benallaroundtheworld

trying to keep this thing alive...trust me....

2007-05-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

I will post something soon, I promise...

Delta is out of bankruptcy...with a terrible new paint scheme.

Skybus is coming into the picture...without a website...

Airtran is still the man... :-)

Lots to talk about...

Stay tuned.

Evan, Temporary Kiwi

2007-03-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

I refer you to Evan's blog, LifeintheFens, for regular updates on his current trip to New Zealand. Sounds like he's having an incredible time--warm temperatures, scenic views, kiwi wine and delicious food. He'll be posting tons of pictures soon, so stay tuned.

The Jet Blue Fiasco

2007-02-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

By now you've all heard about the debacle that last week tarnished JetBlue's formerly stellar reputation indefinitely. Leaving passengers stranded on planes for eleven hours, canceling flights after promising a regular schedule, failing to provide customer service representatives both in person and over the phone: these add up to an unprofitable quarter, a public relations disaster and promises from the CEO that JetBlue will now offer a Bill of Rights guaranteeing passengers compensation when such failures occur. Whether this dramatic--let's hope not merely nominal--response can stop the bleeding remains to be seen.

A recent NY Times article made a good point: under smooth operating conditions, JetBlue's organization worked well. Employing fewer customer service reps than the legacy carriers (most of JetBlue's reps are stay-at-home moms who field calls from the comfort of their living rooms in Salt Lake City--an unconventional arrangement, to say the least. Perhaps the women work in trios; okay, I've been watching too much Big Love), the airline could afford to offer lower prices and more amenities. But in a crisis, this lean system collapsed; the airline had no way, contractually, of making the stay-at-home moms work beyond their shifts, and no company can generate more employees overnight. JetBlue also lacked a system for coordinating scattered crews and summoning employees who were at home or on vacation. This explains the long duration of the airline's cancellations--far after the snow melted and the runways cleared; and far after competitors restored full service. JetBlue gambled and lost. Its management figured the storm would fizzle out and pass quickly, so it canceled no flights in advance. Consequently, it was left with tons of angry passengers crowded in airports believing their flights would leave soon. Of course, they did not, and a crying CEO is but little consolation to a passenger who might have returned to the comfort of her home rather than spending the night, with false hopes, in a dirty airport.

Shuttle Bus Disaster

2007-02-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

I'm surprised this story hasn't received more attention. Two people, a passenger and a driver, died yesterday after shuttle buses collided at Fort-Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It appears one of the buses crossed the center-line and struck the other bus head-on. Fortunately, there weren't many passengers aboard either shuttle. I've always worried about such shuttle buses; particularly crowded ones where passengers are forced to stand, often awkwardly astride their luggage, sometimes pressed against doors, poles or the front windshield.

...or is this blog dead?

2007-02-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

In attempts to jumpstart this forum back to life...

First, snakes on a plane, then scorpions on a plane...now squirrels on a plane.

It was reported that an American Airline flight from Tokyo to Dallas was diverted to Honolulu after pilots reported that they heard a rodent skittering above their heads in the cockpit, amidst a field of wires and controls behind the cosmetic paneling. The perpetrator, a squirrel, was later captured. It has yet to be revealed how the animal gained access to the airplane in the first place.

Sounds like a good call to me. Considering the cause of SwissAir Flight 111's crash in Nova Scotia almost 10 years ago, electrical issues and failures are nothing to play around with on commercial airliners.

Perhaps these stories validate a recent dream of mine being trapped with a nest of Black Widow Spiders on a plane...yuck!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Pilot is Dead

2007-01-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

A Continental Airlines flight departing from Houston succumbed to an emergency landing yesterday after its pilot died. Fortunately, the co-pilot took over and flew the plane to safety. A new crew later steered the plane to its Mexican destination. No word yet on what the crew told the passengers; it's also not clear precisely when the pilot died or why. But Continental seems convinced his death owed to natural causes. A stark reminder of why we need multiple pilots aboard a plane!

Trots On Your Trek

2007-01-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to introduce such an unsavory topic as food poisoning, but a recent outbreak of Norovirus at a Hilton hotel near Dulles airport compels me to do so. If you're like me, your biggest travel fear is falling sick, particularly on an airplane, train or cruise-ship, where the bathroom facilities typically leave a lot to be desired. Many of our fears center on food that's undercooked or served past its expiration date. But norovirus poses a unique threat. It's transmitted from employee (whether chef or server) to customer via the improper handling of food. In a classic case, the person preparing the food fails to wash his hands after using the bathroom, and then contaminates the food he's preparing with the virus. In the case of Norovirus, the preparer needn't be sick; he may be a mere--and yet mere is not the right word!--carrier of the virus.

More so than most forms of food poisoning, Norovirus is highly infectious; it explodes through a population. In this Hilton example, over a hundred people at the hotel fell sick in a short space of time--forcing a shut-down and the redirecting of guests to nearby accommodations. Norovirus also made a recent appearance at an Olive Garden in Indianapolis, sickening 370 people. Although it passes quickly, the virus generates projectile vomiting, diarrhea and, if one isn't careful, dehydration.

Yours truly knows Norovirus firsthand. A couple years ago I was socializing at an evening wine and cheese when I began to feel quite sick--seized by stomach cramps and a growing pressure in my chest and throat. I escaped the party and made it home just in time to begin a horrendous stretch of vomiting that lasted until the wee hours of the morning, when, afflicted with cramps so bad I could barely walk, I awakened my roommate Kristen, who kindly and dutifully drove me to the emergency room, where I convalesced thanks to the restorative power of intravenous rehydration. Unfortunately, the projectile vomiting--and in particular, the vomiting of red wine--inflamed my esophageal lining and gave me an overnight case of acid reflux disease that plagues me to this day, albeit in attenuated form. The health department later determined, after surveying scores of other students who fell sick, that our vomiting owed to Norovirus transmitted via salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Needless to say I haven't returned to that establishment.

Thankfully I was near home when the nefarious Norovirus inflicted its damage. I shudder to think how I might have felt had the cramps hit me on a long-distance flight or a week-long cruise (Norovirus is famous for spreading like wildfire through cruise ships). When feasible, you might consider eating at home on the day before you travel (Norovirus usually takes 24-36 hours to replicate sufficiently to cause illness) and packing your food for the journey. Peanut butter sandwiches work well, as do crackers, chocolate bars, dried fruit and cereal bars. Not the most glamorous fare, I concede, but surely preferable to being bent over an under-sized toilet on a turboprop making a mess of things as a rambunctious child and his impatient mother stand outside, tapping on the door and asking, "what's taking him so long in there?"

"Whoa!" Comair Crash Update

2007-01-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

The FAA has released the voice recordings of the two pilots aboard the Comair plane that crashed in Kentucky a few months back. Polehinke, the first officer and lone survivor, noted to his co-pilot as they taxi-ed down the runway the strange absence of lights, and then, presumably as they reached the end of the runway and realized that they were on the wrong one--one far too short for commercial flights--exclaimed, "Whoa!" Family of crash victims have filed multiple lawsuits against Comair, but Comair insists that the FAA and the Lexington airport deserve part of the blame, the FAA for placing only one officer in the tower (there should have been two) and the airport for allegedly failing to publicize properly changes in the runway following recent construction. All this finger-pointing--and honestly, all parties voice valid arguments--means that financial settlements will be a long time coming, if ever they do.

Merger Mania

2007-01-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

As USAir tries once again to take over Delta, and as United and Continental continue their discussion of consolidation, we learn this week that Airtran has made a move for Midwest Airlines. A second move, in fact. The first, which failed, went unreported in early December. Midwest enjoys a stellar reputation for offering wide, leather seats and freshly baked cookies on most flights. Their Milwaukee hub would complement Airtran's Atlanta hub nicely, but the diminutive Midwest thinks that it can survive even in the current chaos that is the aviation industry, and that a merger with Airtran might compromise its customer service. But with Aitran upping its bid and Midwest only recently emerging from a string of unprofitable quarters, one can't be sure that Airtran won't emerge victorious. And if USAir and United gobble up Delta and Continental, respectively, passengers can look forward to fewer flights and higher prices. It's the future, and we might as well brace ourselves for it.

Why I hate Logan....

2006-12-30T19:18:00.000-08:00

I wrote the following post for my personal blog, Life in Sweet in the Fenway, but I thought it would be suitable for this blog, as well. So, here goes....

So I'm back in Beantown, after an 8-night stay in Newport News, VA with my parents. As promised, here's the recap of my flying experiences out of and into Boston's Logan Int'l Airport.

So I left on Friday, December 22 on what was scheduled to be a 7:40 departure on an Airtran flight direct to NN/Williamsburg. Keeping in mind my experience of flying out for Christmas last year, I showed up at the airport about 3 hours early (I know if sounds ridiculous) to find myself waiting in a seemingly endless line for baggage check-in. It was moving so slowly that the only people making it to the kiosks were those whose flights were about to close and had to be shuttled to the front of the line. This created a lot of chaos, and the improvisational saxophone player didn't help matters. Not only was he really bad and played through an endless rotation of about 5 Christmas carols, but he drowned out the shouting of ticket agents announcing those whose flights were leaving in a half hour. This made people who couldn't hear those announcements above the squaking sax even more angry. I wasn't too concerned, since I had a lot of time on my hands, and the new "friends" I made with the people in line made matters a little more tolerable. This was a good thing, since I arrived at the airport at 5 PM and finally checked my bag at 6:10.

Then onto the security line. To be brief, this was another 40-minute ordeal accompanied with a church choir singing Christmas hymns. I was about to pull my hair out when I finally reached the TSA employee who checked IDs with boarding passes. I haven't ever been so happy to see a TSA employee. She marked up my ticked with their special TSA/Logan scrawl and then told me that my plane was taking off from a different gate area. For those of you who don't know how Airtran operates, 3 of their gates are in the old Terminal D (now an appendage of Terminal C), which has its own security checkpoint. Over the past year or so, Airtran acquired a new gate in the main Terminal C, where my flight was leaving. I was not pleased and made it plain to the TSA employee since I was never told this at the check-in kiosk. There was nothing I could do about it, so I hiked up the stairs to Terminal C's security checkpoint (which has no wait and would have saved me 40 minutes and my ears from listening to Kitschmas hymns)...my gate was waiting at the other end of the checkpoint, and I immediately went straight for the Sam Adams Pub across the gate for a tall beer.

I spent a few minutes here downing a Sam Adams served by a bartender who recognized me as I gave my order...evidently my experiences with delays at Logan have brought me to this same bartender at different bars around Logan many times before. 'Talk about feeling like an alcoholic (which I am not). A drunk Irish sailor man (I am not kidding here) sat next to me and sipped on a double whiskey sour as he told me that he had been at the airport for 18 hours (including hotel stay) due to delayed/canceled flights with his Air Canada flight to Halifax. It was his first Christmas with his two teenage daughters without their mother...very sad, I thought. Then he went into how she was a thoughtless fucking bitch and left him...she was never the same after having that second daughter...this talk went on for about 20 minutes until I finished off the beer and left him to torture someone else. I reported back to the gate and asked a fellow passenger, who was an off-duty Airtran pilot making his way back home, if everything was running on time. "Not even close" was all he replied, visibly pissed. So I asked some other folks in the area...2 hours delayed. OK...time for more beer.

So back at the bar, I had another tall Sam and eavesdropped on a conversation between a girl who looked and acted like she was 15 and another guy, about my age, dressed in stylish jeans, black leather shoes, and a sport coat. This is why I keep telling people that airports are a good place to check people out...guys dress well when they're going home and generally look really hot. That was until he started talking about his days at Hampton Roads Academy, a snobby private school in Newport News where parents who are deathly afraid of subjecting their precious ones to public education send their kids. When they noticed me listening, they asked about my history, and when I told them I went to Warwick HS, they literally SNICKERED and changed the subject. I have news for you, bitches...my school is actually ranked 61st best school in the US by US News and World Report, not that I believe in US News Rankings or anything.

So...I boarded my flight around 9:30, kept the tab open during the flight and enjoyed 2 nips of Bacardi and Coke (the first time I have ever kept the tab open for seconds during a flight), and arrived in Newport News around 11PM, where my sister Ellie and her partner Brannon picked me up and took me back home. Ahhhh...home for the holidays...that was nice. Except within the hour Ellie announced to my dad that they were never bringing their dogs back to Newport News because of the bad behavior of my parents' Scottish Terriers...thus began a heated, very loud argument within a half hour of my arrival. I was snockered by this time and just sat back to listen them finish off my day of unpleasant drama. They didn't speak for a day until they had another "make-up" shouting match the following night that ended with crying and hard feelings on both sides. They left the next morning after exchanging gifts.

The week with my parents was fine, uneventful (except when I nearly scratched my cornea - again - by walking straight into a poorly placed decoration of sticks and babies breath that my mom had placed in a dimly lit hall the night before).

This morning, I awakened at 5AM so that I could get to the airport around 6AM for an early flight out of Newport News. For the first time in a LONG while, my flight left on time, and we were airborne just when the sun was rising over the horizon...made for a beautiful flight. We landed on time (maybe a few minutes early). I couldn't believe it...I would be home and back in bed by 10AM. All I had to do was retrieve my baggage. I arrived at the baggage claim and heard the most god-awful screeching sound coming from the carousel, and what looked like 2 flights' worth of people were surrounding the carousel. Apparently the carousel was jammed and not working properly. This was one of those weird ones where the baggage conveyors come through the ceiling and down onto the belt, and after a solid 45 minute wait (and another 2 or so Airtran flight arrivals jamming the claim area), a ramper came tumbling down the conveyor from the ceiling. I waited there for an HOUR before the problem was resolved (after multiple attempts by rampers to crawl up the conveyor, kick baggage down into the carousel, and finally get things rolling). Once the bags started coming, I was wondering why mine wasn't coming down. I had brought back a much larger suitcase from my parents' house (one I will be taking for my 3-week stay in New Zealand in 2 months) in which I packed my smaller roll-away. Apparently I overestimated its size around all the other giant suitcases people cart with them in airports...I didn't recognize it until I realized that the same bag that somewhat resembled my giant black Samsonite has passed me by at least 5 or 6 times...after checking the tag, I retrieved it and was on my way.

