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The Two Men Behind Cheaper, More Efficient Air Travel
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Cabin crew secrets: 93-year-old air hostess reveals terrifying truth about 1950s planes
Flights in the 1950’s were glamorous and luxurious in many ways – and was a far cry from the budget airline travel of the 21st century.
However, they were much worse in one particular way, 93-year-old Ethel Pattison explained.
Planes in those days were much more susceptible to the weather, making turbulence worse.
“It was more turbulent in those days, the weather was much more of a factor,” Ethel told Express.co.uk.
In fact, if weather was bad, many commercial planes wouldn’t fly at all as they had a maximum cruising altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet,
The propeller-driven aircraft weren’t pressurised – as they are today – and feeling sick on board was common.
United Airlines could power jets with biofuel made from trash
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United Airlines Insane Excuse For Reducing Cabin Service
For now, United is dispensing with the idea of a drinks cart rolling down the aisle and replacing it with pre-made drinks on a little pan, carried by the Flight Attendant, so that passengers can help themselves.
Frequent flyers and air travel staff – your skin needs this
From lack of sleep, UV damage and pollution to temperature changes, cabin pressure and air conditioning, flying can take a toll on the skin.
So what actually happens to the skin when you fly?
First of all, it’s interesting to note that the skin works at it’s optimum when the humidity is around that of the average outdoor climate – between 40% and 70%. Humidity levels on a flight are at maximum 10%. This leaves the barrier function of the skin weak and makes the skin dry. If you’re travelling long-haul, the skin’s barrier can become completely unbalanced, confusing your biological clock and cause disruption to the skin’s regeneration process. Your skin retains less water too, becoming dehydrated and slower to recover from aggressors meaning the appearance of fatigue, fine lines and dullness are more pronounced, making room for a loss of plumpness, redness and sensitivity.
So what’s the ideal skincare routine to keep your skin hydrated before, during and after flying? According to Vichy, the secret lies in making sure your skincare routine is able to respond to three of your skin’s key needs: hydration, comfort and resistance.
Step one: reinforce the skin before boarding and protect the barrier of the skin to minimise water loss by hydrating the skin before you board.
Step two: stay hydrated on your flight. The Aerospace Medical Association recommends drinking one litre of water for every three hours of flight time. Boost the skin’s circulation by massaging an ice cube under the eyes and cheeks, which will also stave off puffiness. Hey, it’s less embarrassing than a sheet mask.
Nepal starts implementation of new air travel convention – Xinhua | English.news.cn
KATHMANDU, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Nepal started on Saturday the implementation of the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air, also known as the Montreal Convention 1999.
The implementation of the convention will pave the way for travelers boarding on international airlines registered in Nepal to get significant rise in compensation in the case of death, injury, and damages to their baggage and flight delays, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation on Friday.
Nepal’s Lower House, the House of Representatives, endorsed the convention on Aug. 23. The Nepali government then deposited the ratification instrument with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada.
After the ICAO notified its members about Nepal becoming part of the convention, Nepal started implementing the convention from Saturday.
The convention imposes a minimum liability of 113,100 Special Drawing Rights (SDR), equivalent to 155,963 U.S. dollars for each passenger in the case of death or injury. If it is proved that the staff members of the concerned airlines are involved deliberately in causing damages, the convention has made provision of unlimited liabilities from the carrier, according to the ministry.
Before endorsing the Montreal Convention, Nepali airlines were governed by the Warsaw Convention drafted in 1929 and its protocols. The Hague Protocol 1955 which is an extension of Warsaw Convention has prescribed the maximum compensation limit at 20,000 U.S. dollars per passenger for death or injury.
“A significant rise in compensation amount to be borne by the Nepali carriers following the implementation of the convention would encourage international travelers to fly on Nepal-based international airlines,” Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, joint secretary at the ministry, told Xinhua on Friday.
“This will be a motivational factor for them to choose Nepali airline. This will also help contribute to Nepal’s tourism sector.”
Air Travel: United’s Biggest-Ever San Francisco Expansion, Delta to Board by Fare
A host of new flights, Delta’s new boarding policy and some new airport lounge updates lead this week’s air travel news.
