United Airlines drops 787 through June 5th

United Airlines has announced that it will cut the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from its flying plans at least until June 5^th. The 787 has been grounded since January 16^th, in an attempt to resolve the problem with the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries.

In total, there are fifty 787’s throughout the world that have been grounded. More than a month later, investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a battery fire in one plane and forced the emergency landing of another plane. The out of service aircraft has forced airlines to scrap their schedules until Boeing can resolve the battery problem. United, for example, was due to begin flying from Denver to Tokyo on March 31^st but has had to postpone until the 787 is cleared to fly. Boeing has been working diligently on finding a solution to the problem. How soon Boeing can fix the problem depends partly on the approval process by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Most of Boeing’s customers have remained optimistic that Boeing will be able to come up with a solution very soon. All Nippon Airways, which has 17 of Boeings’ 787’s, has stood by the Dreamliner. ANA remain confident in the aircraft and hope they will be able to reassure their customers once the 787 is cleared to fly.

Although many customers will undoubtedly have safety concerns about the aircraft, Boeing remains firm in their belief of the aircraft. Boeing CEO Ray Conner, reiterated his stance recently, proclaiming: "I just want to reiterate that the 787 is still the game-changing aircraft it is meant to be". He also added that the solution Boeing has proposed “is not an interim solution. This is a permanent solution”. Many airlines will be keeping their fingers crossed that these statements are true and that these planes can get back in the sky sooner than later.

American Eagle pilot arrested after failing blood-alcohol test

An American Eagle pilot was arrested last week at the Minneapolis airport after failing a blood-alcohol test. The pilot was conducting pre-flight checks around 6:30 AM when airport police boarded the New York City bound aircraft. The officers boarded after a witness tipped them off, saying they smelled alcohol on the pilots breath.

The pilot was taken into custody after failing the breathalyzer test. The pilot has been suspended pending an investigation. The flight was delayed 2 ½ hours while a replacement pilot was arranged. This all occurred before any passengers had boarded the NYC bound flight.

The pilot was taken to a local hospital to have a blood sample taken for testing. The legal BAC limit in Minnesota is .04 for pilots. Although this is a much stricter limit than someone travelling on the road, I was left scratching my head. Call me crazy, but shouldn’t there be absolutely no trace of alcohol in a pilot’s system?

Las Vegas Air to launch in 2013

With all of the airline consolidation going on, I have been counting down the days until new entrants appear, offering new service angles. It seems like I won’t have to wait much longer. Las Vegas Air appears to be on track to launch sometime in 2013.

The airline is promising all of the Vegas thrills, including planes equipped with full reclining luxury beds in first class and a shower/changing room. Club Class will include a Circle bar, 3D surround sound, and translucent bulk heads. Every flight will also include an online and private network gaming experience.

LV Air looks to bring some much needed competition to the established carriers with its creative and innovative ideas. LV Air has been contacted by many celebrities who wish to be associated with its youthful, high tech, and luxurious brand image. Expect to see LV Air hitting the market with an intense social media campaign sometime in early 2013.

Wheeling and Dealing

Looking for ways to cut to the front of airport security lines? Apparently you’re not the only one.

Airport workers say they are seeing an increased amount of travelers abusing the complimentary wheelchairs provided at airports. It has even gotten to the point that airport workers expect increased wheelchair requests whenever they see security lines that are especially long.

Wheelchair passengers go through an expedited security screening and get to board the plane first, so maybe it should be of no surprise that there are a few unsavory characters who try to take advantage of this.

Airports are required by law to accommodate disabled travelers free of charge. However, there is no requirement for passengers to prove their disability when requesting a wheelchair. Which begs the question, should airports start to charge or require proof of disability for wheelchairs?

I think it is safe to say that requiring proof of disability (much like a handicap parking placard) would weed out most of the abusers of this service and leave the wheelchairs for those who are truly in need of them!

In Developing Countries, Tourists Using Up to 16 Times More Water than Locals

It has been widely and somewhat naively accepted by the general public that tourism is nothing but beneficial for developing countries. As many of us have come to see firsthand, some of the most beautiful places in the world are also the setting of some of the world’s worst poverty. The notion that “tourism brings money” to poor countries seems to scratch that little itch of guilt that tourists have about enjoying a lavish getaway mere meters away from a thatch-roof hut.

