New and notes from around the interweb:
- The instruction on Air Canada’s seat belts — to “lift” up the buckle — was printed in English on the belt and not French and that’s a no no in Canada. The airline now has to pay out over $15,000. The same couple has filed complaints against Air Canada over French language issues at least four times before.
The airline also argued it was the manufacturer’s decision to engrave “lift” on the seatbelts, the use of which, Air Canada’s defense pointed out, is explained in a bilingual video.
But Federal Court Justice Martine St-Louis sided with the Thibodeaus. Air Canada was ordered to pay $1,500 CAD for each of the Thibodeau’s 14 successful complaints.
- I’ve often said that the Atlanta airport is more corrupt even than the Port Authority of New York New Jersey and the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority. The latest is that their top contract compliance officer resigned amidst a corruption probe.
Nonetheless Detroit has been nipping at their heels to challenge Atlanta for the ‘most corrupt’ title.
- The restrictions TSA is going with for Known Crewmember screening of people not in uniform is an additional form of ID.
- Sofia Vergara flees Dorian.
- State carrier Ugandan Airlines returned to the skies for the first time since being being liquidated in 2001
- KLM: inventing economy class during a more regulated era (HT: Cranky Flier)
pathetic… sue-happy… another thing that is wrong with the world. boo hoo
I don’t fly Air Canada… but I would love to see them BLOCK that couple from buying tickets… you know they are going to do it again and look for YET another payday.
The insanity of the whole seat belt thing plus this absurd nuisance suit… way back in the 1960s when few people flew and before cars were required to even have seat belts as a standard feature let alone the fact that there were no laws requiring them to be used when driving or sitting in a vehicle. Today how to use a seat belt is the most idiotic part of safety videos and demos. The only people who may still find handling a seat belt in need of instruction are those who still know how to use a rotary dial telephone and had a phone number starting with the first two letters of an actual word!
That lawsuit should have been dismissed on the grounds that the instructions are a mute point. The couple should have proven that there is a NEED for the words in both English and French. Also would the airline need to get permission to alter the buckle from the FAA, Boeing and Airbus? I mean it is not just like CA can make a change to the aircraft that is not tested where it could reduce the strength of the buckle. How did it harm them $15,000 that money should have gone to the Government or a Charity NOT them.
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Then again this is what happens when you are in Canada and some Idiot passes a stupid law like that says everything has to be in two languages.