Jetiquette | The Sky Steward

Updated 4:36 p.m. | Minutes before a single-engine plane crashed onto Interstate 287 in northern New Jersey last week, its pilot radioed air-traffic control to say that he was in ”icing conditions” and requested clearance to climb higher, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The pilot, Jeffrey F. Buckalew, was given permission to climb 3,000 feet to an altitude of 20,000 feet, but the plane, a Socata TBM-700, rose by only 900 feet before it [...]

CreditDonkey.com identifies top three airline credit card promotions.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 05, 2012

As consumers embrace the start of 2012, savvy shoppers can give themselves the post-holiday gift of frequent flyer miles. CreditDonkey.com, a credit card comparison website, recently updated their list of the best airline credit cards with lucrative sign-on bonuses and generous rewards.

The right airline credit card depends on the traveler’s travel needs and airline affinity. CreditDonkey.com compared generous rewards, low [...]

(MENAFN – Arab News) Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airlines, has extended its South American network by linking Dubai with Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, further broadening the airline’s reach across the Americas.

Emirates’ inaugural Flight 247 made its first landing at Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, where it was initiated by a traditional water cannon salute.

The flight, operated by Argentine Capt. Marcos Medina, then departed for its first onwards connection to Buenos Aires, [...]

FLIGHTS

Looking for sales on a specific route, or just want to go somewhere cheap? AirfareWatchdog.com hunts down deals computers tend to miss, like promo codes airlines include in e-mail newsletters. It also finds sales from Allegiant and Southwest, which typically aren’t listed on major airfare search engines. You can sign up for specific fare alerts or a list of all the cheap round-trip fares from your local airport. [...]

FLIGHTS

Looking for sales on a specific route, or just want to go somewhere cheap? AirfareWatchdog.com hunts down deals computers tend to miss, like promo codes airlines include in e-mail newsletters. It also finds sales from Allegiant and Southwest, which typically aren’t listed on major airfare search engines. You can sign up for specific fare alerts or a list of all the cheap round-trip fares from your local airport. [...]

By Nelia G. Neri

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

CHICAGO has a special place in my heart. It was my destination on my very first trip to the USA when I was an impressionable 22-year old. I was there to train as a dietician in one of the biggest hospitals in the city. It was an unforgettable eight months in the land of milk and honey. Since that time I had gone back only once, with husband and four sons in tow, but [...]

PARIS: An Airbus operated by France’s Aigle Azur is over the weekend to make the first scheduled flight by a European airline to Baghdad in 20 years amid hopes of boosting historically close Franco-Iraqi business links.

The Airbus A319 is to take off from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Saturday at 11:30 pm with Foreign Trade Minister Anne-Marie Idrac and 40 French businessmen aboard, landing at Baghdad International five hours later.

Commercial flights between the two capitals, previously operated by national carrier Air France, [...]

(MENAFN – Arab News) Qatar Airways has received top accolades at the prestigious Business Traveller USA magazine awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

Readers voted the Five-Star carrier Best Airline for International Travel for the third consecutive year at its 23rd annual Best in Business Awards.

The airline was also awarded Best Business Class to the Middle East.

The awards recognized 35 different travel service providers in 54 categories.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al-Baker said the airline’s winning streak can be attributed to [...]

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ABU DHABI – Abu Dhabi International Airport on Tuesday marked its 30th anniversary, celebrating three successful decades of providing travellers and customers with world-class services and state-of-the-art facilities.

The capital’s international gateway has seen more than 126 million passengers pass through the airport since its opening at its current location in 1982.

Having historically been based in Al Bateen since 1969, Abu Dhabi International Airport started operation at its current location 38km outside the city in 1982. Terminal 1 [...]

Recently there was a mid-air collision.

On a flight from Salt Lake City to Boston, a passenger in first class brazenly pulled out his laptop and allegedly started watching images of young children in sexual circumstances with adults.

A fellow passenger reported it to the flight crew. The crew then did what was not done at Penn State: reported the alleged offense to the authorities.

Upon landing at Logan Airport, the man was questioned, arrested, cuffed and hauled off to jail. He was [...]

(CNN) — Never mind that you’re probably still recovering from holiday travel and may have no interest in heading to another airport. Faced with a traditional post-holiday lull in travel, several airlines are hoping their New Year’s sales will lure travelers back into the air at a discount.

“These deals have a lot to do with people not traveling after the holidays,” says Anne Banas, executive editor of Smarter Travel. “They just spent a lot of money, they’re tired and they’re [...]

