Can you find the three generations of Delta Air Line logos on the baggage carts?
A group of passengers were just ending a nice vacation involving sun, a cruise ship and the Caribbean. The last leg of their trip was on Delta Air Lines flight 1487 from Atlanta to Denver. When the group of 10 got their bags, they quickly noticed something was wrong.
“Our bags were the last ones to come out of the baggage carousel and they were just smelling profusely,” Michael Jobin said, one of the travellers. Apparently the bags of the entire group group, and those of another couple, were soaked in an unknown fluid.
They first assumed the fluid might have been jet fuel. Then a Delta Air Lines spokes person said their bags had been, “exposed to deicing fluid and is working to reach out to these customers to ensure that their claims are resolved.” However, later the airline was not able to confirm exactly what kind of liquid the bags were exposed to.
Some of the passengers have tried to wash the smell out, but have had no luck. Now some are considering their luggage hazardous waste. Delta is reassuring the passengers they will help to resolve the passenger’s claims.
I have had my bags a bit wet before, but only from rain or snow. It seems very odd that so many bags would be not only soaked, but in an unknown fluid. No word if the passengers got a refund of their checked bag fees.
Uzbekistan Airways is the flag carrier of (can you guess?) Uzbekistan. It was founded in 1992 and is owned by the government. They fly to about 50 destinations, mostly into Europe, although there is a flight to New York.
They have a very diverse fleet of aircraft including: A300-600RF, A310-300, A320-200, Boeing 757-200, Boeing 767-300ER, Il-76, Il-114, Tu-154, and Avro RJ85. They also have an order in for two Boeing 787 Dreamliners. There are rumors Uzbekistan Airways might be joining the SkyTeam alliance, allowing its passengers greater reach around the world.
This video was created using FAA data for flight traffic for a 24 hour period over the United States. You can learn more and see some awesome stills of the project on their website.
Electronic boarding passes are probably the future of airline travel. Image from Alaska Airlines.
The future is nearing. A little over a year ago I talked about electronic boarding passes becoming a reality. Today, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are launching both a mobile-friendly website and electronic boarding passes for passengers flying from Anchorage, Boise, Denver, Las Vegas, Portland, Seattle and Spokane. There are already 30 airports and six airlines testing out this technology: Continental, Delta, Alaska, Horizon and American. Surprisingly, Alaska and Horizon are the first non-legacy airlines to test out the new technology.
Travellers are able to check in using their mobile phone up to 24 hours in advance of their flight. They are given an encrypted barcode along with the passenger and flight information. While going through security, TSA will be able to scan the electronic ticket, check id and the passenger is good to go.
“Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air’s electronic boarding pass and optimized mobile Web site meet the needs of today’s high-tech traveler, ” said Steve Jarvis, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing, sales and customer experience. “Starting today, our customers can expedite the airport check-in process even more and get from curbside to planeside in record time.”
In the next few months, the service will be spread to other Alaska and Horizon cities. In the future, they told me we, “will see more mobile device enhancements to make travel more convenient.”
Is this the future of airline travel? I really think so. No more having to double check to make sure you have your boarding passes. No more having to track down a departure screen to see what your flight status is. The biggest problem will be remember to charge your phone before leaving. Nothing would be more frustrating than waiting in security for 30 minutes, have your phone die, having to go wait in line to get your boarding pass, then get through security again.
Personally, I haven’t been able to test out this new technology. Have any of you been able to? What are your thoughts?
Allegiant Air has been very successful over the last few years. They fly a fleet of about 45 older MD-80’s (their average age is about 20yrs), but they fly to smaller airports around the country and concentrate more on leisure passengers than business. Allegiant Air has been around since 1998 and currently fly to over 70 destinations.
Ben Mutzabaugh, who writes Today in the Sky for USA Today, was able to sit down with Allegiant’s CEO Maruice Gallagher for a unique inside look of the airline and its future. Be sure to check out his multi-part interview:
