Tag: FAA

Is this the worst week for air travelers since 9/11?

By Christopher Elliott |
Victor/Shutterstock
Victor/Shutterstock

From bankruptcies to terrorist attacks, air travelers have seen it all in the last decade or so. But I can’t think of a week that’s been jam-packed with so much bad news for airline passengers since 2001. Maybe you can, but stick with me for a moment while I review the list.

It isn’t just the sequestration problems that are causing unforeseen slowdowns — it’s a confluence of other events, some related to the mandatory cuts, but many not.
Read more “Is this the worst week for air travelers since 9/11?”

Hartford tarmac stranding doesn’t justify new laws

By Christopher Elliott |

The Halloween weekend stranding of more than 1,000 airline passengers at Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Conn., brought the tarmac delay activists out in full force again, pushing for new laws that they claim would prevent lengthy ground delays.

The circumstances were admittedly dreadful. On Oct. 29, air traffic controllers diverted 28 flights to Hartford after a freak snowstorm hammered the region. Many planes were grounded for hours in the blizzard, unable to reach the terminal. Supplies of food and water dwindled. Toilets became clogged. Tempers flared.
Read more “Hartford tarmac stranding doesn’t justify new laws”

Spirit Airlines tells passenger who can’t fit into seat to stand

By Christopher Elliott |

Katie Anderson’s son, Brooks, is 6′ 7″. The average economy class seat “pitch” on a Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 — the distance between seats on an aircraft — is between 30 and 31 inches, hardly enough room for a big guy.

When he flew between Chicago and Fort Myers, Fla., before Christmas, he squeezed his XL frame into one of Spirit’s tiny seats for takeoff, but was asked to stand for more than two hours, according to his mother.

Says Anderson,

They would not give him a bulkhead or exit row seat. He does not fit in a regular seat. His height prohibits this.

He is not overweight. It wouldn’t help to have two seats like an overweight person. This is more like a handicap. He can’t lose height.

Asking a passenger to stand for the whole flight is highly unusual, but not illegal.
Read more “Spirit Airlines tells passenger who can’t fit into seat to stand”

Trade groups want their piece of pie in the sky

By Christopher Elliott |

fire in the skyNo one would claim that any of the new travel-related laws scheduled to take effect in 2010 are game-changers for travelers. They’re relatively minor: a new credit card rule here, a new airport security policy there.

But what kind of law would really improve your travel experience next year?

Instead of asking readers for their opinions, as I do every week, I decided to hand the mike to the trade organizations in Washington that represent various parts of the travel industry. Specifically, I wanted to know which law they’d like to see passed in 2010 that they think would most benefit travelers.

The short answer? Most trade groups want laws authorizing Congress to spend more money, which they say will help us.
Read more “Trade groups want their piece of pie in the sky”

Victim of seatback police: “It felt like we had somehow landed in a World War II movie”

By Christopher Elliott |

seatsBeware of the airline seatback cops. They recently nabbed Cheryl Smith, and they could be coming for you.

What do these airborne officers want from you? Your total obedience, and an empty seat pocket in front of you. More or less.

Never mind that what they’re asking for makes no sense, whatsoever.
Read more “Victim of seatback police: “It felt like we had somehow landed in a World War II movie””

How are airlines stopping the spread of Swine Flu on planes? (Hint: Begins with “p” and rhymes with “hell”)

By Christopher Elliott |

purellIt looks as if the airlines have no intention of loosening their inflexible change fee requirements to prevent a Swine Flu outbreak on planes. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it has begun testing hand sanitizers for flammability, and at least one source close to the agency says carriers intend to deploy bottles of the gel on their planes as flu season gets underway.

That’s right, the airline industry’s answer to the H1N1 problem is apparently Purell on planes.
Read more “How are airlines stopping the spread of Swine Flu on planes? (Hint: Begins with “p” and rhymes with “hell”)”

Sky-high government fines against United, US Airways for safety violations

By Christopher Elliott |

engineIn yet another sign that the government has adopted a “get tough” approach in dealing with the airline industry, the Federal Aviation Administration today proposed near-record penalties against two airlines for safety violations.

The FAA wants United Airlines to pay a $3.8 million civil penalty for allegedly operating one of its Boeing 737 aircraft on more than 200 flights after the carrier had violated its own maintenance procedures on one of the plane’s engines.

The government also proposed a $5.4 million civil penalty against US Airways for allegedly operating eight aircraft on a total of 1,647 flights from October 2008 to January 2009 while not in compliance with certain airworthiness directives or the airline’s maintenance program.
Read more “Sky-high government fines against United, US Airways for safety violations”