While it all sounds neat and tidy on paper, it has become apparent that the devil is in the details. Hotels and resorts have only very little figurative trickle-down effect for money flow, and even less literal trickle-down when it comes to ample fresh water.

While tourists are enjoying swimming pools, multiple showers per day, fresh drinking water and green golf courses maintained by complex sprinkler systems, locals are surviving off the bare dregs of the water supply.

In resort towns in Bali, Indonesia and Nungwi , Zanzibar, research has shown that tourists are running up to 16 times more water than locals, and the water that actually does get to the mouths of destitute locals is often contaminated.

3 locals died in a Zanzibar resort town after an outbreak of cholera. Many attributed the spread of the disease to the poor quality of local water.

Resorts have shown little sympathy to the local thirst, as many hotels have employed security guards to protect and monitor fresh water tanks to prevent theft or sabotage.

This is an issue for the governments of countries that are extremely dependant on their tourism industry. Many elected officials lobby for resorts as a way to bring revenue to developing countries, but the local sentiment seems to be that distribution of revenue and facilities is extremely unfair and puts the community in the backseat to the money-making juggernaut that is the tourism industry. 

While it’s natural to feel that you deserve to live in excess when you travel to an all-inclusive resort, it’s also important to be aware of how these resort towns are affecting the local lifestyle, for better or for worse, before choosing a getaway location. 

United Purchases 150 New Aircraft from Boeing

United Continental Holdings, Inc. seem to be setting the precedent for an environmentally friendly and technologically savvy revamp of their entire United Airlines fleet.

We posted earlier in this blog about the highly anticipated 787 Boeing Dreamliner, which will provide a new standard in the travel experience while reducing fuel costs by nearly 20%. Boeing plans to add 50 new Dreamliners to their fleet, being the first American carrier to fly the aircraft. The first Dreamliner will arrive in September of this year.

In addition to the 50 Dreamliners, United Airlines ordered 150 smaller, one-aisle 737s from Boeing, continuing the overhaul of the company’s flying equipment and boasting greater travel efficiency with lower fuel costs per seat.  Compared to the current 737s in use, United claims that the new models will reduce emissions by 13%. Coupled with modern travel technologies and flight efficiency, United Airlines’ reduction of the carbon footprint makes them one of the world’s most enticing air travel options.

Unfortunately, the planes take quite a while to build.

In 2013, deliveries will begin for the 737-900ER. These models will replace old and outdated domestic United aircraft and plan to burn 15% less fuel per seat. 50 of these planes are expected to be delivered between 2013 and 2022.

We’ll have to wait until 2018 for the next model 737, the MAX 9.

The future is bright for United frequent fliers, as we have a large amount of fancy new aircraft to look forward to. CEO of POTHOS, Michael Patton, is a United 1k Million Mile Frequent Flier and encourages travelers to book with United and experience their efficient service and, soon, their cutting edge aircraft.

On a recent trip to Seattle, we had the pleasure of grabbing a sneak peak of the 787 Dreamliner at the Boeing Factory. We can’t wait to see the new 737s! 

Airline Passengers Willing to Pay to Exit Planes Faster

Travelling can get pretty stressful if you let the little things get to you: losing luggage, an intoxicated passenger in the adjacent seat, and said adjacent passenger getting “motion sickness” halfway through the flight.

We here at POTHOS encourage travelers to relax and take all of annoying little nuances of air travel in stride.

For example, be thankful for when your plane lands safely. When the seatbelt light goes off, enjoy the fact that you can turn on your smart phone and check your emails. As the plane finishes taxiing, gleefully watch as the uptight passengers frantically jockey for position in line for exiting the plane.

Alas, we are not here to judge, and the 2 minutes or so that a frequent flier gains by exiting the plane before everyone else could be potentially valuable to that person. How valuable, you ask?

Roughly $20 dollars. 

