Here’s the big problem with the Boeing 737 MAX: Both Boeing and the airlines are forcing a past-its-prime design to be a flying Swiss Army Knife. They want it to have unparalleled fuel efficiency on short hops from Chicago to Louisville. And they want it to fly from Phoenix to Hawaii, too. The two fatal…
Flying to Costa Rica Kind of Stinks
Flying to Costa Rica kind of stinks right now, at least from Phoenix. I love a good long flight. Put me in an economy class seat on a decent airline for 14 hours, and I’m perfectly happy to pass the hours watching movies and devouring books on my Kindle. Notice the key phrase: a decent…
How I Fly with Craft Beer Without Spilling a Drop
Whenever I travel, I’m on the lookout for craft beer that I can’t find at home. Often, I want to take some home with me. That was the case when I visited Curitiba, Brazil. I found a thriving, varied craft beer scene that was a welcome surprise (and seriously, Curitiba is now one of my…
The Population is Growing – Why So Many Smaller Airliners?
The last time I saw both my grandparents alive and together, I was 12 years old. I took an American Airlines 767 from Phoenix to Chicago. Today, the 767 is rare at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Typically, it’s a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 that handles runs from here to Chicago. This is weirdly counterintuitive. The…
Could the Boeing 757 Mean Fewer Delayed Flights?
I expected to get on my American Airlines flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and land in Phoenix. That happened eventually, but nowhere near as planned. We arrived about two hours late because we had to stop for fuel in Kansas City, Mo. Let me get something out of the way: Don’t roll your…
Review: Lufthansa 747-8i
Right now, the Boeing 747-8i is one of the coolest, newest airliners flying. People who are into air travel should put this on their “must fly” list. This October, I got to fly in a 747-8i to Frankfurt Airport from O’Hare Airport and back. Lufthansa was my airline of choice. And I know that air…
“Mad Men” Meets Airlines – Book Covers Airline Branding and Ads
If you read enough about the airline industry, you can bet that someone – on any given day of the week – will harrumph about the current state of air travel. “In my day,” says the harrumpher, who probably wears a monocle, “we wore our Sunday best to board an airplane. It was an occasion.”…
Random Cool Stuff – May Edition
I can’t believe May is almost over already. But the good part of a month flying by is getting to share a some random cool stuff I gleaned this month – from the Internet, from books, wherever. Up first, let’s talk about some interesting things I’ve started to do with stuff out of my foods…
Cool Airline Callsigns – And One That Just Retired.
One of my favorite blogs, Flying With Fish, just published a post about the final US Airways flight using the “Cactus” callsign. US Airways inherited this cool callsign when it merged with America West Airlines. Now that the merger with American Airlines is progressing, “Cactus” will make way for “American.” (Just in case this isn’t…
How I Make My Airline Choices
I’m not one to tell an airline “I’ll never fly you again.” But I definitely have a pecking order for my airline choices. And I will absolutely pay more for an airline I prefer. I wonder how many other people are in the same – ahem – plane of existence (I thought “same boat” would…
Best Passenger Planes Flying Today
Some people will tell you that an airliner is an airliner. Don’t believe them. When I book an intercontinental flight, I base my purchase on price, schedule, airline/alliance and – you’d better believe it – aircraft type. Once you read a bit about my observations about the best passenger planes, I dare you to stick…
Hearing Impaired Fliers – How Can Airlines Help?
A flight next to a hearing-impaired passenger made me wonder – how can airlines better help passengers with hearing difficulties?
IcelandAir – Random Travel Photo
IcelandAir features in this week’s random travel photo. Find out how the airline names its planes for a particular type of landmark.
Air Miles, Student Travelers and More: Ideas for Airlines
It’s time for a smart airline to cultivate tomorrow’s frequent fliers: teenagers.
End of the “Ask the Pilot” Bad for Travel Industry and Readers
It seems that Salon is putting an end to Patrick Smith’s excellent “Ask the Pilot” travel column. That’s a big mistake for travelers, readers and the tourism industry.
Travel in Japan – Tips and Ideas
A five-day visit to Japan just isn’t enough. While I managed to squeeze a lot into my short visit, I didn’t even scratch the surface. I’m left to ponder what I’d do during a longer visit to Japan. First up, I’d think about starting in Osaka.
Random Photo Fun – This is Air Travel!
Air travel sucks and you know it. But only if you completely ignore what’s really happening. Sometimes, it takes a kid’s wisdom to remind us.
Airport Needs to Cut Specialty Lines, Improve Signs
During a recent flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, I had a reminder that the security screening processes are concocted by people who are disconnected from reality.