Over the last few days, hundreds of environmental protestors have descended on major intersections and landmarks in Central London shutting down roads and even super-glueing themselves to a mass transit train in order to gain publicity. The protestors from a…
Airline News
Chief Execs of ‘Big Three’ U.S. Airlines Take Out Full Page Newspaper Ad Against Qatar Airways
Yesterday, I wrote about an open letter the chief executives of two airlines and the shipping company FedEx sent to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in defence of Qatar Airways and the current Open Skies arrangement that the United…
Ryanair’s Report Card On Becoming a Fair Employer: Could Do Better
It’s been a year since Europe’s largest low-cost airline Ryanair faced its very first cabin crew strikes. The airline has come along way since first trying to face down workers who were fighting for better pay and working conditions but…
Does Anyone Actually Think Jet Airways Will Ever Experience the “Joy of Flying” Again?
Over the last few months and weeks, the prospect of India’s second-largest airline Jet Airways failing had become increasingly a complete certainly and definitely a case of when and not if. And yet, in announcing that it would be forced…
jetBlue, FedEx and Atlas Air Come Out in Defense of Qatar Airway’s Investment in Air Italy
Two airline chief executives and the boss of global shipping company FedEx have sent an open letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “set the record straight” over what they refer to as “wholly-unsubstantiated claims” about Qatar Airways…
Etihad Will Operate a Single-Use Plastic Free Flight to Highlight Scourge of Plastic Pollution
Etihad Airways plans to operate a flight without any single-use plastics onboard to mark Earth Day and to raise awareness about the effects of plastic pollution on the environment. The Abu Dhabi-based airline will become the first airline in the…
Finnish Police Arrest Two Members of Qatar Airways Cabin Crew for Being Drunk
Two members of Qatar Airways cabin crew were arrested yesterday at Helsinki Airport (HEL) according to Finnish authorities. Police arrested the two male cabin crew members just before 8.30am after airport workers raised concerns that the flight attendants were drunk. …
United Set to Reveal New Livery on April 24th – Expect Evolution, Not Revolution
We finally have a date for United’s big reveal of its brand new aircraft livery. Expect evolution of the current brand it acquired in the merger with Continental rather than a revolution that starts from scratch. But whatever you do,…
British Airways Dumps the Financial Times: Newspaper Rages with Half-Page Advert
The Financial Times, famous for its industry-leading financial analysis and of course it’s salmon pink coloured pages, has reacted pretty furiously to a decision by British Airways to stop offering the print edition of the newspaper for free in the…
Air France Offers Free Transport for Anyone Involved in Reconstruction of Notre Dame
The Air France-KLM airline group has said it will provide free transport for all official partners involved in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame in Paris. The decision follows a devastating fire that ravaged the 850-year old cathedral, toppling its world-famous spire…
Delta Air Lines Accused of Lobbying to Delay Upgraded Minimum Rest for Flight Attendants
Delta Air Lines has been accused of being the primary voice in lobbying against the implementation of a new minimum rest rule for U.S.-based flight attendants. Last October, the Senate overwhelmingly passed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 which not…
Lufthansa Buries Bad News Following Notre Dame Tragedy: Falls to Loss in First Quarter
Maybe it was a mere coincidence? As the world’s attention turned to the terrible news that Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris was burning, the German flag carrier Lufthansa suddenly decided to release details of its financial performance for the first…
“The Year 1950 Rang and it Wants its Rulebook Back”: Norwegian Slammed For Uniform Rules
Norway is arguably one of the most progressive countries in the world but its namesake airline has come under fire for a new set of rules that lawmakers say are not only stuck in the past but are even possibly…
Dubai International Airport Says its “Good to Go” for 45-Day Closure of Runway Starting Tomorrow
After more than a year in the planning, the world’s busiest international airport plans to close one of just two of its runways for a 45-day period starting tomorrow. Dubai International Airport (DXB) says the operations team is “good to…
United Offers Just $100 Bonus for Employees Because of the 737MAX Grounding
Along with some pretty serious weather events that have hampered United’s operations at its hubs in Chicago and Denver earlier this year, the airline has also blamed the worldwide grounding of Boeing 737MAX aircraft for missing this quarter’s operational performance…
The Bill That Would Make Flying Safer and Healthier: But is Unlikely to be Passed
Flight attendants have applauded the introduction of a Bill by Congressman John Garamendi and Senator Richard Blumenthal that would protect passengers, flight attendants and pilots from toxic cabin air. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) which represents over 20,000…
Man Charged With Assaulting Five Passengers and One Flight Attendant on Flight to Perth
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced Friday that a 26-year-old Dutch man has been charged with a slew of aviation offences after going on a rampage during a recent flight between Kuala Lumpur and Perth, Western Australia. The man, whose…
Qatar Airways: Investment in Air Italy “Fully Compliant” With Open Skies Agreement
Qatar Airways has defended itself against accusations its investment in Air Italy “runs directly counter” to a landmark one year deal that the State of Qatar reached with the United States over its Open Skies agreement. At a Senate Foreign…
This New Asymmetrical Cabin Crew Uniform is So On Trend (And Sneakers Are Making a Return)
These new uniforms worn by flight attendants at yet-to-be-launched Japenese airline ZIPAIR are so edgy it almost hurts. The Taro Horiuchi-designed threads are certainly a far cry from traditional airline uniforms and wouldn’t look out of place on a Comme Des…
jetBlue’s London Route Announcement is More About the ‘Why’ Not the ‘How’
The worst kept secret of the last few months is finally out the bag. New York-based airline jetBlue has finally announced it will start services between New York JFK and Boston to London in 2021 using a long-range version of…
U.S. Government “Looking Very Closely” at Qatar Airways’ Relationship With Air Italy
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that his department is “looking very closely” at a decision by Qatar Airways to take a 49% stake in little known Italian airline Meridiana and rebrand it…
Virgin Atlantic Offers Industry-Leading Cabin Crew Pay Rise… But is it Enough?
