10 Confessions From Flight Attendant Heather Poole

by Libby Zay on

Heather Poole, who just wrapped up the book “Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet,” recently dished in a Mental Floss article on the inside world of the airline industry and on how flight attendants act when things get turbulent (or when they catch someone trying to join the mile-high club). It starts:

1. IF THE PLANE DOOR IS OPEN, WE’RE NOT GETTING PAID.

You know all that preflight time where we’re cramming bags into overhead bins? None of that shows up in our paychecks. Flight attendants get paid for “flight hours only.” Translation: the clock doesn’t start until the craft pushes away from the gate. Flight delays, cancellations and layovers affect us just as much as they do passengers – maybe even more.

Airlines aren’t completely heartless, though. From the time we sign in at the airport until the plane slides back into the gate at our home base, we get an expense allowance of $1.50 an hour. It’s not much, but it helps pay the rent.

You can read the rest of the article over on Mental Floss, and see other stories from Heather’s adventures over at the Galley Gossip column on Gadling.

[Photo by Chalmers Butterfield, Wikimedia Commons]

The Future Of Air Travel: On-Flight Upgrade Auctions

by Jessica Festa on

Sitting in economy class on an airplane, it’s hard not to pine for the spacious seating in business and first class. Pretty soon, however, your longing could become a reality – for a lot cheaper than you’d expect.

On-flight auctions that allow passengers to bid on available seat upgrades are currently being adopted by certain airlines in Canada and China. And, if everything goes according to plan, within the next two to three years all airlines will use the service.

How it would work is the auction would begin with an announcement being made over the loud speaker, letting all passengers know about its commencement. Flight attendants would then distribute hand-held devices for the bidding.

Other in-flight innovations currently in the works include broadcasting live sports and ordering meals and duty-free items on your smartphone.

What do you think of on-flight upgrade auctions?

[Image via mrkathika]

Southend Airport: London’s Sixth Airport

by Alex Robertson Textor on

In April, easyJet began flying in and out of Southend Airport, located to the east of London in Essex. With the arrival of easyJet, London regained a long-dormant airport. (In the 1960s, Southend was London’s third biggest airport.) In its new incarnation, Southend becomes London’s sixth airport. The new kid on the block joins Heathrow, Gatwick, the low-cost hubs of Stansted and Luton, and London City, the most central and most user-friendly of them all.

Until easyJet introduced flights in April, Southend Airport was barely tapped. It was purchased in 2008 by Stobart Group, a logistics company, who obtained approval for lengthening the runway and then constructed a new control tower, which opened in March 2011. Shortly thereafter, Aer Arann, which has since been folded into Aer Lingus Regional, began flying a limited timetable in and out of Southend.

Another key development in the second coming of Southend Airport was the construction of a train station just outside the airport in July 2011, which made it easier for Londoners to reach the airport quickly. The icing on the cake was the inauguration of a new Southend terminal in April 2012.

The terminal is shiny and attractive – a glassy structure that still smells new. There are cafes on both sides of security machines, free Wi-Fi Internet access and a nice “business lounge” with a range of children’s interactive games on wall-mounted screens. I passed through security on Monday in two minutes. In short, flying out of Southend was a notably pleasant experience.

I have but two concerns for the future. First, Southend Airport is inadequately served by public transportation from London. The earliest weekday train from London’s Liverpool Street Station arrives at 6:32 a.m., which is too late for anyone coming from London to catch flights before 8:30 a.m., assuming that the airport’s two-hour check-in request is honored. (I can’t imagine how security would take more than a few minutes even in heavy traffic; nonetheless, the airport suggests very strongly that passengers arrive a full two hours before their flights depart.)

This needs to be sorted out. An earlier train service should be scheduled or easyJet could fill the gap with the operation of an early easyBus link from central London. (Taxis are most definitely not an affordable option. Traveller, easyJet’s inflight magazine, estimates a fare of £130 [$202] for travel by taxi between the airport and central London.)

My second and bigger concern is passenger volume. There are some airports out there that manage to do a very good job with enormous passenger volume, sure, but these airports are the exception. Most high-traffic airports are unpleasant places. Southend plans to build a terminal extension and has a stated goal of bringing in two million passengers a year.

Can this tiny, tidy, pleasant airport serve two million passengers a year, even with its planned expansion? Maybe, but it surely will run the risk of forsaking its tidy and pleasant nature in the process.

Airplane Engine Covering Falls Off During Takeoff (VIDEO)

by Libby Zay on

A passenger filming out an airplane window captured part of an engine cowling ripping off during takeoff on a flight in Brazil. Watch above to get an idea of how the terrified passengers – who later described the event as an “engine explosion” – must have felt watching the parts fly off. According to an incident report on The Aviation Herald, it all happened on a TAM Airlines Airbus A320-200 traveling from Natal to São Paulo on Saturday, May 19. There were 166 people on board, many of whom you can hear hurriedly asking questions and yelling during the video. According to the Herald, both the inboard and outboard fan cowl doors of the left engine opened in flight and “were ripped off.” Stay tuned until 1:54 to see the extent of the damage. In the end, the pilot managed to return to the airport in Natal without any further problems – but the passengers sure did get a scare.

Fliers beware: Are you at risk for deep vein thrombosis?

by Jessica Festa on

For those of you who have ever worried about the health risks associated with airplane travel, Compression Stockings has something for you. The company has created this detailed visual based on numerous studies explaining how travelers who are taking long flights are at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and how they can improve circulation in their legs and feet.

According to the Vascular Disease Foundation, DVT occurs when “a blood clot, or thrombus, develops in the large veins of the legs or pelvic area.” What’s scary is that while some cases of the condition are very painful, others go completely unnoticed. Furthermore, if the blood clot forms in the deeper, invisible veins it can immediately become fatal, possibly causing a pulmonary embolism.

While the above infographic is basically a cute advertisement for the company, it actually has a lot of useful information on it. You’ll be able to learn what the ailment is, how flights affect the body, risk factors, and prevention methods. There’s even a section for the fashion-conscious who are interested in using compression clothing. Even if you don’t choose to purchase compression stockings, it’s always good to understand the health risks associated with travel, and ways to keep yourself safe. If anything, this image should help push you to drink lots of water, elevate your legs, and walk around the plane at least once per hour.

For a better view of the infographic, click here.