Airports

Category Archives for Airports.

So Many TSA Screeners are Calling in Sick Miami Will Be Closing Concourse G Early

by Gary Leff

Jan 11 2019

During the government shutdown most employees are furloughed. TSA screeners, however, are supposed to work. They won’t be paid until funding is restored. Screeners have been calling out sick at a higher rate than normal with what’s being referred to as ‘blue flu’ (screeners wear blue uniforms).

At Miami the sick out rate is higher than average, and the airport will close the G concourse checkpoints in the afternoon to compensate. G primarily serves United, Frontier, Sun County, and Bahamasair.

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Alitalia Business Class $538 Roundtrip Barcelona – New York (and Other Cities)

by Gary Leff

alitalia plane
Jan 04 2019

Just since Monday we’ve seen the amazing Cathay Pacific business and first class fare deal get honored and we’ve seen business class between Chicago and Sydney for under $1500 roundtrip. Now it looks like there’s another special fare deal out there.

There’s an Alitalia business class offer starting at $538 roundtrip between Barcelona and New York JFK — and possibly also Los Angeles and Chicago.

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American Airlines is Making a Big Mistake With its Boeing 767s

by Gary Leff

airline cabin
Dec 26 2018

Early in the year American Airlines CEO Doug Parker described his airline’s Boeing 767-300s as a poor customer experience.

It’s certainly true that business class on the plane — while fully flat with direct aisle access — is uncompetitive. It’s a narrow, uncomfortable seat that feels like a coffin. The Thompson Vantage seat is one that many airlines have used for their 767s, but United is putting their Polaris seat in their 767s (which is marginally better) and Delta is putting suites with doors in their 767-400s. But it’s better than what American offers on many routes, and offers more space in coach period.

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TSA is Changing Its Dog Strategy to Stop Scaring Children (Yes This is Real)

by Gary Leff

tsa
Dec 24 2018

Roughly 80% of the dogs used by TSA have floppy ears. The other 20% with pointy ears scare children so as pointy-eared dogs retire they are being replaced by dogs with floppy ears.

The TSA spends $26,000 to $42,000 training each dog and accompanying dog handler. Though they’re trying to make the dogs friendlier-looking, they don’t want kids to pet the dogs but did you know that dog handlers are given “baseball-like cards for [their] dog” to “give to children and adults who want to greet the canine while its working” which may be the most valuable feature of the program.

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Taxiway Landing Disasters Are Preventable But FAA Bureaucrats Haven’t Done It

by Gary Leff

planes on tarmac at night
Dec 07 2018

Last year’s Air Canada Toronto – San Francisco flight AC759 that lined up to land on taxiway C could have been the worst aviation disaster in history.

Four planes were waiting on the taxiway to take off. Air Canada descended to as low as 59 feet — just three above the height of a United 787. Just after was a Philippine Airlines Airbus A340.

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