I could have rounded this out with a nice ride on the T...but I took a cab back to my apartment, instead. Except for the exorbitant extras charged to go through the Sumner Tunnel, that was actually a pleasant ride.

So ends my Christmas travel experience at Logan. And for the record, I did not exaggerate the wait times...they really were that bad. Once on the planes, the flights were quite pleasant...accompanied by the free full XM Satellite radio. My music of choice...BPM 81...call me a dance trash addict. My iPod is dead (another expense to get that repaired over the next few weeks) and I was experiencing withdrawal during the holiday.

The good news: I didn't have one cigarette while I was home. I guess I'm not too much of an addict.

So here's the dilemma...to fly Comair or Airtran to Newport News/Wmbg in the future. The Delta Connection/Comair experience wasn't that much better during Thanksgiving. Perhaps I'll consider flying Jetblue to Richmond in the future. The cost of renting a car from Richmond to Newport News would probably be the same as the drink bills I accumulated during this trip, and I'd probably even save time! Besides, how can one turn down Direct TV?

OH...with regard to a previous post on airline flatulence/diverted routes, I didn't cause such an occurrence on this morning's flight. However, I did have the mother of bowel movements when I returned to my apartment this morning.

Lee Hall Depot, Newport News, VA

2006-12-27T19:10:00.000-08:00

Completed in 1881, in time for servicing the first passenger train (depicted above) carrying passengers and officials for the centennial of Cornwallis' Surrender in Yorktown that ended the American Revolution, Lee Hall Depot has ramained an eye-catching fixture in the western tip of Newport News, VA. In use through the 1970s, the depot served Chesapeake and Ohio Railway passengers for nearly 100 years. Unfortunately, the building gradually fell into disrepair after its last days in service, although it continues to stand next to CSX Transportation's mainline between the coal terminal at Newport News and Richmond, Virginia. Boarded up and heavily vandalized, it remains neglected next to the busy railroad today.

I am visiting my parents in Newport News for the holidays and decided to photograph the historic depot this afternoon, before it was removed from its original location. I once walked through this building about 15 years ago, when it housed the local N guage model railroader's club. It has since sat empty for the last decade or so....
There's good news to this rather sad looking structure, though. It will be moved and stabilized on a site directly across the train tracks (on the other side of the building from the abandoned tracks pictured above) in the spring of 2007, at which point it will undergo restoration and reopening as a railroad heritage museum. I'm happy to see that this building will potentially stand for at least another 100 years, reminding locals and visitors what was largely responsible for putting Newport News on the map in the first place - the railroad that made possible the eastward tourism industry on the coast and the coal and shipbuilding industries on Newport News' Lower James River Waterfront.

For more information on the Lee Hall Depot restoration project, visit the website LeeHallDepot.org.

Snow Bombs at the Airport

2006-12-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

I watched Airport (1970) staring Burt Lancaster for the first time recently, thanks to TiVo.
The movie was the first in the "disaster" film genre. It has multiple plots, and a myriad of characters with personal conflicts. The film's setting is a Chicago airport, and the plots include infidelity, obstructed runways, abortion, noise abatement, and bombs. The villains (or heroes?): snow, cheating husbands, an old lady and a desperate passenger. The best part of this whole Oscar nominated film: it reminds us young ones that one time, not long ago, it was actually possible to stow-away on an airplane. "Security" checkpoints and I.D. checks are thoroughly (post)modern! Don't take the film too seriously, and you'll be entertained the whole way through. Plus, it is interesting to hear the pilots arguing over thrust levels.

Think before you order that second drink in the sky...

2006-12-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

In a cost-cutting move, a Chinese airline is asking passengers to use the bathroom before flying in order to save fuel. China Southern says that flushing a toilet at 30,000 feet takes about a quarter of a gallon of fuel. In a related move, the company is filling its planes’ water tanks only 60 percent full.

Don’t laugh too loud – you might be flying one of these planes someday as Delta routinely slaps its code on flights operated by China Southern.

Auditory Pollution

2006-12-05T21:08:00.000-08:00

At the San Fransisco airport, the noise abatement center has an observation window where travelers can view a real-time map of all planes taking off, landing, and their altitude.

Noise abatement centers control the auditory pollution. According to Regan International's abatement center, the aircraft operators are responsible for their noise pollution and may even be subject to a fine.

Pilots must depart on approved routes, fly at approved times, and use thrust management. During thrust management, the pilot gently reduces the amount of power used during their takeoff. Thus, the plane takes of slower (it climbs at about 500 feet per minute) until it is 10 miles away from the airport.

Flatulence forces landing

2006-12-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

A Dallas-bound American Airlines flight was diverted to Nashville after a passenger lit a match to disguise the scent of flatulence. The flight was diverted after passengers reported smelling sulfur. One passenger admitted to FBI investigators that she lit a match to disguise "body odor."

Last chance...

2006-11-23T08:55:00.000-08:00

This security video still shows a flock of about a dozen wild turkeys waiting on the outbound platform of a New Jersey Transit rail station yesterday, November 22, 2006. The station is located approximately 20 miles from New York City. Apparently they were waiting for the next outbound train to escape their fate...

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Santa Trains and Insane Trains

2006-11-21T08:50:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season takes hold--am I the only one depressed by ubiquitous Christmas music in mid-November?--Santa Trains come down the tracks in many states, in partnership of course with CSX and other railroads, delivering candy, stuffed animals and Christmas accessories to excited children. One particular Santa Train, which runs between Kentucky and Tennessee, passing through Virginia's southwest corner, is considered the official kickoff to Christmas in rural areas largely disadvantaged along economic lines. Chaotic scenes ensue, according to this article, with children pelted in the face by candy bars and stuffed animals. Contributing to this year's craziness was the presence of country/bluegrass superstar Alison Krauss. I always appreciate the carnivalesque and excessive aspects of holiday cheer.

Speaking of riotous scenes, if you've never ridden Amtrak during the holidays, you're missing out on quite a, uh, treat. The trains inevitably sell out--I noticed that both the Cardinal and Crescent trains, which pass through Charlottesville, are booked for Wednesday--and Amtrak's measures for rider capacity are imprecise at best. Two Novembers ago, I had to stand for 15 minutes on the Cardinal before being seated--in the Cafe car! Should this happen to you, keep in mind that your ticket, in most cases, entitles you to a reserved seat. So, when you reach your destination, even if you had to stand or sit in the cafe car for only a portion of the trip, approach the ticket counter and demand a full refund. Most likely the agent will have you fill out a form that will then be sent to Amtrak headquarters. It will take a while to receive your voucher, but you will. Happy traveling, everyone!

Jets miss each other by 35 feet at O'Hare

2006-11-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that two planes missed each other on the runway of Chicago O'Hare by 35 feet, not 300 feet as the Federal Aviation Administration originally reported. A cargo plane and a United Airlines jet nearly collided on July 23. Authorities cited controller error as the cause, and this was one of five runway incursions at O'Hare this year.

US Air and Delta May Merge

2006-11-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

The big news today in aviation is that USAir has made an offer to purchase Delta Airlines. The resulting airline would be the nation's largest--you'll recall that USAir merged with America West last year--and supporters argue that it would drive prices down. Of course, an alternative logic has it that mergers, insofar as they reduce the number of airlines and the competition between them, lead to fare increases in the long run. We'll have to see. Delta hasn't agreed to the acquisition, which would remedy the struggling airline's bankrupty concerns.

USAir means serious business. A Dividend Miles member, I received an email from the company today stating its interest in and reasons for purchasing Delta. It remains unclear what hubs the new airline would use. Would Cincinnati be phased out? Or Atlanta? After all, Atlanta's quite proximate to Charlotte, USAir's current hub. Workers at these hubs must be worried. I'm quite excited by the prospect, as hopefully my elite status with Delta would translate into elite status with USAir. Of course, unless USAir expands its first class seating--and I'm not holding my breath--there might not be room for me and the thousands of other "elites" hoarded together under one frequent flier umbrella. Is that rain I'm feeling?

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a cancelled flight…

2006-11-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Airports take all sorts of steps to deter birds from crossing airplane flight patterns, from displaying plastic owls to experimenting with high-pitched sound deterrence. Inevitably, though, a bird strikes a plane or gets sucked into a jet engine. The planes fare better than the birds, but after each collision planes must be inspected and in some cases repaired. A friend of mine missed his flight from Dulles to Roanoke recently because of once such plane-bird collision. Unlike many other cancellations, though, airlines won’t pick up the cost of meals or a hotel stay for flights cancelled by a bird strike. It’s instead dismissed as an “environmental hazard.”

"You can only be free...when you have nothing to lose"

2006-11-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

A 20 year-old man from Frankfurt, Germany, decided that he wanted to travel Europe by train. His preferred travel class - outside the train.Also known as "The Trainrider", this guy was diagnosed with leukemia and chose to spend his last days "train surfing" and videotaping his escapades. He died earlier this year - not from surfing, but rather cancer. The tribute video, containing footage filmed in 2005 before his death, can be viewed at this link. It's pretty impressive (and somewhat poignant, knowing that this represents his final days)...the ICE bullet train shown during the beginning and end of the video routinely travels at speeds of 300 kph (186 MPH).

Farely Indecisive

2006-11-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

Last week United tried to raise its fares but backed down after other airlines failed to follow suit. But consumers who breathed a sigh of relief should summon some more air. Late this week Delta, Continental and American raised fares by as much as 10 dollars for both business and leisure travel. No doubt United will soon do the same. Competition from discount carriers doesn't factor in here, because the fare increases apply to routes not flown by Southwest or JetBlue.

Where competition exists, prices remain quite low. Texan travelers must be happy, because Southwest's penetration of Dallas, which has the carrier locked in a fare war with American, has generated super-cheap fares. One way fares from Dallas to NY can be purchased for as little as 50 dollars. It's not clear how long American can remain in this struggle before it waves a white flag for its orange, red and yellow foe.

You might be wondering why fares continue to increase as fuel prices go down. The legacies insist that fares never caught up to rising fuel prices, and that they're still searching for the right price. As the holiday season approaches, I imagine their "search" will take them sky-high.

An Aviation Scrape

2006-10-31T20:23:00.000-08:00

CNN reports that a Lufthansa plane damaged its wing after bumping into a parked Continental plane at Newark International Airport. Nearly 300 passengers were on-board, but none was hurt. Lufthansa subsequently canceled the flight. No word yet on what caused the scrape.

A Savory Union

2006-10-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

This article details the increasingly cozy relationship between gourmet chefs and legacy carriers. Competing for business travelers with refined palates, international airlines such as Singapore and New Zealand, as well as domestic carriers such as American and Delta, have hired the help of chefs from some of the world's finest restaurants. In most cases, the airline sends its chefs to the restaurant to learn from the celeb chef; but in certain instances, the celeb chefs actually supervise the preparation of the food before it takes flight. Because the food must be re-heated on-board, certain things are off-limits: no butter in sauces and definitely no souffles!

The Grimy Skies

2006-10-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

Notice that your favorite airline has begun to look—and smell—like a Greyhound bus? That’s because airlines have been cutting back on the frequency with which they “deep clean” their planes. While the industry standard had been one deep-cleaning (similar to having a car professionally detailed) every 30 days, Delta had let its schedule lapse to one cleaning every 15 to 18 months. The New York Times says “That is akin to cutting your daily shower back to once every couple of weeks.” Delta recently brought its cleaning schedule back up to industry standards, but not all airlines have followed suit.

Air disasters...on the ground...

2006-10-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

Tonight I watched a PBS Nova special tonight titled "The Deadliest Plane Crash", which discussed the events leading to the worst commercial aviation disaster to date (in terms of loss of lives due to a single plane crash). Although I have known about this crash for a while, listening to the survivors' accounts of the disaster and the air traffic control problems that still plague airports today, is quite an eye opener for frequent travelers today.

On March 27,1977, a KLM 747 and a Pan Am 747 were both on their way to Gran Canaria International Airport in the Canary Islands, when air traffic controllers at the airport diverted all incoming flights to nearby Los Rodeos Airport on the island of Tenerife due to a terrorist bomb explosion at the original destination at Gran Canaria. Both planes landed safely at Tenerife and deplaned, awaiting clearance to continue to Gran Canaria to continue along their original flight plans. When air traffic controllers at Gran Canaria alerted those at Tenerife that the bombed airport was once again open for traffic, both flights scrambled to gather their passengers and crew for an immediate departure to Gran Canaria.

Due to traffic congestion at Tenerife, both the KLM and the Pan Am planes were requested to taxi down the entire length of the runway before turning 180 degrees and taking off in the opposite direction. This required the Pan Am plane to turn off the runway about half way down the taxi path to allow the KLM plane to take off. Unfortunately, a massive fog bank blanketed the airport during the taxiing process, and the Pan Am crew was confused as to where it should veer off the runway to allow the Pan Am plane to pass. At the same time, the captain of the KLM flight, Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, who was a veteran of the airline and the poster pilot for the airline's ads, decided to begin the takeoff roll before acquiring clearance, before the Pan Am plane cleared the runway. Just before reaching the Pan Am plane, the pilot aggressively tried to make his 747 clear the Pan Am plane, but the two collided, causing the KLM plane to rip the top off of the Pan Am plane and the KLM plane to crash 150 yards later, in a belly-up attitude. All aboard the KLM perished, and 335 of 396 abord the Pan Am plane were killed. There were a total of 583 fatalities.

