Tag Archives: flight

Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines

In case you haven’t heard director/writer Kevin Smith was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight. Kevin had always purchased two tickets when flying because he says it is the “food-stamp airline” so he indulges himself. Last week, Kevin had purchased his usual two tickets, but decided to fly standby on an earlier flight in which there was only one seat left. He got seated, and then was asked to leave because he was too big. Southwest (and most other airlines) have policies that if a passenger cannot comfortably lower the armrest or hangs over their own seat so much that … Continue reading →

One Flight You Wouldn’t Want to be On

Quick… think back to the strangest flight you have ever been on. Now, compare it to the one passengers onboard a recent American Airlines flight experienced and see how it stacks up: As if the emergency landing in Oklahoma City wasn’t bad enough consider what travelers onboard American Airlines Flight 725 were thinking when they saw a naked man strolling through the cabin and later watched as he tried to open an emergency exit door while the plane was 30,000 feet in the air. According to authorities, the flight, which left from Boston en route to Los Angeles last Friday … Continue reading →

Unwanted Passengers Delay Flight

Remember the blog I wrote detailing my daughter’s alleged mouse sighting during our flight to Hawaii earlier this year? That post also contained information about an actual mouse sighting made by flight attendants on a plane bound from Des Moines, Iowa to Atlanta, Georgia. Well, critters have struck again. Not Mickey and friends; rather some smaller but equally unwanted pests—ticks! And take note: The bloodsuckers were found on a United Airlines flight from Denver to… you guessed it… Des Moines. According to United officials, the wayward bugs delayed Flight 1178 for nearly six hours on Tuesday after a passenger informed … Continue reading →

Honest Pilot Refuses to Fly

Is honesty truly the best policy? It’s a question passengers onboard a cancelled United Airlines asked themselves yesterday after their pilot announced he was too upset to fly. It may be the first time in commercial aviation history that an emotionally distraught pilot has walked off the job minutes before he was set to take flight. His decision left hundreds of travelers stranded and many more scratching their heads wondering how a situation like this could have happened in the first place. According to news reports, the angry United Airlines pilot was scheduled to fly a plane full of people … Continue reading →

Busy Airport Gets Major Boost

The good news: London Heathrow Airport just opened a new $8.6 billion state-of-the-art terminal with some of the most luxurious accommodations in the world. The bad news: Unless you are a higher-fare premium customer you won’t get the opportunity to indulge in the terminal’s ultra-luxe amenities. Still, airport officials say the addition of the new Terminal 5 will greatly improve the travel experience for millions of travelers who fly British Airways. (The new facility was designed specifically for the 30 million or so passengers who fly with the carrier.) For example, frequent flyers will now be pampered in the terminal’s … Continue reading →

Dealing with Jet Lag on Transatlantic Flights

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I became somewhat of an expert on this subject because I traveled back and forth to Europe from Houston quite a bit. One year, I was in Europe every other week. Because I was working on these trips, my mind had to be sharp. By trial and error, I learned how I could best cope with jet lag. The flights from Houston left for London or Paris in the late afternoon or early evening. The main object for me when going that way was to fall asleep as quickly as possible. For that reason, the evening flight was easier. I … Continue reading →

How Clean Was Your Last Flight?

I have spent previous blogs addressing the issue of cleanliness (or lack of cleanliness) and hotel rooms. Now, it’s time to ask the question: “Just how clean are the airplanes we are riding in?” I just shelled out a TON of money to book flights home to Hawaii for the holidays AFTER I found out about a new investigation done on the state of airlines’ cleaning habits—apparently cleanliness has “taken a back seat to financial survival.” The results of the study (which I will get to in a moment) made me wince. What’s more, I immediately thought about how irate … Continue reading →

Airplanes and Cellphones

Are you addicted to your cellphone? Do you start to tremble when it isn’t on your ear or at the very least somewhere you can see it? Well, then I’m sure you will be very happy to hear that new technology is being introduced next year that will allow you to use your cellphones in mid-air. With that said, we may be looking at a major overhaul in airplane interiors. Beginning with those lighted placards that hang from the airplane’s ceilings. You know, the ones that illuminate “Fasten Seat Belts.” It won’t be long before a new placard will be … Continue reading →