Emirates announced today that it is to become the first Airline to offer In flight cell Phone usage. Service will beginning in January 2007. This highly anticipated and controversial service will be watched closely by all the other airlines. Will passengers love or despise the service? That's the question, who's answer every airline will be paying attention too. The single largest issue for the Airlines is whether all that chatter in such closed quarters at 30,000 feet is going to become an issue of aggravation for most passengers that will cause in flight disputes between passengers. And if those possible ...

Hours of flying can be boring. Have you ever let yourself daydream about the other passengers on the flight? Have you wondered about that beautiful lady in 14A or that gorgeous guy in 23B, and wonder why you’re stuck next to the sleeping drooling passenger - again? Well, wonder no more. With almost 16,000 members, AirTroductions.com may just be for you. Known as the “find your seatmate before you get on the plane” website, they allow their members to pick and choose other members who they’d like to sit next to on any given flight. Here’s how it works. First you register ...

Amazingly enough, its summertime already and many of us are about to engage in the delusional world of family travel. Taking the kids, the dog, 6 suitcases, and Grandma cross country in a cramped two-door car with no air conditioning - now that’s fun! Or if you’re flying with the team, remember that many Airlines no longer serve meals , newspapers or magazines so that also means bring your own. The key is to plan ahead. Where to kennel the dog. Where to kennel the kids. Just kidding! But if Grandma is available, go for it. ;) Book your airline tickets ...

Is your frequent flyer program working for you? A little bit of time and effort can help make the most of your program. Start by determining what you want from your frequent flyer program. Your goal could be free flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, or even gift cards. Your departure city and the destinations you frequent for business/pleasure will be the next determining factor. Which airlines fly those routings? Who partners with them domestically and internationally? Look for a card that matches your preferred hotel and car rental company as these are important point getters in conjunction with your frequent ...

In June 2005, Airlines.Ws wondered how far domestic airline cost cutting measures would go after the loss of the coveted free pretzels on Northwest airline flights. Well, now we’re here to say far, quite far, indeed. The latest à la carte menu reads like this: $15 for an aisle seat or $24 for an exit row. More leg room for $50 or purchase your ticket over the phone for $10. Confirm a standby flight for $25. $1 for trail mix or cashews, $4 for a snack box or $5 for a ‘fresh’ sandwich or wrap. $2 per bag for curbside check-in. There ...

Aviation authorities worldwide uniformly ban the usage of personal electronic devices (PEDs), most notably cell phones, during critical stages of flight. This includes pagers, Palm Pilots/Blackberries, CD/MP3 players and laptops. “The risk posed by these portable devices is higher than previously believed. Radio frequency emitted from these devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers, which are increasingly vital for safe landings”, says Bill Strauss, one of the researchers for the February 2006 Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) study. Documentation which shows the distinct possibility that cell phone interference resulted in the death of 10 passenger/crew ...

When the 3 year-old prized whippet, Vivi, escaped from her cage at JFK airport almost two weeks ago, people took notice. She had just come from winning an Award of Merit at the Westminster Kennel Club show but was last seen bolting down the runway at 25mph just before boarding her Delta flight from JFK to Los Angeles. It seemed to be a tragic isolated incident but what people didn’t know was there were already 25 lost dogs in the animal rescue shelter at JFK’s cargo area. According to Bobbi Giordano, owner of Bobbi & the Strays, Vivi is the 4th ...

Airlines.Ws latest poll asked it's visitors whether they had ever had sex with a partner while flying as passenger. The Poll results show a surprising 9 percent of 600 respondents claim to be members of the so called Mile High Club. The Mile High Club refers to people who have had sex while flying at over 5,200 ft - 1 mile up. The Poll results have an error rate of +/- two percent. Polling results showed little difference in response from men and women. Both sexes responded at around the 9 percent mark. It is remarkable that women claim to have had as many ...

Our monthly poll is focusing on the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) latest report of dangerous levels of coliform bacteria in 17.2% water samples from galley water taps as well as lavatory faucets of the 169 planes it spot checked. This is rather stunning considering last year the EPA's study showed dangerous levels of bacteria in 12.5% of the planes the EPA checked. One would have thought that the airlines would have taken extraordinary steps to eliminate this problem after last years results . According to the EPA , total coliform on their own are not considered dangerous but rather that their presence in ...

Have the large Airline carriers cost cutting measures finally reached the point of absurdity ? While the Airlines continue to try to cut cost in large chunks through Mechanic , Pilot and Cabin crew contract re-negotiations that can save hundreds of millions per year; they are also cutting passenger food , pillows and this past month Northwest Airlines announced the ultimate cost cutting plan - the end of free pretzels . Northwest lost nearly $460 Million last quarter amidst the continuing high price of fuel and rising Administrative and labor costs , cutting free Pretzels for passengers would be amusing if it ...