Plastic bag fees in New York City? What about Seattle?

by Jamie Rhein on

Mayor Bloomberg’s office has urged, urged, urged people in New York City to use cloth grocery bags for a long time now. They’ve cajoled. They’ve pleaded. His office has set up plastic bag recycling receptacles at various supermarkets around the city in an effort to make the city folk more environmentally conscience.

But people just love, love, love those plastic bags. They just can’t stop using them. Now, there’s another plan in the pipeline. You can use those handy sacks of thin plastic, but it might cost you. If the plan goes in the direction Bloomberg would like, people who want their groceries sacked in plastic will pay 6-cents per bag at check-out.

This very European move– the New York Times article cites many European countries as having similar measures, would generate income for the city. The $16 million would come in handy each year when it comes to doling out the budget.

Some say that 6-cents won’t make much difference in people’s sack habits and the fee should be much higher. How much higher? When people in Ireland had to fork over 33-cents for a plastic bag starting in 2003, plastic sack use dropped by 94-percent.

Bloomberg thinks 6-cents is a good place to start. Seattle is considering similar measures and Los Angeles and Dallas have also studied ways to get people to stop using plastic like there’s no tomorrow.

Perhaps if eco-friendly shopping bags became more of a status symbol, and using plastic became so low brow that people who used them would be so embarrassed they’d feel compelled to duck their heads as to not be noticed, people’s habits would change.

At any rate, if you’re visiting New York City and duck into a deli for a snack, consider forgoing the bag. Bloomberg will thank you.

The Most Expensive and Least Expensive Airports in the US

by Josh Lew on

According to the US Department of Transportation, airfares are now at an all time high. The average fare for the 2nd quarter of 2008 was $352. That’s up nearly 8% from a year ago. Travelers are definitely feeling the surge in prices. However, the averages for individual airports vary wildly. Cincinnati has it worst. With fares averaging $595, it is the most expensive airport to fly out of in the country. Like many similar-sized cities, Cinci has an airport with fewer carriers and fewer direct routes than big city airports. Lack of options almost always means higher prices.

On the other end of the spectrum, Love Field in Dallas has a fare average of $221. Though it is smaller and older than Dallas/Ft. Worth International, Love Field’s West terminal is dominated by Southwest Airlines, which is known for its cheaper fares. American Eagle and Continental Express offer flights to Houston and Chicago O’Hare from the airport’s other terminal. LA’s Burbank Airport, second fiddle to LAX, also has a low fare average ($252).It looks like having a second airport in your city is never a bad thing.

Why are these the world’s best airports?



Click the image to find out!

Cockpit Chronicles: Domestic Duties

by Kent Wien on

I can’t wait for our one European destination to come back to Boston in May. These crack of dawn departures don’t fit my circadian rhythm at all. I’m convinced in fact, that when I retire I may never again see the sun rise.

That said, it’s just so amazing to walk down the jet bridge and out the side door to start the preflight inspection and see the sunrise shining down the polished fuselage just as the light breaks through the horizon. Even after so many years it’s still enough to get you excited to climb once more into the sky, turn left to one-four-zero and pop through a thin cloud layer into the bright sun. For me, this is the best part of the job. Not the layovers or the diminished travel benefits, but the ability to fly an airplane I could never afford, to places I never thought of seeing with other pilots and flight attendants that I enjoy working with.

This morning’s flight down to Chicago was completely full. The captain, Roland, was someone who I hadn’t flown with before and we had two American Eagle pilots in the cockpit jumpseats. The 757 has two seats located just behind the pilots that are used for FAA checkrides or for extra relief pilots who sit there for takeoff and landing. But they’re most often used by pilots who are trying to get to or from work. Often these pilots work for a different airline.

%Gallery-21627%After passing through a series of checks with the gate agents, jumpseating pilots make their way into the cockpit and introduce themselves where the captain will look over their paperwork and I.D.’s. Most of these pilots are apologetic for crowding into our workspace for their flight to or from home, but I actually enjoy having them along. It’s nice to catch up with what’s happening at other companies, and since I’ve used the jumpseat at FedEx and other airlines so many times, I’m happy that we can return the favor.

The two Eagle captains filled us in on some of the details at their airline such as how much time it’s taking to upgrade to captain, where the senior bases are and some interesting rumors.

I’m pretty sure I haven’t flown into Chicago since 2005. Not much has changed, except for the renumbering of a few of the runways. A new east/west runway on the north side of the airport is being built, which meant they’d have to rename the two parallel runways from 27 Left and 27 Right to 27 Left, 27 Right and 28. It’s not nearly as confusing as it sounds.

