Issues

A German man has lost his suit against British Airways after he was removed from an airplane due to his offensive body odor.

It’s happened once or twice that I’ve had a truly pungent seat mates. Thank goodness both flights were short hauls. I did complain to the flight attendant before takeoff, but she said there was nothing she could do. I wonder if this British Airways decision will make ejecting smelly people from airplanes stateside easier in the future.

Technorati Tags: british airways, smelly passenger

US Airways recently offered Delta eight billion dollars for controlling ownership of the major airline. While it is considered unlikely that the buyout will go through, it is a major concern for hubs and carriers in markets where US Airways and Delta are highly competitive.

A buyout/merger would probably mean Delta and US Airways slashing all operations which are currently in competition, and signifcantly raising rates in those areas.

The AARP would not be happy to read about a recent report by the UK newspaper, The Independent, which found that fully one-third of travel agencies did not offer travel insurance to people over 65, over half did not provide for those over 75, and nearly all charged signifcantly higher rates.

My advice is that those who are up there in years, or who have family members in their sixties or higher, might want to consider shopping around a little more and possibly switching carriers after hitting the big six five.

The Economist reports that researchers at University of Virginia have tested how distorting circadian rhythms in mice can affect their health.

Each group contained nine young male mice and about 30 old male mice. The first group was placed on a normal daily cycle of 12 hours of light followed by 12 hours of darkness. The second had its 12 hours of light delayed by six hours once a week, replicating the jetlag experienced after travelling west. The third group had its 12 hours of light advanced by six hours once a week, mimicking eastbound travel. The experiment lasted for eight weeks.

As might be expected, the young mice in each of the three groups fared relatively well; just one died. Of the elderly rodents whose days and nights were unchanged, 17% died. But the number of deaths in the two groups whose day-and-night cycles had been tampered with was far higher. Among the “westbound” group—those whose light cycle was repeatedly delayed—32% died. The death rate in the “eastbound” group, whose light cycle was brought forward, was 53%. The results are published in this week’s issue of Current Biology.

Bottom line is that the elderly mice should consider flying westbound only…

I posted a while back on the birth of services which allow fliers to offset the pollution produced by their flights. Apparently, this is starting to really take off, since global warming seems to be an issue for a growing number of people. Just wanted to remind people, since this a really cool service.

Henry Isaacson, the head of the Piedmont-Triad Airport Authority recently sent a letter to Delta Airlines, as well as the mayors of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem. The subject of this letter was the airport’s recently 17% drop in passenger traffic from a year ago, over two-third as a result of a major drop in Delta passengers.

The reason Isaacson believes this drop has occurred is price-fixing by Delta. Delta flights out of the airport often cost three to four times as much as neighboring airports. For example, a flight from Greensboro to Boston costs $798. By contrast, a Delta flight from the Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte airports, which are only an hour and a half drive away, are only $158 and $262.

While it is common for prices to vary, such extreme differentials are rare and have been criticized by industry experts. As Delta expects to pull itself out of bankruptcy in 2007, the last thing it needs is bad press.

Soon enough, everyone at the airport could have a little tag that goes everywhere they do. The tags, which are about the size of a microchip, would track every passenger inside an airport, from the time they check in until they board their plane. They would be used to flag passengers who are considered suspicious.

When combined with x-ray sensors and a number of other new gadgets, these tags could be used to track drug dealers and terrorists, and prevent them from boarding aircraft with illegal or dangerous cargo.

What do you think? Are you willing to be tracked to this degree in an airport situation in exchange for some extra security? Or does the idea of airport personnel knowing every time you go to the bathroom during a long layover creep you out?

The past few years have not been particularly good for business travelers: terrorism, packed planes, long-lines through security, and technological advances allowing companies to track employees every move. Additionally, there was a strong trend a few years ago to tighten the reins on expense accounts.

Fortunately, however, this trend appears to be in reverse, due to a tighter labor market for highly skilled business executives, and fear of travel burnout by key employees. This is good news for travelers, good news for hotels, and good new fare airlines.

Two studies were recently released, with very good news for anyone who spends a lot of time at 20,000 feet.

First, a recent poll found that most fliers feel safer when flying than they have since the attacks five years ago. This comes as a surprise to me, given the recent British terror plot, but I suppose the fact that it was foiled gives people a lot more confidence in the air.

Secondly, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics found that more flights departed on time and fewer flights were canceled this previous August than the August a year ago. This was not my experience in August (I spent the night in an airport terminal after a flight cancelation), but it represents a very positive trend for frequent fliers.

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.

A ruling today by a federal judge prohibited the flight attendants union from creating a labor disruption against the bankrupt airline.

About a month ago, I blogged about Qantas Airlines’ ban on Dell laptops after Dell recalled over 4 million batteries that they said had a risk of exploding. Soon after that recall, Apple announced that they would also recall a number of at-risk batteries for some of their older iBook and PowerBook laptops.

Now Virgin Atlantic Airways has restricted the use of Dell and Apple laptops aboard its flights. Under the new rules, passengers in first class may plug the laptops into their seat-side power supplies, but those seated in coach are SOL.

Batteries must be wrapped and carried separately from the computer for the entirety of the flight. The airline says it will lift the ban as soon as all safety issues are resolved.

J.K. Rowling was returning from a business trip to the United States to do a charity book reading when airport officials detained her. They didn’t like the “big box bound up in elastic bands” that she was carrying with her.

