The 11 year old boy who made the free journey from England to Italy is becoming very famous. With the current security headlines regarding the London Olympics, this is the last thing England needed to deal with. Reports say that the 11 year old boy made it through 5 security checks and somehow did so without getting caught without a ticket.

The only way they found out was because he was chatting with other airline passengers about being alone. As the other passengers alerted the flight staff, this boy’s history of catching free bus and train rides became known. He says he is fascinated by transportation, however embarrassing the authorities has to be more fun.

Upon arrival in Italy, he was sent back to Manchester on the return flight. Several Manchester airport staff have been suspended while authorities try to figure out exactly how this happened.

American Airlines 737 Airplane Photo i002 by Grant Wickes (Photo credit: Grant Wickes)

We are seeing a trend with both Airlines and Cruise lines developing new programs and services for the customer. With the latest service coming from American Airlines we are hesitant to think it will catch on.

Starting this week, American Airlines will provide travelers with the option of having their baggage delivered straight to their hotel, home, or other destination.

Of course, this service will come with an extra fee to the tune of $30. You can book this service up to two hours before your flight and American Airlines promises the baggage will be delivered in 4 to 6 hours.

This service will be available at 200 U.S. airports and a selection of International destinations.

English: El Al Israel Airlines Boeing 777 in the latest (2003) colour scheme on the approach to London (Heathrow) Airport (UK). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Monday, round trip tickets from New York to Israel went on sale for just $400. The fare that is normally in the range of $1,600 for economy class was mistakenly posted and over 5,000 tickets were sold in only 3 hours.

This is a rare occurrence, but several airlines have been caught in the same situation. Several airlines have made attempts in the past to refund the tickets for the mistaken purchase price without much success. It appears that El Al Airlines plan on honoring their fares.

Aeroplane Easyjet 3 (Photo credit: puddy_uk)

The FAA is preparing a team to study the effects electronics have on the aircraft. Currently, airlines require travelers not to use electronic devices during takeoff and landing.

“We’re looking for information to help air carriers and operators decide if they can allow more widespread use of electronic devices in today’s aircraft,” says Michael Huerta, FAA Administrator. “We also want solid safety data to make sure tomorrow’s aircraft designs are protected from interference.”

The group plans to meet for six months and will report its finding to the FAA according to the agency.

This picture from a NASA study on wingtip vortices qualitatively illustrates the wake turbulence. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most travelers hear and use the term air pockets when referring to air turbulence while flying. While it has become the norm for describing the drop or rising feeling in the plane, the term is not used correctly.

To understand turbulence you must first understand how air reacts to ground temperatures. The ground temperature can fluctuate by farm fields that have been plowed, unimproved land, lakes, cities, and much more. Because all of these different types of terrain effect the temperature of the air differently, they can lead to turbulence. This turbulence is more like air moving downward or upward as opposed to a pocket of air. We all know that warm air rises because it is less dense than cold air. Therefore, when a plane encounters this warm draft, it is normal for it to move upward or downward depending on how it encounters the draft. This often results in the feeling of falling from the sky when the plane normally has less than a 20ft change in altitude.

There are actually no “pockets” present in the air. An air pocket in the sky would be like a water pocket in a lake… not possible. Many pilots use this analogy to help travelers understand: If you make a cube of jello with a small plane in the middle you can see much of how a real plane reacts to turbulence.  With the small plane in the jello you can shake the jello very violently and the plane will also shake around but it can not possibly fall out of the jello. Likewise, a real plane can not just fall out of the sky, instead a bumpy ride while passing through the air drafts is what we feel in the plane.

So next time you have a while knuckle turbulence experience, you can rest assured your plane will not fall from the sky.

chiangmai-10 (Photo credit: bobwan)

Asia Airlines has now officially introduced its baby free zone in economy class. The first seven economy class rows will all be designated baby free quiet seating. There will be no extra charge for this seating section and it will be available for travelers who are age 12 and older. Unfortunately, this quite section only tries to protect you from screaming babies and does not require loud and inconsiderate adults  to be quiet.

We will see if this new seating arrangement catches on, but it most likely will not, especially in the U.S. where families already have a hard time getting seats together. Also, travelers who sit in the seventh row could have a baby right behind them, negating the purpose and the possibility of the quiet zone.

http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012/09/27/united-dreamliner/57848916/1

United is flying its first 787 Dreamliner home to Houston today in preparation for its first commercial flights on a jet that its CEO says will save on fuel, grow its network and give passengers greater comfort.

United is the first airline in North America, and just the sixth in the world, to take delivery of the Boeing jet, which is made largely from lightweight composites.

A Gulfstream G-400 during takeoff (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The new start-up company named Jumpjet is open for business starting  October 1, 2012. Jumpjet offers a private jet service that is targeted toward first class fliers who are looking for an alternative.

Jumpjet claims they will be popular with the ”frustrated” premium passengers ”who’ve got nowhere else to turn,” says Will Ashcroft, jumpjet’s CEO.

Here is how it works

Members pay a $550 initiation fee that covers background checks and administrative costs to verify potential members on not on the “no fly list”. Once approved the new member gets to choose from one of the three different membership levels.

Upper Club– $2,350 per month gives you 10 round trips per year with flights 1,1750 miles or less.

Upper Club Plus– $3995 per month and customers get 10 round trips per year with the extended flight range of 2,250 miles.

Coast to Coast Elite-$5,500 per month with 10 round trip flights per year with no mileage limits.

Jump Share– This lets groups up to 10 go in together to purchase a plan. The group membership can then be split up and each one gets 1 round trip per year.

All of the options require a year long contract and you have to book your flight two weeks in advance. Each membership level allows a member to bring up to seven guests on-board for a fee of $1,250 per passenger for upper club and upper club plus and $2,000 for coast to coast elite members.

We are excited to see options for first class travelers and we think Jumpjet could be on to something. We will have to see how travelers respond to the services they offer.