Talks between Virgin Atlantic and its cabin crew to hammer out a new pay deal might be one step closer today – the airline has proposed an industry-leading two-year day deal that would see cabin crew wages rise by more…
San Jose’s Genius Response to Chick-fil-A Opening a Concession at SJC Airport
The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A is once again making headlines over allegations that it donates money to anti-LGBTQ+ organisations through its “charitable” arm the Chick-fil-A Foundation. This time, the self-proclaimed ‘home of the original chicken sandwich’ has been told it can’t…
Pakistan Airlines Flight Attendant Goes Missing During Layover: More Common Than You Think
According to company sources, a flight attendant for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has gone missing while on a layover in Paris. Apparently, the female member of cabin crew who is only known by her first name Shazia left a resignation…
Armed Robbers Steal €10 Million from Austrian Airlines Plane As its Preparing to Takeoff
Is this for real? Scenes reminiscent of a Hollywood heist movie unfolded today at Tirana International Airport in Albania when armed robbers broke onto the airfield and held up an Austrian Airlines plane as it was preparing to takeoff. Local…
United Airlines in Top Ten of Companies to Have Suffered the Costliest Ever PR Disasters
There’s no such thing as bad publicity, right? Try telling that to Oscar Munoz, the chief executive of United Airlines who presided over one of the biggest PR gaffes in living history. The now infamous beating of Dr David Dao…
Stressful: New Overhead Bins Aren’t Going to End the Drama Over Carry-On Bags
A recent post on the popular frequent flyer forum Flyertalk.com has generated a lot of debate – and it’s all to do with hand luggage and who can (or can’t) use the overhead bins. In this case, a passenger had…
Flight Attendant Saves a Student from Detention by Returning Lost Library Book
With an average Tripadvisor score of just three stars, the budget Florida-based airline Spirit isn’t the kind of carrier you’d associate with great service. Yes, Spirit might offer low-prices – after all, it is the self-proclaimed home of the ‘bare…
Unions Frustrated With BA’s “Intransigence” Over Pay Deal for Cabin Crew and Pilots
Three trade union representing cabin crew, pilots and ground staff at British Airways have said they are growing “increasingly frustrated” with the airline’s “intransigence” to offer what they see as an acceptable pay deal. British Airways, though, has said it…
Ignore the Usual Awards: Is South African Airways Actually the Best Airline in the World?
