Delta Airlines to show in-flight etiquette films

by Catherine Bodry on

I remember one particular red-eye flight where I was THAT person — you know, the very last one to board (I had a sprained ankle and had gotten practically strip-searched at security), in a middle seat, and with a bulging day pack that I could barely cram into the overhead compartment. As I limped my way to the back of the plane, the unbuckled hip belt on my day pack began slapping dozing passengers in their faces. I didn’t realize it until a flight attendant chased me down and admonished me for giving the passengers such rude awakenings.

Although my friends and I still laugh about the situation, it was actually pretty embarrassing. Perhaps if I had been educated on airplane etiquette, I would’ve been more aware of the effect of my actions on other passengers. I’d like to think I was just exhausted and rushed, but that’s still no excuse for smacking people in the face.

It appears that I’m not the only unaware passenger out there. Delta is attempting to raise awareness of proper airline etiquette with a series of animations to be shown during flights. According to the Associated Press, the snippets include “Middleman,” about the middle-seat bully; “Kidtastrophe,” depicting unruly tots on planes; “Lav Dance,” about the person who bumps into everyone in the airplane aisle while returning from the lavatory; and “Shady Lady,” about the passenger who raises or closes the window shade without considering other passengers.

So far, none about the passenger who smacks everyone in the face with her hip belt. Whew.

When flight crews drink on the job

by Catherine Bodry on

You can view a video on YouTube of a Delta flight attendant being removed and booked for on-the-job intoxication. Neil provided a video of drunken flight attendants making out on a flight in Russia. So how common is it for flight crews to imbibe on the clock?

Despite the recent media coverage, it’s not common at all (you can breathe that sigh of relief now). Travel columnist James Wysong, who also works as a flight attendant, examined the tendency of airline employees to hit the bottle while on duty. While the traveling life might be conducive to partying, Wysong discovered that for the most part employees are keeping their partying on terra firma.

Wysong discusses the looser rules of the past, when a flight attendant he knew began her nine-hour flight with two fingers of scotch, and pilots arrived to work with alcohol on their breath. But now flight crews are randomly tested (he’s been tested three times in the past two years) and the ramifications are severe if caught.

So you can relax on your next flight. And if you find that you can’t relax, well, passengers are certainly allowed to imbibe!

[via Msnbc]

Celebrity Chefs Make Airline Food Palatable

by Catherine Bodry on

Blogger Grant just posted about American Airlines’ introduction of Hawaiian cuisine on the airline’s mainland-Hawaii flights.

Serving gourmet food on flights is becoming a real trend as airlines try to make flying more enjoyable while also hoping to part passengers from their dollars. I think it’s a bit sneaky to take away in-flight meals only to reintroduce them as items to be purchased, but I can’t help but get excited about the idea of eating genuinely yummy food while flying.

Airline food has been typically always on the unflattering side of food comparisons (along with prison food), but its reputation is changing. Airlines are employing well-known chefs and sommeliers to create menus and wine lists; celebrity chef Todd English will be designing meals for Delta. As soon as November you’ll be able to order a Mediterranean salad with grilled shrimp or a roast beef Cobb sandwich on Delta flights over 750 miles. Meals will run between $2 and $10 dollars.

Air France and Continental Airlines have also used big-name chefs to entice you to fly with them.

[via USA Today]

Booking a Flight from New York to San Francisco Online. But Where Online?

by Iva Skoch on

I used to be a big fan of buying tickets on travel websites such as Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Orbitz.com but lately, I found that it is often cheaper to buy them directly through the airlines’s websites. Have we come a full circle?

I picked a random date–a long weekend Sept.13-17 from New York to San Francisco–to see what rates would come back.

A sample of a few direct flights:

  • United: $303 on Expedia, $298 on United.com
  • Continental: $357 on Expedia, $352 on Continental.com
  • Delta: $303 on Expedia, $358 on Delta.com
  • Alaska: $343 on Expedia, $498 on Alaskaair.com (hello!)

OK, so it’s a mixed bag. I have to say though that I have yet to find a flight that is cheaper on Expedia or Travelocity than it is on Continental.com. Their website is really good, I think. It is comforting to know that airlines are starting to understand how to use the Internet to their–and our–advantage.

I now use kayak.com to see the best rates and then book directly on the airlines’ sites. Plus, I get extra miles for booking online. Expedia, be worried!

“God” Edited Out Of In-Flight Movie

by Jonathon Morgan on

It’s long been common practice for airlines to show in-flight movies that have been edited for “offensive” content, as passengers vary considerably in age, culture, etc, and no one wants to offend a paying customer. But by bleeping out all mentions of the word “God” when showing the Oscar-nominated movie, “The Queen,” one company went a little too far.

“[Bleep] bless you, ma’am” is just one of seven instances in which the word “God” was accidentally removed.

While Jaguar Distribution, the company that distributed the movie to the airlines, regularly removes “foul language, excessive violence and nudity,” according to Jack Klein, company president, “A reference to God is not taboo in any culture that I know of.”

So how did this happen? Human error, apparently. An inexperienced employee was told to edit out all profanities and blasphemies, and was somewhat overzealous.

Let’s pray to [bleep] that the poor guy doesn’t get fired over this rather embarrassing mistake.