This week United Airlines announced its biggest-ever international network expansion from its San Francisco hub. Starting March 30, 2019, the airline will begin offering nonstop daily year-round flights between San Francisco and Amsterdam on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, complementing United’s existing nonstop service to the destination from Chicago, Houston, New York – Newark and Washington, DC. Next, on October 29, 2019, the airline will add new nonstop year-round service between San Francisco and Melbourne three times per week, also on 787-9s. On December 5, 2019, the airline will launch new seasonal service between San Francisco and New Delhi, India, on Dreamliners, while on April 1, 2019, the airline will begin operating a second flight four times per week between San Francisco and Seoul, South Korea, on Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Starting March 31, 2019, the airline will operate twice-daily nonstop year-round service to Toronto, while this fall, it will expand its Tahiti schedule to year-round service from San Francisco to Pape’ete. That flight will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting March 30, 2019. Finally, also on that date, United will extend its San Francisco – Auckland service to year round, running three times weekly.
In policy news, this week Delta reported that it will shift from boarding by zone to boarding by branded fare purchased, as of January 23, 2019. SkyMiles Medallion Members and eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Credit Card Members will continue to receive priority boarding, the airline said.
As a result of the new policy, boarding zones for Delta-operated flights worldwide will be renamed to reflect the branded fare purchased. The new boarding order name will be featured in the airline’s online shopping experience, boarding passes and the “today” screen of the Delta app, and on jetway screens and on boarding signage at the gate. Each fare will also have an associated color, visible on boarding screens and signs at the gate.
In airport lounge news, this week KLM Royal Dutch Airlines opened the first part of its new non-Schengen Crown Lounge at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. With what the airline describes as a completely new setup and ambiance, the lounge offers catering and tech amenities, and it is located between E and F Piers at the airport. Refurbishment of the second part of the lounge continues, with its opening date scheduled for summer 2019.
In the United States, this week Air France opened a completely renovated dining area in its lounge at New York – JFK. The area now sports a more convivial and contemporary feel. Looking ahead to February 2019, the lounge will also introduce a new range of services, the airline says.
In other flight news, this week Delta announced plans to expand its service from Boston Logan with new multiple daily nonstop flights to Chicago O’Hare, Newark, Washington – Ronald Reagan and Cleveland. The Chicago, Newark and Washington, DC, service will begin September 9, 2019, while the Cleveland service will begin April 1.
Also in 2019, from June 8 through August 17 American Airlines will operate new nonstop service between Chicago O’Hare and Durango, CO. The airline also reported that its seasonal summer service between Durango and Los Angeles will return again in 2019, from June 6 through September 3.
In Europe, this week Air Italy inaugurated its first direct flight from Milan to Mumbai, becoming the fifth new international destination from the airport for Air Italy so far this year.
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United Airlines could power jets with fuel made from trash at new Gary plant
A new plant in Gary plans to turn hundreds of thousands of tons of trash into fuel, some of which could end up powering United Airlines’ planes.
California-based Fulcrum BioEnergy on Thursday announced plans for the $600 million alternative fuel plant in Gary. Construction is not expected to start until 2020. But once operations begin, likely 18 months to two years later, Fulcrum said the plant could create about 33 million gallons of fuel from 700,000 tons of waste each year.
Chicago-based United, which invested $30 million in Fulcrum in 2015, will have the chance to purchase 15 million of those gallons and is “fully planning to exercise those rights,” said Aaron Robinson, the airline’s senior manager of environmental strategy and sustainability.
It’s not yet clear which airports could end up getting the biofuel, since that will depend in part on where it makes the most financial sense for Fulcrum to ship the fuel, Robinson said. Some states offer incentives to companies delivering biofuels, and Illinois isn’t currently among them, he said.
The Gary plant, which is expected to employ 160 full-time workers at an average wage of $29 per hour, would be Fulcrum’s second facility. A plant near Reno, Nev., is under construction and expected to begin operations in 2020.
United’s agreement with Fulcrum will ultimately give the airline the right to purchase as much as 90 million gallons per year from six plants, not all of which have been built. The cost is competitive with traditional jet fuel, Robinson said.
