Category Archives for Aircraft.
Two nearly new Boeing 737 MAX 8s flown by GOL reportedly suffered chronic factory, engine, and center-of-gravity problems before being returned after just months in service—and now appear headed for teardown in the Arizona desert.
The Supreme Court will hear an Alaska pilot’s challenge to a court order forfeiting his $95,000 Cessna after a passenger tried to bring beers into a dry village. Alaska’s highest court held the plane could be taken even if he knew only about one visible six-pack.
Starting July 20, Boeing will again issue final airworthiness certificates for newly built 737 MAX and 787 aircraft—authority the FAA reserved after fatal crashes and production failures. The agency says eight months of alternating inspections produced comparable quality findings, while federal audits and production oversight will continue.
A United Flight Attendant stopped boarding twice after coach passengers put their bags in first class overhead bins despite empty space above their own seats. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen the etiquette of scarce bin space and premium cabin signs actually enforced.
A Lion Air 737 MAX crash widow who received a $4 million Boeing settlement is now suing her own lawyers, alleging they failed to account for the money and deductions. 737 MAX litigation extended far beyond Boeing, airlines, and crash victim families.
A private pilot’s engine failed over northern Minnesota, leaving him to choose between a lake, a swamp, or a highway. He picked the safest option and landed on a state road crossing the Red Lake Reservation—only for tribal officials to seize his plane for six months, claiming he had violated an airspace ban they had no authority to enforce.
An Emirates A380 was about 9 miles ahead of a smaller Airbus A320 at cruising altitude when the smaller jet hit the invisible turbulence the superjumbo left behind, injuring six people and throwing a flight attendant into the cabin ceiling. It sounds impossible because the planes were miles apart, but every wing leaves powerful trailing vortices — and behind an A380, those invisible “horizontal tornadoes” can still matter long after the aircraft has passed.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn exploded during a launch pad test before an Amazon Leo satellite mission. Amazon’s airline Wi-Fi plan depends on getting thousands of satellites into orbit fast, and losing New Glenn launch capacity removes precious slack while Starlink-equipped rivals race ahead.
A Chicago jury just awarded $49.5 million to the family of one Ethiopian 737 MAX crash victim, the largest civil verdict yet from the disaster. Boeing had already admitted liability, so the trial was only about money — and the size of the award now gives the remaining families a much higher benchmark.
Air Force One food is not Biscoff and pretzels. Reporters following the president got beef ragu, lobster salad, key lime pie, chocolate cake, and all the Diet Coke they could want — though they still get billed for the privilege.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
