Praying man kicked off United flight

by Grant Martin on

WABC out of New York is reporting that an Orthodox Jewish man who had been praying while a United Airlines flight was boarding was kicked off after he wouldn’t sit down.

As the story goes, the man boarded the flight and moved back to the lav to pray, which as doctrine dictates, can’t be interrupted. After flight attendants asked him to sit down and he repeatedly didn’t respond, they summoned a security guard to escort him off the plane.

I can see how standing up during pushback can be a security issue, but is it really necessary to kick the guy off for such a short delay? According to one of the witnesses on the flight, the ritual was only supposed to take two minutes.

But the best part about the article on ABC 7 is how they try to suggest it had something to do with religious or racial profiling. They make sure to point out that the man “wore a full beard, a black hat and a long black coat” and that he was “carrying a religious book”. Look out! Those rascals with religious books are dangerous!

What Northwest Airlines wrote to me

by Jamie Rhein on

As a person with oodles of frequent-flier miles, you can bet when I read about Northwest’s merger with Delta our miles flashed before my eyes and headed down a drain until I mentally fished them out. Should we book that flight to Copenhagen, Denmark even though we’re holding out for Asia next summer?

When I headed to my in-box, there was an e-mail from Northwest Airlines telling me not to worry about my World Perks miles and Elite status. They are safe and will not be affected by the merger. The message also pointed out that this merger will give me more options to use those miles because of the increase of the routes and the global reach. What I want is for them to fly to Vietnam.

I’m glad that Northwest sent me a warning along with the time frame of when changes could occur. It does make me feel part of Northwest’s radar–like possibly they care. Letting customers know what is going on is key in today’s uncertain world. It instills confidence and keeps customers coming back.

A few year’s ago, when we were flying Northwest to Taiwan and had to be rerouted to Honolulu due to engine failure, we were told what was going on during each step. It was clear that Northwest was prepared to make sure that we were comfortable and happy. The engine trouble resulted in a two-night stay at the Sheraton Waikiki with vouchers for breakfast and dinner–not too shabby. United Airlines lost my business because when the same thing happened on a flight from L.A. to Singapore, we were treated terribly. I have yet to forgive them.

Despite the e-mail, I’m not quite comfortable because our mile accumulation is a hefty amount that I’d hate to lose. I’m the type that hoards for a better day. That day might be now. I’ve started looking into that Denmark trip just in case. As Grant also wrote, better play it safe to not be sorry later.

Skybus’s bankruptcy affects honeymoon plans 35 years in the making

by Jamie Rhein on

Skybus is still making front page of Columbus’s newspaper. We’re still having the tail end of Skybus drama at my house. Two nights ago, my friend called telling me that he had received the e-mail from Skybus telling him his flight in May was no more and that there weren’t any refunds. My friend is out $300, I would guess, because he paid for the ticket back in September and rebooked it in October. Too bad he doesn’t have the $300 for a flight to Columbus on another airlines because those flights can be found. My husband was able to cancel the charge on our credit card for the cost of the ticket he booked for this August. Our problems are nothing compared to the folks who are out of a job without warning.

There is another Skybus story that really pulls on the old heartstrings. A Columbus couple who had been dating for 35 years and finally got married had planned to fly to California for their honeymoon. The couple are in their 70s. They haven’t flown in years because of the cost, but family bought them the Skybus tickets for a wedding present. This is a couple who decided to get married so he wouldn’t have to drive home at night. The wedding was the day after Skybus’ last flight so their honeymoon bit the dust until the groom’s sister sprung for the flight on United Airlines. The couple is now heading to San Diego next week. I hope they have good weather and a good flight.

The groom’s sister just happens to live in San Diego so they are staying with her. If United Airlines wanted to capitalize on this story, I’d think they could come up with something catchy. At least on a United Airlines flight they can get something to drink and a snack without paying extra–at least not yet.

What strange things have been found on planes?


Read more wedding horror stories from AisleDash:

United to cancel 777 flights today

by Grant Martin on

Has the FAA been bringing the pain super fast lately? Last week we saw hundreds of cancellations on American Airlines and Delta Airlines flights because of potential issues with wiring harnesses underneath the aircraft. The issue was solely on their MD-80 aircraft, each carrier grounded a few flights, checked out the problem and everything got rolling again. What caused the inspections, however, was a flag raised by the FAA questioning the methodology of the inspections, not dissimilar to warnings raised earlier on Southwest 737s.

Now, United Airlines has discovered that one of the tests to check the fire suppression systems in their Boeing 777 cargo holds hasn’t been run properly, so they’re cycling all of those aircraft in to make inspections. Thirty one of the eighty four scheduled flights in total were canceled.

Why the sudden spate of aircraft groundings for maintenance checks? It might have to do with increased attention to aircraft maintenance issues as a result of the Southwest incident a few weeks back. Airlines are now probably scrambling to double and triple check their records to make sure that everything is up to snuff as the FAA and congress clamp down on quality.

A congressional hearing on the matter is scheduled for Thursday, at which point we’ll probably hear much more on United and maintenance checks in general, and what our fair politicians plan to do to keep things running smoothly. We’ll let you know how that goes.

Aloha Airlines to end passenger service Monday

by Jamie Rhein on

Grant’s post about Aloha Airlines filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy wasn’t exactly the sound of a death knell, but since then, the airline has decided to call it quits on passenger service. After Monday, as in March 31, according to this AP article, there will be no more passenger reservations taken.

Those who have Aloha Airlines tickets already may be rerouted on United Airlines flights to the mainland or on Hawaiian Airlines if travel is between the islands. Those who don’t want those options, but who want their money back instead, can file in bankruptcy court. I don’t envy people who are left to sort out their travel plans on such short notice. Hopefully, they saw this coming. The Aloha Airlines Web site does have links to help passengers rebook.

The demise of the airline that has been around since 1946 is due to unfair competition and rising fuel costs the airline’s money folks say. I feel bad that Aloha Airlines hasn’t been able to continue. The first time I went to Hawaii, I flew Aloha Airlines from Oahu to The Big Island on a package deal. It was much cheaper than I had imagined it would be. The rental car and two nights in a hotel was included. The best thing about arranging for the trip was that we were able to set it up after we were already visiting my relatives on Oahu. For people who travel within Hawaii, I bet they are bummed.

The shipping function of Aloha Airlines is being taken over by a Seattle-based company. Maybe people could package themselves up as a way to get off the island with their unused tickets? In case you’re one of the one affected, here’s a link with questions and answers.