Contract negotiations between American Airlines and its flight attendants have stalled. So, the flight attendants kicked off a fake strike on Wednesday. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, they picketed, handed out leaflets and wore red badges, showing flights they feel couldn't run without them. So, just think of how strong a real strike would have been! Similar protests were held at 12 other airports, as well.

Because of federal laws that intentionally make it difficult for airline industry employees to strike, the fake alternative was the best that could be summoned, at least on short notice. USA Today reports that gauging public support for a flight attendant strike is difficult, but union officials seem unwilling to roll the dice by disrupting flights, especially with the holiday season coming. Smart move: if fliers have demonstrated anything this year, it's that they don't give a shit about the airlines. They just want to get from Point A to Point B for as low a fare as possible.

And, public sentiment aside, it's hard to draw blood from a stone. In less than two years, American's parent company, AMR, has lost $3.2 billion, and revenue has taken a dive. So, what's left for the flight attendants to demand?

Continue reading Flight attendants fake strike to make point

Flight attendants fake strike to make point originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

U.S. airline passenger revenue fell in October, completing a full year of dismal monthly performances. From October 2008 to October 2008, passenger revenue dropped 15 percent, according to calculations by the Air Transport Association. The study was based on a sample group of more than 24 air carriers. Falling ticket prices are said to be the problem ... which means we can trace it back to household finances, throwing the job market into the mix.

With unemployment now above 10 percent, consumers are being careful with their extra cash (if they have any), and dropping cash on plane tickets is pretty difficult. Hey, that's why more people are driving this year than in the past.

In October, the number of people flying on U.S. airlines fell 3 percent, and the average price to fly one mile dropped 13.5 percent. Basically, the number of people flying hasn't fallen much, but they're demanding much better pricing for their business. Airlines have to take it on the chin in order to bring any revenue in the door at all.

Airlines watch 15% of last year's revenue disappear originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

New airport tug puts the pilot in charge, reduces emissions originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Maybe the flight attendants should start talking to the cockpit, too. When a plane overshot Minneapolis last month because the crew was playing around with personal laptops, national attention turned to what actually goes on in the front of the plane. Congress is kicking around the idea of a new bill that would kick personal electronic devices from the cockpit.

Unsurprisingly, the pilots and airlines aren't crazy about the idea. They say that the measure would impede progress by making innovation less accessible. Scott Schleiffer, a cargo pilot who's also thrown some brain time at safety issues for the Air Line Pilots Association, told USA Today, "We would like to have access to tools, and as tools evolve, we would like to have better tools."

FAA chief Randy Babbit agrees, saying, "We need to be very careful," in regards to the prohibition of personal devices in the cockpit.

Airlines are starting to bring new technology into the cockpit, with laptops and other devices used to improved weather and safety information. The devices aren't all that different from what distracted the Northwest pilots who missed Minneapolis. JetBlue has issued laptops to pilots, which are used to push through calculations during takeoff and landing. But, the airline doesn't allow personal use of them.

Continue reading Only approved electronic devices allowed in the cockpit?

Only approved electronic devices allowed in the cockpit? originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EasyJet has apologized to everyone who will listen over a fashion shoot that appeared in its inflight magazine.

Did the models wear too little? Did they look like fourteen year-old cokeheads? No, none of the usual stuff; they happened to be posing at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial.

Yes, some fashion photographer decided the concrete blocks known as the "Field of Stelae", properly called the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, would be a cool place for slinky women to show off designer duds. The editor of the magazine at INK Publishing thought it was a pretty neat idea too, and easyJet didn't notice until too late.

Now they've yanked the issue from all their planes and are "reviewing their relationship" with the publisher.

This was probably an honest oversight by easyJet, who acted quickly and appropriately when the issue came to their notice, but what about the magazine's editors? Or the photographer? Or the models? Didn't anyone stop and say , "Hey, millions of Jews died in the concentration camps. Perhaps we should take these photos somewhere else?"

Nope, apparently not.

