October 2006

AirBus announced yet another delay today to its A380 superjumbo, this one due to wiring installation problems.

The delay is of major concern for the parent company of AirBus, EADS, which is currently facing credit rating problems, as well as to airlines who have been waiting for A380 planes that are already two years behind schedule.

The world’s first permanent airport fear-of-flight help center was opened recently at the Buenos Aires airport in Argentina. The center offers scheduled meetings of one or two hours, or emergency walk-in sessions for those whose nerves are running high before flights.

Given the recent headlines involving terrorism and a major crash in South America, it is nice to have a place nearby that reminds you that riding in a plane is safer than riding in car. Something to remember when the plane jerks around.

Lord knows that flying is utterly stressful. You’re cramped up in small spaces for long periods of time, running from gate to gate trying to make connections, battling dry air, dealing with the TSA and trying to make it to your destination on time.

When I get frazzled while traveling, I usually do some yoga breathing and poses while waiting to board. But doing yoga on the airplane itself is particularly challenging with increasing load factors and decreasing seat pitch. Luckily for us, Chaz over at YogAmazing has come up with this awesome podcast (iTunes) that walks us through doing yoga in the confined spaces of an aircraft.

In America, we tend to drive ourselves to exhaustion. The thought is, “if I’m not stressed out, I’m not working hard enough.” Just remember that stress and hard work don’t always need to go hand in hand. You can relax yourself before a big meeting and land refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Namaste.

Construction is set to begin in January in the Tom Bradley International Terminal as LAX begins its 576 million dollar overhaul, the largest contract ever awarded in the history of the city of Los Angeles.

The renovation, which is expected to be completed by March 2010, is expected to increase passenger flow in boarding and check-in areas, and increase comfort and safety. The renovation comes after LAX was ranked 13th out of 16th major airports.