The weather was clear and calm, which allowed for a relatively quick turnaround of about an hour in Chicago. I didn’t even go into the terminal, since I had just enough time to do another preflight inspection and the cockpit setup tasks. The next leg was to Miami and just like the first one, it was a full flight, with two more jumpseaters.

We have a normal power setting and a maximum power setting that we use for each takeoff. Maximum power is used only when the runway is short, there’s any tailwind or if the winds are shifting significantly. Today, we had a slight tailwind, so a max power takeoff was required. Even with every seat full, the 757 was a rocket–climbing over 6000 feet per minute at a deck angle of 20 degrees and still accelerating.

One of our jumpseaters, Brett, was an Eagle co-pilot and the other was a 737 pilot for us. They were both commuting to work. We enjoyed chatting with Brett who was finishing up his first year at the airline flying the Embraer regional jet. His enthusiasm was infectious and when we found out that he’d be staying at the same hotel in Miami that we were, we insisted he come with us for dinner.

He was genuinely surprised when we covered his meal, but really, who’s going to let a first year Eagle pilot pay? The dinner at Norman’s (a shrimp BLT sandwich) at north Miami Beach was excellent.

Back at the Miami Beach hotel I went to my room and spent a relaxing night writing up a Plane Answers post for Friday. When I’m at home, I usually watch the kids while my wife gets some work done after I’ve been gone for the past few days. So I can only write in the late evenings after everyone’s asleep or during the layovers. Occasionally I can write while deadheading.

The next morning we met the van outside the hotel while it was still dark. Roland and I flew the early morning flight from Miami to San Francisco. Our flight attendants were based in Miami, so we met up with them at the airplane.

My favorite thing about these domestic transcon flights are the beautiful opportunities for pictures above the Rocky Mountains, Bryce Canyon and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. We were kept lower than usual, due to the headwinds that were stronger up above us, so the view turned out to be perfect for a few pictures. Allow me to take you across the country, over New Orleans, Dallas, the Rockies, Bryce Canyon, Utah, Yosemite, and into San Francisco with this gallery:

%Gallery-21627%

I’ve never had any intention of writing a blog. I just started out sharing these kind of pictures, and the captions began to grow into blog posts. My English teacher would always say, don’t tell me, SHOW me! Well Mr. Park, here you go–I’ve got my camera right here.

The wind was really howling at the San Francisco airport, up to about 40 m.p.h., but it was pointed down the runway. Of course Roland rolled it onto runway 28 nicely.

Here’s where this trip started to look ugly. We arrived in San Francisco before noon, but we’d be leaving for Boston at 11 p.m. With just a bite to eat, and some well-needed sleep, we’d be flying all night to Boston.

Roland had a favorite restaurant that turned out to to be a bit of a hike, especially with the wind blowing from the bay right at us. I broke one of my self-imposed layover rules and didn’t bring my camera. I had no idea it would be such a scenic walk. The low res iPhone camera was all I could use to give you an idea where we walked.

When we made it back to the hotel three hours later, it wasn’t hard to sleep–even though it was in the middle of the day. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t have more time there, since this was one of the best hotels in our system. More and more hotels are getting flat screen televisions, but this was the first I’ve seen with actual HD content. Not only that, but they included a panel where you can plug in your iPod, computer or mp3 player. Finally a hotel that isn’t clinging to the idea that guests are only interested in outrageously priced ‘on demand’ movies.

I enjoy flying at night. It’s usually smoother, and there’s far less chatter on the radio. After taking off from San Francisco, we were given a direct route to Albany, N.Y. which is the first point on our approach into Boston. This direct routing shaved off twelve miles from our original flight plan. That only amounts to a saving of three minutes but we were happy to take whatever they would give us.

Halfway through our last leg, I agreed with Roland that this trip was really much better than it looked on paper. No one likes to fly the all-nighter trips, but this one really wasn’t that bad. In fact, I prefer this flying over the early morning flights we have to Miami and then to the islands. But I just couldn’t see switching to domestic, since I’d miss the Caribbean and European flying.

Everyone has different priorities though, and that’s one of the benefits of working for such a large company. My brother is also a pilot here, and he prefers domestic flying for the most part. Recently the 777 captain position has become within his reach and he’s seriously considering flying from Chicago to our 777 destinations of Shanghai, New Delhi, Moscow and London. This would be a dream for me since it would at least give me something new to write about and it would also pay more, but Kurt’s really having to think it over. I may just have to jumpseat with him on one of those trips if he decides to take the plunge. Ten years ago I rode with him from Seattle to Tokyo when he was flying as a co-pilot on the MD-11.

