Pilot Who Tried To Crash Alaska Airlines Plane Dishes On Mushroom-Fueled Episode

by Gary Leff

Nov 10 2023

He’d gotten together with friends to celebrate his friend who had died, and he mixed mushrooms and alcohol – and days later thought he was dreaming and couldn’t wake up. All he was trying to do was wake up and that’s why he tried to kill the engines, and also tried to open the plane’s emergency exit once taken to the back. He even says that the grabbed a coffee pot from the galley and drank it straight to wake himself up.

While being held by police at the airport he took off all of his clothes, he urinated on himself, and he tried cuffing the carrot… all to ‘wake up.’ When he was given a phone to call an attorney, he instead rang his wife and sang It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday by Boyz II Men.

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Slot Controversy: How U.S. Airlines Compete for Tokyo’s Prime Real Estate

by Gary Leff

Nov 10 2023

In the battle for limited takeoff and landing slots at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, U.S. airlines like Delta, American, and United vied for positions, with Delta receiving the most slots despite not having a Japanese airline partner. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) now faces decisions on slot reallocations, as Delta relinquishes its Portland-Tokyo route and other airlines propose routes that overlap with their joint venture partners, raising questions about competition and consumer benefit.

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Inflight Entertainment or Earache? Passengers Forced To Endure Concert During Ground Delay

by Gary Leff

Nov 10 2023

A group from the Society of Musicians of Ireland performed traditional Irish tunes during a ground delay on an Aer Lingus flight from Frankfurt to Dublin, sparking mixed reactions among passengers. This incident is part of a trend of spontaneous in-flight concerts, with previous instances on Aer Lingus and Southwest Airlines, raising questions about the appropriateness of such performances during flights.

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The Great Credit Card Debate: Unveiling The Truth Behind Swipe Fee Legislation

by Gary Leff

Nov 10 2023

The blog post details a debate at CardCon on credit card interchange legislation, where the author argues against government-mandated lower interchange fees, citing concerns about the negative impacts on the economy, consumer credit, and rewards programs. It contrasts the potential benefits to retailers with the broader societal costs, questioning the real-world effectiveness of such legislation and its impact on various stakeholders, including consumers and financial institutions.

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American Airlines Bumps Passenger Out Of First Class To Give Seat To Pilot

by Gary Leff

Nov 09 2023

An American Airlines passenger was upgraded to first class along with his girlfriend, but she was subsequently moved to economy due to a supposedly broken seat, which was then occupied by a pilot. This incident raises questions about the airline’s priorities and policies, especially in light of a new contract allowing pilots first-class seats when deadheading.

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Flight to Nowhere? United Proposes Flights To A ‘Closed’ Airport In China

by Gary Leff

Nov 09 2023

Flights between the U.S. and China have been severely limited since the start of the pandemic. Even as China re-opened, they’ve limited flights by U.S. airlines, and the U.S. government has limited flights here by Chinese airlines. Neither side’s decisions are supported by the bilateral agreement between the U.S. and China.

With limits on flying between the two countries slowly being lifted, United has filed to operate more flights. One of those is San Francisco to Chengdu. They’ve filed to fly to an airport there that no longer accepts international flights.

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