In polls by Airfarewatchdog.com, some fliers were willing to pay extra to not only board the plane before everyone else, but also exit the plane with priority. The polls declared about 10 percent of passengers were willing to pay $10 while 3 percent would pay up to $20.

This might seem fairly bizarre to some. Interestingly enough, the same travelers that are willing to pay extra to get into those cramped seating quarters before everyone else are the same ones that are willing to pay even more to get out of them before everyone else. 

“To each their own,” we suppose. We do not doubt that there are frequent fliers with deep pockets who have strict deadlines to meet that exiting the plane as soon as possible can give them a competitive business advantage. Besides, the poll only showed that %3 percent were willing to pay that extra $20 dollars.

Surely this would not benefit airlines enough to institute a new fare. Surely. 

Japanese Travel Guide Offers Interesting Advice on Visiting Scotland

While travelling abroad, especially on different continents and in different hemispheres, it helps to be prepared for the potentially massive cultural differences so you don’t find yourself in an awkward situation or committing an embarrassing faux pas.

A travel guide has dedicated a section to offer some tips to Japanese tourists visiting Scotland. While some of them could prove to be reasonably helpful, others should take the travel tips “with a pinch of salt”, as VisitScotland aptly put.

The guide offers a good amount of strong advice, urging Japanese tourists to embrace the Scottish culture, giving tips on the best local marmalade and sausage, and how to properly order a drink in a bustling Scottish pub.

Cultural differences are also highlighted in the guide that gives some insights to the differences between the two nations. Tourists are warned that they must be patient and not expect to receive the same “quick, polite and accurate service” from restaurants and taverns that they would in their home land, which leads one to wonder if what type of bad experiences the travel guide has had with the service industry in Scotland.

Amusingly, the guide offers some quirky tips. In addition to warning them to avoid Scots in football garb, they are told never to call Scottish kilts “skirts” and never to call a Scottish person “English”. While that could help you avoid an embarrassing situation, others tips are meant to be a bit silly.

The guide mentions that, even though it rains quite often in Scotland, very few people carry umbrellas. This is said to “puzzle” Japanese tourists, as many of the Japanese always carry an umbrella in case of sudden showers.

The variety of guidelines that the Japanese guide book offers proves to be an interesting read, running the gamut of helpful hints to fun idiosyncrasies between the two cultures.

POTHOS can personally vouch that Scotland is a hospitable country with a rich and interesting history. One of our employees is a native of Scotland, and we’re quite sure she’d forgive you if you accidentally called her English!

Book cover can be found here: http://www.eturbonews.com/files/imagecache/fullpage/0a12_261.jpg

Travelling During a Potential Strike: How to Prepare

When travelling abroad, especially bouncing about through multiple European countries, each country has their own carriers, all of which have different histories of labor disruptions. Before booking your flights, do your research to which carriers are least likely to strike during the time of your trip. Historically, northern European countries like England are much less likely to have issues as opposed to countries like France or Italy.

It’s also important to check if the airline you are booking with is affiliated with any other airlines. Partnerships are common amongst airlines, so be sure to choose one that can potentially rebook you on a partner’s flight if something goes wrong, and spending a little extra and buying travel insurance certainly couldn’t hurt if you feel at risk.

Enlisting a travel agent will ensure that even the most complicated trip schedules will be booked and rebooked appropriately to accommodate you. POTHOS ensures any flights that are lost due to labor disputes will be rebooked as quickly and conveniently as possible. 

If the unthinkable happens and a labor dispute occurs during your time of travels, fret not, you still have some options. If you haven’t purchased a fully refundable ticket with a different carrier as a backup plan, get on the phone and call until you speak to someone that can help. Often, one airline carrier agent will be more lenient than another, allowing you to adjust your flights accordingly.

For up to the minute information, make sure that you are following all of the airlines you are travelling with on Twitter.  

Air France Plans to Cut 5,100 Jobs By Decemeber 2013

 Air France, in hopes of returning to era of break-even profit margins, have undertaken in an investment involving a multi-million dollar refurbishment of cabin facilities on the airlines with a focus on the premium classes.

The massive financial business project will require “restructuring” on short- and medium-haul operations for Air France. The carrier plans to complete the job cuts by December of 2013 and has claimed to only use “forced departures” as a last resort, and rely heavily on voluntary retirements.

