SkyWest Airlines accused of unfair treatment of gay employees

by Scott Carmichael on

A SkyWest Airlines employee is fighting his company to demand free travel for his partner. In the airline business, it is common for employees and their spouses to receive free travel (on a “space available” basis). On SkyWest, this perk extends only to heterosexual co-workers, but not to Gilbert Caldwell’s husband.

Last year, the California State Court legalized same sex unions, and under that law, the airline should be treating its same sex couples the same way it treats heterosexual couples. Even though the law was overturned, couples that married before the rules were changed, are legally married according to state law.

The position of SkyWest is quite odd – they provide regional feeder flights for larger airlines like Delta, and many of those larger airlines do treat their gay employees equally.

With the law on their side, the case is just one step away from turning into a lawsuit. Personally, I hope SkyWest just does the right thing. This isn’t just about the law, but about two of their employees who just want to be treated equally. Not special perks, not better treatment, just the same treatment all other employees get.

Two jets collide at San Francisco airport

by Catherine Bodry on

It’s finally happened: after a year of reports on near misses, overworked air traffic controllers and airports as clogged as a teenager’s pores, two jets finally bumped into each other.

Despite the dramatic headline, it was actually a gentle collision and there were no injuries. The accident happened at San Francisco International Airport when two airplanes being pushed by “tugs” backed in to each other. One was a United Airlines 757 and the other was a SkyWest commuter jet. Good thing it was only a gentle bump, because that 757 could totally beat the commuter jet up.

Maybe this will be the collision that fires everyone up and makes the skies (or taxiways, or runways) safer.

Good thing an Airbus A380 wasn’t involved! We’d sure hate to hear about a disturbance on such a peaceful flight.
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Related: Obama’s plane clips another aircraft at Midway Airport

Man Uses Air Sickness Bag as Mini-Urinal

by Dave Luna on

James Whipple was an ordinary air traveler in Boise, Idaho on March 7th. He trudged through airport security, drank two beers at the airport bar, and boarded his plane for Salt Lake City. Though, the beer — as it is wont to do — coursed through his system and was ready for expulsion mid-flight. This normally wouldn’t be a problem except the restroom was labeled out-of-order… and there’s the rub.

The captain decided to keep the restroom closed for the one-hour trip because of a broken light. Whipple pleaded with the flight attendants to let him relieve his bladder, but the crew refused his requests to use the commode. So, with some MacGuyver-esque inspiration, Whipple grabbed an air sickness bag and urinated into it without alerting his fellow passengers.

A flight attendant noticed the bulging bag and notified the airport police while in-flight. Whipple answered a few questions upon landing, but was sent on his way. SkyWest corporate learned of the incident and formally apologized to the put-off passenger with a flight voucher. They added that the light would have been fixed before take-off, but the airline didn’t want to delay its passengers.