EasyJet apologizes for Holocaust fashion shoot originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Exclusive video: inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch

Exclusive video: inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch event (photos)

Inside Virgin America's "Stay Golden" launch event (photos) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Four pieces of great inflight WiFi news from Gogo

Four pieces of great inflight WiFi news from Gogo originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We aren't staying at home, but we're definitely not flying. That's the word out of AAA this year. Thanksgiving, always a travel-heavy holiday, will see more cars in the road than people crammed at the gate, as travelers respond to the recession and recent increases in airfares.

AAA puts the number of people driving 50 miles or more from home for Thanksgiving at 38.4 million -- up 1.4 percent from last year. The number of people traveling by car (regardless of distance) is set to edge 2.1 percent higher. Meanwhile, the number of people taking to the skies is expected to drop a hefty 6.7 percent. The Air Transportation Association sees the passenger count dropping 4 percent, but that's for the "holiday period," which stretches from November 20 to December 1. "Economic headwinds" are the primary reason, the ATA says.

The economic situation's role in the decision to drive versus fly isn't limited to the change in prices. Airlines have been pushing their fares up for the past few weeks, but for consumers, the decision is based on cost relative to their willingness to spend. Rick Seaney, CEO of FareCompare.com, tells MSNBC, "A leisure traveler might have bought a domestic ticket for $350 last year. Lately, $250 has been the breakpoint; above that, they just weren't going to buy."

Continue reading Passengers to become drivers for Thanksgiving this year

Passengers to become drivers for Thanksgiving this year originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Gadling exclusive - the girls of the VivaAerobus 2009 calendar!

Sneak preview of the girls of the 2010 VivaAerobus calendar! originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If they can't make money taking passengers from one place to another, maybe airlines can harness the power of eyeballs ... you know, the way the web does. If you get enough people passing by a particular spot -- physical or virtual -- it's possible to toss up a few ads and make some money. This is what AirTran has in mind. The airline is putting ads on the bottoms of seat-back tray tables. So, for takeoff and landing, at least, when this device is in its upright and locked position, passengers will be treated to prolonged exposure to the desires of advertisers.

AirTran plans to execute this across 138 planes within the next few weeks -- it's easy to pull the trigger when you stand to make some money by doing very little. The first ad partner, Mother Nature Network, is offering fliers the opportunity to win a cruise on Royal Caribbean. Future advertisers are expected to be travel-related, as well. The ads will be 2 ½ inches by 9 inches and will be easy to swap out, thanks to the plastic in which they will be encased. As planes are brought in for overnight service, they'll be set up for the ads.

Continue reading AirTran tries to make money like an internet company

AirTran tries to make money like an internet company originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Virgin America - SFO to FLL inaugural flight

Virgin America launches SFO/LAX to Ft. Lauderdale! originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

US Airways Flight 728 was forced to land in Boston Monday night, far short of its London destination. John Alexander Murry, of Glasgow, was arrested just after 11 PM, causing the plane to stay on the ground for two hours before resuming its Philly-to-London route.

The 50-year-old Scottish man, according to prosecutors, was being "unruly and disruptive," it seems. The crew continually asked him to stop blocking the aisle, but Murray allegedly wasn't willing to comply. So, he'll be telling his story to a judge in East Boston District Court, where he was scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday. The charge is interfering with a flight crew.

According to a US Airways spokesman, the pilot chose to land in Boston and have Murray bounced "in the interest of safety."

Unruly Scot forces Boston landing originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Galley Gossip: 5 tips for getting through airport security quickly

Galley Gossip: 5 tips for getting through airport security quickly originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Delta joins the ranks of "cashless cabins"

Delta joins the ranks of "cashless cabins" originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Frontier's new seating: 'Stretch' for some, 'scrunch' for others

Frontier's new seating: 'Stretch' for some, 'scrunch' for others originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Congress is digging into all those new airline fees. Extra bags, special check-in situations ... you name it. Before you start cheering on our lawmakers, though, you should know that they aren't doing this from a sense of consumer advocacy. Frankly, Congress doesn't give a damn how much you pay for air travel. But, it does care how you pay. Why? A cash-strapped government is wondering if it's leaving money on the table.