Air France claims that talks with ground staff, cabin crew and pilot unions are already underway.

The enormous size of the cutback and the idea that over 5,000 jobs can be lost and the airline can continue to operate raises a litany of questions for the carrier’s human relations and task management divisions. 

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, asks “How can businesses (airlines) continue to cut people? At what point do you not have any staff anymore? How can a business staff so far excessively? Were those people doing any work? How can that work be absorbed?”

The recovery plan was introduced in January and further announcements can be expected over the coming months.

JAL Requests to Reduce Fuel Surcharges for International Fares

As you could imagine, it is a very uncommon maneuver for carriers to reduce charges to save international travels money. However, Japan Airlines (JAL) appears to be doing just that.

JAL has sent a formal request to the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and tourism (MLIT) for approval. If passed, fuel charges will be lowered on all JAL flights, domestic & international passenger flights that were ticketed between the 1^st of August and 30^th of September, 2012.

The surcharge levels are based off of the Singapore kerosene-type jet fuel, and are applied bimonthly based on the average price per barrel. North American travelers can expect ticket prices to be effected by up to $265 per round-trip. Surcharges will be reassessed at the next bimonthly period. 

AirAsia Discussing Use of Travel Consultants in Burgeoning Markets

The highly successful B2C sales model may be slightly altered by AirAsia with the emergence of travel consultants in the airline’s distribution network. The agents will be mainly focused in smaller markets like the Philippines and Indonesia.

“(Travel consultants) are a very important growth (channel) for AirAsia. They should not consider us as the enemy” said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia group CEO.

They plan to increase cooperation with travel trade and will be making announcements in the coming months. They are also discussing the introduction of a new structure of commission based business for travel consultants.

AirAsia’s home country of Malaysia remains perfectly satisfied with the current state of distribution, which shows 95% of the country’s business comes solely from AirAsia’s website.

“I wonder when all airlines will realize that travel agents are their external sales force;” says Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, “servicing their customers, driving business and deserve the commission compensation that was taken from us so long ago.”

Major Airlines Increase Passenger Flights on Regional Partners, Confuse and Frustrate Fliers

 With the vast emptiness of the sky, it seems almost impossible to imagine that traffic jams and overcrowding can exist in the same way that it does on the ground in the busiest of American metropolitan areas. However, increases in flights with regional airline companies are doing just that – clogging everything up.

USA today researched that about 53 percent of all commercial airline flights in the United States are flown by regional carriers. This is a result of major airline companies establishing affiliations with smaller regional airlines and allowing flyers who book with major airlines to have their tickets be passed down to regional carriers.

Besides the deception that comes with thinking that you’re going to be flying with a major airline when you’re really flying with a company you’ve never heard of, what’s the problem? They’re affiliated with the majors, so isn’t it the same thing?

Not exactly.

As far as safety standards are concerned, the United States boasts a strong air travel safety record. There is a disparity, however, in the flight safety records between “major” airlines and regional aircraft. While there hasn’t been a fatal “major” airline accident in the United States since 2001, there have been 5 different regional airline accidents operating in affiliation with major airline companies since then, leading to 135 deaths.

In addition to general flight safety, being passed off to a regional aircraft has other small, but annoying setbacks. Cabins are generally smaller, leading smaller and more cramped seating arrangements.

You’d be happy to deal with the uncomfortable seats if the regional airline even takes off in the first place. Regional flights ranked last in amount of cancelled flights and involuntary bumping of passengers. Regional carriers also had the most mishandled baggage, adding to an already poor reputation.

Smaller regional carriers began as a way to fly to more rural areas, but now every morning regional airlines fly 30 to 35 nonstop flights between New York and Washington, DC, creating overcrowding on the airfield, in the air, and at check in stations for passengers.

Even frequent fliers are finding themselves getting duped by major airlines into thinking they’re flying with one carrier when they’re really on another. The best way to be sure a flight is with a reputable major airline is to find out explicitly what airline is operating the flight, because booking with a major doesn’t necessarily mean you’re flying with a major. 

