LH sinks further down the rabbit hole. LH used to be my go to airline for flights east of the USA. LH used to be the shining star across the Atlantic. True, I could not afford a ticket on the BA speed bird. Recalling my only international flight on old AlItalia, the smoking and non-smoking sections were divided down the aisle, even in 1st class. After one flight JFK - FCO, we changed our flights home to PA.

(Written on 01/18/2023)(Permalink)

I fully support the SWPA call for an industrial job action. The pilots and fight crews did not fail WN, WN management failed WN and its passengers due to very legacy technology. Yes, it's true that back in the days before deregulation airlines flew point to point routes. But with deregulation, the hub & spoke became the norm. I remember three stops on Piedmont to travel from EWR to IAH. In today's management vs labor, labor needs to stand up and say enough is enough! The stockholders are not the most important humans on the planet. The people that support their business are the important players to their business model. Business has no advancement without labor. Management in all business sectors should pay heed!

(Written on 01/18/2023)(Permalink)

Factors affecting an emergency evacuation need to include: Airlines are operating full flights. Passengers have difficulty finding their row/seat during boarding, will they find the exits during evacuation? There will be those that try to take their overstuffed roll-aboard bags with them. Some larger passengers have to difficulty walking down the aisle during boarding and deplaning. How could they slow down the evacuation process? There are those that will panic and freeze up, raising anxiety for all involved.

(Written on 12/08/2022)(Permalink)

Ken - I agree with you on not taking flights with only one pilot in the cockpit. Will airlines be forthcoming to say which flights will only have one pilot? Kind of late when one is in the boarding gate and passengers find out the reduced cockpit staffing.

(Written on 11/21/2022)(Permalink)

Article is behind a Houston Chronicle pay wall...

(Written on 10/18/2022)(Permalink)

I have never flown Ryanair, but I agree with its chairman. A rise in fares to cover labor and fuel are needed. Also, a fare increase should include an allowance for baggage and eliminate the cattle car emplaning and deplaning process as passengers attempt to find an overhead bin for their over stuffed "carry on" luggage. At deplaning, this would eliminate the blank stares on passengers who have forgotten where they stored their luggage or having to swim upstream to retrieve their luggage that was stored several rows behind their seat.

(Written on 09/19/2022)(Permalink)

If the hole in the wing root came from the missing bolt from the nose gear, wouldn't the noise heard have been during the take off roll and then rotation, until the nose gear retracted and the gear doors closed? Once the gear doors close, a bolt should not have exited the nose gear compartment.

(Written on 07/02/2022)(Permalink)

The two legacy airlines I opt to fly, DL & UA, both have slimmed down services from my home airport (AVL) to their hubs. UA has slimmed down the most. Services to IAD are gone only to be supplanted by service to EWR which is not the garden sport of NJ. UA axed service to IAH long ago in a feud with WN of international landing rights at HOU. UA fought to protect international routes to IAH. WN operates international flights through HOU and UA passengers from AVL paid the price. Why would UA shift flights to congestion prone EWR and it's stupid tarmac bus between terminals? The regional carriers are the spokes that feed mainline legacy airlines. These regionals need to pony up and pay living wages to pilots and cabin staff. Without the regionals and decent flight frequencies, the legacy airlines will be a sore spot for fliers for years to come. Is it time to repeal the Reagan era airline deregulation and allow airlines to charge a federally mandated fare for flights? I recall th

(Written on 05/24/2022)(Permalink)

Good for Jet2! I don't know under what flag they are registered, but this passenger should be banned on all airlines registered to that flag. This needs to happen to all the airlines registered here in the USA. A national "no fly list" would keep these disrupters off planes.

(Written on 03/28/2022)(Permalink)

Noting your comment about Indigo Airlines walking away from GTF engines, Is it possible to refit CFM engines to airframes that use GTF engines during a heavy maintenance check?

(Written on 03/23/2022)(Permalink)