Chinese authorities forced an Air New Zealand flight to turn back to Auckland five hours into the flight, citing a permitting issue. But don’t blame China for this one. Air New Zealand Flight 289 was halfway to Shanghai on...
Woman Gets Six Months In Prison For Slapping Immigration Official
A British woman faces six months in jail for slapping an immigration official in Bali. Auj-e Taqaddas overstayed her visa in Indonesia by 160 days. Upon trying to fly out of Bali, a passport control official noted her illegal...
Drunken WestJet Passenger Fined $21,000+ For Diversion
Another datapoint to be sober-minded when you travel: one man must now pay $21,260.68. To start… David Young, who has battled alcohol problems for years, consumed six alcoholic drinks prior to boarding his WestJet flight from Calgary to London...
United’s Loss Is Emirates’ Gain
Emirates is considering restarting a Fifth Freedom route between Hamburg, Germany and New York JFK. It’s a bold move in the “America First” era, but hardly a route so odd that it merits scorn. Without formal announcement, United suspended...
Hong Kong Airlines Threatens To Sue You For Spreading False “Rumors”
Be careful what you say about Hong Kong Airlines. The carrier has warned that it will sue those who spread false information about its financial health. You might ask how Hong Kong Airlines is doing? Is the carrier making...
Case Closed: Sweet Victory Over SWISS!
When it comes to actually honoring EU261/2004 obligations, it seems that most airlines will initially stonewall you, hoping that you will just give up. In the case of SWISS, a sharply-worded letter to the CEO did the trick. A...
The Real Reason United Airlines Is Buying ExpressJet
United Airlines wants a steady stream of pilots. It also wants to avoid the labor costs it pays to mainline flight attendants. The result is a convoluted acquisition of a regional airline that really takes some unpacking to understand....
Hollywood Actor Sues American Airlines After Pinky Stuck In First Class Armrest
A California man is suing SkyWest and American Airlines after his pinky became stuck in a first class armrest. It took both mechanics and firefighters to dislodge his finger. The incident took place on September 09th aboard an American...
Avianca Brasil Files For Strategic Bankruptcy
Citing fear of aircraft repossession, Avianca Brasil filed for bankruptcy protection in São Paulo on Monday. Earlier this week I wrote about the issues facing Avianca Brasil…and how it might indirectly impact United Airlines. After a Brazilian court ordered...
Delta Seriously Restricts Emotional Support Animals
Delta will impose a strict new ban on emotional support animals on longer flights, effective next week. The carrier will also tighten restrictions on service animals next year. While the carrier already tightened its emotional support animal policy earlier this year,...
As Court Orders Airline To Surrender 20% Of Fleet, United Watches From Afar
A Brazilian court has ordered Avianca Brasil to surrender 20% of fleet to lessors. Meanwhile, the carrier downplays the ruling as unnecessary. Even so, investor United Airlines is watching carefully. BOC Aviation and Constitution Aircraft leases aircraft, mostly Airbus A320,...
Former NBA Player Sues United Airlines For $10MN, Claiming Racism
A former NBA player is suing United Airlines for discrimination after an exit row incident onboard a flight to Newark. Eric Murdock was a on a United flight from Las Vegas to Newark with his son. He was seated...
EU261 Delay Compensation: I Won, Lufthansa Lost
A final update to my Lufthansa EU261/2004 delay claim. If you missed out on the details of my issue with Lufthansa, I’ll briefly summarize: Itinerary: Milan – Frankfurt – Munich – Los Angeles Milan to Frankfurt flight delayed by...
In Defense Of The “Naked” United Airlines Pilot
A United Airlines pilot faces indecent exposure charges for standing naked in front of his hotel window at the Denver International Airport. I’m rather sympathetic to his case. Andrew Collins was at the Westin Denver Airport. Apparently, he was...
FAA Sides With United Over Newark Airport Fees, Slams New Jersey
The Federal Aviation Administration slammed the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for excessive fees at Newark Airport. The result may be cheaper airfare…or at the very least higher airline profits. United Airlines, which operates a large...
American Airlines Drops Lawsuit Over Logo
American Airlines has dropped its lawsuit against the United States Copyright Office…at least for now. Last month, I wrote about American Airlines’ lawsuit against the U.S. Copyright Office for failing to grant copyright protection to its logo. > Read More: American...
Will British Airways Become Spanish Airways?
As Brexit looms in the United Kingdom, British Airways is working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth transition and no service disruptions. One contingency: British Airways will no longer be a British company. Brexit goes into effect on...
Is United Airlines Cheating Flight Attendants With “Long Sit” Policy?
Flight attendants are accusing United Airlines of circumventing new federal minimum rest rules through the use of short overnight layovers classified as extended breaks. The recently passed Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill includes a provision that grants flight attendants...
Flight Attendant Sues American Airlines After Nasty Onboard Brawl With Co-Worker
A vicious catfight between flight attendants onboard an American Airlines flight has led one FA to sue her employer for failing to investigate. Flight Attendant Kathy Ida Wolfe is suing American, her employer, for: negligence dangerous work environment breach...
United Airlines Flight Attendants Protest Staffing Cuts, Warn Of Poor Service Onboard
Flight attendants from United Airlines are resisting management efforts to reduce staffing on international flights. Earlier this week, I wrote about a memo to FAs from VP John Slater. Citing competitive pressures, he informed FAs that on certain international...