While initial investigators disagreed on whom to apply the blame, it was later determined that the KLM pilots were at fault for attempting a premature takeoff without proper clearance. Perhaps the single greatest contribution to the disaster was Captain van Zanten's decision to defy air traffic control for the sake of preventing delays. Ironically, a prominent KLM advertisement of the 1970s depicting Captain van Zantenof exhibits the airline's pride on on-time departures:

Since 1977, there have been a number of close calls that could have resulted in a repeat of this accident. In fact, a widely publicized runway incursion occurred at Boston's Logan International Airport on June 9, 2005, when a US Airways Boeing 737-300 and Aer Lingus Airbus A330 were cleared for takeoff at approximately the same time, on intersecting runways. Fortunately, the US Airways First Officer noticed the rolling Aer Lingus flight on the other runway and promptly applied pressure of the control yoke to keep the plane of the ground, when the plane's speed would have normally caused it to lift into the air. The Aer Lingus plane cleared the US Airways plane by 170 feet, and the US Airways plane lifted off the ground shortly thereafter (and just in time before running out of runway), averting a disaster that could have cost the lives of a combined 363 passengers and crew. The pilot and co-pilot both received the Superior Airmanship Award from the Air Line Pilots Association for their heroic actions in averting a disaster at Logan.

With an average of 325 runway incursions (defined as incidents where planes are dangerously located on runways/taxiways when they are not supposed to be) reported each year, many experts agree that it is a matter of time before another disaster similar to that at Tenerife occurs. While measures are being taken to improve runway conflicts, many airports, including Boston Logan and Chicago O'Hare, continue to struggle understanding why such incursions occur despite increased awareness of the problem.

British Airways Absurdity

2006-10-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

A former Heathrow ticket agent is suing British Airways for suspending her for wearing a Christian cross over-top her uniform. BA claims that all religious jewelry and paraphernalia must be worn, when possible, underneath uniforms. Of course, one can't wear religious head-gear and scarves atop a uniform, so those items are permissible--thus privileging certain religious expressions over others. Why British Airways wants to go to bat for this inane policy, I'm not sure. If the woman had been proselytizing or discriminating against customers on religious grounds, then the company would have had every reason to suspend (hell, fire) her. But an unobstrusive necklace worn by millions of Christians--of varying ideological shades--every day? BA should spend more time improving its service and less time writing and enforcing policies that, in the name of equality and neutrality, impose an intellectually vapid nationalism over top religious and cultural diversity.

Major Rail Expansion Between Chicago and Virginia

2006-10-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

A major expansion of railroad tunnels will allow modern trains to pass from Norfolk, Virginia’s seaport to Chicago in 48 hours rather than going through Pennsylvania and Cleveland, which takes 60 hours. The federal government is paying the cost of raising tunnels, which are owned by Nofolk Southern, and the project should be completed by 2009. Congressional authors billed the tunnel expansion as part of a campaign to help the economies of Appalachia. No word, though, on whether the new route will bring more passenger rail to southwest Virginia.

More Amtrak For Illinois

2006-10-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Amtrak's website announces today that additional trains will be added to the Chicago-Quincy route in Illinois. The current train, the Illinois Zephyr, will be supplemented by the Carl Sandburg. Amtrak has already added trains to the Chicago-Carbondale route. These developments bode well for Amtrak's partnerships with states and for the survival of its regional trains. I find it interesting, however, that the Illini train operating between Chicago and Carbondale currently appears among Amtrak's "weekly specials," which the struggling corporation uses to inflate its passenger loads. Accompanying today's Carl Sandburg announcement is a self-congratulatory note about the throngs of people populating such regional trains. But if people are riding these trains for next to nothing thanks to bargain bin prices, can we really call their popularity a success? To be fair, the state has every reason to subsidize these trains; many of the towns they serve lack other means of transportation, especially now that Greyhound, which to my knowledge lacks state subsidies, has pulled out of many locations. Happy riders make happy voters!

Airbus Plummets Again

2006-10-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

Patrick reported last week on additional delays and manufacturing problems for Airbus's jumbo jet. Today, the struggling company, owned by parent company EADS, lost its second CEO in the span of a hundred days. The now ex-officer, who promised to turn the company around in a 100 days--rather than pass in and back out the company's revolving door--angered investors, employees and involved governments, Germany in particular, after demanding major spending cuts and blaming factories in particular countries for the manufacturing snafus. As the company's stock took another major hit, and as Boeing continues to sell its 787's at a crisp pace, one wonders if Airbus's glory days are over.

Road Trip Idea: Virginia Wineries

2006-10-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

From CNN...Although California, Oregon and Washington boast the best wines in the US, Virginia wineries, numbering 250, offer an exquisite combination of wine-tasting, sight-seeing and people-meeting. This article, penned by a writer who recently moved from New York to the Shenandoah Valley, where I grew up, profiles wineries in and around Charlottesville, VA--as well as local restaurants boasting knowledgable sommeliers. If you're looking for something a bit more off the beaten path, though, you might travel 20 or so miles west to the Afton/Nellysford area, an eclectic region containing myriad wineries stocked with colorful personalities. I can't promise delight for you palate, but I can promise gorgeous views, a relaxed drive along pleasantly winding roads and a personalized tasting experience you simply can't get at the industrial wineries of Napa and Sonoma. During Evan's visit last weekend, we, along with some out-of-staters--and one Britishman--visited four wineries in this region. Our favorite? Afton winery, pictured below. It's a small winery, but its wines are very popular and have won quite a few national awards. A member of our crew purchased a bottle of Afton's chardonnay--crisp, refreshing and perfect for a mild autumn afternoon.

Private Sleeper Cars

2006-10-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

In the first half of the 20th century, business magnates such as J.P. Morgan owned private sleeper cars aboard which they enjoyed the finest cuisine and service as they traversed the country. Today, no such luxury exists aboard Amtrak where, the Empire Builder excepted, meals are prepared off-board and reheated for passenger consumption. But it turns out a few private companies have capitalized on train-buff nostalgia by offering private sleepers boasting private chefs. In certain instances, these private cars are attached to Amtrak trains (I don't know the specifics behind this arrangement); in others, they're attached to freight engines that have been leased. Wealthier train buffs might own their own car, and lease it out when it's not in use, but almost anyone of reasonable means could afford, perhaps with a little saving, to lease a room in a car (not an entire car, mind you) for a short trip. A Cincinatti-based company offers group trips to Chicago for shopping and to Michigan for sight-seeing. Such trips can cost as little at $200/day/person. Of course, these trains stop along the way--making the trips quite long in certain cases--and the cost doesn't include your requirements off-board, but nevertheless, if you're looking for a slightly off-beat, domestic vacation, private sleepers might be just your ticket.

Airbus vs. Boeing

2006-10-04T18:51:00.000-07:00

Singapore Airlines announced today that Airbus Industrie, the designer and builder of the monstrous A380 twin-decked superliner, would pay the air carrier compensation for delayed production and delivery of the inaugural aircraft. As Patrick had mentioned in a recent previous post, French-based Airbus has experienced difficulties in meeting the originally projected delivery date, which was set for later this year, due to challenges involved in production, namely the installation of the wiring system for the plane. Singapore declined to reveal the amount of compensation, as it has been held confidential.

It seems these days that Boeing is enjoying a period of positive press, as its new plane designs have directly answered Airbus's challenges over the recent years. Yes, the 717, a modern (and very quiet - definitely the quietest single aisle plane I have flown) update of the workhorse DC-9 and MD-80 series aircraft, was a short-lived flop that culminated in the cessation of commercial airliner production in Boeing's Long Beach plant. However, Boeing's 787 Dreamliner, an updated version of the 767 double-aisle twinjet that has been in service for almost 25 years, is slated to hit the sky for the first time next year. First deliveries are expected in 2008, according to Boeing's website.

I don't know how I missed this, but Patrick also posted about the new design for the 747-8, which seems like a direct retort to Airbus's A380. With improved operating economics, fuel efficiency, and versatility (airports don't need to reconstruct their gates to accomodate the new plane!), it seems like a good alternative to the A380. Time will tell if Boeing will experience the same production issues with the 747-8 that have plagued Airbus in recent months.

Both the 787 and the 747-8 will offer unprecedented passenger amenities, including hued lighting to enhance passenger comfort, a spacious entry lobby (many fearful flyers today admit that their anxiety hits upon stepping into the cramped entry portal of the cabin), quieter engines, and improved (and sleek) swept wing design.

These two companies have battled back and forth over the last 20 years for contracts with United States-based airlines. Although American Airlines has been using the widebody A300 forover a decade, Boeing (and McDonnell Douglas, which Boeing absorbed in 1997) dominated our market until Airbus released in the late 1980s/early 1990s the A319/A320/A321 series, which is now prevalent in United Airlines', US Airways', and Jetblue's fleets. At first, pilots were weary of Airbus's new technology, as these planes use "fly-by-wire" technology where pilots literally fly the planes by turning dials and shifting levers, as opposed to controlling the aircraft with a traditional handheld yoke similar to a steering wheel, which is still found on Boeing's most modern aircraft. In fact, the first fully automated plane prototype, an A320, crashed at the 1988 Paris Airshow due to a computer malfunction. However, the manufacturer worked through its problems to finally release this technology for commercial service just a few years later. We'll see how Boeing's new planes perform in the market in the coming years...perhaps airlines will be attracted to smaller capacities (the 787) and enhanced operating efficiency (the 747-8) over the A380.

Brazil Crash Update

2006-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

The pilots of the private Embraer Jet aboard which the New York Times Travel columnist was flying, and which collided with the Brazilian commercial jet carrying 150 passengers, all of whom perished, are being held in Brazil indefinitely. An initial investigation has revealed that the private plane was flying at 37,000 feet, when it should have been flying at 36,000. I learned from this article that west-bound flights travel at even numbers (36) and east-bound flights at odd numbers. Why the pilots disobeyed an order from air-traffic control to descend 1,000 feet, we don't yet know. Turns out the NYT columnist's encomiums to the pilots' bravery should have been accompanied by questions regarding their judgment.

A380 Still Grounded

2006-10-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

More tales of woe for the Airbus A380 double-decker jet. First deliveries of the (approximately) 555-seat superjumbo jet have been pushed back two years, until at least 2008, and then only at a trickle. The plane’s electrical system is apparently more difficult to install than was originally thought. Airbus customers are considering withdrawing their orders and switching to Boeing’s 747-8, the 467-seat version of Boeing’s 747 jet that will begin service in 2009. This war is not yet over, but Boeing’s jet wins the battle for the most danceable soundtrack.

Collision at 37K feet

2006-10-02T22:10:00.000-07:00

A Boeing 737 collides with a private jet over the Amazon rainforest and only one plane survives. Improbably, New York Times transportation columnist Joe Sharkey was on board the corporate jet and describes the harrowing experience in the Times.

Bring It On, in Miniature

2006-10-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

The TSA has finally and thankfully relaxed its rules regarding liquids and gels brought aboard aircraft. Passengers can now bring miniature bottles of gels and liquids as long as they are fully declared at security checkpoints and stored in see-through, ziploc plastic bags. Many airport stores are selling the plastic baggies, and in one instance donating the profits to local charities. Passengers are also once again able to bring aboard liquor and perfumes purchased at duty-free shops. To avoid hassles, I recommend storing as many items as possible in one's checked luggage. But if you must carry-on your medicine cabinet, at least now you won't be turned away--so long as you keep it small!

Oh, the humanity (??)

2006-09-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

The ~100-foot long Hood Blimp, famed for its appearance over New England sports events, crashed into the woods in the vicinity of Manchester-By-The-Sea in Massachusetts' North Shore today. The blimp, which usually hovers over games at Boston's Fenway Park, experienced mechanical failures with its rudder this morning. The pilot attempted a landing on nearby Singing Beach (a small strip of sand that serves as my beach of choice in MA) but ended up stranded in trees nearby. The crash was uneventful, as the craft apparently made a smooth landing into the trees, where it proceeded to deflate as the pilot communicated with rescue crew for over 2 hours about the nature of the crash before he was rescued.

The Sox game continued without the blimp hovering overhead this evening, as we are told (and I must say I do not hear its characteristic buzzing hum).

If I were given a choice of what aircraft to experience a crash, it would be a blimp. No catastrophic incineration...given that the blimp is inflated with helium. This incident would have had a much more tragic end had it occurred 80 years ago, when blimps at the time were filled with hydrogen, a highly inflammable gas. Remember the Hindenberg...

Now Boarding All Primpers

2006-09-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Finally, the TSA loosens its restrictions on gels and aerosols. Passengers can now bring toiletries on board planes in checked luggage but not drinks purchased before passenger screening. Would it appear suspicious if one drank one’s “contact solution” in order to “take the edge off” before a flight? Some of us condemned to fly propeller planes out of small, windy, icy airports need a stiff drink to relax. I suppose we have two options: prescription drugs or Sudoku.

The (Better Not Be TOO) Friendly Skies

2006-09-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

When George Tsikhiseli and his boyfriend Stephan Varnier left Paris for New York on American Airlines Flight 45, they settled in coach class, ready to endure a cramped flight on Boeing 777. After the meal service they would take turns resting their heads on each other’s shoulders in hopes of getting a bit of sleep before the plane landed that afternoon.

Before they had a chance to doze off, a stewardess with “big Texas hair” came over to their row and told them to stop “the touching and the kissing,” according to the September 25 New Yorker. The men rose from their fog and, after complaining to the stewardess, told the captain that they did not appreciate being singled out for displaying innocent affection. The captain told them to drop the matter immediately or he would divert the plane, ostensibly for security reasons. The men obeyed and, after earning their 15 column inches of fame in the New Yorker, are probably flying Air France these days.

