News and notes from around the interweb:
- Tragic, and also reinforces my irrational fear of helicopters (I still take them occasionally).
NEW: A Delta Air Lines regional pilot has been killed on his wedding day after the helicopter taking him and his wife to their honeymoon crashed in bad weather.
Dave Fiji, 25, was tragically killed on his wedding day after the Robinson R66 carrying the groom and his wife, Jesni,… pic.twitter.com/vzlLk5P4Vi
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) June 1, 2026
- A lot of pilots do have side gigs. Insurance was popular at one time. Now, though?
absolutely wild, founders could learn a thing or two from this pic.twitter.com/v5oZ2KT6mx
— james hawkins (@james406) May 31, 2026
- I’m jealous, not that I would need this… widespread $50,000 credit limits with Bilt cards now, someone reports they got bumped to $250,000. (I was increased only to my old Wells Fargo limit, which is what we’d been told was supposed to happen from the outset, and that wasn’t one of my higher-limit cards.)
- American Airlines did not earn the full fare that the customer paid, because they did not provide the product that they advertised. Airlines disagree, but I will die on this hill.
@AmericanAir Just took off on a 10 hour flight and the tray table is taped shut and broken. How am I supposed to eat or drink? This is really disappointing pic.twitter.com/jNv4CecHGo
— Will Armstrong (@williamqarmstro) May 31, 2026
- I have been complaining about this for more than a decade and American is worse at this than others. It’s clear that a flight won’t – can’t – board on time but they don’t update flight times until the original time has passed. That wastes customer time, since unless they’re watching the inbound aircraft, they leave the lounge (that American got paid more for access to!) early and stand around less able to work at the gate.
Why does @AmericanAir lie to its passengers? There is a 0% chance we are boarding in 13 minutes when the plane is still 22 minutes away. #americanairlines #behonest #wtf pic.twitter.com/UmDJ7QoC6r
— CraftBeerSpots-AVL (@BeerSpotsAVL) May 30, 2026
- 20% bonus on transferring Amex points to Marriott through June 30th. Might as well light your points on fire.
- El Al will resume the San Francisco – Tel Aviv route October 25. It was suspended early in Covid.
United is really taking it to American.
Seat back TVs
TATL J awards for 80k miles without nosebleed copays
and now
Greater transparency around delays. This is such an irritant to AA fliers, management is tone deaf on the issue. United is speaking to AA passengers when they doubt the delay transparency.
Gary, your fear of helicopters is not irrational. I’ve seen comparisons of helicopters v airplanes that are not operationally equivalent.
This is likely the most rational analysis I’ve found:
https://executiveflyers.com/are-planes-or-helicopters-safer/
As it so happens, I was a flight instructor at what is now Austin Executive while I was in college. During that time there were zero airplane accidents of the perhaps 100+ aircraft on the field, while ALL of the helicopters were involved in accidents .
You won’t get me in a helicopter unless it’s the only reasonable way to get somewhere, and although not a helicopter, I don’t see much of a future for gyrocopter air taxi …..not much, but some. It will only take one accident for people to use ground vehicles to get to the airport, or go back to the less than very safe helicopter.
RIP. So sad.
Gary, I also share in your very much RATIONAL fear of helicopters. (Unlike fixed wing, they tend not to glide much.) Impressed whenever you visit NYC that you still somehow seem muster up the courage for Blade. That BILT partnership must be worth it!
Helicopters less safe than planes. Robinson helicopters less safe than pretty much any other modern helicopter. Full stop.
I concur that American Airlines updates are inherently BAD. They can say a flight is on time and boarding will commence in 5 minutes, when in reality there is NO plane at the gate. You can’t rely on the information they provide which only breeds a lack of confidence in their schedule.
@ken — Yeah, it’s almost as if we need to regulate greedy corporations who lie, in order to, maybe, protect consumers. Or, ignore that noise, and just take it!
(For real, though; EU/UK 261, Canada’s APPR, and bringing back Rule 240, all would be a good start for the US.)
*incoming: shills for big airline*
Public Service Reminder: Sucking is a core competency of American Airlines. They can talk all day about upping their game, but an incompetent leadership team ensures AA will suck until they are replaced.
@Johhny — If you prefer blowing, instead of sucking, please consider Delta.
The Robinson helicopters seem to have the most accidents. I understand that they require a special technique to prevent some sort of “blade flap”. The design is very different than Bell, Aerospatiale (sic), Sikorsky and other brands. However, like the Kobe Bryant accident, flying in bad weather “seems to be the cause” of this accident.
@ Gary. Your concern about flying in helicopters, ESPECIALLY THE ROBINSON, is not irrational. I started flying helicopters in the Army in 1966 (and did a tour in Vietnam) and my opinion is still the same even after 3,000 of flight time in them. I’d like to say accident free Rotorcraft/Helicopter flight time but I can’t. I’m one of the lucky ones that walked away from several major incidents and crashes. With helicopters it’s not IF you’re going to have a crash/incident but WHEN. Lots of parts flying in close formation. and when some part immigrates it usually isn’t good.
Such an awful story, so sad.