A helium-inflated shark like one reported by a jet pilot on a flightpath to Christchurch Airport is tested by Press reporters Michael Wright, left, Keith Lynch, right, and Marc Greenhill, obscured. Photo: DEAN KOZANIC/Fairfax NZ

Just when you thought it was safe to re-enter Christchurch airspace this summer – shark!

The pilot of a passenger jet, thought to be an Air New Zealand flight, was on his descent to Christchurch [...]

Imagine going to a restaurant for a $5 steak dinner, but when you get there you discover being seated at a table will cost you $5, a surcharge of $7 for the plate and utensils and another $4 for the server to take your order.

Add on the [...]

The Southwest acquisition of AirTran signals major changes in airline service at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Most of them are not what people are expecting.

Southwest is one of America’s most ethical companies. Its success is because they really do like their customers, and it shows on every flight. From that perspective, Southwest is a great successor to AirTran.

However, Atlanta consumers are in for some surprises when Southwest launches service next month. First, there will be fewer flights.

Over 60 percent of all [...]

From January 1, carbon emissions by aircraft flying into 27 European Union (EU) countries, including the United Kingdom, will be measured as the airline industry will come under the EU emission trading scheme, making carriers that exceed their carbon limit liable to pay a carbon tax.

There will be no immediate impact on airfares as the tax will come into effect only after an airline has crossed its carbon emission limit as laid down by the EU. But if an alternative [...]

LOS ANGELES , Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Qatar Airways has received top accolades at the prestigious Business Traveler magazine awards ceremony in Los Angeles .

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110513/PH01836)

Readers voted the Five-Star airline Best Airline for International Travel for the third consecutive year at Business Traveler Magazine’s 23rd annual Best in Business Awards.

Qatar Airways was also awarded Best Business Class airline to the Middle East.

The awards recognized 35 different travel service providers in 54 categories.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive [...]

While 2012 is likely to feature a variety of dramatic airline news stories, if only because most years in the volatile and hypercompetitive industry beget drama, some of the biggest developments will come from the world’s largest airline, United Continental Holdings Inc. of Chicago.

Behind the scenes, the company will attempt to merge United’s and Continental’s reservation computer systems, a huge and perilous undertaking. It also will be the first North American airline to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, [...]

While 2012 is likely to feature a variety of dramatic airline news stories, if only because most years in the volatile and hypercompetitive industry beget drama, some of the biggest developments will come from the world’s largest airline: United Continental Holdings.

Behind the scenes, the Chicago holding company will try to merge United’s and Continental’s reservation computer systems, a huge and perilous undertaking. It will also be the first North American airline to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, considered [...]

Qantas A380_outside

Qantas Airbus A380 (Photo: Qantas)

From the outside, Qantas’ Airbus A360 looks very much like any other superjumbo jet, but the first class cabin has more than just extra leg room, sleeping quarters and pleather seats. It has what some may consider a Trekkie’s earthly dream.

The Daily Mail reports that the interior of the jet, designed by Marc Newson, looks like living quarters on Star Trek’s U.S.S. Enterprise complete LCD touchscreens, real leather seats, sheepskin-covered beds and houseplants:

“At first [...]

AT a big gun show here a couple of weeks ago, J. D. Schechter was busy signing up new members for the Arizona Citizens Defense League.

“We apply pressure on our hired hands in the state legislature in Phoenix to expand the rights of Arizonans to carry guns,” explained the elaborately mustachioed Mr. Schechter, who was wearing a park ranger-style hat and a khaki uniform. Next to his table in the sprawling exhibition [...]

My business partner Jon Greenlee and I would strap ourselves to the wing to save money. When we travel, we rarely sleep because we have to book these bizarre trips. It’s crazy.

Our first international business trip was pretty terrible. We needed to get to Asia and our first thought was that we couldn’t afford it. But then we got online and found a way to get there without going completely broke. [...]

Leveling out: US fares have returned to a more sustainable level. Photo: Jessica Hromas

AIRLINES are banking on improved returns from flights between Australia and the US after several years of substantial losses caused by fare discounting.

While the arrival of Virgin offshoot V Australia and Delta Air Lines on the route in 2009 ushered in a period of super-cheap prices, it turned what had been a highly profitable [...]

Steve Marcus

A United Airlines passenger jet is shown on the ground as a Southwest jet takes off at McCarran International Airport on Friday, Dec. 9, 2011.

By Richard N. Velotta (contact)

Monday2 January 20122 a.m.

Richard N. Velotta

Here at the Sun and its business publication, VEGAS INC, we [...]