Coast Starlight Not So Bright

2006-09-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

As Marcel over at TrainBlog draws attention to in his latest post, the Coast Starlight's lengthy delays are making headlines and flaring tempers in California. The Train Riders Association of California has been monitoring the train's on-time performance at the Paso Robles stop, and has found that it's typically five to 12 hours late. The association is now applying pressure to government leaders, asking them to apply pressure, in turn, to Union Pacific, whose freight traffic and track repairs between Roseville, CA and Eugene, Ore are responsible for the delays. Constructing a second track would ease the problem, but would also cost a fortune; UP pays lip service to giving passenger trains priority, but in practice this rarely happens since UP's main objective is making money, and it makes little if any off of Amtrak. The Coast Starlight, which runs between Los Angeles and Seattle, boasts a gorgeous route and used to be known for its on-time performance. But with declining service and long delays, Amtrak's crown jewel is becoming its biggest embarrassment. I hope that UP finishes its repairs and Amtrak restores the train to its earlier glory, because the route is breathtakingly scenic. On our journey last November, Patrick and I sat back in awe at the snow-capped peaks, waterfalls and gorgeous sunsets. Toss in some wine tastings, meeting new and strange people, and falling asleep to the train's gentle rocking, and you have a slice of paradise (unless, of course, you're trying to make a connection).

Amtrak Offer

2006-09-19T20:55:00.000-07:00

Between now and mid-December, Amtrak Guest Rewards members will earn double miles on all train travel. Go to Amtrak's website for details. I've included a pic of the Downeaster train above, which runs between Boston and Portland, Maine, because Evan and I plan on taking a trip aboard it next time I visit him in Boston. I'm typically not a promoter of the Guest Rewards program, because the miles are based on dollars spent, rather than miles traveled, and it seems to take forever to accumulate enough miles to make only a one-way trip within a single geographic zone. But with the miles doubled, award travel becomes a bit more feasible. To earn more miles, you might consider the Amtrak Guest Rewards credit card--offered through Mastercard.

Steaks On a Plane

2006-09-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

This story came as a bit of a surprise to me, since I've never considered taking meat on board a plane. But apparently in Omaha, Nebraska, the company Omaha Steaks sells meat at the airport, and used to pack it on ice for customers to take on-board. But with new restrictions on liquids, ice is no longer allowed. Thus, Omaha Steaks has been forced to ship the meat to people's homes--at no cost; unless they're boarding short flights, in which case the steaks remain frozen for four to five hours. A seafood company in Florida devised a more ingenious strategy: packing lobster between packs of frozen vegetables, which aren't outlawed by the new restrictions. Wineries are now having to ship their product, because passengers can no longer carry-on easily broken bottles, though I've been known to cram bottles of wine into my checked luggage--packing them carefully between my clothes--and have yet to experience a disaster (though I admit to being anxious every time I do so--particularly when I've packed two-buck chuck between merino wool sweaters).

Accidents or Al Qaeda?

2006-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

In an effort to diversify my news sources, I've borrowed this report from the India Daily News...

"Strategic experts" in aviation security are warning airlines and the airborne public that Al Qaeda might be testing for weak-spots in major airports across the world. Recent "accidents," such as luggage left aboard aircraft and knives passing through security unnoticed, might not be accidents at all. Terrorist groups might be exploring weaknesses in the system in advance of a serious attack. Whether these experts possess evidence supporting such claims remains unclear. To my knowledge, most of the people involved in recent headline incidents had no ties to terrorist organizations; and yet experts want us to believe that they might be shrewd operatives whose bumbling and babbling (like the crazy woman who pissed the floor on a recent United Airlines flight) disguise nefarious intentions. All jokes aside, I'm completely on-board, pardon the pun, heightened vigilance.

More Airline Mergers?

2006-09-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

From the Chicago Tribune...

Rumors are flying that some legacy mergers might soon make headlines--and headaches! Possible pairings include Delta and Northwest, both currently partners in the SkyTeam network, and United and Continental. Northwest would provide Delta better access to Asia, where it lacks a significant presence, and Continental would give United better access to Latin America and southern portions of the U.S. To flip the perspective, Delta would give Northwest a stronger transatlantic and east-coast presence, while United would provide Continental improved access to the west coast (in particular, LA and San Fran).

Although these mergers might shore up the convalescing but nonetheless ailing legacies--putting an end to bankrupty anxieties and strike-threats--they would trigger fare hikes, reduce domestic capacity and lead to jam-packed, delayed flights. Also, business travelers might find their frequent flier miles and elite statuses far less valuable. United passengers might smile if Continental's perks--like on-board meal service, even in coach--found their way on to United flights, but that smile might turn upside down when they find a paucity of upgrades and bulkhead/exit seats. We'll have to wait around and see...

An Aviation Resurgence? Maybe

2006-09-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

Statistics are now available for U.S. air travel during the first six months of 2006. The good news is that passenger loads are up even though airlines trimmed their domestic capacity to focus on more popular and profitable international flights, which also witnessed higher passenger loads. Now for the bad news: because flights are fewer and fuller, passengers are enduring longer travel times. I imagine this situation owes not simply to delays and bumps, but also to longer connection waits.

Now for some trivia: American Airlines hauled the most passengers from January to June, while Southwest hauled the most domestic passengers. Atlanta's airport was the busiest overall, but Miami boasted the busiest international terminal.

No Northwest Strike

2006-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

After issuing a temporary injunction against sporadic walk-outs by Northwest's flight attendants several weeks ago, the judge presiding over the case has now ruled, definitively, that the workers aren't entitled to do so--specifically, that they haven't made an exhaustive attempt to broker an agreement with the company and that their proposed walk-outs would unduly harm commerce and endanger the already bankrupt airline's survival. The judge's decision leaves open, however, the possibility that if after negotiating more vigorously (and perhaps with some compromises), the attendants find themselves still unable to accept the company's pay-cuts (30 million a month), they might be entitled to execute their plan. In the meantime, those holding or planning to purchase tickets with Northwest can do so without anxiety--bearing in mind, of course, that they might get a little attitude with their Aquafina during cabin service.

Loot from Logan and other stories...

2006-09-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

From yesterday's Boston Metro...

The recent 5th anniversary of September 11 has Americans thinking how flying used to be...those days when people could watch - from the airplane gate - their loved ones arrive or depart, and when retired band teachers (at least at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport) manned the security checkpoint area. Now, when we fly the friendly skies, the first thing that greets us when we open our checked suitcase is a paper flyer telling us that it has been opened, inspected, and possibly damaged - if it was overpacked, the passenger's fault, of course - by a TSA screener. Well, some people are finding that they arrive at their destination with less than they thought...the most confiscated item remains lighters, but some have complained that precious jewelry and other items with sentimental value have been lost through TSA screenings. Perhaps this should be a lesson to keep the valuables with you (really, what idiot wouldn't?).

Here is the breakdown of complaints against TSA at Boston's Logan International Airport...

For those, like me, who have been unlucky enough to have had items confiscated from carry-on luggage at the security gate, there's hope - at least for Bostonians - for retrieving such items. All airport contraband is taken to a place called White Farm in Concord, NH (this is not the same Concord as in Lexington and Concord of the American Revolution) and sold for outrageously cheap prices. One can purchase a pocketknife at a flat $1 price, or for $2 for a Swiss Army brand knife. All other tools are sold for prices ranging from $1-$3. A Boston Globe article notes that once TSA accumulates between 1700-2000 pounds of such items (which is typically over a 6-week period), they are trucked to the facility in New Hampshire.

So I guess there's hope that I can buy back my great grandfather's pocketknife...but I don't have the time or energy to sort through the tons of metal to find it. After all, it was confiscated over 9 months - or about 6 tons - ago!

More Comair Crash Madness

2006-09-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Fox News reports that five months prior to the recent Comair Crash in Kentucky, control tower officers sent letters to their congressmen complaining of a hostile work environment and understaffing in the tower. On the day of the crash, only one officer occupied the tower--instead of the 2 required by FAA regulations--and when he turned his back to attend to paperwork after clearing the plane for take-off, he wasn't able to see it turn on to the wrong runway. Had he witnessed the error, he might have prevented the crash.

And yesterday we learned that the pilots were using an outdated map that didn't reflect changes made to the taxiway. Lexington airport officials claim they sent memos explaining the changes to the airlines, but whether the pilots in question knew of the changes, we can't be sure. James Polehinke, the first officer who survived the crash, remains hospitalized and has issued no public statements about what happened apart from, "Why did God do this to me?"

To sum up the madness: The plane crashed not because of weather or a mechanical problem, but because the pilot (who later handed control over to the first officer) turned onto the wrong runway after having first boarded the wrong plane (the groundcrew notified the pilots, whose mistake remains unexplained). He then relied upon an incorrect map to navigate the taxiway which, incidentally, wasn't illuminated that morning as it had been in the past. His fatal error might have been caught, but the tower was understaffed and overworked--and in violation of FAA rules. This despite repeated pleas for government assistance as early as half a year before the crash. Families of victims deserve a thorough investigation and explanation of how this chaos came to be--and afterwards, the deepest of apologies from an array of individuals and institutions. All accidental deaths are needless, but none more so than these.

Musical Terrorism

2006-09-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

From Yahoo News...

England's recently-imposed ban on most carry-on items--spawned by last month's terrorist scare--has classical musicians complaining to Parliament that they're no longer able to travel and perform their trade. Why? Because their instruments are banned from the cabin and are far too valuable and vulnerable to be stored with the checked luggage. Many classical musicians use instruments crafted in the 17th, 18th and 19 centuries, and it's not uncommon for these instruments to be worth millions of dollars. Those of us who have found our luggage damaged after a flight can surely understand why someone wouldn't want to part with a pricey item upon boarding an aircraft. So, until the new regulations are relaxed--and there's an indication they may be--a number of talented artists are either stuck at home or forced to play on inferior instruments. Who knew Al Qaeda could wreak such aesthetic havoc?

United Airlines Flight 93 - Five Years Later

2006-09-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post something relating to September 11, 2001 in honor of those who perished on that horrible day, 5 years ago today...

The National Park Service/Department of the Interior is currently planning and constructing the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, PA. It was here, on a scenic field, that United Airlines Flight 93, a 182-seat Boeing 757-200 with 37 passengers (including 4 hijackers) and 7 crew, crashed into the ground in a belly-up attitude, killing all aboard. The ground today is considered sacred, serving as the final resting place for those passengers who united together over a period of a few hours and charged the cockpit of the plane, at the time being operated by the hijackers and supposedly headed for Washington, DC. While all aboard were killed, the heroic actions of the passengers, many of which are documented in the cockpit voice recording and by loved ones who received phone calls from the ill-fated passengers aboard the plane, may have saved many more lives on ground, had the plane reached its intended target.

The memorial effort was begun a few years ago, and the ribbon-cutting for the finished park is hoped to be held on the 10th anniversary of the attacks, in 2011. In 2004-2005, a competition was held for a suitable design, and Paul Murdoch Architects of Los Angeles, CA, were chosen for their winning entry. An entry path into the memorial's "bowl", a roughly circular area marked by the natural topography of the site, follows the flight path of the plane just before it hit the ground. Also, the site will feature a grove of 40 maples, one for each of the 33 passengers, 2 flying crew, and 5 flight attendants who fought the hijackers on the plane. A plaza will be the focal point of the "bowl", allowing visitors to view the actual crash site, or "sacred ground", up-close. Finally, another area will be dedicated to preserving the foundations of the FBI structures set up at the edge of the site for the investigation of the crash.

For more information on the Flight 93 National Memorial, visit the website here. To make a donation in support of the project, visit the newly developed webstie here.

A temporary memorial has been placed at the site for visitors who wish to view the site today. Directions are available on the websites mentioned above.

Pack your bags….

2006-09-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

It is now lawful (though it wasn’t two weeks ago) to carry the following on-board a plane: small amount of baby formula or breast milk, if accompanied by a baby (of course), and up to four ounces of “essential” medications including saline solution, KY jelly, gel-filled bras and “similar prosthetics” according to tsa.gov and the New York Times.

The notice also explicitly permits lipstick, lip balm, and other cosmetics but adds that “Please remember these items must be solid and not liquid, gel or aerosol.” Except, of course, for the gel bras and KY jelly. I wonder what kind of meeting led to those regulations! And what IS the difference between a solid, liquid, and a gel? Is gel a real category? Perhaps our blogging scientist can help.

Anxious about props?

2006-09-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Last week, a friend made her way to a small Virginia airport only to find that she was booked on a turboprop rather than a jet. Since her usual three shots of whiskey were prohibited in carry on luggage, she began to get nervous about the flight. A year ago she had a harrowing experience aboard a commercial propeller-driven plane and vowed never to fly a prop again.

Fortunately, her flight was delayed and she was able to ask a gate agent to rebook her using a different route – and a jet plane. Apparently, if a flight is delayed, agents can rebook passengers using different routes.

Does Amtrak Control NARP?

2006-09-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

From the Boston Globe...

Amtrak critics are fuming after learning that Amtrak pays $30,000 a year to the National Association of Railroad Passengers. The NARP, a not-for-profit organization representing passenger needs and concerns, claims autonomy from Amtrak, but critics note that NARP's publications regularly defend Amtrak and echo the company's perspective on government funding (they want more), on-time service (Amtrak blames freight companies) and long-distance trains (they insist we still need them). Critics would like to see NARP devote more of its energy to addressing customer needs along the Northeast Corridor (including commuter rails, in which Amtrak has a stake in most instances), where Amtrak produces its biggest profits.

While it's true that the NARP has become a bit of an apologist for Amtrak (I've received their publications), these accusations of impropriety are ridiculous. The 30 thousand was used not to line the pockets of NARP officials but to pay for a part-time liaison who communicates to Amtrak customer complaints and suggestions collected by the NARP. What use would NARP have it it couldn't pass on to Amtrak the information it gathers. That NARP stands behind Amtrak on most issues suggests to me that many of its contributors are individuals committed to long-distance trains, to quality service aboard those trains and to increased government investment in passenger rail (in countries lauded for their rail service, there is almost always massive government support). Should the NARP be criticized for representing its contributors' interests and pursuing their demands?

