Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for April 2016.

Flight Attendant Fired for Being Drunk Inflight, Reading Her Book Upside Down

by Gary Leff

Apr 10 2016

A British Airways flight attendant who tried to hide being drunk by keeping her nose in a book has been fired. She gave up the game because she was holding the book upside down.

She was fired by BA. She appealed. She lost her appeal. Then she took her case to an employment tribunal. One claim was that while “she was seen swaying from side to side and stumbling ..dressed in her BA uniform, before she fell over” it was actually several hours before the flight she’d be working. And the officer who questioned her really smelled alcohol from a nearby bar, not her breath.

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Jillian Michaels Bumped from American Airlines, Cries Sexism

by Gary Leff

Apr 10 2016

Jillian Michaels has taken to social media to decry American Airlines for sexism over having been bumped from her seat. That wouldn’t be the Occam’s Razor explanation here, of course (just like this man wasn’t denied boarding because he was overweight and this man wasn’t denied boarding because he was a Nobel laureate).

Here’s what you’re actually entitled to when you’re denied boarding, and how to avoid being the passenger who gets bumped.

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Liberal Commentator Refused Transportation on Delayed American Airlines Flight to Miami

by Gary Leff

Apr 09 2016

Liberal commentator Cenk Uygur, host of The Young Turks, was delayed last night flying out of Los Angeles. He started taping the delay and commenting on it from the start. As the wait creeps on, passengers start to lose it and become belligerent with each other and with American Airlines personnel.

Police were called to the gate. At one point Uygur joins in yelling at staff ‘where’s the plane? where’s the plane?’

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Dirt Cheap Airfare: Many US Cities to Australia for Under $550 Roundtrip!!

by Gary Leff

Apr 09 2016

Here’s another great deal from SecretFlying: United is offering roundtrips between many US cities (generally Delta hubs) and Australia for as little as $532.

This does not appear to be a mistake fare, just a serious fare war. And it’s as cheap as I have ever seen Australia flights. The fares appear available through at least end of November for the outbound flight.

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You’ll No Longer Have to Tip When Using the Bathroom at the Charlotte Airport

by Gary Leff

Apr 09 2016

There’s nothing as awkward in the world as a bathroom with an attendant, except a bathroom with an attendant who works for tips. Bathroom attendant tipping induces confusion, and fear.

The Charlotte airport has bathroom attendants, and those aren’t going away, but the way they get paid is changing.

Changing the way attendants are paid isn’t going to obviously change passenger expectations. It’s not going to do anything to diminish confusion and fear. So it’s important to get the word out: starting in July, no tipping required in the airport restrooms in Charlotte. Pass it on.

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Investigators Share What Happened to the flydubai 737 That Crashed Last Month

by Gary Leff

Apr 08 2016

Last month a flydubai Boeing 737 crashed at Rostov on Don, Russia as it faced severe weather.

While I think most travelers find airline accidents disturbing, and even take them personally and are affected by them, this incident struck me somewhat closer to home than it might have, since I had just recently taken flydubai for the first time myself.

The agency investigating the crash has released preliminary findings.

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