Michael Patton, CEO of POTHOS, had this to say on the quality of service from regional carrier SkyWest and Republic Airlines:

"It is from personal experience that I can tell you SkyWest (United's regional carrier from San Diego to LAX) cares absolutely NOTHING for its passengers. The Skywest staff will lie when it is to their advantage and they have no honor. I do realize the significance of this broad generalization, but over the last 8 years, I can tell you this to be absolutely the rule, not the exception from this personal experience. Republic airlines, on the other hand, does an exceptional job."

If you are booking your flights with a travel agency such as POTHOS, we always list explicitly on the itinerary the name of the actual carrier.

United Airlines Raises Bag Checking Fee on Transatlantic Flights; Luggage Concierge offers alternatives

United has followed a recent precedent set by Delta Airlines by increasing their bag checking fee from $70 to $100 on most transatlantic flights. Delta recently raised prices from $75 to $100 dollars according to Wolfe Trahan analyst Hunter Keay. Keay highlighted the fact that the hike-ups in bag checking prices were coming “despite falling fuel prices”.

Does this leave a frequent flier with any other options?

In an effort to accommodate travelers with concerns for increases in luggage prices, companies have sprung up offering private alternatives. One example of a private luggage delivery service is Luggage Concierge.

(http://www.luggageconcierge.com)

Luggage Concierge is looking to attract customers that are tired of paying up-charges on their luggage, especially for abnormally shaped luggage like golf clubs.

Luggage Concierge coordinates a luggage pickup from a set location and privately moves your belongings to and from the location of your choice without the use of an airline, allowing you to board your flight luggage free. 

Luggage Concierge offers a set of different insurance policy varying on the type of flight and boasts price rates competitive to those of most airline companies.

The cost is approximately $87 to $140 for a 75lb bag, 3 day domestic service, $85 for a golf bag, $454 for international flights. 

US Tourists Harassed and Denied Entry by Israeli Security

There have been three different reports of US citizens being interrogated by the Israeli Shin Bet security last May, saying that the Israeli security demanded passwords of person email accounts for anyone with an Arab name.

Najwa Doughman, an American of Arab descent, was visiting Israel for the third time in her life. After she landed with in Israel for a 10 day tour with a friend, she was interrogated with questions along the these lines:

“Do you feel more Arab or more American?”

The interrogator offered her own answer “Surely, you feel a little more Arab”

The interrogator then proceeded to ask Najwa why she was visiting Israel of all places, instead of Mexico, Canada, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. She was then asked to log into her personal Gmail account, where security read through every email and looked for key words like “West Bank”, “Israel”, “Palestine”, and “International Solidarity Movement”. The security guard then recorded many different names and contacts from Najwa’s Gmail address book.

After 5 hours of questioning, the two American travelers were forced to wait another 3 hours. After the 8 hour ordeal, they were informed that they would not be granted entry into Israel, and they would have all of their luggage searched and their photographs taken.

The two Americans were also given full body searches.

The two spent the night in a detention facility and were flown out via France 14 hours after landing in Israel.

There have been two other similar reports where Americans of Arab descent were denied entry into Israel after hours of interrogation and searching. The Shin Bet have released a statement saying that the precautionary measures taken by the security guards , under Israel law, are within their authority. 

It seems that there is a growing sentiment that Israel’s mis-treatment of Palestinian’s is rolling into a mandate to all people of Arab descent.

Michael Patton, POTHOS CEO comments; It would be wise to remember Ben Franklin’s sage advice “Those who would sacrifice Freedom for Security deserve neither”.

Fines and Penalties Mark the End of Overbooking and Non-Refundable Flights for Philippine Carriers

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) in the Philippines has set new rules for all domestic flights in hopes of ending overbooking and the use of “no refunds, no rebooking” policies. As of June 15^th, any flight that is overbooked will be slapped with a fine of PHP5,000 (about $115 USD)  multiplied by however many passengers were not granted boarding or bumped off the flight.

Also, starting June 5^th, the new regulations also entitle domestic passengers PHP3,000 ($69 USD) and international passengers PHP5,000 in compensation.

