Monthly Archives: October 2008

Will the Shoes Stay On?

Posted on October 16, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport, the primary airport serving Tel Aviv, just implemented a new technology that makes security an easier process for passengers. It’s called MagShoe, a new product from IDO Technology. IDO’s website states, “The current “workaround” of removing shoes before passing through metal detectors is cumbersome, inconvenient and worst of all, inaccurate – creating long delays, discomfort and frustration, without fully allaying security concerns.” Although it seems like a great piece of technology, WSJ’s The Middle Seat reports the TSA is not considering MagShoe, said a spokesman. The spokesman did hint that they were testing other products similar to MagShoe. 

The TSA implemented a GE shoe scanner at Orlando International Airport in October of 2007. However, a spokesman reported that the new shoe scanner did not come close to meeting the requirements. Although MagShoe is innovative and can detect knives / bomb detonator parts, it does not sense explosives yet. It makes me question why Israel implemented it at Ben-Gurion airport. I am pleased to see that the TSA has set high standards for a shoe-”sniffing” device. Yet, it appears as though we’ll have to continue taking out shoes off for a bit longer.

Image property of IDO Security.

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Posted in Airports

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Fewer Flights Help On-Time Performance.

Posted on October 15, 2008 by | Leave a comment

As Airlines have begun trimming their flights, on-time performance is on the rise. The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that, for the month of August 2008, airlines (that reported) were on-time 78.4 percent; a 2.7 percent increase compared to July 2008. To be fair, let’s compare to August of 2007 (71.7 percent); a 6.7 percent increase. Cancellations and delays were both down, at 1.6 percent, down .1 percent from July and .3 percent from the following year. The BTS, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, reported they received 1,006 complaints (airline wise) in August 2008. That’s a 38.7 percent decrease from the years prior.

Now for the leaders in on-time arrivals. The leaders were: Hawaiian Airlines (92.3 percent), Pinnacle Airlines (89.6 percent), and in third SkyWest Airlines (85.7 percent). JetBlue Airways performed the worst (64.7 percent), then Comair (67.4 percent), and finally American Airlines (70.6 percent). The number of mishandled bags / lost luggage dropped to 4.98 per 1,000 passengers, compared to 7.58 per 1,000 the year prior. 

Surprised? Not at all. I think we’ll see the on-time numbers increase and the lost luggage numbers decrease, permitting that airlines do not make overwhelming cuts to staffing at airports. 

Image: flickr.com

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Posted in Airlines

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Changes…

Posted on October 15, 2008 by | Leave a comment

New things are happening on this blog: 
What’s Changing?

The Posting Schedule; I will go back to writing daily posts (excluding weekends). 
The Site Layout; You might notice a different look the next time you view this blog. To be specific, the banner will be changing soon. The site’s general layout will not change, unless I find a simpler, well-polished theme.

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Posted in Misc.

American Airlines Flight Attendants Unhappy with Working Conditions.

Posted on October 13, 2008 by | Leave a comment

American Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMR Corporation, saw their flight attendants picket at airports on Friday, to protest working conditions. Leaders of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the union of American Airlines flight attendants, said that they too felt the pain of new fees and stuffed flights. When asked to comment, a spokesperson for American Airlines said the airline “respects the rights of employees to express their opinion.” The spokesperson also states that the airline is currently in talks with the union to draft a new contract that benefits both flight attendants, in an attempt to keep their airline competitive with other airlines.  ”Our goal is simple. We want to strengthen our airline so we can provide security and opportunities to the thousands of men and women who work for us,” said the American Airlines spokeswoman.

It’s no surprise that this happened. Eventually something about the financial crisis within airlines was bound to hit flight attendants. The overbooked flights and in-flight fees cause hassle for flight attendants. My most recent trip on American Airlines, from Philadelphia to Tucson (connecting in Dallas / Fort Worth), gave me a glimpse. Fortunately, drinks are free (except alcoholic beverages) on American. At least US Airways went to Cashless Cabin for their drink fees. Nonetheless, baggage fees are forcing passengers to carry-on their luggage. Sometimes, and it usually happens to at least one passenger on a flight, the passenger’s luggage will not fit in the overhead bin. They are then forced to check the bag for the fee, thus creating more hassle for the flight attendant. 

From what the spokeswoman said, it appears as though American Airlines agrees with the flight attendants. In the upcoming contract renewal, I’d hope to see that their flight attendants get fairly compensated for the extra labor.

Now onto Gate Agents and all the overbooked flights…

Image: flickr.com

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Posted in Airlines

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