I have been a big fan of Kobe Bryant since his NBA rookie year in 1996. Although I haven’t followed any sort of professional sport closely while living in Philadelphia or Frankfurt the last couple years, as a Southern California...
Continental Eliminates Free Snacks in Economy Class
If you are a big fan of pretzels or biscoff cookies while flying on Continental Airlines, you better bring your own. On Tuesday, the carrier eliminated these free treats on all routes that do not feature BusinessFirst seating. Among the...
As it Considers a Makeover, TSA Lets Man Slip Onto Plane with Three Box Cutters
Washington, DC is my favorite city in America and other than family and friends, that is the thing (well, place) I miss most as I enter my third month in Germany. DC is a bustling city filled with great...
Breaking: Two Dead in Frankfurt Airport Shooting
No confirmed details yet, but I am getting word that two people are dead and two are seriously injured after a shooting at Frankfurt International Airport just minutes ago. A Kosovarian suspect is under arrest. With an office right in the...
Would You Buy an Airline Ticket that Fluctuates with Fuel Prices?
Nevada-based Allegiant Air has written a letter to the Department of Transportation stating its intention to introduce a new whole new meaning to the definition of a flexible ticket: When making a purchase, consumer would be able to choose...
See, I Told You So! TSA Full Body Scanner Fails to Detect Gun in Bra
Last March, the Government Accounting Office warned Congress that full body scanners have not been tested and may not be able to detect the very type of explosives material the machines were procured to detect. Few listened, as most members...
Air New Zealand’s Corporate Responsibility on Display in Christchurch
Another massive earthquake struck New Zealand today, again centered near Christchurch. 65 are reported dead and hundreds are missing. The 6.3 magnitude quake struck at midday, at a time when many were out and about. When natural disasters occur, it is...
U.S. Senate Agrees to Loosen DCA Perimeter Rule
Negotiations have been ongoing for many months, but the Senate has finally hammered out a tentative deal that would further loosen the perimeter rule at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. I provided a background on the history and politics...
United Grounds Boeing 757-200 Fleet
If you were scheduled to fly on a United Boeing 757 yesterday afternoon or evening, you likely encountered a delay or cancellation. In a move reminiscent of American Airlines’ grounding of their entire MD-80 fleet when found to be...
Mobile Lounges: Redefined in Geneva
Ask any U.S. frequent flyer who passes through Washington Dulles what the phrase “mobile lounge” conjures up and you’ll likely be met by swearing, complaints, and the occasional horror story. I mean, just look at these things: Admittedly, I...
Delta Air Lines Introduces Premium International Economy Comfort Class
Delta Air Lines has made good on its promise to roll out an enhanced economy class product with details emerging today about a new "Economy Comfort" section coming to Delta international flights this summer. Benefits will include: Complimentary alcoholic beverages [beer, wine, and...
New York Pops: Coming Soon to American Airlines
I love classical music, especially on airplanes. It helps me to fall asleep on redeye flights and relax at other times during the day. United Airlines, for example, recently transitioned from XM to Microsoft Zune audio and offers a...
Mice to Replace TSA’s Full Body Scanners?
Could mice be the answer to our airport security woes in America? What if we could leave our shoes on, avoid pat-downs, and avoid virtual strip-searches, all while getting a more accurate assessment of who is concealing explosive devices...
Feds Allow Limited Collective Bargaining Rights for TSA Airport Screeners
Relax. This is not going to be a union-bashing thread. But I’m not happy about the news today that America’s 40,000 Travel Security Officers (TSO’s) have been granted the right to collectively bargain. Before I get into all the...
Next Frontier for TSA: Airline Call Centers?
A former British Airways call center employee has pleaded guilty to agreeing to take part in terrorist training/insurgent operations overseas. He also pleaded guilty to transferring funds for terrorist purposes. The key part of this story, however, is what Rajib Karim...
BMI Supsends Glasgow-Heathrow Route, Announces Service to Norway and Morocco
Blaming the British Airports Authority for squeezing it dry, British Midland Airways (BMI) announced plans to axe its Glasgow-London Heathrow route in April. The carrier blamed ever-increasing airport taxes that have recently gone from £13 to £20 on domestic flights departing from Heathrow and...
TSA Prohibits Expansion of Screening Partnership Program
In a move that some are calling another TSA power grab while others are calling a logical and sound judgment call, Transportation Security Administrator John Pistole has rejected Springfield-Branson Airport’s application to opt-out of TSA-administered airport screening. More importantly,...
Alaska Airlines Retires Horizon Air Brand
Save for a small label here and there on the fuselage, Horizon Air’s brand identity will soon be retired. Acquired in 1986 by the Alaska Air Group, Horizon was and will remain a separate entity, serving smaller airports and...
Man Arrested by TSA for Failing to Show ID Cleared of All Charges by Jury
Justice is sweet. I am grinning this evening because after a gruesome semester of Evidence (a standard law school course that most students take during their second year), I once again have a little faith in our jury system....
Passenger Finds JetBlue Pilot’s Lost Handgun at JFK
…and unknowingly takes it onboard with him before realizing his error! Another day, another problem with TSA’s Federal Flight Deck Officers program. I actually think the FFDO is a beneficial program that does more to promote security than any...
