Search Results for: blog flying the not so friendly skies

Flying the Not-So Friendly Skies

What is it with families and flying these days? And by flying I mean getting booted from airplanes. Barely a day goes by anymore without some innocent clan getting the heave-ho from a commercial flight due to a perceived threat made by a child. However, the latest incident doesn’t involve a screaming baby, a chatty toddler or a hungry infant; rather, a California family claims they were kicked off an American Airlines flight simply because their 16-year-old son has Down syndrome. Joan and Robert Vanderhorst, of Bakersfield, California, are irate by what they are calling “pure discrimination.” “It’s defamation,” Robert … Continue reading →

Some Friendly Skies for Families

Let’s face it; with the crack down on carry-on bags, the exorbitant price of airfare and the elimination of free meals, flying on commercial airlines can be a real pain. And as many parents can tell you, that torture is multiplied when you are taking flight with young children in tow. Fortunately, there is some good news for families traveling by air this summer. Just a few days ago, Allegiant Air announced that it will not add to parents’ anxiety by splitting up families on flights. The carrier modified its check-in system so passengers under the age of 14 will … Continue reading →

Mom-Friendly Airline Takes Flight

“Friendly” and “airline;” you don’t really see those two in the same sentence these days. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I saw “friendly” and “airline” in the same paragraph. If you’ve taken to the skies in a commercial airliner with kids in the last decade or so, then you know flying can be anything but friendly. A true sign of this is can be seen by looking at the evolution of United Airlines’ slogans. The carrier’s catchy tag line “Fly the Friendly Skies” debuted in 1965. The airlines stuck with the slogan until 1996. Today United’s slogan … Continue reading →

In Pursuit of Safe Skies

Not for nothing, but human beings were not designed to work all night long. Of course, this doesn’t excuse the air traffic controllers who have been making headlines for sleeping on the job during their overnight shifts. One of my first jobs out of college required me to clock into work at midnight. I produced and anchored a morning show for a small CBS news affiliate in Wisconsin, and would typically end my workday at 9:30 a.m. To put it mildly; the hours sucked. I would sleep from noon until 6 or 7 p.m., eat dinner, take a shower and … Continue reading →

Other Ways Flying Can Make You Sick

So far so good. I didn’t lose my lunch… or my dinner, or my breakfast. Maybe the airplane water wasn’t tainted with bacteria after all. This time. Still, if you don’t hurl from the water or the food, then there are plenty of other ways you can fall ill from flying the friendly skies. In fact, bacteria is as close as the seat pocket in front of you. At least that’s what a new report claims. Health experts say that you are basically fishing around for cold and flu germs each time you stick your hand in an airplane’s seat … Continue reading →

Flying the Fee-Friendly Skies with Kids

Flying with kids is an exhausting ordeal, but with all of the additional fees airlines are pushing on passengers these days, it can be extremely expensive too. And I’m not jut talking about the dough you have to shell out to buy your kid the mid-flight Pringles she’s screaming for. Airlines are fee happy and you could easily drain your wallet before you arrive at your final destination. If you plan to fly with kids during the busy summer travel season, but can’t afford to go broke in the process, consider the following tips: If you plan to bring a … Continue reading →

Flying the Sleepy Skies

I first heard about the dozing pilots about 6 weeks ago while I was home in Hawaii visiting my parents. Back then the National Transportation Safety Board had just begun investigating a claim that two pilots from Mesa’s go! Airlines had fallen asleep while flying passengers from Honolulu to Hilo, Hawaii. According to news reports, the pilots overshot the Hilo airport by 15 miles and were headed out to sea before they woke up, turned the plane around and landed safely. But there was no official confirmation from the airlines and others close to the company went out of their … Continue reading →

Flying the Holy Skies

Would you feel safer on a flight if it were bound for the Holy Land? What if the destination wasn’t the only holy part of the trip? What if the entire plane was affiliated with some of the holiest people in the Catholic Church? It may not guarantee that your luggage won’t get lost, but at least you won’t have to worry about seeing an inappropriate movie in mid-air. A Vatican-backed charter airline, taking flight for the first time this week, has one goal in mind—safely transporting travelers to popular Catholic destinations, including Fatima, Portugal; Lourdes, France; Santiago de Compostela, … Continue reading →

Insults Flying In The Not-So Friendly Skies

If you are enrolled in a frequent flyer program with one of the country’s largest air carriers then you may have received an email asking for your help to convince Congress that private aircraft owners should pay more to help modernize an outdated air traffic control system. I happen to be enrolled in several frequent flyer programs and have already received a note encouraging me to pen a letter to my congressional representative and demand that private aircraft owners dig deep to help pay for a new air traffic control system. If you haven’t received an email from a major … Continue reading →

Are Airlines Becoming More Family Friendly?

Well, at least one is trying to be. Southwest Airlines recently announced that it is experimenting with innovative ways to board and seat traveling families. The company calls it their “Family Boarding and Seating Plan” and has been testing out a few different ways to conduct boarding for those people single passengers glare at in the gate area. According to Southwest officials, most of the testing has been done on flights departing from San Antonio, Texas. Some of the boarding and seating options being tested by the airline include: having designated rows for family seating, having families board with no … Continue reading →