted, but if you stay two nights you can get a $79/night deal at participating hotels. The “I Land Paradise” promotion (which applies to any Asia-bound China Airlines or EVA Airways flight departing from a U.S. airport) starts Oct. 1 and runs until June 30.

The main problem with the promotion is that there are no direct flights from Taipei to China’s mainland except during the Lunar New Year. So if you’re on your way to China and want to take advantage of the deal, you’ll need to go through Hong Kong and then catch a flight to the mainland. I’ve stopped in Taipei several times en route to Southeast Asia, but I’ve never left the airport. The lifted surcharge could certainly convince me to lengthen my stay.

Attractions include the Shilin Night Market (see The Kozy Shack’s photo) and the National Palace Museum. For more stuff to see and do, check out AOL’s Taipei site.

ShoeScanner Fails Orlando Tests

by Catherine Bodry on

A device that would’ve allowed passengers to keep their shoes on at airport security has failed. Removing shoes in airport security lines is one of a passenger’s biggest inconveniences, and the ShoeScanner raised hopes of faster, shorter security lines. After repeated tests at Orlando International Airport this year, however, the ShoeScanner “still does not meet standards to ensure detection of explosives,” the TSA said.

Of course, the Scanner was only available to those that could pay the yearly $100 fee to go through a separate line. For the rest of us, it was business as usual in the long line of peasants.

[via USA Today]