Air Travel - Articles - Zimbio

Flying this summer? Book now!

Mon, 10 Jun 2008 22:00:40 GMT

posted by Robertpeek

If you plan to fly this summer, buy your airline tickets now. Rising fuel costs and the usual summer demand are driving ticket prices higher and higher, so the longer you wait, the more you are likely to pay.

For example, a week before Memorial Day, I checked roundtrip airfare from Orlando to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a July departure. Travelocity quoted me $215 roundtrip on Spirit Airlines (nonstop, after all taxes and fees). Although this was an excellent price, my plans were uncertain so I didn’t book it – oops. I checked back about 10 days later and the price had risen to $232. I booked it, but my hesitation cost me $51 because I needed three tickets. Out of curiosity, I checked this same flight again a week later (early June). The lowest nonstop price among all airlines was still Spirit Airlines, but the cost had risen to $289. This is a $57 increase per ticket for the exact same flight originally quoted at $215 three weeks earlier.

Don’t blame, Spirit, though. Some of this cost increase is likely due to rising demand for summer tickets. But fuel prices are certainly a factor. To combat it, Continental Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines all have announced major layoffs in recent weeks.

Also, note that some airlines now charge fees for checked baggage for domestic economy class. For example, Spirit charges $10 for the first checked bag (if you pay in advance on-line; or $20 if you pay at the airport) and another $20 for your second bag. American charges $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for your second. These fees are charged EACH way, so double them if you fly roundtrip. And buyer beware when comparing airline rates: travel websites might not include the new checked luggage fee in their on-line quotes.

Fees or no fees, my advice is to book early.

Nationwide Airline Stopped Operations

Thu, 2 May 2008 10:52:00 GMT

posted by wafaz75

Unable to overcome it's cash flow problems, South African carrier Nationwide has stopped flying. The airline used by Saga, Kuoni and Thomas Cook stopped flying on Tuesday. This is not so good news for holiday makers especially with the approaching summer holidays.

The Gatwick based airline is used by thousand of British long-haul holiday makers. Nationwide operated four return flights a week between Gatwick and Johannesburg. The airline's last flight from Gatwick only went as far as Shannon in Ireland rather than Johannesburg.

The affected companies, Saga, Kuoni and Thomas Cook are said to have booked customers who were due to fly with Nationwide from Gatwick onto other flights.

Spring is here, finally!

Thu, 18 Apr 2008 12:02:42 GMT

posted by kstproject
The beautiful weather has finally arrived and hopefully will stay with us for a few days. With all this sunshine and the Pope in town, I can only wonder if Gordon Brown will bring sunshine as well or will we see some typical London rain? As the Pope leaves DC this morning to head for NY, it raises the question, will his flight be delayed? Im thinking no, arriving to a reception of great fanfare, high-school bands, honor guard, color guard, the Pope knows how to fly! Does he have to pay extra for a second bag?

In other discerning airline news we recently found out that flight times have increased. Taken in context, I guess we should just be lucky the flights arent cancelled? In a recent article published in USA Today (very obvious I am staying in a hotel, just a little note; Dear Hilton Garden Inn owners, I am in NYC, why cant you spring for a copy of the NY Times?) it has been reported that back in 1988 flight times were significantly shorter. Today, airlines are padding extra time into their flights to cover their assets. One would think that 20 years ago technology may have ben a little lacking and since then the check-in, flight and de-planing process might have been slightly expedited, not so much. What used to take only 1 hour, now takes 1 hour and 18 minutes fora flight from DC to LaGuardia, the trip form San Jose to Kennedy went from 5 hours and 25 minutes to an excruciating 8 hours and 17 minutes. What makes me scratch my head is that there is no uniformity in the increase, I am sure someone could develop an algorithm that would nail this, until then I wonder who came up with the increase and why? The logical answer would be that this is how long it usually takes, however this is air travel, so the obvious answer is obviously wrong. Are we as consumers really that powerless when it comes to air travel or is it simply ignorance on our part?

Here is a snapshot of the increase in flight times courtesy of USA Today;

Air Sickness

Thu, 11 Apr 2008 17:47:00 GMT

posted by blancadebree
Frontier Airlines has announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 protection. The company has indicated, however, that it will continue to fly.

This comes on the heels of last week's announcement that ATA and Skybus would immediately suspend operations. In addition American Airlines once again has canceled more than 600 flights following a discovery by the FAA that previous maintenance on its work horse MD-80 fleet was not performed according to standard. This comes one month after Southwest was fined a record $10 million for not performing critical maintenance on and for flying its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft with fuselage cracks.

Boeing announced that is was once again delaying the delivery of its much anticipated 787 Dreamliner. The company also distributed a press release indicating that it would only deliver about 15 airplanes in 2009 instead of the 120 originally anticipated.

Meanwhile Blanca has been flying across the country in her continuing coverage of the 2008 Presidential campaign. Delays, security, and overcrowding have marred her travel experience, but one eternally perplexing problem remains: babies in first class.

Now I ask you, if babies eat their own poop, vomit all over themselves, and drink from sagging titties, why the hell would they need to fly first class? Blanca spends a lot of money to fly up front. She enjoys the attention and pampering. She certainly doesn't need some brat crying from behind her in 4C.

Blanca would like to help the airlines in their current woes. Her vast experience as an attorney and MBA could be used to discover creative financial solutions, legal relief, and new business directions. She would also like to introduce a new concept in air travel: curbside checking of children in pet carriers.

This will not only make air travel more relaxing for those of us who actually have a job, but will also act like an economic stimulus, spurring massive sales of pet containers. Stores like PETCO could change their name to PET and KIDCO.

And think of how it would toughen up those babies. That way when it's their turn to go to Iraq in 18 years or so, they will be able to fight, so that Blanca can remain free, rich, and fat.

Air Travel Moves Toward Vertical Flight

Sat, 6 Apr 2008 14:40:00 GMT

posted by rams12

Orlando, Florida.... Word from airline industry insiders is that the air travel is about to take a stand up position. At a time when the FAA is under fire for not adequately managing airline maintenance and Air Traffic controllers claim it is only a matter of time before a major accident happens, the large air carriers are attempting a major overhaul to increase passenger density on planes. They are hoping to boost profits that have been dwindling due to high fuel cost. Stand up and be counted.... Vertical Flight Airliners or VFA's will begin this fall. No seats just polls and hand loops as you stand for the entire flight. Short commuter flights of 45 minutes or less will be the first routes to use the VFA's. One worker at the Orlando International Airport reported that he saw all the seats being removed from a Delta Connection Flight last week. There will be an estimated 20% increase in the number of passengers a plane can carry. Weight is the limiting factor. Some business travelers were excited about the lower ticket prices which are estimated to be 32% less according to a undisclosed source at United Airlines with Delta reporting that they will beat that by 2%. Sound far fetched? Just remember that in a society where seat belts are required in almost and moving vehicle the airline industry has elected to move you from one concourse to another via a fast moving train or monorail that has no seats, only polls and hand loops attached to the ceiling's frame. This was no accident. An insider at a major airport hub reveled that the airline industry purposely introduced this system of transport as a test to see if the public would accept such an inconvenience. And we do. Bring one dollar bills... A spokes person from Hustler Magazine stated that though they were diametrically opposed to the airlines increasing their profits it may be an opportunity for some woman to pay for their flights by poll dancing their way to Newark. The now defunct Hooter's Airline had no comment but did say they wished they had thought of this first.