View from Delta Air Lines flight into Seattle I took last year. That is Bellevue, WA in the distance.
A lot of people wish we could go back to a time where flying was magical again. I tell those people it still is! It is cheaper and more people fly more often, so it might not seem as special.
Passengers complain about the lack of food and service, but that has little to with the fact you are flying at 30,000 feet in a cylinder, almost at the speed of sound, across the world in a matter of hours. That magic (ok, ok yea there is a lot of science behind it) has never gone away.
Whenever I have the choice, I always pick the window. Why? Because the window is still where you can see the magic of every flight happen.
This is a very entertaining 21 minute video I found via PlaneBuzz.com. Some might watch this and think “the good old days of flying,” but I disagree. Yes, they have limos and all first class service, but notice how only the very rich were flying? Also, first class accommodations back in 1933 are not what they would be like today. No fold down seats, no in flight entertainment and much noisier. Not to mention the shows it takes about six hours to get from Chicago to New York with all the stops, unlike the short flight it would take today.
Don’t forget the safety! The video talks about the high end safety that American Airways had back in the 1930’s, but the safety record is nothing like it is today. Yea, we might have to pay for a lot of fees, but I much rather fly in a full Boeing 737 from Chicago to New York with peanuts than in a bi-winged Curtis Condor any day. (Well, ok…if I got an opportunity to ride in one today, I would but just for the fun of it).
Surinam Airways was founded in 1955 and is the national airline of Surname. It is fully owned by the Suriname’s government and operates to only nine destinations. The airline currently only has a fleet of three aircraft, one Airbus A340-300 and two Boeing 737-300’s. In November 2009, Surinam Airways purchased the Airbus to replace the Boeing 747-300 in the photo.
Can you notice the slight changes of livery on the newer Airbus 340 versus the older Boeing 747-300.
Remember these? They were aboard a lot of flights, barely used and cause few disruptions. Would personal cell phones be worse?
People on cell phones can be very annoying. However our society runs on cell phones. Using cell phones to talk on airplanes in the United States is banned, but not in all places of the world.
AeroMobile, who currently provides cell phone service on 60 of Emirates’ aircraft, had over 11,000 voice calls in February 2010. Yes, with the vast number of passengers who flew on Emirates during that time, it is not an overwhelming percentage, but 11,000 calls still shows there is a demand for airborne phone conversations.
Kirby’s blog has lot of interesting graphs showing how cell phone calls from flights are greatly increasing. There has been talk of cell phone calls being allowed on US flights in the near future.
My personal opinion? Ugh.
First off all, I am not a fan of talking on the phone. I prefer email, texting and using Twitter vs talking on the phone. The fact that I am not reachable by phone, is ok by me. However, the airline industry doesn’t run based on just what I want (would be cool if they did). I know it would be a revenue builder for airlines, but would it be worth it?
Some ask, “How is it any different from two people talking to each other, who are sitting next to you?” There’s a big difference. A lot of people on cell phones are louder and less aware of their environment. I have been on buses, trains, in just general public and heard people talk about things on a cell phone they would never talk about that loudly in person (once I even heard a person even gave their full credit card number, date of birth and other personal information loudly over their cellphone). How many times do I need to hear, “Can you hear me now?”
Currently the FAA does not allow cell phones to be turned on during flight in the US, from fear the signals could interfere with the airplane’s equipment. However, many flights globally have shown that cell phones cause no threat to airlines (Myth Busters also showed they caused no harm a while back as well).
My initial reaction has been to keep cell phones banned, but am I off base? I mean, cell phones have been active in flights since 2007 around the world and there hasn’t been any backlash or huge fights caused like some had predicted. Of course calls are limited since not many airlines offer it. They are expensive and only a few lines are offered on each flight, but those can all change. Many airlines are already moving towards offering internet on flights, should cell phones be next?
Taken right now. Glad I got a mini-laptop and yes that is an "adult" drink, but I am sitting up front & it's free! Reading a sweet blog.
Currently flying at 30,000 feet on an AirTran flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee and back home to Seattle. I love flying and I love the internet. Having the internet while flying is awesome.
I have spent the last two days in Atlanta at AirTran’s Atlanta Corporate Center, where flight attendants are trained. Sorry I haven’t had any new blogs (am going to work on a few while flying), but I ended up with a lot less free time than I expected.
However the things I have experienced, and the people I met were amazing. I have always respected the job flight attendants do, but my respect has gone to a whole new level.
I plan to be working on a few blogs about the experience over the weekend and post them next week. Thanks for everyone who was following me on Twitter and a thanks to AirTran for hosting me and being very welcoming.
Ok we are starting our decent into MKE, so I better post the blog!
