Former American Airlines flight attendant charged with making terror threats

by Scott Carmichael on

A former flight attendant for American Airlines has been arrested and charged with making terrorist threats. Rodney Lorenzo claimed he sent secret airline information to 25 Muslim charity organizations in the U.S. and U.K.

Lorenzo had been fired by the airline for throwing a coffee pot at a fellow flight attendant, and apparently held a grudge against his former employer.

According to court papers, he sent a letter to the corporate headquarters of the airline, telling them “Karma will soon bite back and your aircraft will begin to fall from the sky like dead birds.”

Lorenzo claims he made hundreds of copies of the airline safety manual, but in the letter he sent to the airline, he also made threats to the employee that was involved in the coffee pot incident, proving that he’s not a very bright terrorist. He has been released on a $50,000 bail awaiting his trial.

[Photo credit: AP Photo/Chris O’Meara]

Top five reasons you’ll pay more for flights

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It looks like flight deals are a thing of the past. The airline sector is starting to recover, as evidenced by an aggregate $1.3 billion in earnings for the six largest U.S. carriers last quarter, and more profits are said to be on the horizon. Of course, we’re still in the early stages, and those earnings do pale in comparison to the $22.7 billion in losses sustained in 2008 and 2009. So, the airlines are making up for lost time and taking advantage of a swing in the economy … that means you’re going to pay for it.

Good news for the airlines, of course, translates to a thinner wallet for you, but it indicates that you’re at least willing to handle the higher cost, since airlines tend to be price-takers rather than price setters.

Why are you going to pay more for flights? Here are the top five reasons:

1. Extra fees no longer “extra”: they’re part of the package now. Airlines raked in $13.5 billion from fees in 2009, a 43 percent spike year over year. They aren’t going away. As the industry recovers, this will help keep fares higher.

According to the Associated Press:

United and American led the way on “ancillary revenue,” including fees, at about $1.8 billion apiece last year, according to IdeaWorks. United Airlines President John Tague calls fees “an unequivocal success,” and suggests his airline could still double the amount it’s bringing in with baggage fees.

2. The market supports higher prices: airlines charge what they can get, as it is a consumer-driven market. So far, consumers are responding favorably to price increases, with fares up an average of 18 percent this summer.

3. Airlines to hold the line this fall: demand is expected to decline through the end of summer, and the airline will try to keep from offering deep discounts. In fact, many are offering deals to get passengers interested but are able to convert into higher-priced seats.

4. Shared armrests the norm: the planes are full. Delta filled close to 90 percent of its seats last month, with Continental at 87 percent and American at 86 percent. This means there are more fares covering the cost of the flight, which delivers favorable financial results.

5. Temptation to add flights resisted: rather than bring more planes out to handle this increase in demand, the airlines seem to be fighting the urge, because bookings are sluggish and the economic recovery is tenuous.

[photo by Ma1974 via Flickr]

American Airlines misroutes, loses guns belonging to Israeli PM bodyguards

by Scott Carmichael on

When a team of bodyguards for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu checked in for their flight from New York JFK to Washington D.C, they followed all the correct procedures – notifying the TSA that their Glock handguns were present in the suitcases, and allowing security staff to seal the bags.

Sadly, correct procedures did not prevent stupidity, because American Airlines misrouted the bags to Los Angeles instead of D.C.

To make matters worse, when they finally retrieved their bags, one of the guns was missing, and is presumed stolen.

A police report was taken for the theft of the gun, and I’m sure the TSA will be working overtime to review security video footage to track down the culprit.

The whole thing makes a mockery of U.S. airport security, which is even more embarrassing, since the Israeli system is considered one of the best in the world.

While the Israelis have mastered the art of profiling and terrorist detection, we can’t even find security staff that can keep their sticky fingers out of luggage containing handguns. Of course, this also means a gun is now missing inside the secure and sterile part of the airport, pretty much defeating all the millions spent on airport X-Ray equipment.

[Photo from Flickr/Smarter’s Photos]

Cracks on American Airlines Boeing 767 planes “cause for concern”

by Scott Carmichael on

Experts from American Airlines, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing are working overtime to inspect all Boeing 767 aircraft in the AA fleet.

The inspections were ordered after cracks were detected on a 767 which regulators say could have resulted in the loss of an engine.

During the past two weeks, inspectors found problems on three of the planes, promoting calls for “additional action.”

The cracks were found in engine pylons, which are the structural members that hold the engines on the wings, though none of the parties involved are going as far as to claim there is any danger.

This is not the first time Boeing planes have had issues with engine pylon structures – cracks in engine fuse pins were to blame for the 1992 El Al Boeing 747 crash in Amsterdam, killing 43 people.

According to FAA records, one of the planes found to have serious safety issues had only flown 500 trips since its last major inspection – which is prompting Boeing to recommend more regular safety inspections. At the moment, the pylons are only inspected after 1500 flights.

Of course, everyone involved is quick to point out that the safety concerns are not the result of missed or botched inspections. American Airlines says it expects to finish all inspections of its 56 Boeing 767s today.

If the FAA does alter current safety inspection rules, about 360 Boeing 767s will have to be inspected in the United States, along with hundreds more in use abroad.

[Image from: Flickr/Deanster 1983]

Top ten best airlines revealed in 2010 World Airline Awards

by Scott Carmichael on

Spoiler alert: U.S. based airlines apparently all suck. At least, if you believe the results of the Skytrax 2010 World Airline Awards. The top ten airlines in the world are mostly from Asia. The only upside for U.S. based airlines is that no European airlines made it to the list either.

American airlines are only represented in the “best North American Airlines” results – and even there, Air Canada takes the top spot.

The results are hardly surprising – I’ve flown many of these international airlines, and their product is indeed miles ahead of anything on offer in the U.S. or Europe. Still, it is a bit of a disgrace that none of the U.S. based airlines managed to make any of the winning categories. The top ten airlines of the world are:

  1. Asiana Airlines
  2. Singapore Airlines
  3. Qatar Airways
  4. Cathay Pacific
  5. Air New Zealand
  6. Etihad Airways
  7. Qantas Airways
  8. Emirates
  9. Thai Airways
  10. Malaysia Airlines

Still, it isn’t all doom and gloom – in recent weeks, the AOL “spy in the sky” flew all major U.S. carriers and found that there are still some friendly and helpful airlines out there. Check out their report cards for the ten airlines they reviewed.