When you look at your receipt, the line with "taxes" has never been lost on you, right? Well, the add-ons aren't included in this number: Congress has a tax on airfare, not all the other stuff. So, for the airlines, this has been a tax-free revenue stream, one that's been crucial to helping the already bruised airlines survive the current recession.

Yet, is it really just airfare in another form? That's what Congress wants to know. Even if this is a different form of revenue, do you think it will be left untouched? Of course not! The government needs money, and there's nothing stopping it from passing a new bill to tax the extra services. How much resistance would be raised?

Continue reading Congress to investigate airline fees ... but not for your benefit

Congress to investigate airline fees ... but not for your benefit originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Obama Administration is taking a closer look at the airline industry with the hopes that something can be fixed. Transportation Secretary Roy LaHood is pulling together a panel that will investigate the problems the industry faces and hopefully come up with a solution. But, I don't think anyone's breath is being held.

The airlines are always swamped with criticism, with consumers unhappy about customer service levels, on-time arrivals and departures, the shrinking list of amenities and increasingly cramped conditions. Now, shareholders are speaking louder about declining revenues and profits. Employees are losing their jobs, and regulators and industry observers worry about continued safety violations, including drunk and distracted pilots.

Ultimately, LaHood's goal is for the panel to put together "a road map for the future of the aviation industry." The panel is being convened thanks in part to a push from the airline unions, the stakeholders worried most by the layoffs that have now become routine. According to The Associated Press, they believe the industry is "dysfunctional."

Of course, it didn't take the airlines to offer their thoughts ask for money -- lots of it. They claim that radar technology that dates back to World War II isn't as effective as a GPS-based alternative. The industry would love to see this upgrade ... as long as the government writes the check. The FAA is already prepared to spend $15 billion to $22 billion on this effort, but there is an additional $14 billion to $20 billion currently sent over to the airlines. The upside would be reductions in airport congestion, fuel consumption and carbon emissions.

Continue reading White House pushing for answers to airline industry woes

White House pushing for answers to airline industry woes originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

British Airways and Iberia agree on a "merger of equals" originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hi Heather,

I listened to your Frommers podcast recently and found it very funny. I especially liked your comments about people's attitudes to flying and the bit about control freaks. It made me realize what I've suspected for some time which is that I am a control freak, especially when flying!

My last trip a couple of weeks ago I ended up shouting halfway up the plane at another passenger who got up to stroll to the toilets when the seat belt signs were on. They were the latest in a line of many and had also stopped to have a little chat with their mates on the way back. Being British I get a bit huffy about people not following instructions, I think it's a national quirk, and, normally being British I might just have carried on muttering to the lady next to me along the lines of "Well really, can people not read, what's the point of putting the signs on, what are the crew doing about it, nothing etc etc". But it was a miserable flight in economy on Continental across the Atlantic and the fact that I'd unexpectedly just had to pay 5$ for a bottle of white wine vinegar was doing nothing to improve my temper.

I'd like to report that the effect of my outburst was instantaneous, that the guilty party sat down and no one else got up. Sadly she just shouted back "I'll go to the toilet when I want to, thank you VERY much." Everyone between her and me on the flight went quiet and I just felt like a right idiot. I bought another bottle of white wine vinegar and fumed quietly for a bit, half wishing we'd hit a bit of turbulence next time someone got up when the signs were on, "to teach them a lesson." How sad is that! Next time I'll do as you suggest and try and relax more!

Regards,

Marie B.


Dear Marie,

Your letter cracked me up and now you've got me thinking that I may have been British in a past life or something because I, too, am a bit of a rule follower. Nothing drives me crazier than a passenger who thinks they're exempt from following the rules. Really, how many times do I have to ask someone to turn off the electronic device before takeoff? Hello, Mr. Exit Row, I know what you're doing all bent over like that with your head crammed between your knees. Do ya really think that I think you're whispering to the floor? Please, do me a favor and don't make tap, tap, tap you in front of your seatmates who are now giving you the evil eye. I mean really!

Continue reading Galley Gossip: Enforcing rules in flight!

Galley Gossip: Enforcing rules in flight! originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.