Guaranteed on Board program gives pet owners peace of mind

by Katie Hammel on

Passengers flying with their pets have always had a rough time navigating the tricky rules surrounding pet carriers. And many have been frustrated to find that carriers that they thought were approved for travel in the plane’s cabin were deemed unsuitable by gate agents. When that happens, many pet owners find themselves out of luck – unable to board the plane, but not eligible for a refund on the flight.

To help, the Sherpa pet carrier company has teamed up with eight pet-friendly airlines to offer the “Guaranteed on Board” program, a sort of insurance policy for those traveling with their pets. The GOB website details the sizes and types of carriers allowed on each airline. Passengers who purchase an approved carrier can go online to register it (after making arrangements to bring the pet on board directly with the airline they are flying) print out the Guaranteed on Board certificate and bring it with them to the airport. If they are then refused boarding by an airline official due to the carrier, the program will reimburse them for the cost of the missed flight.

Airlines participating in the program include American, Midwest AirTran, Continental, Northwest, Delta, Southwest, and Alaska. American and Delta have even designed their own bags, which they sell on the Sherpa website. If your pet can’t fly on its own airline, at least you can have some assurance that your carrier will be up to spec, or you’ll get your money back for being bumped off a flight.

AeroMexico plane hijacking resolved peacefully

by Katie Hammel on

Shortly after taking off from Cancun on Wednesday, the pilots of AeroMexico flight 737 radioed the control tower to say the plane had been hijacked. The hijacker had showed off a bomb (later found to be fake) and demanded to speak to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. He threatened to blow up the plane, which was carrying over 100 people, and said he needed to warn the President of an impending earthquake.

The hijacker was unable to get into the cockpit, and the plane landed safely in Mexico City, its intended destination. After the plane landed and taxied to a part of the runway designated for emergencies, passengers deplaned, and security forces boarded. They quickly apprehended who they thought were the nine hijackers, but it later became clear that there was only one, Bolivian-born Jose Flores, 44, who told police he was a Protestant Minister and that “it was a divine revelation that made him carry out his actions.” The other suspects, innocent passengers caught up in the confusion, were released.

Most of the passengers had no idea that the hijacking was even taking place until it was over, and no one was injured in the incident. This was Mexico‘s first major hijacking situation since 1972.

[via Washington Post]

10 passengers we love to hate: Day 6 – Crybabies and restless kids

by Brenda Yun on

We don’t mean to hate ’em but we do. The moment of truth is when you find your seat and hope pray that a child will not be sitting next to, in front or back of, or even close to you. Children just don’t make good neighbors on an airplane. On a playground, maybe, but not when you’ve purchased a seat and five hours of flying time for $200.

Take my nephew, for instance. When his mouth is closed, he really is the most adorable little human: soft baby skin, big innocent eyes. But once his breath quickens and he makes even the slightest peep, he’s handed off to my sister like a football on 4th down.

There’s something about adjusting to the cabin air pressure that, well, turns these little cuties very ugly. Their skin turns pink, their eyes close and wrinkle, and then the mouth gapes open and the shrillest human sound escapes.

The child is inconsolable. And the parent? Well, there’s really nothing s/he can do about it except bounce the child on her lap and pray the crying will stop — and soon. Nothing — not even an emergency stop-it-from-crying kit — can calm this child. What makes the situation even worse is that the cry sounds like it’s amplified by a loudspeaker when it’s contained in the tight quarters of an airplane cabin. We’re not at a Cry Baby Matinee. We’re on a plane, and we prefer the experience to be as peaceful and pleasant as possible.

Let’s face it: an airplane is not a suitable place for a crybaby, nor is it suitable for a messy toddler who likes to kick the back of your seat for the whole flight. It’s a reality, yet one we can’t do much about.

Earplugs may help — or maybe a child section to every plane.

Read about ALL the passengers we love to hate.

The most exclusive plane-hotel in Costa Rica

by Brenda Yun on

Not all aircrafts are destined to be cut into pieces and melted for reuse in another life. Here is a unique example of one in Costa Rica — a fully-outfitted, meticulously detailed, two bedroom, Boeing 727 fuselage suite.

This refurbished, vintage, 1965 Boeing 727 airframe once shuttled globetrotters on South Africa Air and Avianca Airlines (Colombia). Now the phoenix is ready for its future duty as the most exclusive hotel suite in Costa Rica.

The airframe was salvaged piece by piece from its San Jose airport resting place and carefully transported on five, big-rig trucks to the jungles of Manuel Antonio where it was resurrected into a unique jumbo hotel suite.

This classic plane-hotel, nestled on the edge of the National Park in the Costa Verde area is perched on a 50-foot pedestal. At this height, guests can enjoy scenic ocean and jungle views from the hard wood deck built atop the plane’s former right wing.

The plane’s interior is Costa Rican teak paneling from the cockpit to the tail. Furnishings are hand-carved, teak furniture from Java , Indonesia. This 727 home also features two air conditioned bedrooms — one with two queen sized beds and the other with one queen sized bed, each with its own private bath, a flat screen TV, a kitchenette, dining area foyer, an ocean view terrace, a private entrance up a river rock, spiral staircase, and 360 degrees of surrounding gardens. Enjoy an evening on the terrace, spying on tree top neighbors such as sloths, toucans and monkeys.

The refurbished Boeing 727 home is not the only such dwelling in the world. This hotel suite was inspired by a Forbes Magazine article about a company offering hurricane-proof living via surplus Boeing 727 airframes. The hotel took it to the next level, though, by finding some new ways to introduce convenience and luxury to the plane’s aluminum scrap frame.

Staying in this Costa Verde 72 fuselage home starts at $300 per night. To book what will certainly be a memorable stay in this plane-hotel, visit the Hotel Costa Verde website.

Want to be a pilot? No experience required

by Grant Martin on

Those of you that have been reading Kent Wien’s Cockpit Chronicles may experience the deep envy that many feel when we read about the great destinations, experiences and adventures that a pilot is privy to. Indeed for many, the job of a pilot is a dream, something that we aspire to as children but rarely pursue later in life. And by the time many of realize how much we want to chase that dream, well, we may think that it’s too late to inviest the time and money in training. If you win this contest, however, that could all change.

Air Asia, Malaysia’s most successful low cost carrier has a shortage of pilots, and in an effort to build interest and support in the brand they’re launching the “So you Wanna be a Pilot” competition. 10 lucky winners who submit a blog entry to their site could be selected to win training from the ground up. Obviously you have to have basic education in Physics, Mathematics and the like, but every pilot should have that, right? Oh and the other caveat? You need to have a good command of Bahasa Malaysia. But that’s not hard to learn, right?

Check out the rest of the details on AirAsia’s blog.