Archive for ‘Airlines’

American Eagle Harsh on Autistic Kid

by Lewis Derkins
June 26th, 2008, 10:16 pm


On Monday, a mother and her autistic son were kicked off of an American Eagle flight in North Carolina. Apparently, the autistic child was squirming because an angry flight attendant kept yelling at him and cinching the seatbelt tightly across his ... more

Posted in Airlines | No Comments »

Airlines Cutting Back on Flights

by Lewis Derkins
June 16th, 2008, 6:07 pm


Today the business section of the San Diego Union-Tribune ran a piece on U.S. airlines cutting back on domestic flights. The article laments this and tries to portray the development as bad for consumers. Just as air travelers were beginning to ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Uncategorized Rage | 6 Comments »

The TSA Must be Run by a Conspiracy of Dunces

by Lewis Derkins
June 5th, 2008, 11:53 am


As loyal readers know, I am no fan of the Totally Stupid Administration. But yesterday my rage at this organization reached a new high as I read three successive stories that I can only describe as a trifecta of idiocy. ... more

Posted in Airlines, Government Workers, Spending | No Comments »

American Airlines Sued Over Peanuts

by Lewis Derkins
June 3rd, 2008, 7:39 pm


The next time you’re wondering why airline ticket prices are so high, first consider rising oil prices, then increasing government meddling, and add to the list - frivolous lawsuits. Tehmina Haque just sued American Airlines because they served peanuts on ... more

Posted in Airlines | 5 Comments »

TSA Foils Diabolical Plot by 10-Year Old Runaway – Well, Sort Of

by Lewis Derkins
May 28th, 2008, 5:15 pm


Today, ten-year old Semaj Booker was detained at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport while trying to run away to Dallas. An alert employee stopped him at the gate before he could board a Southwest Airlines flight to Sacremento. Apparently this isn’t his first ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Government Workers | No Comments »

American Airlines Plans $15 Bag Fee - So What?

by Judd Wiley
May 21st, 2008, 5:45 pm


American Airlines announced it will soon be charging $15 for checked baggage. According to the New York Times, this will “eliminate[e] a free service that passengers in the United States have come to expect during the modern jet era.” The ... more

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Board By Rows, Please

by Judd Wiley
May 19th, 2008, 10:50 pm


Missing your connecting flight is its own special category of commuter outrage. Unlike traffic and subway delays, it can lead to days of misery and wretchedness. Here’s the classic nightmare scenario. You arrive at your gate one minute late, and ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Uncategorized Rage | 3 Comments »

Federal Flight Auctions

by Lewis Derkins
May 17th, 2008, 2:13 pm


Today, the New York Times reports that the Department of Transportation will begin auctioning landing slots at JFK and Newark airports to help alleviate congestion. Together the changes are meant to untangle the metropolitan skies and to make it easier for ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Government Workers | No Comments »

JetBlue: Toilet Seats Now Available

by Lewis Derkins
May 13th, 2008, 1:38 pm


JetBlue, whose motto is “happy jetting,” happily sentenced Mr. Gokhan Mutlu to a three hour toilet seat ride on Feb 23rd. While a seemingly amusing story on the face, it points to larger problems with the airline industry. How hard ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Congress, Government Workers | No Comments »

The Terribly Stupid Administration

by Lewis Derkins
May 9th, 2008, 7:12 pm


You’ll be happy to know that criminals, including potential terrorists, have been working behind the scenes at London Heathrow with direct access to your bags and the planes. Now I could rail the Brits about the fact that they hired ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Government Workers, Security | No Comments »

Too Much Pork: FAA Bill Dies Gristly Death

by Judd Wiley
May 7th, 2008, 10:15 am


A giant, steaming tar baby of an aviation-funding bill, backed by the Democrats, was successfully and rightfully squashed yesterday afternoon by Senate Republicans. The original purpose of the bill was to overhaul the Federal Aviation Administration, improve airline safety, and modernize ... more

Posted in Air Traffic Controllers, Airlines, Airports, Congress, Spending | No Comments »

FAA Covers Up Controller Mistakes, Falsely Blames Pilots

by Judd Wiley
May 3rd, 2008, 3:16 pm


Mark my words: American citizens will die because of the stupidity of the Federal Aviation Administration. A report by the Transportation Department's inspector general, expected later this month, will detail how FAA managers at Dallas-Fort Worth intentionally covered up mistakes by ... more

Posted in Air Traffic Controllers, Airlines, Airports, Government Workers | 1 Comment »

Federal Aviation Hacks

by Judd Wiley
April 11th, 2008, 6:39 am


What the hell is going on at the airports? The official line is that the FAA wants to make sure that the MD-80 jet, which can carry up to 172 passengers, is safe to fly. It has ordered the airlines ... more

Posted in Airlines, Airports, Congress | No Comments »