That said, this story shouldn't be ignored, because several of the critics mentioned above used to be on the NARP board. Sounds as if the NARP is as internally riven as Amtrak--with some members wanting to focus on what Amtrak does best (the Northeast Corridor) and others wanting to resuscitate service that has declined in recent years (i.e. most long-distance trains). Amtrak's dissolution, or at the very least, the dissolution of the long-distance service that makes Amtrak a name recognized across the Lower 48, has been a possibility for some time now. Might it finally happen?

Northwest Calls Up Its Reserves

2006-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

In a slightly perplexing move, Northwest Airlines yesterday summoned over 1,000 of its furloughed flight attendants--some who had been laid off, others who had taken voluntary leaves. Suspicion has arisen that Northwest might be bringing in back-up in case the courts, which are still deliberating, approve NWA's flight attendants' request to stage unannounced, periodic walkouts to protest significant cuts in pay and benefits. The union for the flight attendants, however, insists that these resuscitated workers would be no more willing to work during a strike than those currently employed. Perhaps this move signals financial improvement for the airline which, like Delta and others, benefited from a busy summer marked by high fares (though also by high fuel prices). No word yet on when the judge, who several weeks ago imposed a temporary ban on the proposed walkouts, will make his final ruling, but I'll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, those holding tickets, travel vouchers and frequent flier miles (WorldPerks Miles) with NWA might at least begin the inhalation of a sigh of relief.

Hawaii Fare Sale

2006-09-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

American Airlines announced a fantastic fare sale to a number of Hawaiian destinations. You can travel from San Francisco to Honolulu (and elsewhere) for $350, and from Boston to Honolulu for $650. Act now, though, because there's no expiration date on the sale, which means it can, and likely will, end at any time. As appealing as Hawaii sounds, I need to save my money for a trip to England. Dollars don't translate well into pounds, as I'm sure many of you have discovered and winced at.

Polehinke Comes To

2006-09-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

CNN reports that James Polehinke, the lone survivor of Comair's recent plane crash in Lexington, KY, has regained consciousness but remains in serious condition. He hasn't mentioned the crash specifically, but he uttered his own version of Kurtz's "The Horror! The Horror!" when he asked those attending his bedside, "Why did God do this to me?" A better question, which he'll no doubt come to ask as he recovers, might be how did the first-in-command turn on to the wrong runway before handing over controls to Polehinke. Whether Polehinke remembers the accident in its entirety remains to be seen, and we may not know soon, as his physicians have asked family members not to pose crash-related questions.

Unlucky Number: 191

2006-09-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

I came across a disturbing article recently (where, I have no idea) that concerns past flights bearing the number 191. As it turns out, some of the most tragic non-terrorist airline accidents in the United States have occurred on flights numbered 191. As you know, the most recent commercial aviation disaster, Delta Flight 5191, was operated by Comair under the designation 191 (although passengers' tickets would have read 5191). 49 of the 50 passengers on board perished in the Lexington, KY, crash, the only survivor being First Officer James Polehinke, who happened to be flying the plane as it took off the wrong runway and crashed into a wooded area just beyond the airstrip.

(above: This haunting photograph depicts American
Airlines Flight 191 in its final moments before hitting
the ground. The missing #1 engine and steep roll are
clearly visible in the photograph.)

Perhaps the darkest day in domestic commercial aviation before September 11, 2001, occurred on May 25, 1979. At Chicago's bustling O'Hare International Airport, American Airlines Flight 191, an LAX-bound DC-10 carrying 258 passengers and 13 crew, crashed upon takeoff when the entire #1 engine separated from the left wing. While the engine fell away from the aircraft exactly as it was designed to do in such a scenario, the pilots lost complete control when hydraulic fluid began to leak from the left wing, causing the flaps to slowly retract. At such a low speed, the left wing failed to produce the required lift and aerodynamically stalled, while the right wing, undamaged during takeoff, continued to produce lift. This resulted in the aircraft rolling completely to the left, almost perpendicularly to the ground, finally causing the plane to crash at a nearby trailer park. All 271 people on board and two on the ground were killed. It was determined that during a previous repair, the #1 engine had been improperly reattached to the wing, causing the attachment surfaces to become weakened and unable to withstand the repeated application of force upon takeoffs and landings. The loss of life in the crash remains second only to that on board the two 767s that crashed into the World Trade Center Towers on September 11, 2001.

Just six years later, Delta Airlines Flight 191, a Lockheed L-1011 bound for LAX from Fort Lauderdale via Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, crashed during a landing attempt at Dallas. The plane, carrying 152 passengers and 11 crew members, approached the airport amid thunderstorm activity. During its landing attempt, the aircraft began to speed up, which pilots determined was a sign of wind shear. When the aircraft suddenly slowed down, the crew lost control of the massive aircraft (which, interestingly, is a widebody, 3-engined design similar to the DC-10 that crashed 6 years earlier), and it crashed into the ground, only to bounce back into the air, cross a major highway, and impact the ground once again on top of a car. In additional to the car's occupant, 128 passengers and 8 crew members died. While the pilot was found to be at fault for the crash, its major cause was determined to be microburst-induced windshear.
(Above: The eerie remains of Delta Airlines
Flight 191, which crashed at Dallas - Fort
Worth in 1985.)

As is customary for the aviation industry, Delta Airlines and American Airlines retired the Flight 191 designation after their respective crashes, and there is also no longer a Comair 5191. Perhaps these horrific crashes, all numbered Flight 191, should encourage other airlines to discontinue this numbering on any of their flights. After all, there is a precedent for superstition in the airline industry - some airlines' planes, including those on Airtran's fleet, don't have a "row 13"...check that out the next time you're flying.

Delta Glams It Up

2006-09-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

If you check out Delta's website, you'll find a link to "In-Flight Fashion," where the airline advertises its new emphasis upon fashion and in-flight amenities. Apparently Delta was featured in a recent episode of Project Runway, and will appear again this week. Since I lack cable, someone will have to fill me in on the details. Meanwhile, Delta continues to promote its signature cocktails--the mojitos are quite tasty, I agree, and pleasantly free of high fructose corn syrup--as well its new BusinessElite menu, which was designed by a celebrity chef. In June, the airline partnered with upscale retailer Henri Bendel to promote its expanded international service, and as reported here, last spring hired Richard Tyler to design new uniforms for its flight attendants. Wondering why not all of the flight attendants were filigreed in these stylish numbers, I asked a flight attendant, who replied that they looked silly and agreed with me that they resembled raincoats.

Whether these style upgrades will translate into more revenue or improved customer loyalty, I'm not certain. The high-class facade falters as customers remember Delta's bankrupty, its near avoidance of a strike, its persistent cutting of employee benefits and pensions--and most recently, the tragic Comair crash in Kentucky. That said, given that all the legacies, and even many of the budget airlines, are struggling to stay afloat, perhaps tiny perks like these will raise Delta above the fray and restore a portion of its lost respectability.

A Breath of Fresh Air

2006-09-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought air travel had become a commodity, along comes Midwest Airlines. Actually, Midwest has been around since 1984 but it has gradually expanded its unique service. The Milwaukee- and Kansas City-based airline makes standard amenities found only in business class on most airlines. “Signature” service features 2-by-2 leather seating aboard Boeing 717s, ample leg room, chocolate chip cookies baked on board and “gourmet”—at least for an airline—meals available for purchase. The food reportedly compares favorably to other airlines’ first class meals, though this correspondent has not had the opportunity to sample first class fare in recent years. For breakfast, try scrambled eggs with Asiago cheese, roasted peppers, grilled sausage gravy, and fresh chives next to hash browns, fruit and yogurt. For dinner, you can sample, grilled beef antichuco, Asian noodles with toasted coconut and chilis, or grilled marinated portobello. The menu is designed by Shawn Monroe, executive chest at Milwaukee’s Mader’s restaurant. The menus are available here.

While most airlines provide a “pitch” or distance between seats of 30,” Signature service offers 33-34” with a width of 21” compared to 17-18” on most carriers.

These luxuries are not without a price, however. The airline is often slightly more expensive than competing carriers—though your company’s accounting office may not notice. In addition, travelers usually have to fly through Milwaukee or Kansas City, and when flying coast-to-coast, as on a recent trip to San Francisco, travelers may endure “saver” fare coach service on one leg of the trip. The “saver” service is more like the coach seating found in most airlines, though with the addition Midwest’s warm chocolate chip cookies. No word on whether the cookies are alkali-free or whether they taste good with one’s morning coffee.

Delta Polyglots? And a Travel Deal

2006-09-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I received an email from Delta (I receive at least five a week) alerting me to a new promotion: if I book an international flight in the coming weeks, I'll be entitled to a free language lesson. The offer doesn't specify if the language lesson must correspond to the language spoken in the country I'm visiting. I hope not, because my potential European travel plans involve only England--not that my English couldn't use some brushing up. Lessons are apparently downloadable after one books one's international ticket. Next thing you know Delta will be offering student flyers free SAT and GRE prep courses. Nothing says customer service like helping your customers become wiser and more cosmopolitan.

In other Delta news...our readers in the New York area, or those with easy access to JFK Airport, should know that Delta is offering a great deal on flights to London that will commence operation in November. Coach tickets are going for around $300, BusinessElite seats for not much over $1000. Strike while the iron's hot!

This Time--A Mechanical Problem

2006-08-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Passengers had to evacuate a Charlotte to Miami US Airways flight using emergency slides after a fire broke out in the wheel well upon landing. No one was hurt, and there's no word yet on why the fire broke out, but this is a bit unsettling after the Kentucky crash earlier in the week.

Also...we learned today that the air control officer occupying the tower in Lexington had had less than two hours of sleep before going on duty. Which isn't to say that he was overworked. He had been given nine hours off between shifts, but apparently he couldn't sleep--not surprising, considering the off-hours occurred during the afternoon and early evening, when no doubt it was bright and blazing hot. All the reason that a second pair of eyes in the tower might have proved useful, not to mention life-saving.

Cockpit Hilarity

2006-08-30T20:08:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of CNN...a pilot for an air Canada subsidiary, Jazz, found himself locked out of the cockpit after returning from the lavatory. The second officer couldn't open it, nor could he. With less than thirty minutes to go in the flight, they had no choice but to break the door down. No one was in danger, but the passengers must have experienced a bit of a scare watching the pilot pound on the cockpit door. Perhaps this pilot should have had one less cup of coffee--or taken Detrol!

More on Comair Crash: The Missing Controller

2006-08-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

**UPDATE**

This story just keeps getting more bizarre, absurd even. Turns out the pilots had boarded and started up the wrong plane earlier that morning--fortunately, a member of the ground-crew pointed out their mistake. It appears operations had grown lax at the Lexington airport. Also, word comes today that a pilot turned onto the wrong runway in Lexington back in 1993--but on that occasion, an air control officer caught the mistake and disaster was averted. A lot of investigating remains to be done...

It turns out the FAA was in violation of its own rules when it allowed a single air control officer to man the tower at Lexington's airport. Guidelines state clearly that two individuals must be present--one to handle air control and another to handle radar. A second body might have prevented Sunday's fatal crash--which left all but one passenger dead--because the air traffic officer on duty, after clearing the plane for takeoff, turned his back to attend to administrative duties. Had he not done so, or had a second person been there to keep an eye on the wayward flight, someone might have noticed the plane turn on to the wrong runway. There's no guarantee of course, but this incident highlights ineptness in many places--in the cockpit, perhaps in the tower, but most definitely in the application of federal guidelines. Not surprisingly, two individuals now occupy the tower in Lexington.

A Minor Flaw in Airbus's Jumbo Plan

2006-08-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Airbus endured another setback for its A380 Jumbo Jet. A test flight from Paris to Tunisia had to turn around and return to Paris after a minor, but unspecified, problem. You'll recall that production was delayed for months while various problems were sorted out--a source of frustration for the many international airlines who had pre-ordered the moving monstrosities. Although test flights regularly go awry, Airbus can't afford more bad publicity. That said, their sales are high vis-a-vis Boeing's. Should the jumbo jet get airborne, the company might enjoy a recrudescence.

Crassness Crashes The Emmy's

2006-08-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

I didn't watch the Emmy's last night, so I was shocked to read that Conan O'Brien performed an opening skit in which his private plane crashed on its journey to Los Angeles, leaving him stranded on an island comparable to the one in ABC's hit show "Lost." Granted, it didn't actually show the plane crash, nor did it indicate any kind of injury or mortality, but still, in the wake of yesterday's Comair Crash in Kentucky, which killed 47 people, NBC really should have thought twice before airing the segment. Surely they could have replaced it with something else--it sounded neither original nor particularly funny. To be clear, I detest the FCC's recent crackdown on (i.e. censorship of) slightly prurient television content--wardrobe malfunctions and such--but I would have hoped NBC could be a little more sensitive with respect to this issue. Shame on The Emmy's.

Comair Crash Update

2006-08-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

There's not much new to report on yesterday's Comair crash, except the revelation that the lights weren't working on the runway from which the airplane attempted to take off. This new detail casts additional suspicion upon what the pilots were thinking. To begin, they took off from the wrong runway--one used for private planes and not nearly long enough for a commercial jet--and now we learn that they did so in darkness (The National Transportation Safety Board hasn't yet indicated whether it's legal or appropriate for a plane to take off without runway lights). Also suspect is the behavior of the air controllers in the tower. Was there some kind of miscommunication? If so, what and how did it happen? We may not know for quite a long time--NTSB investigations can last up to a year. In the meantime, flyers have some something new to worry about (besides mechanical problems and terrorism)--pilot error and poor judgment.

N.B. Mentioned frequently in articles on the crash is the well known but nonetheless disturbing fact that less experienced pilots operate commuter flights. Something to fret about next time I fly out of Charlottesville.

Comair (Delta Connection) Flight Crashes...

2006-08-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

I (or Ben) will continue posting about this once more information comes in...