It feels like we’re in the midst of airline awards season at the moment and as usual, there aren’t many surprises. The latest results from hotel and airline rating site Tripadvisor put Singapore Airlines as the number 1 airline in…
Woman Arrested at Dubai Airport for Two Facebook Posts She Wrote Over Three Years Ago
A single mother from London was recently arrested at Dubai International Airport (DXB) under the UAE’s strict cybercrime laws for two Facebook posts she wrote in 2016 about her ex-husband’s new wife. Both Laleh Sharaveshm, 55 and her 14-year old…
American Airlines Flight Attendants Aren’t Happy With ‘Implicit Bias Training’
Remember that travel advisory the NAACP issued for American Airlines in 2017 which warned African Americans about their safety and well-being when travelling with the airline? The advisory urged African Americans to “exercise caution” when booking tickets with American Airlines…
Federal Authorities WILL Begin Inquiry Into Health Complaints from New Delta Uniform
Painful itchy rashes, hives, shortness of breath and itchy sore eyes – they are just some of the symptoms that have been linked to the new Delta Air Lines uniform which was rolled out to more than 64,000 uniformed employees…
Fact: Every 3 Hours The Safety of a Flight Within Europe is Threatened By Passenger Behaviour
It feels like there’s never any shortage of stories about passengers going wild on flights of late – only yesterday, for example, a British lawyer was jailed for six months after spitting at a flight attendant and then launching a…
El Al Flight Attendant Seriously Ill After Contracting Measles On New York to Tel Aviv Flight
A flight attendant for Israeli flag carrier El Al is said to be in a serious condition in a Tel Aviv hospital after contracting measles during a 10-hour flight from New York JFK to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. The…
Qantas Flight Attendant Sacked for Drinking Quarter of a Litre of Vodka During Flight
The Australian Fair Work Commission has ruled that Qantas was right to fire a flight attendant with over 30-years experience after she admitted drinking a quarter of a litre of vodka during a flight between Sydney and Johannesburg. Alison Warr…
Member of Emirates Cabin Crew is Mugged and Put in Coma – This is How the Airline Responded
Emirates has sent an internal memo to its workforce of over 20,000 cabin crew warning them that a “small minority” are damaging the reputation of the Dubai-based airline after “unacceptable behavioural issues” during layovers. The email, sent by Thomas Ney…
Chief Executive of Low-Cost Airline Norwegian Throws His Weight Behind Boeing’s 737 MAX Fix
The chief executive of the low-cost airline, Norwegian has said the software patch being developed by Boeing for its 737 MAX aircraft “seems foolproof” after he put the new system to the test in a simulator at a Boeing facility…
The Blurring Line Between First and Business Class: Air Italy Launches ‘Dine On Demand’
Air Italy has today unveiled a new dining concept for Business Class passengers, featuring brand new tableware, cutlery and chinaware as well as a ‘Dine On Demand’ menu. It’s a bold move to offer Dine On Demand and it will…
Should We Be Boycotting Royal Brunei Airlines Over “Stoning to Death” Homosexuality Law?
Today, the tiny oil-rich State of Brunei, home to just 400,000 people, went ahead with the introduction of the latest wave of tough new Sharia-based laws that makes homosexuality punishable to death by stoning. Brunei enshrined the punishment into law…
Love This: Virgin Atlantic Set to Replace ‘Flying Lady’ Figurehead with Diverse ‘Flying Icons’
Virgin Atlantic has adorned the noses of its aircraft with its cheeky ‘Flying Ladies’ artwork for years and the planes themselves have equally cheeky names to go with each bespoke Flying Lady. For example, one Airbus A340-600 was renamed Sleeping…
Singapore Airlines Grounds Boeing 787-10 Aircraft Because of Roll-Royce Engine Problems
Just when you thought the fiasco over the Rolls-Royce manufactured engines on Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft had finally been sorted, another problem has been discovered. This time, Singapore Airlines has been forced to ground two of its 787-10 Dreamliners after…
Growing Campaign to Lower Cabin Crew Retirement Age Wins Major European Backing
A trade union umbrella group which represents over 70% of organised cabin crew across Europe has thrown its weight behind a growing campaign to lower the age at which flight attendants can retire. The European Cabin Crew Association or euECCA…
American Airlines Has Come Up With a Genius Solution to Those ‘Tiny’ Airplane Bathrooms
Okay, full disclosure – If it wasn’t already obvious, American Airlines isn’t actually going to fit a toilet to an emergency exit door (although maybe they’ve given the idea some consideration). The photo was shared by an American Airlines flight…
Emirates Gets in the Spirit of April Fools Day… Flying Drone Anyone?
It may not quite be the 1st April – or April Fool’s Day – but that hasn’t stopped Emirates getting in on the fun a little bit early. The Dubai-based airline has posted a couple of photos to its social…
Is Delta’s New Uniform Causing More Health Problems Than Originally Thought?
Are Delta’s ‘Passport Plum’ uniforms causing the same kind of painful reactions as those suffered by flight attendants and ground staff at American Airlines? Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines rolled out its new uniform to over 64,000 uniformed employees last May…
Air Italy’s New Uniform Just Cements the Concern its Qatar Airways With a Different Name
Of all the different branding elements that an airline can use, the cabin crew uniform has to be one of the most important. From the distinctive red hats worn by Emirates cabin crew or the iconic sarong kabaya of Singapore…
Back to the Drawing Board as Virgin Atlantic Tries to Negotiate New Pay Deal for Cabin Crew
Virgin Atlantic and the Unite Union which represents cabin crew have had to go back to the drawing board in negotiating a new pay deal after the original proposal was furiously rejected by many union members. It’s believed that the…
Cathay Pacific Will Allow Flight Attendants to Wear Face Masks Amidst Measles Outbreak
Cathay Pacific has told flight attendants that they can choose to wear face masks to protect themselves against the spread of measles as cases of the highly contagious virus spike to a five-year high at the airline’s hub in Hong…
Pilots and Cabin Crew in the UK are Taking Legal Action Against Airlines in “Toxic Air” Dispute
The largest union representing cabin crew in the United Kingdom and Ireland has started legal action against five British airlines in 51 different cases involving so-called ‘toxic’ fume events. The Unite union claims that independent expert evidence has found that…
