flying

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This Is the Most Popular Seat on an Airplane

Upgraded Points survey awards top spot to window seat 1A; Delta earns points for being comfiest

(Newser) - Do you always gravitate toward that first row when booking your flights? You and everyone else, apparently, per a new survey from travel website Upgraded Points that shows seat 1A is the most popular seat choice for airline passengers, based on a typical Boeing 737-800 plane layout. That's a...

There's a New Best Airline in the World

Qatar Airways comes in at No. 1 on AirlineRatings.com list

(Newser) - Air New Zealand has been dethroned. AirlineRatings.com is out with its annual list of the world's top airlines, and the new victor for 2024 is Qatar Airways. Thrillist notes that "the standards are high" to make it to the top of the list, put together by five...

Munich Airport Shuts Down After a Most Sticky Situation

Police detained 6 climate activists who glued themselves to runway access roads

(Newser) - German authorities closed down Munich Airport temporarily on Saturday after six climate activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported. The activists from the group Last Generation were protesting flying, the most polluting form of transportation, said the...

Dogs Are Getting Their Own Airline—but It Won't Be Cheap

Bark Air for dogs has just 2 stops from NY—London and LA—costing up to $8K one way

(Newser) - "Finally, dogs can fly." That's the lofty proclamation on the website for Bark Air , a "100% totally real" new service that vows to "revolutionize flying" for our canine companions. In a statement, the airline launched by the BarkBox subscription service will offer "a more...

Frontier Offers New Option for Seatmate-Averse Fliers

Keep the middle seat next to you empty by paying for UpFront Plus fee

(Newser) - Let's be honest: Most of us have hoped that the seat next to us on the plane remains empty, with some even going so far as to place personal items on nearby seats to discourage way-too-close neighbors. Now, one budget airline will allow you to pay for that privilege...

Airlines Do Not Like Your Sneaky Cost-Saving Trick

Some fliers engage in 'skiplagging,' buying cheap nondirect flights but not boarding all of the legs

(Newser) - It often costs more for the convenience of a direct flight over one with connecting flights, but some fliers have figured out a way to game the system, much to the chagrin of airlines. It's a process called "skiplagging," which is when a customer books a nondirect...

Think Flying Was Bad Before? Try Flying During Pandemic

'Surreal' and 'dystopian,' writes McKay Coppins, who detailed his experience for the 'Atlantic'

(Newser) - "Why did I think flying would be easy right now?" That was the question a frustrated McKay Coppins asked himself late last month when he took his first flight since the pandemic shut down the US. As he documents for the Atlantic , Coppins was initially excited at the thought...

Star on State ID Is About to Become Hugely Important

One year from REAL ID deadline, most Americans are without

(Newser) - Americans intending to fly domestically next year using their state-issued ID better first check the upper right-hand corner. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, travelers will need an upgraded driver's license—what's known as a REAL ID—to access airport security checkpoints, nuclear power plants, and certain federal buildings. The...

First-Time Student to Traffic Control: My Teacher's Out Cold

Max Sylvester tries to land a Cessna two-seater in Australia

(Newser) - A flying lesson took a chilling turn Saturday when the flight instructor passed out on his student pilot in mid-air, ABC News Australia reports. "He's leaning over my shoulder, I'm trying to keep him up but he keeps falling down," Max Sylvester told traffic control at...

Airline Offers Free Flight If You Have This Last Name

Anyone with the last name Green, Greene can fly gratis on Frontier on Aug. 13

(Newser) - Frontier Airlines is offering a free flight to everyone with two very specific last names as part of its environmentally conscious "Green Week." USA Today notes the qualifying but not completely surprising surnames: Green and Greene. The airline's website explains the simple steps for getting a complimentary...

Kim, Kanye Take 'Unbelievably Wasteful' Trip

Commenters call the pair 'obnoxious' for private 747 flight

(Newser) - Just days after a dire climate-change report was issued by the US government—and devastating California wildfires that researchers say were exacerbated by climate change—Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are taking their own heat on environmental issues. Per People , the backlash comes after video emerged Monday on Instagram showing...

Window Seat May Be Safest Pick to Avoid Catching Germs
Health-Conscious Fliers
Might Want a Window Seat
new study
Mar 20, 2018 7:58 AM CDT

Health-Conscious Fliers Might Want a Window Seat

Study suggests it's the safest pick to avoid catching germs from fellow travelers

(Newser) - Worried about catching a cold or the flu on an airplane? Get a window seat, and don't leave it until the flight is over. That's what some experts have been saying for years, and it's perhaps the best advice coming out of a new attempt to determine...

TSA Struggling to Deal With Out-of-Control Security Lines

Even the announced hiring of nearly 800 officers might not do the trick

(Newser) - The Department of Homeland Security is urging airline passengers to "be patient" with security lines during the busy summer travel season, the AP reports. But that might be easier said than done as more and more passengers miss flights while waiting in security lines for literally hours. According to...

Passengers on JetBlue Flight Cheered for Crying Babies

New ad asks passengers to cut flying moms a break

(Newser) - Something that's probably never happened in the history of aviation happened recently on a JetBlue flight from New York to California: Passengers actively rooted for babies to start crying. The one-of-a-kind flight was documented for a JetBlue Mother's Day ad released this week, Adweek reports. After passengers were...

You'll Never See Someone Vaping on a US Flight

Well, unless said e-cigarette smoker wants to face a hefty fine

(Newser) - For all those thinking the federal ban on "smoking" tobacco on commercial flights doesn't apply to electronic cigarettes, here's your unequivocal answer from the Department of Transportation : Nope. The DOT on Wednesday officially banned vaping "in all forms, including but not limited to electronic cigars, pipes,...

Your Pilot May Not Remember How to Fly a Plane

Feds warn about skills fading away as automation takes over

(Newser) - Where's Ted Striker when you need him? Probably not at the helm of a commercial flight, according to a new Department of Transportation report . It finds that automation has driven manual flying mostly out of the cockpit, leading to concerns that pilots may not be getting enough training to...

Study: Flying Really Is Getting Worse

Researchers find bad news in all 4 big areas studied

(Newser) - If you've ever found yourself complaining that flying was a much better experience back when you were a young'un, you're not just being a crotchety oldster: A study released today finds that flying is, in fact, worse than it used to be. The AP has highlights from...

Why We Fart More on Airplanes

Danish physician probes the science of flatulence

(Newser) - When someone passes gas at 35,000 feet, there's nowhere to hide—so a Danish doctor has come up with ways to fart less on airplanes and better disguise the odor when we do, the BBC reports. The doctor, Jacob Rosenberg, says the topic grabbed him on a long...

Why Are Plane Passengers So Into Tomato Juice?

The taste is different in a low-pressure environment

(Newser) - Tomato juice: It's not something many people crave on land, but in the sky, it's hugely popular. Germany's Lufthansa airline, for instance, has said it serves some 53,000 gallons of tomato juice per year—not so far off from its 59,000 gallons of beer in...

Passengers Team Up to Save Heart Attack Victim

As plane travels through remote territory

(Newser) - A man who suffered a heart attack on a plane survived thanks to some well-trained fellow passengers. A doctor, a pharmacist, and a police officer on board rushed to the man's aid and saved his life, as they recount in the British Medical Journal . To add to the drama,...

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