A Comair flight bound for Atlanta crashed shortly after takeoff at Lexington Airport this morning (6:07 AM). The Canadair CRJ-200 jet, carrying 50 people (47 passengers and 3 crew members), was largely intact at the crash site, although a fire apparently erupted on board upon hitting ground. So far, only one person was found to have survived the crash - he/she is currently in critical condition at the hospital.

This crash ends what was arguably the safest period in United States domestic aviation history. The last major crash to have occurred was in November of 2001, when an American Airlines A300 crashed into the Rockaways after taking off from JFK Airport in New York City. An Air Midwest (US Airways Express) flight crashed after taking off from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in January 2003, killing all 21 on board.

...interesting how this happened after I booked tickets for Thanksgiving just this past week. Guess what I'm flying! A Comair CRJ-200 50-person jet. Let's hope today's crash doesn't reveal any major design flaws with the airplane, what has been known to happen in the past.

UPDATE (2:30 PM): Apparently "sources" have confirmed for NBC that the plane took off from the wrong runway, one that was too short in length for this particular plane (not to mention that it was an unlit runway). However, there has been no official statement from the NTSB or Comair confirming this finding. The plane had undergone routine/scheduled maintenance as recently as yesterday, and the runway in question, normally used for non-commercial aviation at the airport, had recently been reopened after a repavement project. One survivor has been taken to a nearby hospital and had undergone surgery earlier in the afternoon. Officials say that the survivor is the flight's first officer (captain's co-pilot) and was found soon after the crash moving in the front of the plane. It is believed that the majority of passengers died as a result of the fire that erupted after the plane hit ground.

UPDATE (10:30PM) The NTSB has confirmed that the plane attempted to take off from the wrong runway, as evidenced by ground scar patterns and radar data showing the plane on the runway shortly before the crash. I'll be interested to see what information the lone survivor, the first officer for flight 5191, can offer, provided that he survives his injuries and that he even will remember the events leading up to the accident.

Northwest Strike Update

2006-08-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

A judge yesterday issued an injunction temporarily stopping Northwest's flight attendants from striking. As I explained in an earlier post, flight attendants had planned sporadic strikes that were supposed to begin yesterday. The judge hasn't made a final ruling, but his injunction buys Northwest some time and will hopefully bring the two sides back to the bargaining table. Although the judge recognized the legitimacy of the flight attendants' complaints (without endorsing them), he found that the damage done to the company and to the public (those who would miss their flights) outweighed and overwhelmed the flight attendants' case.

Assorted Aviation Problems

2006-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday proved quite a headache for commercial airlines. There were no fewer than seven incidents disrupting air travel and infusing more tension into an already tense aviation environment. Evan reported on the Aer Lingus incident yesterday morning, but following that story, a much scarier one emerged from Continental Airlines. Security officials found a stick of dynamite in a Pennsylvania student's luggage--he had traveled from Argentina to Houston and claimed to work in mining. He wasn't deemed a terrorist threat, but one expert pointed out that an old stick of dynamite, whatever its owner's intentions, could easily create an explosion under pressurized conditions. The incident raises more concerns about the tightness of security overseas, particularly in South America. Yesterday's other delays and diversions owed to unruly passengers--and here I thought all the crazies rode Amtrak--and to suspicious on-board modifications (including a panel missing from a lavatory). Such stories will be legion in the coming weeks, and I'll keep you posted as best I can.

More flights diverted/passengers apprehended

2006-08-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

...from The Boston Globe...

A 21 year-old college student was arrested on Friday for carrying explosives on a Continental Airlines flight that arrived in Houston from Buenos Aires. Inside the person's luggage was found "a Coca Cola bottle with mud, and inside it was a tube with ammonium nitrate, a little bit of dynamite and a detonator." The student maintains that he bought the dynamite as a souvenir from a mine in Bolivia, and authorities have determined that he had no terrorist intentions. He may spend up to 10 years in jail if convicted.

What an idiot!

Also yesterday, the two following scares...

-American Airlines Flight 55 (Manchester, England to Chicago)...diverted to Bangor, ME due to "unspecified security concerns"

-US Airways Flight 146 (Phoenix to Charlotte)...diverted to Oklahoma City due to a passenger confrontation with a flight attendant

It's getting ridiculous...

Another flight evacuated...

2006-08-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

...from The Boston Globe...

An Aer Lingus flight from New York/JFK to Dublin, Ireland, was evacuated at 2:50AM this morning due to a call to a Dublin police station that explosives were on board Aer Lingus Flight 112. The plane was at a scheduled stop at Shannon, Ireland, when authorities directed the plane to a remote location at the airport and ordered the plane evacuated. Luggage was rescreened, and no explosive materials were found in parcels or on the plane. The 112 passengers were being sent to their destinations on another flight.

One spokesperson notes that the evacuation was not a major event, as the plane was scheduled to stop at Shannon, anyway. Still, this is yet another reminder that travel between Europe and the United States these days may involve a little more than simply traveling from point A to point B.

Funky Fuselage...

2006-08-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

From The Boston Globe...

A US Airways flight was diverted from its route from Manchester, NH to Charlotte, NC this afternoon due to passenger complaints that a sulfur-like odor on the plane was causing lightheadedness. The plane, carrying 116 passengers (from New Hampshire??) and five crew members, safely landed at Boston-Logan Airport, where the plane was safely evacuated. Four passengers complaining of feeling ill were evaluated by medical personnel. The cause of the stench has not yet been determined.

I am willing to bet that the smell was due to something rupturing in a passenger's luggage, and that the source of the odor was never the plane itself. Even worse, could this be yet another case of severe flatulence? This phenomenon is known to be more frequent in the air due to the air pressure changes...face it, we all have gas from time to time, and it has to go somewhere, especially when you rapidly enter an atmosphere of slightly less pressure than that on the ground. I have seen on more than one occasion (on TV, mind you) a flight attendant complain of passenger flatulence as a major drawback of their jobs. Have you ever experienced a whopping dose of hydrogen sulfide upon climbing out of the airport? 'Makes you want to think twice about downing 3 or 4 beers and a chicken basket at Popeye's before hopping on the plane for a 3-hour flight (yes, I speak from experience here...an almost harrowing flight after a delay from Atlanta to Newport News years ago).

Do your fellow passengers a favor: stay away from the Pabst the night before you fly, and stick to light foods on the day you travel.

(Do you like my cutesy alliterative blogpost title? I worked hard on that...)

Staying (Dis)Connected at 37,000 Feet

2006-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

Some very mixed news this week about the prospects of email and cellular telephone use aboard commercial airliners. Boeing will soon cease its offering of email service and few plans are in the works to begin email service aboard domestic flights. International carriers, such as Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic, offer more options, but even they remain uncertain about developing plans to make airplanes into "hot spots," which would enable passengers to use email and cell phones aboard aircraft. The most likely and feasible change will be permitting passengers to send and receive text messages, a harmless enough concession to the demand for sky-high communication.

Evan has posted on this topic before, but I will reiterate that nothing good can come from allowing cell phone use aboard airplanes. In such a confined space, a space in which many people--not me--choose to catch up on sleep, even medium-decibel phone conversations would disturb passenger comfort and contribute to more incidents of air-rage. The problem, of course, is that certain airlines--Ryan Airlines in particular--spy an opportunity for competitive advantage, so chances are these airlines will permit cell phone use in the coming years. Let's just hope such a move backfires and inspires nostalgia for the good ol' days of high-altitude silence. Text-messaging seems like a great compromise; let's leave it at that.

Northwest's Air Scare

2006-08-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

For today, at least, a looming strike isn't the biggest of Northwest Airline's problems. Its daily flight from Amsterdam to Mumbai, India returned to Amsterdam escorted by two fighter jets. Apparently some of the passengers aroused suspicion, although details have not emerged. Jitters subsequent to the terror scare of two weeks ago will no doubt cause more of these incidents, creating further disruptions for air travelers. Northwest cancelled flight 42, the one in question, for today but will resume service tomorrow. If more information surfaces about the 12 passengers who were arrested after the flight landed, I'll post it as a comment to this thread.

Ben Goes Platinum

2006-08-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I accepted American Express's offer to upgrade my Gold Delta credit card to Platinum. Despite the slightly higher annual fee, the benefits are quite nice. I received 5000 SkyMiles, all of which count towards my Medallion status, meaning I'll enjoy Gold, rather than Silver, Medallion status in 2007. Gold status means more upgrades and a 100% mile bonus on all flights booked through Delta and its partners, which include Northwest and Continental (so this post's title might also read, "Ben Goes Gold"). In addition, I will receive a free companion ticket on Delta for each year I own the card. There's probably a higher spending limit, as well, but that means little to me, seeing as I'm a grad student in the humanities who's more terrified of credit card debt than I am of snakes on a plane.

Net Widening

2006-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

The NY Times reports today that government officials seek heightened access to personal passenger information held by airlines and the global travel reservation services that handle bookings for most major airlines. Currently they enjoy access to the info contained on your passport as well as to your itinerary, but only fettered access (they can sometimes get it--but they're very limited with what they can do with it--i.e. which law enforcement agencies they can pass it on to) to your credit card information, rental car and hotel plans--even what size bed you've requested at the hotel (I hear terrorists prefer two doubles, non-smoking and extra shampoo). Civil libertarians, of course, are crying foul, and it remains unclear whether these changes will be instituted. For now, homeland security officials want such information only for international travelers, but it's only a matter of time before the policy extends to domestic passengers. Before signing on to such changes, or dismissing them reflexively, I would want to see evidence for their efficacy. What precisely is the rationale?

How flying used to be...

2006-08-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

This evening, I was reading through a forum on Airliners.net about passenger comfort on the new Airbus A380, the enormous two-decked intercontinental airliner that has presented many problems for the French aircraft maker as it tries to win more contracts with worldwide carriers. Someone in the forum posted the following American Airlines advertisement, which dates from the late 1970s (as determined based on the aircraft featured in the ad).

Airbus is currently trying to appeal to the market by offering "unprecedented passenger comfort". This person certainly has a point...it's hard to imagine how any new airliner can match the level of comfort shown in these ads...gone are the times where flying was truly a luxury, and even a privilege.
Yes, that last picture is of a lounge in the COACH cabin of an American Airlines plane.

NOOOOOO!!

2006-08-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

...bear with me as I whine...

I knew the day was going to come eventually. It's been spreading like wildfire throughout the MBTA (Boston Subway) system since the beginning of the year. I could handle it the couple times a year I had to face it at the Airport Station. More recently, I had to contend with it more frequently, at other stations on the south and north ends of the Red Line. I never realized it would invade my own station this early on, however.

Well, it's too late. It's happened now. I stepped off the train at my destination station last Thursday night and immediately smelled plaster and paint. I climbed the steps to exit the station, dreading what I was about to see. The turnstiles have been ripped out of the station, the scars in the floor recently repaired.

The Charlie Card system has arrived at Hynes Convention Center/ICA. I'm not happy, not happy at all.

A Snake On A Plane--With Prawns!

2006-08-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

John Karr, the suspected, confessed but yet unconvicted murderer of JonBenet Ramsey--his story isn't holding together very well and his wife insists he was in her company at the time of JonBenet's murder--enjoyed quite the royal treatment on his flight back to the US from Thailand to face murder charges. The following excerpt from a CBS News report details his luxurious journey in business class aboard Thai Airlines:

"Dinner on board, served on a starched white tablecloth with silverware, was one many passengers would envy. Karr started with a pate, then had a green salad with walnut dressing. The main course was fried king prawn with steamed rice and broccoli. Karr drank a beer, crushing the can with his hands when it was empty, then moved on to a glass of French chardonnay with his main course."

Fried king prawn sounds tasty to me. But shouldn't this creep have traveled with the cargo? Or at least suffered in a middle seat at the back of the plane?

Eons in Line, or Eos?

2006-08-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

As security queues extend to Timbuktu at major airports, customers look for alternatives. Thus, the recent boon in business for high-end and charter airlines that operate out of smaller airports. Eos and Maxjet airlines, which fly between the U.S. and London's Stansted airport, report an upsurge in ticket sales following last week's terrorism scare. Eos is much nicer than Maxjet, but both boast business class seats only--as well as shorter lines and more personalized service. Interestingly, their prices are comparable--if not less, in the case of Maxjet--to the legacy carriers' business and first class seats. But as legacy passengers waited hours in line this week, or discovered their flights canceled, Eos and Maxjet passengers encountered little worse than 15-minute delays. If you're an east-coaster (sorry west coasters--Eos and Maxjet haven't extended their service to California, although I think Maxjet is considering it) planning a trip to London in the near future, you might want to give these carriers a try. At the very least, check out their websites and get a price quote.

Northwest to Workers: Go Dumpster Diving

2006-08-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Evan turned me on to this ridiculous news item. Apparently Northwest distributed a four-page booklet to its workers entitled "Preparing for a Financial Setback," which enumerated "101 ways to save money." Among the suggestions, taking one's date for a walk on the beach, shopping in thrift stores and--here's the best--not being "shy to pull something you like out of the trash." That's right, when times get rough and your boss eliminates your pension, cuts your salary and trims benefits, don't despair; simply change your perspective. What formerly looked like trash might now appear as treasure. For example, when approaching your gate you used to spy that half-eaten Nathan's hot dog in the trash and think, yuck, garbage, as the flies circled. But now you see dinner...or maybe just a light snack.

Shame on Northwest for bestializing its workers. Next thing you know they'll be telling fired employees to have a little talk with Jesus. Thanks Evan...

Northwest Strike Alert!

2006-08-17T12:23:00.000-07:00

MSNBC reports today that a judge in New York refused to block a strike by Northwest's flight attendants. The workers promise unannounced, miniature strikes beginning August 25th, causing travel disruptions and probably scaring some passengers away. A full-scale strike is unlikely, but even small ones--for example, the flight attendants on a flight from Detroit to London deciding not to report for work that day--can damage the company's reputation. No word yet from the appeals court--or speculation as to what party it might side with--but with the 25th looming large, company execs might feel the pressure to negotiate a deal. For anyone thinking of booking a flight on Northwest in the near future--as I have, since I hold a voucher--you might want to think twice!