The 15 million gallons United could end up buying from Fulcrum’s Gary plant would be a drop in the bucket for the airline, which consumed more than 2.5 billion gallons in the first nine months of this year.
But replacing some traditional jet fuel with biofuel is part of the airline’s strategy for hitting a goal announced in September: slashing its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050.
lzumbach@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @laurenzumbach
‘No Santa hats’: United Airlines to crews:
During the holiday season, United Airlines gives its flight attendants some leeway on how to accessorise their uniforms.
But the US airline based in Chicago apparently doesn’t want its flight crews to go overboard with extras that detract from the flight attendants’ professional image.
That was the key takeaway from a United Airlines memo sent to flight attendants released last week under the headline ‘Holiday Adornment’.
“Accessories must be in good taste,” the memo read.
“In the spirit of the holiday, and not detract from your professional image.”
The memo outlines what “adornments” flight attendants are permitted to add to their uniforms, such as a “conservative holiday scarf” and “conservative earrings” for women and “conservative holiday tie” and “one-holiday pin” for men.
But the memo also makes clear what is prohibited: “Head adornments (i.e., antlers, Santa hats, haloes, etc.; Holiday vests or sweaters; Holiday aprons: Holiday hosiery.”
A United Airlines spokeswoman said the memo is issued every year at this time to remind employees of the carrier’s standards but she said she didn’t know how many years it has been sent out and what prompted the original memo.
United Airlines’ "Historic" Route Announcement Is Less Exciting Than It Sounds
United Continental (NASDAQ: UAL) tried to capture some media buzz last week by teasing “an historic package of new and expanded international routes” to be unveiled on Wednesday.
The reality was a little more ordinary. United plans to significantly expand its international service from its San Francisco hub during 2019. However, many of the additional flights had been announced previously, and only one of the truly “new” routes was especially noteworthy.
United has been spreading its wings in San Francisco
During 2018, United Airlines has accelerated its capacity growth. Its main goal has been to add more capacity in the domestic market (including more flights to smaller cities) in order to regain market share and strengthen its hubs. However, United is also on track to expand its fleet of international widebodies by 14 aircraft.
A lot of United’s international growth has come in San Francisco. Not only is San Francisco United Airlines’ gateway to the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region, it’s also a booming regional economy in its own right. In late October, United Airlines began a second daily flight between San Francisco and Singapore. Shortly thereafter, it started flying three times a week between San Francisco and Tahiti.
United is expanding its international route network from San Francisco. Image source: United Airlines.
United has also previously announced several service additions in San Francisco that will go into effect in 2019. In March, it will begin daily service between San Francisco and Amsterdam. United’s seasonal route to Auckland will return to year-round service around the same time. Most recently, on the day that it launched the new Tahiti flights, the carrier announced that they would operate year-round rather than seasonally (as originally planned).
More new routes coming
On Wednesday, United Airlines revealed that it will launch several other new international flights from San Francisco next year.
United Airlines will begin twice-daily service to Toronto on March 31. It plans to begin offering a second flight between San Francisco and Seoul four days a week as of April 1, complementing its existing daily service on that route. United’s international expansion will resume in the fall. It will begin flying between San Francisco and Melbourne three days a week on Oct. 29, while daily seasonal service to New Delhi will begin on Dec. 5.
In total, United’s new and expanded international service from San Francisco will touch seven destinations and add up to 41 additional flights per week.
Good moves, but nothing earth-shattering
United Airlines’ teaser about an historic announcement had some pundits speculating that the carrier was planning to return to Africa in a big way. By contrast, while the changes announced this week will further solidify San Francisco’s position as the best West Coast airline hub, they don’t really qualify as historic.
For one thing, the new route to Amsterdam and the decisions to switch to year-round service on the Auckland and Tahiti routes had all been announced earlier this year.
Meanwhile, extra flights to Seoul are just par for the course, considering that the Bay Area and Seoul are both massive metropolitan areas with huge technology industries. The only surprising thing about the new twice-daily route to Toronto is that it didn’t already exist, given that Toronto is one of the 10 largest metro areas in North America. And the flights to Melbourne are just a case of (almost) keeping up with the Joneses. Qantas began serving that route four days a week back in September.