I thanked Roland for a great trip as we waited for the bus to the parking lot. I then jumped in my car for the hour-long drive north to New Hampshire. My wife was just getting up with the kids and after a nice welcome home, I went upstairs for some sleep.

I was completely exhausted and delighted to finally fall into my own bed for a much needed rest…

Then crew scheduling called.

They let me know that I’d be needed for another trip in the morning. And of course, it left at o’dark-thirty.

Cockpit Chronicles takes you along on each of Kent’s trips as a co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 out of Boston.

Cockpit Chronicles: How pilots stay proficient

by Kent Wien on

Last week I accomplished something every pilot dreads. Every nine months we have to go down to Dallas for recurrent training. The FAA lays out its mandates for airline recurrent training and the specific airlines design their courses around these requirements. It seems like every year they’re adding more and more subjects that need to be covered. Whether it’s in the classroom or in the simulator, there’s a lot of information packed into the four days.

Fortunately I was scheduled to fly down the day before which makes it easier to get a good nights sleep. This extra sleep helps me stay awake during some of the required classroom training which isn’t that exhilarating. There’s just no way to jazz up a course on hazardous materials paperwork or the proper use of a halon fire extinguisher.

The hotel was very basic and included a view of the roller coasters from the Six Flags over Texas amusement park. I think they’re shut down during the winter, though. The free continental breakfast and WiFi made it easy to overlook any other shortcomings of the hotel.

The training lasts four days and includes two days of ground school and two days of simulator training.

Day 1 – International School

There were only six of us in a classroom that seats 30 people on the first day, in which we covered international flying for 4 1/2 hours. The instructor reviewed the procedural differences in flying across the Atlantic versus the Pacific and touched on some of the requirements for flying over the North Pole, even though it’s unlikely the airplane I fly will ever go in that direction. The class also covered flying in South America which we’ll hopefully see more of from our Boston base. After class it was time to go back to the hotel and study some more for the next day.
Day 2 – Ground School

The next day there were eight of us in a different classroom listening to an instructor go over some of the 757 and 767 specifics. It was a good review that included a look into the hydraulic system, electrical system, flight instruments, air conditioning and pressurization, among other topics. Our cockpits are being retrofitted with large LCD type screens that will include a number of advancements. As you can imagine, I love gadgets, so I’m looking forward to flying an airplane with these displays installed in them.

While walking back from the cabin simulators where we operated the main cabin and emergency exit doors, I saw a group of flight attendants getting ready to go down the emergency exit slides. Pilots have to go down these slides as well when they’re first hired. When our new-hire class made the leap, our instructor wasn’t as versed in the operation of this ‘slide simulator’ and we all went sailing down the chutes. It wasn’t until the last person finished that a flight attendant instructor, who happened to be walking by, told us that the slide needed to be inflated. No wonder it felt like we were falling straight to the ground!

After lunch we went to a class on security that both pilots and flight attendants attend, and then we finished the day off with human factors training. This is an interesting class where we look at some of the mistakes other pilots have made based on their safety debriefs. These reports help us find better procedures and training to avoid getting into a similar situation. The situations are often recreated and filmed in a simulator to highlight the message. The goal is to recognize the mistakes that happen and to learn how to stay out of that kind of situation in the first place. It’s a serious class and the messages aren’t soon forgotten.

Day 3 – Simulator Training

When I was 15, my dad was an instructor pilot for another airline. Thanks to him, I had the rare opportunity to fly a full motion 737 simulator two different times. Both events were the highlight of my life to that point. When there’s absolutely no pressure to perform, these things can be great fun.

A Sim-P, or simulator pilot, who’s usually a retired military or other airline pilot, conducts the simulator training. We have a number of former Braniff pilots in this position and they’re absolutely fantastic instructors. These instructors run you through some maneuvers, approaches and any new procedures in preparation for your checkride the next day.

After a two hour briefing on some of the maneuvers we’d be doing, including low visibility landings, engine failures and fires, single engine approaches and go-arounds, we finally went into the simulator.

You need to be a bit of an actor in a simulator. There are lines to memorize and actions to perform, and you need to know these seldom used litanies without fail. Combine this with a look at your aircraft systems and procedures knowledge and it’s easy to see why it’s not exactly a video game for airline pilots.

The most common maneuver we practice is called the “V1 Cut.” It’s an engine failure at the worst possible moment, just as the airplane is ready to lift off from the runway. After liftoff, the jet tends to pull toward the failed engine which requires a significant–40 pounds maybe–amount of foot pressure on the rudder toward the side of the good engine. While you’re trying to keep the airplane straight and level, the non flying pilot needs to contact ATC to declare an emergency and let them know where you want to go. The airplane climbs nicely to about 600 feet before we accelerate and bring the flaps up. The flying pilot then makes their callouts (the acting part) which are “continuous power, flight level change, set speed, let’s have the engine fire, severe damage, separation emergency checklist,” and then climbs to a safe altitude.

