Flight Attendant Humiliates Breast-Pumping Mom

by Libby Zay on

Dawnella Brahos is claiming a flight attendant publicly humiliated her by not letting her use a breast pump aboard an American Airlines flight earlier this month. According to the mother, she was flying between Minneapolis and Chicago when the flight attendant denied usage, and the attendant even went so far as to claim Brahos was “making up” the fact that she had used the pump on previous legs of the trip on her way back from California.

“She was speaking in a loud voice, reading a page from a manual and adamant that because it was not pre-approved medical equipment I could not use the pump at my seat,” Brahos told NBC News.

The mother is particularly angry because she spent hours researching logistical issues, such as what planes had electrical outlets, and talking on the phone with airline representatives to ensure the device was allowed onboard. She and her husband even forked out extra money to make sure they’d be seated next to each other so a stranger wouldn’t have to be next to her when she used the device.

Brahos received a $100 voucher at the airport after she complained about her treatment, and is planning to file a formal complaint because she wants the airline “to let moms do what they need to do.”

[Photo credit: Pumpman2 / Wikimedia Commons]

Tarmac Rule Suspension Idea Heralds Really Long Flight Delays

by Chris Owen on

Sequester cuts have had already had an impact on travel, grounding the Navy’s Blue Angels at air shows, turning Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental into a third world-like airport and delaying the opening of national parks. This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began furloughs for some of its 47,000 agency employees, including 15,000 air traffic controllers. Faced with flight delays that could add up to hours, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is considering a temporary suspension of the three-hour tarmac delay rule, making air travelers the clear losers in the deal.

Just when air travelers were beginning to enjoy better on-time performance by airlines, partially fueled by the 2010 Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, evidence is mounting that U.S. airlines will experience longer and longer delays. In response, the DOT is considering an application filed by Airlines for America (A4A) and the Regional Airline Association (RAA) to suspend the three-hour tarmac delay.

That rule also requires airlines to keep toilets open, provide water and essentials for passengers held for hours on the tarmac and allow them to deplane after three hours for domestic flights and four hours on international flights.

The exemption, if granted, would greatly reduce the possibility of airlines being fined up to $27,500 per passenger.Cutbacks are estimated to delay as many as 6,700 flights each day at the nation’s 14 biggest airports said a report in the International Business Times. Airports affected include Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and all airports serving New York City.

History tells us that being without air traffic controllers is a bad idea, but not one that means long-term travel disruption. When President Reagan fired air traffic controllers in 1981, air travel slowed. But after supervisors and military controllers joined non-striking controllers, 80 percent of flights were operating normally.




[Photo credit – Flickr user shutterbug4000]

Thousands Of Airport Delays In Wake Of Sequestration

by Libby Zay on

Earlier this week we warned travelers to expect delays as sequestration cuts hit airports, and now the numbers are in: according to a news release from FlightStats.com, nearly 1,000 flights have been canceled and there have been more than 18,200 flight delays since the Federal Aviation Administration began facing the spending cuts on Sunday.

Airports with the highest percentages of delays yesterday were LaGuardia Airport in New York, Denver International Airport in Colorado, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Newark Liberty International Airport, also in New York.

Data from the flight tracking website shows there were 207 flights canceled and 4,842 delays on Sunday, when the furloughs began. Those cancellations cascaded into Monday, when there were 404 canceled flights and 7,027 delays. Yesterday, the numbers were slightly lower, at 385 canceled flights and 6,396 delays. Hopefully this last set of data means airports are getting things under control, but for now the only advice we can give is to check each flight status and ensure you leave plenty of time to get through airport security.

[Photo credit: Flickr user _ambrown]

Delta Employees Reunite Boy With Treasured Shirt

by Libby Zay on

When a 7-year-old lost the thing he treasures most in the world, Delta employees went above and beyond – even searching in the trash – to get it back to him.

ABC News in Fargo, North Dakota, broke the story of Cole Holzer and his treasured T-shirt. The shirt wasn’t just an expensive gift or a favorite thing for the young boy to wear, but actually an article of clothing his father had been wearing when he tragically passed away following a freak accident while he was putting up Christmas lights.

As Tonya Holzer, the boy’s mother, explained: three years ago her son was inconsolable at the hospital after his father’s death, and said he wouldn’t leave until he had the Nike T-shirt in hand. So Tonya went in and retrieved the shirt, and it’s been Cole’s security blanket ever since. That is, until it was forgotten during the rush to leave the plane on a flight to California.

In the car, Cole realized the shirt was gone and became hysterical. Not knowing where to start, Tonya called Delta’s 1-800 number. By the end of the conversation, both the mother and the customer service agent were crying. From ground crew to ticket agents, Delta employees began searching for the worn T-shirt, which they called “the daddy shirt.”

Eventually, the Holzer family got a call from Delta assuring them what once was lost was now found. “Efforts made to reunite this very special shirt with Cole and his family is another fantastic example of Delta people going above and beyond for our customers,” a Delta representative told the news outlet.

TSA Postpones Allowing Knives On Planes

by Libby Zay on

It looks like travelers will have to wait a little longer before bringing their pocketknives and golf clubs on board planes. According to Forbes, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has postponed their earlier decision to allow small knives and sporting good equipment in carry-on luggage, a rule that was supposed to go into effect on April 25.

Many people, including flight attendants and other airline employees, criticized the new rules after they were announced in March. A CNN contributor backed these oppositions in a highly circulated op-ed. It seems the TSA is listening, and will now look to the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) for further input on what should and shouldn’t be on the Prohibited Items List.

Although these items aren’t allowed in the cabin, travelers can still pack them in checked luggage. So for now, it looks like our sports outings and camping trips will continue to include a baggage fee.

[Image credit: The Transportation Security Administration]