News and notes from around the interweb:
- United Airlines flight attendant sits on galley floor eating dinner while watching videos. She wouldn’t even give another crewmember access to the galley cart to get a drink for a passenger, and then “[a]fter her 30-minute meal break, she closed a curtain around the galley and stayed in there until the end” of the flight.
- Malaysia Airlines Enrich suspends saver award redemption. No date has been given for the return of these awards. And it’s been weeks.
I recently checked the Enrich points required for an economy return trip between Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. The total points required is 158,300.
Is that correct? I checked Thai Airlines and the points required to fly from Syd to BKK is only 55,000.— Kunta Kinte (@duasenbernilai) August 2, 2023
Hello, @amnndx. Thank you for reaching out to us. We regret to inform you that the Enrich Saver redemption online has been temporarily suspended due to backend enhancements until further notice. Do note that further announcements and changes will be updated soon. >>
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) August 17, 2023
- Korean Air will begin weighing passengers as in the U.S., it’s an effort to validate assumptions about average passenger weight for safety calculations and for regulatory compliance – not because Koreans have ‘gotten fat’.
- Ship named the ‘Jones Act Enforcer’ photographs and submits complaints on ships that maybe kind of sort of could be technically violating the Jones Act (HT: @crucker) The law prohibits foreign goods from transporting goods between two points within the United States. They claim a foreign ship connecting undersea cables, moving them from the sea bed to a substation, is in violation.
"We simply cannot compete on cost," admits the Jones Act supporter. So, his group uses the JONES ACT ENFORCER ship to harass private US offshore wind developers (& narc them out to the feds) – even though he admits the wind operation appears legal https://t.co/iRIswrPVWZ pic.twitter.com/SF74vYOC6k
— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) August 20, 2023
- Citi ThankYou Rewards is running a 20% transfer bonus to Wyndham through September 16, 2023.
- Cathay Pacific’s San Francisco lounge re-opens August 29
“Korean Air will begin weighing passengers as in the U.S., it’s an effort to validate assumptions about average passenger weight for safety calculations and for regulatory compliance – not because Koreans have ‘gotten fat’.”
I dunno…there’s at least one guy in Pyongyang that might disagree with that final statement 😉
@gary
FA’s do not.have break time on a flight. It is a FAA violation for a crewmember ro be on a personal device for anything reason other than safety or directly related to their job and in accordance with their electronic flight manual.
The FA job is so easy and they do not serve hot meals in coach. The FA should be fired immed.
49 U.S. Code § 44732
a) In General.—
It is unlawful for a flight crewmember of an aircraft used to provide air transportation under part 121 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, to use a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer while at the flight crewmember’s duty station on the flight deck of such an aircraft while the aircraft is being operated.
(b) Exceptions.—
Subsection (a) shall not apply to the use of a personal wireless communications device or laptop computer for a purpose directly related to operation of the aircraft, or for emergency, safety-related, or employment-related communications, in accordance with procedures established by the air carrier and the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration.
(c) Enforcement.—
In addition to the penalties provided under section 46301 applicable to any violation of this section, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may enforce compliance with this section under section 44709 by amending, modifying, suspending, or revoking a certificate under this chapter.
Is that really a meal served on United? It looks like something a dog regurgitated.
Regarding 49 U.S. Code § 44732, somebody forgot to tell the crew members!
Another toothless reg violated thousands of times per day.
Is the floor of a kitchen (galley) even a “duty station” ? They are here primarily for our safety, not to provide F&B on demand…
I just read through the comments about the United FA. Holy guacamole that is a lot of people defending really poor behavior. And by the sounds of it I would guess that many of those are posted by FAs. That may tell you a lot about what they think of their customers. I don’t have a problem with a FA taking a break or grabbing a meal but that is just over the top.
As far as what Cheerio posted, it seems that only applies to pilots. It specifically says “flight deck” which would be the cockpit. I don’t believe any such regulation applies to cabin crew members.
I do not know the background of the United flight attendant who wasn’t doing her job but I wouldn’t trust her with decisions about safety in the described circumstances.
TLU – tell me you’re an airline shill without…..
@TLU: If the galley isn’t the GA’s duty station, what is?
@Kevin G: I don’t think its a lot of people. It’s 1 to 3 people, posting multiple times, one of whom may be the FA in question.
I am a pilot without an airline
If you are on and overseas flight with flight attendants with lots of seniority get ready for just the basic service then watch them read a book the rest of the flight. I’m calling out First Class on American. Some of the old legacy flight attendants are just hateful. The ones that came from TWA after the 2001 merger were the worst. Most of them should be gone by now
@bob..there certainly are some hateful ones just like in your job bob.
@cheerio…ah you’ve quoted a regulation for the flight deck. Flight deck means cockpit in airline lingo. This is where pilots sit to fly the plane. A cabin is not considered a flight deck. This regulation does not pertain to the cabin. Cabin is where flight attendants and passengers sit.
I wonder what she looked like.
first of all i find it hard to believe any flight attendant would sit on any floor of any part of the airplane. and especially to eat. if it was a wide body aircraft she would not be able to block another flight attendant from getting a beverage from another cart in the galley. way too many loop holes in this story.
You schtick is getting old, Gary. We get it, you hate flight attendants and unions. Why bother writing about flying if you hate it so much? Who hurt you?