Philippine carriers are concerned to how greatly these new policies will affect their business strategy. The new regulations allow passengers to rebook flights within one year of issue, and AirAsia CEO Marianne Hontiveros is worried that it will require a revamp of their entire business model:

 “If passengers can refund and rebook at any time, we’re going to have to make allowances for that, which means we have to build it into our pricing structure, and that kills the whole low-cost concept.”

Philippine carriers do not have much time to make adjustments as the new overbooking policy is to go into effect in only 10 days.  

United Airlines Drops Early Boarding for Children, Putting Strain on Family Summer Travel Plans

Unless you’re sitting in first or business class, your children will no longer be able to board early on United Airlines flights.

United spokesman Charles Hobart released a statement saying the policy change was in order “to simplify the boarding process and reduce the number of overall boarding groups”.

A few major airlines like Delta, Jet Blue, and Virgin America still allow families with small children to board ahead of other coach class passengers.  United Airlines’ policy change has drawn a lot of media attention and could mark the beginning of the end for the pre-boarding of families with small children on all major airlines.

Passengers can expect a $9 or more charge for early boarding privileges on United Airlines, while active duty military passengers in uniform remain the last fliers to have free early boarding. 

World's Busiest Airports

Information cited as released by Airports Council International (ACI)
Numbers quoted as passengers per year

International Travelers:

1. London (Heathrow), United Kingdom: 60.9 million
2. Paris, France: 53.15 million
3. Hong Kong: 49.77 million
4. Dubai, UAE: 46.31 million
5. Frankfurt, Germany: 46.3 million
6. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 45.13 million
7. Singapore: 40.92 million
8. Incheon, South Korea: 32.94 million
9. Tokyo (Narita), Japan: 32.16 million
10. Bangkok, Thailand: 31.41 million

Total Travelers (International and Domestic):

1. Atlanta, USA: 89.33 million
2. Beijing, China: 73.94 million
3. Chicago, USA: 66.77 million
4. London (Heathrow), UK: 65.88 million
5. Tokyo (Haneda), Japan: 64.21 million
6. Los Angeles, USA: 59.07 million
7. Paris, France: 58.16 million
8. Dallas, USA: 56.9 million
9. Frankfurt, Germany: 53 million
10. Denver, USA: 52.2 million

Fastest Growth (with at Least 5 Million Travelers):

1. Istanbul, Turkey
2. Campinas, Brazil
3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
4. Charleroi, Belgium
5. Moscow (Sheremetyevo), Russia
6. Belo Horizonte, Brazil
7. Bogota, Colombia
8. Phuket, Thailand
9. Shanghai, China
10. Muscat, Oman

DOT Proposing Increase in Accessibility to Air Passengers with Disabilities

The Department of Transportation may require airlines and travel providers to provide non-discriminatory accessibility to travelers with disabilities. According to the Census Bureau, here are an estimated 50 million American's with a disability (roughly 1 in 6), many of which face significant barriers when navigating air -and other forms of- travel.

According to msnbc.com, the proposed updates to be made include: requiring airports to "adopt an accessibility standard that mirrors the one the Department of Justice put in place for automated teller machines, which must now have Braille instructions and buttons, headphone jacks (for verbal instructions) and plenty of room around the units to allow physical access for people using wheelchairs and other assistive devices."

Msnbc also reports that in addition to airports updating their physical accessibility, "carriers and travel agents would have up to two years from the roll-out of the regulations to update or redesign their websites. While they do that, DOT would keep in place regulations requiring carriers to make any discounted Web-based fares and amenities available — at no extra charge — to travelers with disabilities who cannot use a carrier's inaccessible website."

This is not the first time these types of proposals have been made, and they are typically met with opposition from airlines and the like who are hesitant to spend the money to provide accessible devices and websites. This time around is no different in terms of opposition, but the Department of Transportation estimates that a reduction in the number of assistance calls due to inaccessible websites will result in savings of $11.8 million over 10 years and that $45.9 million would be saved by airlines in labor costs, making arguments citing increased costs difficult to maintain.

Find the original article here: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/11/8259446-dot-wants-more-accessible-airline-websites-kiosks