Rowling refused to check the box, which is now believed to contain the manuscript of the much-anticipated seventh (and final!) installation in her epic Harry Potter series.

Eventually, after much discussion, she was allowed to board the plane box in hand. Of course, if she hadn’t been allowed aboard, she could have whipped out her broomstick and flown herself back to the U.K.

But what does this mean for the Muggles among us? What would you do if the airline demanded that you check something truly valuable, like your laptop?

Today is the fifth anniversary of the most horrific day in the one hundred and three year history of aviation. September 11, 2001 drove many of us to the brink of our sanity and the major airlines to the brink of bankruptcy. However, it is important to note that from the aftermath of 9/11 the airline industry has embarked on a journey of self-improvement. While flying may not be as fun or feel as safe as it used to, it has become much more efficient, speedy, cost-effective, and, in reality, safer.

For example, turnaround times are down significantly. Check-in times at most major airport are also down thanks to the post-September 11 additions of automated kiosks, allowing for check-in times as low as one minute. Online booking for flights and hotels increased. The few days with particularly heightened security have forced airlines and airports to become efficient in ways they hadn’t even imagined. Despite complaints of long lines through ticketing and security, average post- 9/11 times for both are less than half an hour.

September 11th marked the end of a lazy, inefficient and unprotected aviation industry. September 12 marked the beginning of a high-speed, efficient and protected aviation industry, as well as a more efficient, alert, and hardworking country.

Rising fuel costs, stiff competition and high airport landing fees have driven CanJet to halt its commercial flight service on 9/10/06.

The move has “stunned” some, but analysts say it’s not all that surprising. “I have a feeling it’s just because Atlantic Canada just isn’t large enough of a region with a high enough propensity to travel, and certainly not a high enough yield coming out of those travelers to support three carriers (including Air Canada and WestJet),” said Calgary-based airline analyst Rick Erickson.

I know I’ve become something of a Southwest cheerleader of late. But I’m really just thrilled with the service they provide. Their decision to hedge against the price of fuel could go down in history as one of the best business decisions of all time. But to remain profitable and while offering bargain tickets, Southwest is now looking to other areas of its business in an effort to trim the fat.

Recently, they’ve been reexamining the contracts of their pilots who are the highest-paid in the industry, and whose contracts became amendable today. Thankfully for Southwest, the pilots’ union is gracious on the matter. Southwest pilots’ union VP Carl Kuwitzky recently said that given the state of the industry and Southwest’s already generous benefits and salaries, higher pay is “not a top bargaining objective.”

Looks like Southwest’s lucky streak may continue…

It’s no secret that the air inside an airplane cabin during flight is dryer than the Sahara. Back in the good old days before the liquids and gels ban, I’d bring on a liter of water, a tube of Burt’s Bees and enough moisturizer to make a sharpei’s skin look like Joan Rivers’.

Now, I don’t expect that airlines are going to start passing out travel-sized tubes of Laura Mercier Mega-Moisturizer (princesses prefer it) on the jetway. But what of the coveted bottles of water that we must now chuck before boarding?

The New York Times asked the same question and was met with a “you’re making mountains out of molehills” response from the airlines. But I have to agree with intrepid Times reporter Michelle Higgins. The airlines need to pay more attention to keeping passengers hydrated in the face of all these new restrictions.

And it’s not just to keep my skin looking fresh, it’s primarily a health issue. People get sick on airplanes not just because of the re-circulated air, but because the arid environment causes their mucus membranes to crack and be more susceptible to a germ attack. For travelers with compromised immune systems or other health issues, this can be a major problem.

Update: I forgot to note that Jetblue passengers can enjoy moisturizer kits from Bliss during travel. Lemon and sage body butter…yum!

Travelocity and Expedia recently released services allowing travelers to make a tax-deductible donation to The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit organization that plants trees.

The oxygen released by the trees offsets the fuel emissions given off as a result of your flight and rental car use. For example, a ten-dollar donation can make a two-day trip “carbon zero“. This service is just starting, but is expected to take off very quickly.

Because of the recent spate of exploding Dell laptop batteries, Quantas Airlines has announced new rules for Dell Laptops.

Travelers with Dells must remove their laptop batteries. If they wish to run their computers, they must upgrade to first class where they can plug into outlets.

This only exacerbates what has been a terrible year for Dell. When the airlines start treating your product as a security risk, you know you’ve got a real brand implosion.

At a handful of major airports across the United States, the Transportation Security Administration has been using a new program that focuses on stopping potential dangerous individuals rather than potentially dangerous cargo.

The technique doesn’t rely on racial profiling, but rather the universals of human behavior–facial expressions, perspiration, ticks and fidgeting–that give away fear, nervousness, and potential hostile intent.

The program is based on techniques that Mossad and the nice folks at El Al have used for years to determine who might be planning some dastardly deed. But the TSA version has been criticized by the Israeli innovators who came up with the original techniques because of modifications that put the focus more on what the agent observes initially and less on the follow-up interview with passengers that have been singled out.

A more long-term (and pricey) solution is to use an Israeli-manufactured device that uses a series of questions and biofeedback sensors to determine who should be brought aside for further screening.

It’s possible in a few years that in addition to having your bags x-rayed, and your body metal-detected and “puffed” for explosives, you will also have to sit in a small chamber and have your blood pressure monitored while a machine asks you whether you want to blow up an airplane.

Still, I think it’s better to be annoyed by security screenings than attacked by terrorists.