After months of exploration, Sacramento International Airport has decided to replace federally-employed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners with private contractors. This is an opt-out I support. As a compromise to House Republicans over a decade ago, language in...
United Airlines Pulls a "Newark" at SFO
Responding to robust demand and added flights to Newark, Cleveland, and Houston, United Airlines has pulled a “Newark” on us at San Francisco International Airport. To understand what it means to “pull a Newark” you must be familiar with...
Israeli President Flies Air Canada over El-Al
If you are flying with oxygen, you might want to stay away from El-Al, the national carrier of Israel. Israel’s national airline has apologized to President Shimon Peres after attempting to charge him nearly $5,000 to bring an oxygen...
The Secret Story of American Airlines’ AAirpass Program
When I am in California, the Los Angeles Times is a critical component of my breakfast each morning. This morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fascinating article on American Airlines’ fight against alleged abusers of their AAirpass...
An Update on the Burma Business/First Class Fare Sale
The dust has now settled a bit in the latest airfare pricing extravaganza, but the fun has just begun. For those just joining the party, on Tuesday and Wednesday fares originating in Burma to just about anywhere in the...
TSA Agent Arrested for Throwing Hot Coffee on Pilot
This is an old story, but one I have been meaning to highlight for the last two weeks. Should a pilot have spoken up when he heard a Transportation Security Officer (TSO) using filthy language while in costume or...
US Airways Says Merger with American Airlines would Generate $1.2BN per Year
As American Airlines management continues to insist its goal is to emerge from bankruptcy as a stronger, leaner stand-alone airline, US Airways is upping the rhetoric on a potential merger: Speaking on a conference call with reporters and analysts...
Spirit Airlines’ Secret Service Sale: "Upfront payment is required"
Leave it to Spirit Airlines to poke fun at the Secret Service scandal with a “more bang for your buck” sale. Spirit is concurrently running a “More Bang for Your Buck!” sale on $19.80 flights to Cartagena, Colombia, where several Secret...
TSA Concedes Failure of Full Body Scanners
TSA’s Iraqi Information Minister, Blogger Bob, addressed the new video “making its way around the interwebs” about why full body scanners actually make us less safe. His words were telling. Let’s go through them, one sentence at a time....
Women Forced to Drive to Denver Because No Female TSA Agent on Duty?
Note the question mark–when I first head about the story, I rolled my eyes and commented, “The TSA did it again,” but there is a question as to who was at fault. A Littleton woman said she missed her...
TSA Find Bomb, Leaves it Behind, Prompts Bomb Scare
Security analyst Bruce Schneider, a fierce critic of the TSA, brings us another example of the agency’s (in)competence: TSA screener finds two pipes in passenger’s bags. Screener determines that they’re not a threat. Screener confiscates them anyway, because of...
Spanair Ceases Operations
Barcelona-based Spanair, a Star Alliance Member, has ceased operations effective 27 January 2011. The struggling carrier has fought to stay afloat recently, but after a recent round of talks with Qatar Airways failed to produce an investment agreement, the...
Spirit Airlines Bickers Over the Return of All-In Pricing
A refreshing change has hit U.S. airline websites this morning: the return of all-in pricing. Under a new directive by the Department of Transportation, airlines must now display all-in pricing initially and at all junctures of your flight search–not...
Senator Rand Paul Detained by the TSA for Refusing Invasive Patdown
I want to be careful not to blow this story out of proportion, but there is a key point we can take away from today’s incident at Nashville Airport in which Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was temporarily detained by...
TSA Carry-On Policy: Guns Yes, Cupcakes No
If the Transportation Security Administration was a Shakespeare play, it would be A Comedy of Errors. In an apparent case of mistaken identity and astounding sloppiness, an x-ray scanner picked up a .38-caliber revolver in a passenger’s carry-on baggage...
United Airlines Confirms Continued Use of "Rhapsody in Blue"
Lap it up as small victory in the “war of influence” (a war over whether Continental or United will emerge as the true post-meger airline), but United confirmed today it will keep “Rhapsody in Blue” as its signature theme...
Brussels Airlines Returns to New York JFK
It has been one decade since the Belgian flag carrier served New York City, but starting this summer Brussels Airlines, a Star Alliance member, will resume service between New York Kennedy and Brussels. SN0501 - DEPART BRU 10:20 ARRIVE...
KLM Matchmaking Service: Pick Your Seatmate on Facebook
Have you ever had a morbidly obese, chain-smoking, McDonald’s-loving, shower-hating seatmate next to you on a six hour transcon? Or the guy who won’t stop talking about his work? Or granny who feels the need to retell her family...
Bigoted Delta Pilot Throws Muslims Off Flight
How would you feel if you were searched by the TSA, then “randomly” searched and questioned again prior to boarding, then required by the airline gate agent to show your identification while other passengers were not, then pulled off...
Mark Schwab New Star Alliance CEO
Hot off the press, Star Alliance has named a replacement for departing CEO Jaan Albrecht. Mark Schwab, former Senior Vice President of Alliances at United Airlines, will continue his close work with Star Alliance, now as the head of...
