Sometimes it is necessary to dig a little deeper. A story is not always what it appears to be on the surface. It’s true. A Thai Airways captain demanded first class seats for his off-duty pilot colleagues on a...
A Family of Nuts: Korean Air CEO Indicted
There are all sorts of jokes I can make about the Cho family in South Korea, the powerful chaebol that owns Korean Air. But this is no laughing matter. South Korea has been conducting some “house cleaning” since a...
Scary: United Seriously Threatening Passengers Who Skip Flights
I wish this was a joke, but it appears that United Airlines is harshly cracking down on those who exploit so-called “hidden city” ticketing to save on ticket prices. Let’s understand how realistic the threat is. Briefly, United (and...
German Appeals Court Rules Kuwait Airways Cannot Be Forced To Carry Israeli Passengers
While condemning the discriminatory policy, a German appeals court in Frankfurt nevertheless ruled that Kuwait Airways cannot be forced to carry Israeli passengers. An Israeli student in Germany had purchased a ticket in 2016 on Kuwait Airways to travel...
New Jersey Compromise: All Airlines Will Be Taxed
It’s compromise in New Jersey: all airlines will be taxed, not just United Airlines. Earlier this month I wrote about United’s threat to abandon its Newark Liberty International hub due to a proposed fuel tax increase from the Garden...
United Threatens To Abandon Newark Hub
United Airlines has threatened to abandon its Newark hub if New Jersey lawmakers follow through on a proposed tax increase at Liberty International Airport that would only affect United. Currently, New Jersey only taxes the fuel on a plane...
What Happens When You Jump The Fence At LAX?
What happens when you jump the fence At LAX? Obviously, you are arrested. It is trespassing. But what else? Prison? Do Not Fly list? Airport ban? Earlier this week, a man jumped the outer permitter fence at Los Angeles International...
What Happens When A Passenger Assaults You And FAs Refuse To Intervene?
If another passengers assaults you onboard an airplane, do flight attendants have an obligation to intervene? A story on Flyertalk sets up an interesting hypothetical. The plane had landed and a passenger was standing in the aisle of row...
Frontier Pilot Suspended: Online Bullying or Protected Speech?
A Frontier Airlines pilot was suspended for allegedly encouraging children to beat up a transgender student in Oklahoma. Some context first. In rural Oklahoma, a 12-year-old transgender student began using the female restroom in the new school year after using...
Ryanair Finds The Perfect Way To Make Customers Hate It More
One way to fight an ongoing labor strike is to rally customers to your side. You might think Ryanair would be pulling out all the stops to make customers happy during this turbulent labor period. Instead, Ryanair is pouring...
The Incredulous, Absurd Reason Lufthansa Is Denying Me EU261 Compensation
I received a call from Lufthansa on Friday concerning my EU261/2004 compliant I filed in late June. It bordered on hilarious. If you recall, in June my Frankfurt to Munich flight was delayed due to a late-arriving crew, causing...
Why U.S. Flight Attendants Will Now Carry Thermometers Onboard
Isn’t it true that an airline passenger cabin is usually either too cold or too warm? Welcome to the fickle world of airline thermostats. But after a baby almost died on a hot plane last year, many U.S. flight...
Ryanair Spits In The Face Of Customers
As labor unrest has hammered Ryanair, the carrier is only digging itself into a deeper hole by waging a two-front war against its own employees…and now its customers. I’ve written twice this week about the labor issues currently going...
Ryanair Strikes Expand Across Europe
Earlier this week I wrote about the collapse of Ryanair as strikes continued to plague the budget carrier. The problem is only getting worse. Strikes have already occurred in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. That led to the...
Why I’m In FAVOR Of New TSA Plan To Eliminate Security
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) wants to eliminate airport security at 34% of U.S. airports in a new process to “streamline” security. I’m actually in favor of the idea. The plan would see the elimination of security at...
Let’s Give Alaska Airlines The Benefit Of The Doubt
Alaska Airlines has taken a lot of heat this week over an allegation that it deliberately separated a gay couple onboard a New York to Los Angeles flight so a straight couple could sit together. But I’m ready to...
A $105,000 Fine For Drinking And Flying
As seat pitch shrinks and amenities are slashed, many passengers have taken to the bottle. But drunk passengers in the UK may soon get six-digit bill for drinking one too many. Drunk and disorderly conduct by airline passengers is...
Quiet Skies: The Secret TSA Program To Spy On You
What do a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, a federal law enforcement officer, and a businesswoman who recently traveled through Turkey all have in common? They’ve all been trailed by Federal Air Marshals in a new program called Quiet Skies....
China Rejects Compromise On Taiwan By U.S. Airlines
China has rejected an attempt at compromise over the thorny Taiwan issue by the three U.S. legacy carriers. Earlier this week, I wrote that U.S. airlines agreed to Chinese demands that Taiwan not be listed as an independent nation...
Last Chance: How To Claim Your British Airways Lawsuit Cash Settlement
If you are party to the British Airways class action lawsuit, don’t forget you only have until July 29th to file your clam. Here’s how to do it. If you are a member of the class action, you should...
