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Middle Seat on the Plane? I'd Rather ...

(Newser) - Nobody likes the middle seat on an airplane, and a recent study shows fliers would rather endure some novel discomforts than sit squeezed between two seatmates. BlackBook runs down a few—as well as what's particularly unpleasant about the middle seat.
  • 56% of respondents would rather have their teeth drilled
...

Airline Uses Naked Staff for In-Flight Safety Vid

'Bare Essential of Safety' also a viral video hit

(Newser) - After a marketing campaign featuring staff in body-paint facsimiles of their uniforms, Air New Zealand is applying its revealing approach to the in-flight safety video as well, the New Zealand Herald reports. “The Bare Essentials of Safety” aims to recapture the attention of passengers who often ignore the mandatory...

British Airways Asks Staff to Work for Free

BA boss vows to forego a month of his $1.2M salary

(Newser) - Thousands of British Airways staff have been asked to help boost the airline's battered bottom line by working for free for up to a month, CNN reports. Chief executive Willie Walsh emailed workers urging them to help the company survive by taking several weeks of unpaid leave and considering doing...

More Cuts Await Slumping Airlines

Delta, AA among carriers who can't cover costs

(Newser) - As rising oil prices and sluggish demand continued to hammer the airline industry, Delta, American, and several other carriers forecast further cuts to service yesterday, reports the Wall Street Journal. Despite massive reductions in service, CEOs said at an industry meeting that they still aren't covering costs. "Earnings are...

Air France Jet Missing; 228 Onboard

Was headed to Paris from Rio de Janeiro

(Newser) - An Air France plane carrying 228 people to Paris from Rio de Janeiro is missing, the BBC reports. “We are very worried,” an official told AFP. “The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago.” He said a transponder problem is possible, but unlikely. Flight AF-447,...

Ryanair Hits Low-Tech Flyers With $60 Fee

No printed-up boarding card? Pony up. Oh, and it's $7.50 to check in

(Newser) - Perhaps inspired by airlines banking hundreds of millions of dollars in bag fees last year, discount European carrier Ryanair is introducing new baggage check fees, BlackBook reports. Ryanair customers will have to pony up a $7.50 fee to check in online, and pay a further $60—termed a “...

Dreamliner's Latest Estimated Takeoff: June

Troubled aircraft finally reaching last test stages

(Newser) - After years of delays, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner may finally be finished. After a full on-the-ground simulation, one will leave the factory this week to take a place on the runway for a real test flight in June, the Seattle Times reports. Boeing lost 32 jet orders due to delays...

Hijacker of Canadian Jet Surrenders
 Hijacker of Canadian Jet Surrenders 
UPDATED
Apr 20, 2009 3:22 AM CDT

Hijacker of Canadian Jet Surrenders

(Newser) - The hijacker of a Canadian jet demanding to fly from Jamaica to Cuba has freed the six crewmembers he was holding and surrendered, reports the BBC. The man, whom authorities described as "mentally challenged," appeared to check in normally last night, then forced his way aboard the CanJet...

From Cargo to First Class: Pet-Only Airline Nears Takeoff

Seat-free plane offers a different way to travel with pets

(Newser) - With Pet Airways’ summer launch, cats and dogs will get a first-class alternative to flying cargo. Passengers at major US airports will be able to drop their pets off for travel on a seat-free plane staffed with attendants, Zootoo reports. Spots on the first pets-only flight—scheduled for July 14...

Snakes on a Plane 2: Baby Pythons Escape in Flight

The 12 non-venomous snakes were not found

(Newser) - Four baby pythons escaped from a container aboard a passenger plane in Australia, leading to a search that forced the cancellation of two flights, the airline said today. Twelve non-venomous Stimson pythons were being transported Tuesday on a flight from Alice Springs to Melbourne, but when the flight landed it...

Plunging Airfares Hit 2-Year Low

Airlines desperate to fill seats

(Newser) - The recession is causing a drop-off in ticket sales, which in turn is causing the airlines to make deep fare cuts, reports the Wall Street Journal. According to Travelocity, airfares for the 100 most popular routes have hit a 2-year low, and are priced 40% lower than last June's peak....

Airline Eyes Charging for Toilets

Irish budget carrier may put coin slots on lavatory doors

(Newser) - Just when you thought the airlines had figured out how to wring every penny out of flyers, budget carrier Ryanair announced it was mulling a new fee: a $1.50 charge to use the toilets. The Irish airline's CEO said today he was considering "putting a coin slot on...

Crash Highlights Regional Pilots' Inexperience

Investigators looking at Flight 3407 crew's records

(Newser) - The captain and first officer on the Buffalo plane that crashed were typical of regional airline pilots, the Buffalo News reports: They had far less experience than their counterparts on major airlines. No one interviewed blames either pilot for the accident, but Capt. Marvin Renslow, 47, and Rebecca Lynne Shaw,...

Russian Passengers Reject Drunk Pilot

Slurred speech sparked fear; airline blames 'mass psychosis'

(Newser) - Passengers on a Russian jet mutinied right before takeoff when they heard the slurred speech of their obviously inebriated pilot, the Times of London reports. They insisted on a replacement, despite flight attendants' initial efforts to brush them off, with one noting that drunkenness was no “big deal”...

Patriot Act Treats Unruly Passengers as Terrorists

In-flight ruckus can draw felony conviction

(Newser) - What sounds like a fair punishment for spanking your children on a plane and having an argument with a flight attendant? How about a felony conviction, 3 months in prison, and the loss of custody of your children? As unreal as it sounds, that’s exactly what happened to one...

Boeing to Delay Launch of Dreamliner—Again

Machinists strike, other bugs throw more wrenches into Boeing's production

(Newser) - Wheels-up time for Boeing’s much-anticipated Dreamliner jet will likely be delayed at least another 6 months, leaving customers wondering if the aircraft will ever take to the skies, the Wall Street Journal reports. The fourth delay, attributed to the recent machinists strike, bugs in the plane’s computer software,...

Stewardess Helps Land Flight After Co-Pilot Cracks

Licensed pilot jumps in on London-bound plane after man suffers breakdown

(Newser) - After an Air Canada captain had his co-pilot handcuffed and dragged from his seat during a January flight, a female flight attendant helped steer the London-bound passenger jet to safety in Ireland, the Guardian reports. The original co-pilot was “quite harried” when he entered the cockpit, a report released...

American Airports: Shiny, New, and Empty

Decades-long projects completed as industry turns down

(Newser) - In the boom years of the last decade, cities across America broke ground on major airport expansions, from additional runways to new terminals. Now those projects are being completed—just as air travel has slowed and hundreds of planes are being grounded. Flights may be less congested, writes the New ...

Planes Sent Toward Storms to Test Air Traffic Controller

FAA investigates Fla. incident in which 4 jets sent miles off course

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident in which four Orlando-bound passenger jets were rerouted on Saturday in an effort to train a new air traffic controller. The Daily Mail reports the jets were directed into an area where thunderstorms were raging and that one, a Virgin Atlantic plane,...

Stranded Brits Expected Home on Schedule

Up to 85K were overseas when holiday firm went bust

(Newser) - The  sudden collapse of XL Airways left as many as 85,000 passengers marooned in foreign lands, but they're now expected to get home on schedule, or at least only a little late, the Times of London reports. Aviation authorities plan a vast airlift to take home the stranded, but...

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