Air Drama

2006-08-16T10:13:00.000-07:00

Two incidents from today show that tensions are running high after last week's terrorist scare. A United Airlines flight from London to Washington Dulles was diverted to Boston after a claustrophobic woman created a disturbance. Initial reports had her carrying notes referencing Al Qaeda as well as newly-banned lotions and liquids, but they've been dispelled in the ensuing hours. Apparently she was nothing more than anxious and antsy.

Meanwhile, a disconcerting story from London's Gatwick airport. A 6 year old boy boarded a flight to Lisbon without having passed through security and without a boarding pass. He had already been served a drink and snack before the flight attendants realized he didn't belong there. Quite independent, the child had taken the train by himself to the airport and passed through the airport unnoticed. Clearly security isn't as tight as we thought it was. Terrorists, we can be sure, are not above using children to execute their plots.

Frighteningly Beautiful...

2006-08-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of planes approaching perhaps the most beautiful airport in the world...Princess Juliana International Airport at Philipsburg on the island of St. Martin (Sint Maarten), which is part of the Netherlands Antilles. Due to the airport's short runways, arriving jetliners, many of which are large double-aisled transcontinental planes, are forced to approach the runway at an exceedingly low altitude, with as little as 60 feet of clearance over tourists relaxing on Maho Beach. This has also made the island one of the best planespotting and photography locations in the world, especially because of the striking juxtaposition of landing planes with the crystal clear, blue water of the Caribbean.

For a video of a plane landing at the airport, go to the following YouTube link...

...and to see a video of people on the beach literally being flung off the sand and into the water due to the jetblast of a 747 taking off, follow this link...

For those who would like to travel to St Martin (and who wouldn't?)...the airport, although small, serves a large number of airlines, including Air Canada, Air France, American, Corsair, Continental, KLM, United, and US Airways, among many others. A new passenger terminal is slated to open sometime this year.

No Virgins in America!

2006-08-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

CNN reports today on the problems facing start-up discount carrier, Virgin America. An offshoot of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, the airline plans to start service soon, using Airbuses, between San Francisco and New York--with nineteen additional routes to follow in the next few years. Following Airtran and JetBlue, it plans to offer unparalleled onboard entertainment and reasonable prices.

Problem is, it must first receive government approval, and certain legacy carriers--Continental in particular--are working overtime to destroy its hopes, claiming that the airline violates federal law because more than 25 percent of it is owned by a foreign entity. Apparently domestic airlines must be domestically owned--a fact I was not aware of. The article offers only a tentative justification for the law--security concerns--not such a bad reason given the current climate.

Years ago, Continental might not have batted an eye at a fledgling competitor. But given the financial woes experienced by airlines since 911, and the crunch of rising fuel and safety/security costs, the legacies have a major incentive to lobby against the formation of more competition. After all, they've already taken a hit from Southwest, Airtan and JetBlue--which themselves have experienced fiscal setbacks of late.

The article doesn't assess the likelihood or unlikelihood of Virgin America's receiving approval, but I'll keep my eyes peeled and provide an update when it comes.

Camels in the Cabin

2006-08-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Just when we thought all indulgences had been banned aboard commercial flights, a German entrepreneur has started an upscale airline--sporting only first and business class seats--that caters to smokers. That's right--passengers, all 400 of them aboard the airline's 747 aircraft, can light up in flight. Of course years ago many commercial flights permitted smoking. Still, can you imagine the asphyxiating fog 400 smokers could create puffing away on one cigarette after another? For now, the fledgling company will operate only between Dusseldorf and Japan. But who knows, if the idea takes off, perhaps smokers worldwide will finally find a place--albeit 37,000 feet in the air--where they are welcome.

Good News for Amtrak? Bad News for Safety?

2006-08-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

In the days following 911, Amtrak witnessed a surge in ridership. Even after planes returned to the skies, Amtrak's passenger loads remained high--although they eventually leveled off. One wonders if this week's news about terrorist plots to explode airplanes using liquids carried on-board might drive passengers back to Amtrak. A commenter to my previous post pointed out that people might now be more likely to drive than fly on trips of short distances--e.g. Boston to New York or perhaps even San Francisco to Los Angeles. I think she's right, but they may also decide to give the train a try. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor Acela Service, which can transport a passenger from Boston to Washington DC in approximately 6.5 hours, offers a tempting alternative to long security lines.

That said, however, I wonder when antiterrorism attention will turn to the country's passenger trains (we'll leave the freight trains alone for now, though they too pose major security risks). Unless things have changed since I last rode Amtrak in May, and I don't think they have, not a single piece of carry-on luggage is inspected before it boards the train. The checked luggage probably isn't either. Nor do passengers pass through security checkpoints before reaching their terminals. It's crazy! I realize that it's probably more difficult to destroy and ensure the extirpation of all passengers aboard a train composed of a dozen, solidly built cars than it is upon a compact aircraft, but surely terrorists could find ways to maximize death and destruction. For example, they might explode a series of bombs at the very minute a train passes over a high bridge. That way, even if the explosion doesn't kill all passengers, the plummet into icy cold water will.

One finds no comfort by checking Amtrak's website. Like the airlines, the company has posted a travel security statement. Unfortunately, it qualifies as empty speech. It says the company has deployed more K-9 units (to sniff out liquids--or guns?) and will continue to require that each passenger put a name tag on his bag. A name tag? Has Amtrak heard of suicide bombers? They don't need proxies to do their dirty work. Worst of all, the announcement reassures that no specific threats have been made to trains. Well, okay, but United and American Airlines no doubt thought the same thing prior to 911.

It seems to me that the country is in denial about the vulnerability of its passengers and freight trains. I shudder to think what will have to happen to get our attention. That long drive is sounding more tempting--well, except for the gasoline bill!

Yesterday's Revelations and Regulations

2006-08-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Aviation experts are wondering what effect yesterday's terrorism scare and its ensuing security tightening will have upon the US's financially beleaguered, but recently recovering, airlines. The good news is that the summer season, travel's busiest time, is almost over, and the airlines have reaped surprising rewards. By cutting their capacity and raising prices, some--like United--have managed to make a profit for the first time in 10 years. As Fall travel sales begin, however (if you plan on traveling in the fall, you should really set up a Travelocity Fare Watcher, as your desired route might go on sale at any moment), one wonders if the jitters induced by yesterday's activities will exacerbate the travel fall-off and lead to empty planes in October and November. If so, we might see a repeat of bankrupty proceedings and strike threats, and no one wants that.

I doubt seriously that the new security restrictions will drive passengers away. Sure, it's inconvenient not to be able to bring beverages, gels, lotions and other liquids onto the plane, but is it inconvenient enough to prevent a passenger from traveling altogether? And although the complexity, shrewdness and advanced-stage of this most recent terror plot strikes fear in the hearts of all those who fly the now un-friendly skies, the fact that intelligence foiled the plot and that the fallout has now made flying even safer must provide some consolation. Over time, as people adjust to the new regulations and lighten their carry-on loads, the security lines will speed up and yesterday's 4 hour waits will disappear.

One interesting note from yesterday: some analysts predicted that the Dow Jones would plummet in the wake of the terror scare. And, indeed, airline stocks suffered--as well as others. But in fact the Dow ended the day up. Why?--Our economist readers should be either scratching or nodding their heads right now--Because the interpretation that the terror scare would frighten off airline passengers led to the further conclusion that the airlines would reduce their capacity, thereby cutting their fuel consumption--thereby reducing the demand for fuel. And as demand decreases, supply increases, and prices go down. So...the stock market surged on the expectation of lower fuel prices. That's your economics lesson for the day.

A commuter rail excursion...

2006-08-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

As I promised, I thought I would offer a post about my recent experience on the MBTA Commuter Rail this past Sunday. The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR), which manages operations for the extensive system serving the east half of the state, recently restored weekend service to Providence, RI, from Boston's South Station. Not having had many opportunities to travel the MBCR south of Boston, and also wanting to take a brief afternoon trip to Providence, I thought this renewed service presented a nice opportunity.

The Providence/Stoughton Line travels along the Northern end of the busiest railroad route in the United States, the Northeast Corridor (shown below, thanks to Wikipedia). This mainline runs north from Washington, DC Union Station, through urban centers of the Northeast, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Providence, before ending at Boston's South Station. Much of the route is currently owned by Amtrak, although certain sections are owned by other agencies, such as the MBTA for the entire length north of the Massachusetts border.

The Northeast Corridor can be visually distinguished from other rail lines in the United States by its full overhead electrification throughout the entire length of the route, as well as the use of concrete rail ties (as opposed to the traditional wooden ones associated with practically all railroads) and continuous welded rail (instead of rails laid in shorter sections). These improvements, completed in the early 1990s, made possible the introduction of the nation's only true "bullet" high-speed train service, the Acela Express, which runs the entire route and provides business class service for the Northeast's white-collar elite. Other railroad companies, including the commuter rail systems (MARC in Washington/Baltimore, SEPTA in Philadelphia, New Jersey Transit, Metro North Railroad around NYC, and the MBTA - all indicated in blue highlighting in the map above) have also enjoyed these railroad improvements.

A typical view down a Northeast Corridor mainline, with overhead wires and concrete rail supports...

So, here are a few pictures from my trip...

Here, on my return train in Providence Station, is one of the MBCR's double-decked coaches used on the system. Double-deckers are only used on the MBTA Commuter Rail's lines coming out of South Station, as those routes originating at North Station and serving areas north of Boston do not provide the overpass clearances necessary to accomodate these taller cars. As one enters these coaches, he or she is given a choice to climb a few steps to sit upstairs, or to step down a few steps to the lower level (hence, the windows are at the same level as the platform). Cars seat passengers in a 2-aisle-3 format and feature overhead parcel/hatracks and plush vinyl seat cushions (not really luxurious, but better than hard plastic for a one-hour, 15 minute ride!).

...the tracks coming out of Providence Station, leading north towards Boston...

Here's the previous Union Station near Downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It now houses the Rhode Island Foundation. Given its distant orientation from the current railroad tracks, my guess is that the new station (a nondescript domed structure with a dreary interior) was built around the time with improvements were being made to the Northeast Corridor in the 1990s, which would have allowed the rerouting of the tracks through town...

Finally, here's a picture of the Acela Express train itself, parked at Boston's South Station and currently undergoing boarding for its trip down South. Although my train left the station before this one, we were about 20 minutes south of Boston, as a scheduled stop, when we heard a loud blast accompanied by a swift tipping of our train towards the side...this was due to this Acela train passing us at a high speed. I could imagine someone easily being knocked backward from the train and hitting their head on the concrete platform while trying to board one of these commuter trains while the Acela is passing. One can only hope that the conductors, who exit the train and observe boarding of passengers from the platform at each stop, are able to anticipate a passing train and warn boarding customers to mind the movement.

I have also noticed that the bulk of weekend ridership on the commuter rail consists of college aged people and 20-somethings. I can understand this for the northern routes, which cart people to many New England beaches along Massachusetts' North Shore. However, the young ridership between Providence and Boston surprised me a bit. However, I wasn't complaining, as young ridership translates to plenty of hot guys serving as eye candy for the trip...

Wishful thinking...

2006-08-07T18:07:00.000-07:00

As I was strolling along Boston's Charles River Esplanade this past Saturday (and it so happened that I was chatting on the phone with Ben, the administrator for this blog), I happened upon a rather prominent, yet under appreciated, landmark across the Charles River. Above is pictured the BU Bridge, which crosses over a diagonally situated railroad crossing, which in turn crosses the Charles River at a point where it narrows as it travels westward towards the suburbs. I've always been intrigued by the history of these crossings, particularly the railroad one, since I have never seen a train on the trestle. It's also the only place in Boston where a plane can travel over a car over a train over a boat (I blogged about this once a long time ago).
(Below)...a view from beneath the railroad bridge, with wooden railroad ties visible to the right. While apparently built wide enough to carry two parallel rails, only one rail currently crosses the steel girder.The road bridge, which replaced an earlier wooden structure, was built in 1928 as the Cottage Farm Bridge and was renamed in the late 1940s in honor of Boston University. It carries Route 2 from Cambridge on its north bank to the Boston University area to the south. Although I haven't been able to dig into the history of the railroad bridge, I was able to find out that it carries the Grand Junction Line, a little-used railroad connector that bridges the Worcester Railroad line of the southwest to the heavily-trafficked commuter rail lines northeast of Boston. This line forms a rough border between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the rest of Cambridge city to the north.

So far, this information wasn't too interesting. However, I soon found that the railroad trestle serves as the only remaining usable link between the railroads north of Boston with the famously busy Amtrak Northeast Corridor, which carries MBTA commuter rail trains and electrified Amtrak Acela Express and Regional services from Boston to urban centers to the south. While the railroad bridge continues to decay across the Charles River, it is still used on occasion by the MBTA Commuter Rail system (MBCR) to transfer equipment between its southern and northern train yards, since there exists no other link between the Northeast Corridor's northern terminus at Boston South Station and the southern terminus of the upper New England rail lines at North Station. This has proven an inconvenience for many rail passengers needing to switch trains from the southern Regional, Acela, or Lake Shore Limited routes at South Station to the North Station's Amtrak Downeaster, serving points northward and terminating at Portland, ME. While such a connection is possible by using the downtown MBTA subway, many Amtrak employees or station agents simply suggest customers to take a cab between stations.

