For Domestic First Class Meals Quality is Better Than Quantity

by Gary Leff

Jan 22 2018

Years ago there was a story about former American Airlines CEO Bob Crandall having olives removed from first class salads, saving $40,000 a year. Small savings add up across all an airline’s flights and passengers. So carriers are often very careful about their pennies in catering.

In the spring of 2001 United replaced steak at lunch with gourmet cheeseburgers. Today’s inflight burgers on domestic airlines are much smaller and I find with lower quality meal. They keep figuring out ways to push the savings envelope farther.

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How the Government Shut Down Could Make Air Travel Better

by Gary Leff

Jan 20 2018

While a government shut down doesn’t interfere with air traffic control and TSA’s front line screeners — both considered essential — that the FAA’s registration office closes and that could delay new aircraft deliveries.

That would delay American Airlines taking delivery of more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with just 30 inches between seats, no seat back video, and shrunken lavatories that let the airline squeeze in an extra row of seats.

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Drunk British Airways Pilot Pulled Out of Cockpit

by Gary Leff

denzel washignton as pilot
Jan 20 2018

A British Airways first officer onboard London Gatwick to Mauritius was pulled out of the cockpit on Thursday night prior to departure. Cabin crew had dialed ‘999’ for assistance after smelling alcohol on the 49 year old pilot. “Cops rushed onto the plane and headed straight for the cockpit. “The first officer was cuffed and led away. “A number of passengers were open-mouthed. The airline found a replacement pilot. They departed about 2 and a half hours late and made up around 40 minutes of that in the air. Everyone was safe. Although it’s striking that cabin crew smelled the alcohol and reported it, while the captain and the other first officer — who would have gone through preflight checks with the man — said nothing. Standards for pilot blood alcohol are far more stringent…

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US Government Downgrades Threat of Terrorism

by Gary Leff

security line
Jan 20 2018

A deer is more likely to kill you than a terrorist. You’re more likely to die in a bathtub. The TSA has likely killed more people than terrorists have by causing people to drive instead of fly.

If there were active terrorist plots to take down airplanes in the U.S. the TSA wouldn’t do much to stop it since they have consistently failed to catch 90% – 96% of banned items going through checkpoints in tests over the last decade.

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