The non-flying pilot accomplishes the checklist which takes at least five minutes to get through. The flying pilot talks to air traffic control and works their way back to the runway. A fantastic video of a 757 in this situation was taken last year in Manchester, England.

For both the training and the simulator checkride, I was paired up with a Captain from L.A. named Mike who really knew his stuff. He was relaxed, yet professional and he was never in a hurry. This is the perfect kind of guy to fly with when everything falls apart (as often happens in a simulator). Apparently Mike and I put on a good enough show during the 4-hour training session to be signed off for our ‘checkride’ the next day.

Day 4 – The Checkride

The
checkride also starts out with a 2-hour briefing followed by 4 hours in the simulator. After questions about some of the limitations and immediate action items we’re required to know, we talked about some new procedures. The check-airman spent a good portion of this time discussing a new GPS based approach we’re flying into Quito, Ecuador.

After a short break we went into the simulator and got everything ready as if it were a normal flight. The sounds and feel inside are very similar to the actual airplane. We wear our seat belts, not only to get the full effect, but because the box tends to move around quite a bit in a realistic way during these maneuvers.

Mike flew first, accomplishing an automatic landing, aborted takeoff, engine failure on takeoff followed by an engine out approach. I went next with a flaps up landing, an engine failure on takeoff and one on landing, a couple of different types of approaches to landings and a ground evacuation. I’m sure I’m leaving some things out, but they all tend to blend together after a few hours.

We took turns flying a recovery from a microburst and also a very aggressive terrain avoidance maneuver. Two skills you hope to never find yourself needing. We then flew two GPS approaches–one in each direction–into Quito.

At the end of the session we usually get a few maneuvers that are as close to having fun as we’ll ever get in the simulator. Often the instructor will fail both engines (almost always, for some reason, in Salt Lake City) and expect us to make it to the runway. There are bonus points given if you can coast to the gate. Or we might get to land in a 30-knot crosswind with the runway reported as having nil braking action. Something we’d never attempt in a real airplane. It’s often a sign that things went well during the checkride when the check-airman gives you some of these scenarios.

It’s a great feeling to ride home, even in the back of an MD-80, knowing that you’re good to go for another nine months.

I’m on reserve this month, so I’m not sure when and where I’ll be flying next. Stay tuned to the Cockpit Chronicles to find out.

Cockpit Chronicles takes you along on each of Kent’s trips as a co-pilot on the Boeing 757 and 767 out of Boston.

Holiday Travel Hell Part 3: If you book with Payless Car Rental, make sure your flight is on time

by Catherine Bodry on

As I’ve written over the past few days, my and my sister Ali’s trip to Tampa started about fairly rocky. There was the disinterested and blatantly untruthful American Airlines customer service agent, and then the lost car rental reservation with Expedia and Payless Car Rental (we still don’t know who to blame, but Exepedia eventually worked it out for us).

But while I sat around the Payless Car Rental office, watching a TV blaring Fox News and learning new swear words from Ali, I witnessed half a dozen clients come to Payless to pick up a car, only to learn that their reservation had been cancelled because the customer was late. Payless employees maintained that reservations are only held for four hours after the original booking time. No cars were left once the reservation was cancelled, so travelers had to take the shuttle back to the airport and start over with a different agency. This was December 28th, right in the middle of the holiday season, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for travelers that were late for their reservation through no fault of their own — flights were delayed and connections missed, as I knew well. One couple was late because their luggage was lost, and they had even called Payless to let them know they’d be late.

On the other side, I witnessed Payless employees take abuse after abuse, when I’m certain many of the situations weren’t directly their fault. To their credit, they handled each outraged customer well, moving on to deal with the next one after the previous stormed out. That’s got to be a job that requires a strong cocktail at the end of the shift just to get your blood pressure down near normal.

So what’s going on here? It’s hard to say — Payless cars seemed to be the cheapest, and judging by my experience there, it’s a bit of a fly-by-night operation. I doubt the employees were getting paid enough to handle the kind of abuse they received — but it also seems completely ridiculous to cancel a reservation if a customer is late. I can’t imagine how many reservations were lost in 2007 when flights were delayed.

Is it possible that Payless profits from canceled reservations? That’s definitely worth looking into.

Has anyone out there had this kind of experience with Payless Car Rental? We’d love to hear about your experience.