Thus began Boston's ambitious planning to build a North-South Rail Link, which involved building a 1-mile long rail connector through underground tunnels to connect North Station with South Station. The northern portal to the tunnel system would be constructed just north of the Charles River, and the southern end of the facility would exit the ground at two portals, one serving rail lines continuing due south through South Bay and the other portal serving rail lines to the southwest near the current Back Bay Station, which is currently the second to last stop for Amtrak and commuter rail trains before they end their journeys at South Station. A new "central" station, near the current MBTA Blue Line Aquarium station, would be built midway through the link to connect rail services with central points of the downtown subway.

While planning for the link continued to advance to the point that engineers were planning access points for stations and how to reroute existing underground traffic, made more complicated by the recent completion of the underground I-93 Central Artery tunnel system, the plan was abandoned earlier this year due to exorbitant costs necessitated by the intricate planning needed for such a system. However, when the I-93 Central Artery (AKA "Big Dig") was being constructed, one portion was built on top of underground concrete walls placed for the purpose of housing a portion of the future link, in case such plans for a North-South Rail Link would materialize.

So, for now, the lonely railroad trestle, while continuing to decay and serving as a billboard for local college graffiti artists, still serves a vital purpose for Boston's railroad system as a current north-south link. Perhaps it's for the better, as the current situation allows the MBTA to boast it's state-of-the-art and clean subway system to traveling tourists, who I'm sure are eager to get off a train after a 17-hour ride from Chicago, board a red line train at South Station (after fighting through crowds and contending with the complicated Charlie Card machines), transfer at Park Street (the MBTA's busiest and most hectic station) to a Green Line Trolley, and exit at North Station (in the process getting lost and having to cross Causeway Street 3 times before finding the entrance to North Station, which happens to be the main entrance to Boston's mammoth sports arena, TD Banknorth Garden!) to board the 2-hour train to Portland. Now those are fun times!

(Below)...it would have been too pretty for Boston, anyway...and since when does Boston have room underground for this?
A note about sources...while I link heavily to Wikipedia, which many may claim to contain dubious information since it's relies on contributions from the general public, I have found that, in most cases, information regarding railroad and aviation history can be confirmed by other sources. If you find any information to be incorrect on this blog, comments are certainly appreciated.

Please stay tuned for a post concerning my travel yesterday along the Northeast Corridor between Boston and Providence, RI...coming shortly.

Me...revealed...

2006-08-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Since Ben decided to post a picture of him on a dock at Flathead Lake in Montana, I thought I'd post an equally scenic picture of myself at the MBTA station at Kenmore Square in Boston. This was taken Friday night, while I was waiting for a trolley on the famed (and dreaded) B Line. I was headed to the Sunset Grill and Tap in Allston, which has the best beer selection in Boston. My main objective for the night was to get trashed and forget about my problems.

Isn't it beautiful? Where are the rats, you ask? They're lurking around the corner, somewhere.

The Flying Yankee returns...

2006-08-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Boston Globe this morning and came across an interesting article on the restoration project of the famed Flying Yankee train. Introduced in 1935, at the height of the Great Depression, this Boston and Maine service gave New Englanders hope that times were changing. The train boasted exceptionally quiet service, due to the use of electric/diesel power and cushioned underframes, as well as recessed lighting and many other luxuries. The train operated routes between Boston and NYC and the Maine cities of Portland and Bangor through the 1950s (for daily routes reaching 750 miles!). It was then stored at a railroad museum, where the exterior was gradually dismantled by vandals and the interior rotted.

The train was purchased in 1993, and work has been underway for the past 10 years to restore the train to its former glory. The job is expected to be completed in July 2009, and plans exist to have the train operate excursion routes in New Hampshire.

The original globe article can be found here. The Flying Yankee Restoration Group has a nice website that allows visitors to view photos of the train in the past and present, as well as read up on the progress of the project.

A Price War?

2006-08-06T06:35:00.000-07:00

Good news for those who travel regularly, or even occasionally, from New York to Boston. It appears JetBlue and USAir are engaged in a bit of a price war on the route. JetBlue recently commenced a fall fare sale, and USAir followed suit by dropping its New York-Boston price to around $100 for a round trip ticket. The deal excludes many business passengers, because it requires two-weeks advance purchase. But this is a small bit of good news for travelers battered and bruised by rising fares. A big fall fare sale across the airlines would be nice, but could their bottom lines, already pressed to the breaking point by rising fuel costs, withstand it?

More From Montana: The Return Trip

2006-08-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

My trip out to Montana went smoothly--connections made in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. On the return trip, though, I wasn't so lucky. We sat on the plane in Missoula for a half hour while the pilots sought clearance from Atlanta to take off without a functional de-icing system. The system wasn't necessary for the trip, but apparently the FAA requires all planes to have working systems. Once we received clearance, we enjoyed a normal flight; but upon landing in Salt Lake, there was no place to park the plane, so we sat on the runway for thirty minutes.

Needless to say, I missed my flight to Cincinnati, and with two travel companions, it wasn't going to be easy to accommodate all of us on the same flight. I picked up a Delta Direct phone and was soon connected to one of the most unhelpful agents I've encountered. Announcing that all flights to Cincinnati were full, he said the best he could do was put me on standby for the next flight. After much haggling and threatening on my part, he finally connected me through Atlanta (why he didn't offer to do this right away I'll never know) and even put me in first class. As this was transpiring, my companions spoke to an agent with an entirely different plan: she wanted to route them through Nashville, then to Cincinnati, then home to Charlottesville. She told them to rush to the Nashville gate, but when they arrived, the agent said the flight was full. Back on the phone, they were then instructed to hop a flight to Tulsa, then Atlanta, then Charlottesville. Aggravated and exhausted, one of the women got serious and finally persuaded an agent to prioritize them on the standby list on my flight to Atlanta. So, after airport acrobatics of all kinds, we made our way to Atlanta--together--only to find that the flight to Charlottesville was delayed due to storms. Having finally boarded, we found ourselves 250th in line for takeoff and arrived into Cville at 12:30 AM, 6.5 hours later than my original itinerary (the one through Cincinnati) dictated.

Furious at the apathetic agent who wanted me to fly standby, a strategy that no doubt would have left me stranded in Salt Lake (one flight to Cincinnati was overbooked by thirty passengers), I called customers service and they issued me a customary $100 voucher which, combined with the first class upgrade to Atlanta, compelled me to forgive Delta once again. The first class service was fantastic, and this particular 767 was outfitted with on-demand television, allowing me to watch dramas and sitcoms that, in my opinion, pass the time much faster than movies (especially when the movie is Cheaper By the Dozen II or, even better, Big Momma's House II). Dinner, a mushroom topped and stuffed ravioli, proved surprisingly tasty--as did the red wine and mojitos. By far the best meal I've had upon a domestic flight!

What the Bruck?

2006-08-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

Pictured to the left is the "bruck." It was used earlier in the twentieth century to transport train passengers from Montana's Whitefish station to adjacent towns--including Kalispell. This refurbished bruck was on display at the Whitefish station, which boasts a city museum dedicated in part to the Great Northern Railroad. I highly recommend you pay it a visit if you're in the area. Whitefish, a hot destination for outdoors enthusiasts, also boasts some great food, shopping and, of course, casinos. Below are some more pics of the train station. A freight train passed through while I was there; unfortunately I was in the bathroom. My traveling companion snapped a pic, though, so hopefully I'll be able to show it to you in the coming weeks.

It's electric...

2006-08-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

It seems these days that transportation sytems throughout the country are making rash decisions to update their services at the expense of user-friendly service. I have ranted about this before with regard to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's recent implementation of an electronic fare collection system, termed the Charlie Card, which is slowly invading the system and infuriating customers throughout Boston. In principle, the system makes perfect sense; switching from token systems to electronic fare cards should cut down wait time in obtaining fare currency, as token vending machines are often old and therefore out of service, forcing the customer to wait in line to obtain tokens from a booth attendant.

Well, the MBTA's new system has failed, in my experience, to streamline the process of entering the station, paying fare, and boarding a train (well, that's another story, since waiting for an MBTA trolley or train inevitably involves a longer wait than advertised). The machines, which were clearly chosen by the MBTA based on the lower bidder, are faulty by design. They fail to accept slightly worn credit cards (mine has been rejected repeatedly). They present the customer with a plethora of slots for whatever form of payment - cards, tokens, change, dollar bills, wampum, tobacco leaves, gold bullion - whatever payment method the customer wishes, which translates to a visual overload that leaves one completely dumbfounded as to how to proceed. The machine spits out a ticket, more questions on the screen, prints a receipt (sometimes)...wasted paper and time.

A friend of mine visiting me from Atlanta, GA, this past weekend told me about the new fare collection system for Atlanta's rapid transit system, MARTA (it's smarta!). Unlike the T's plastic and magnetic-strip card, MARTA's Breeze card is one of those RFID systems that uses an electronic chip embedded within the card...the circuitry is visible simply by holding the card up to the light. Therefore, the card is quickly flashed in front of an electronic detector at the turnstile, rather than inserted into a slot like the Charlie Card. I can see this having the advantage of preventing system failures, as there is no risk of jamming machines with the card, but I can also see how its use would be confusing for those who are unfamiliar with how such a card would work. More problematic, however, is that the card vending machines are difficult to use, as my friend had to spend a few minutes figuring out the machine...and she's fairly technically inclined.

I'm still baffled why these systems haven't followed the tried-and-true fare collection system used by the Washington, DC Metro system. The system, as far as I know, has used an electronic card since it was built in the mid 1970s. Unlike the other newer systems, the Metro's card has the advantage of printing the balance on the actual ticket after the fare has been subtracted from the debit card. Therefore, the patron always knows the value of what is in his or her pocket. The gates are nothing fancy - just a simple heavy plastic rotating barrier that retracts to let the passenger through after he or she inserts the fare card into the gate system - no fancy and flimsy glass swinging gates - as are found on the MBTA - with inconvenient multiple-second delays after the fare card has been inserted and retrieved. The T has already experienced problems with the faulty design of these gates.

I'll be interested to see how these systems work out the kinks over the coming months. I myself can't speak for the people in Atlanta, whose system isn't as widely used as Boston's MBTA in the first place. However, the general public has been less than impressed with the MBTA's efforts to modernize its fare collection system. Perhaps the money should have been more wisely used for repairing the ailing system before squandering the money on sustandard machines. I myself had no problems handling brass tokens...they withstood the test of time over the past 110 years.

Montana Part 1

2006-08-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Montana, where I visited for my brother's wedding. The wedding took place in Bigfork, but I also spent some time in Missoula, where the University of Montana is located. The picture above is of yours truly (I figured it was high time I reveal myself) on a deck overlooking Flathead Lake just outside of Bigfork. The views, as you can tell, were spectacular. Stay tuned for a series of Montana stories, including travel woes, train station visits and more majestic pictures.

Commuter Rail Craziness

2006-07-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

From yesterday's Boston Globe...

This week, the the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which manages the Boston area mass transit system commonly known as the "T", confronted the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad over its poor management of the MBTA-affiliated commuter train system that serves East Massachusetts. The MBCR took over the management and operation of the MBTA's commuter rail system in 2003, with the understanding (under contract) that the MBCR would maintain a 90% or better on-time performance and adhere to strict limits on the numbers of out-of-service locomotive and coach equipment. At a time when commuter rail patronage is at an all-time high, due to excessive prices for gasoline and a recent catastrophe in the city's underground Central Artery (the "Big Dig"), in which a tunnel ceiling panel collapsed and crushed a motorist to death, the MBCR continues failing to meet the standards set by the MBTA.

A meeting between the MBTA officials and the MBCR was scheduled yesterday, and the article notes the seriousness of the issue as the head of the MBCR was called from vacation to attend the meeting.

While at work, I often hear complaints from colleagues about their "horrible mornings" on the MBCR. Trains are late, some coaches have no air conditioning (which causes overcrowding in the cooler train cars), and some of the windows are so scuffed that one cannot even look through the glass panels. Improvements in these areas, which are being addressed through a $23.5 million grant given by the MBTA to the MBCR, have progressed at a snail's pace, much to the disappointment of the MBTA. However, the MBCR assures that these improvements will be completed in the next 18 months.

My experiences on the commuter rail have all been positive, but I have never ridden one of the trains during rush hour. I can only imagine how frustrating it would be fighting through a crowd in North Station to reach the correct train (I have also heard of the commuter crowds being so packed in there that people have missed their trains), only to find that their train has no remaining open seats, no A/C, and no operating restroom.

What's most interesting to me about this issue: The MBTA is constantly bombarded with rider complaints about its management of the subway system. The system is in serious debt and continues to make "improvements" that only add more headaches to the system (case in point: the Charlie Card). This incident strikes me as the MBTA's opportunity to point its finger at another company, deflecting blame from its own failures to offer efficient, user-friendly service.

JetBlue Destroys Airports!

2006-07-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

According to this article in my local newspaper, passenger loads at Charlottesville Airport--from which I depart on a regular basis--have declined by more than 5 percent over the past year. The reason: Ricmond International Airport, located only an hour and fifteen minutes away, now boasts cheap flights with Airtran and JetBlue. Richmond used to be a very expensive airport to fly into and out of, but the introduction of budget airlines has driven its prices down and increased its passenger load by more than 15 percent. Much has been written about budget carriers' effect on legacy carriers; but less has been said about their effect on regional airports, which lack the passenger loads to lure a budget carrier--which succeeds only when it packs planes to their fullest--into town. As the article explains, Charlottesville residents are now more inclined to drive to Richmond knowing that they can save over a 100 bucks. Although the commercial side of Charlottesville's airport won't shut down any time soon, it might very well lose some flights, or worse, an entire airline. Northwest recently started nonstop service to Detroit, but USAir terminated its flights to Pittsburgh and Delta cancelled an ill-conceived and ultimately unprofitable nonstop service to Orlando. It won't be long, I speculate, before USAir reconsiders its service to Philadelphia and Delta its service to Cincinnati. Planes on these routes are frequently scarcely populated, leading to cancellations, delays and headaches. Yet another reason to pack the car for Richmond.