Should Personal Electronic Devices be Banned on the Flight Deck

This question was recently asked on a travel website that I regularly follow. It's being asked in light of the recent Northwest Airlines pilots missing their mark by 150 miles. Their explanation was that they were on their laptops looking over new company information and were distracted. Here's my 0.02 us dollars.

There are laws and regulations already on the books so this legislation would be pointless. The problem is not that electronics are being used on the flight deck, but at what time they are being used. During critical phases of flight is not a good idea. However, if there's a long flight and the autopilot is on, it wouldn't appear to be a problem. Pilots are reading magazines and other things during that time. What's more scary is when the pilots are listening to their mp3 players and not able to hear any audible alarms. Many senior pilots are finding that when they look over at their younger colleagues, they have their ears covered and their favorite music going. This has even happened during sterile cockpit conditions ie. take off and landing phases of flight. If the Northwest pilots would have fessed up and told what is more likely the truth in that they were probably sleeping, none of this would be discussed now.

What do you think?

Free WiFi for the Holidays

Through a generous offer from Google, there are 47 lucky airports that will be getting free WiFi until January 15, 2010. Of course, the airport we fly out of will not be getting it. The downside is that Google would like you to set your homepage browser as, well, Google-of course! That's not such a bad trade. Here's the list of the lucky 47 airports to receive free WiFi from Google:

• Austin (AUS)
• Baltimore (BWI)
• Billings (BIL)
• Boston (BOS)
• Bozeman (BZN)
• Buffalo (BUF)
• Burbank (BUR)
• Central Wisconsin (CWA)
• Charlotte (CLT)
• Des Moines (DSM)
• El Paso (ELP)
• Fort Lauderdale (FLL)
• Fort Myers/SW (RSW)
• Greensboro (GSO)
• Houston (HOU)
• Houston Bush (IAH)
• Indianapolis (IND)
• Jacksonville (JIA)
• Kalamazoo (AZO)
• Las Vegas (LAS)
• Louisville (SDF)
• Madison (MSN)
• Memphis (MEM)
• Miami (MIA)
• Milwaukee (MKE)
• Monterey (MRY)
• Nashville (BNA)
• Newport News (PHF)
• Norfolk (ORF)
• Oklahoma City (OKC)
• Omaha (OMA)
• Orlando (MCO)
• Panama City (PFN)
• Pittsburgh (PIT)
• Portland (PWM)
• Sacramento (SMF)
• San Antonio (SAT)
• San Diego (SAN)
• San Jose (SJC)
• Seattle (SEA)
• South Bend (SBN)
• Spokane (GEG)
• St. Louis (STL)
• State College (SCE)
• Toledo (TOL)
• Traverse City (TVC)

Planning a Flight around the Holidays

The holiday season is about to begin. Here's a great article on planning a flight around holiday travel. Whether your holiday plans have your traveling near or far, we extend our best wishes to your and your family.

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There is always a chance that your flight will get canceled or delayed regardless of when you fly. However, the holidays are a very busy time for airports and you don’t want to spend Christmas there instead of with your family. Be prepared for long lines at the check in desk and security. Even though you should be at the airport two hours before your plane takes off during normal travel times, you will want to increase that up to three hours when you travel around the holidays.

Try to keep the amount of items you bring along to a minimum. It will make checking in your baggage easier and prevent such items from being lost or damaged. If you are traveling for Christmas and you want to send gifts it is a good idea to mail them separately and they will be there when you arrive. If you do decide to pack them don’t wrap them as they are subject to being inspected. You can wrap the gifts when you arrive at your destination.

Traveling around Thanksgiving or Christmas always comes with the risk of the weather being a problem so make sure you are prepared. Some travelers have had their flights delayed for a couple of days due to storms coming in during these times. It is a good idea to arrive at the airport prepared for the worst. Make sure you have plenty of activities with you for children to stay busy with. You also want to carry snacks and drinks so you don’t have to pay the outrageous prices at the airport for these items.

If you have specific dates of travel in order to be spend the holidays away from home you will want to secure your travel arrangements early. Look for the best possible deals online and with a travel agent. If you want until the last minute though in hopes of prices dropping you may be disappointed that you won’t get to go because the flights are sold out.

Many people save money on flights by taking connections or accepting a layover or two. You may want to skip this money saving tip during the holidays just because most airports will be very busy. You don’t want to have to deal with hurrying across a busy airport terminal to find your connecting flight. If you can get a decent price on a direct flight then make sure you do so.

It is very important that you have all your travel documents and a printed copy of your travel itinerary. Most airline staff will be overwhelmed with people asking for assistance during this time of the year. You don’t want to arrive and discover that you don’t have a reservation after all and that there is not a space on the plane for you.

If you want to avoid the crowds during holiday travel, consider taking a very early morning flight or a late evening flight. You will find these are often less expensive as well. While it may interrupt your normal sleep patterns, it can help to reduce the amount of stress and anxiety while you are traveling during the holidays.

For those planning to fly with children around the holidays, make sure you keep a careful eye on them. They can quickly become separated from your family in the crowd of people moving around. Strollers are a good option for small children. Make sure all the adults in the party know which flight they are taking and the airline in case they get separated as well.

You can have a fabulous trip to visit your family and friends over the holidays if you are prepared. Paying attention to the guidelines of the airlines is very important to ensure you have a save trip. Being on time will help to ensure that you don’t have your plans crushed because you have to catch a plane in the following days.

Damaged Items-One Man's Story

Dave Carroll is a musician that had a really bad experience with United Airlines this past summer. Like any good musician, he told his story in song. Just a few weeks ago, while traveling to Colorado and giving a speech, he decided to give United Airlines another chance. This time they lost his luggage. Here's the video that now has almost 6 million views on You Tube. Enjoy!

NW Pilots-The Hyposcrisy

Great commentary by Steve Kelly from the October 29, 2009 Times Picayune

Click here

Warning-Contents Under Pressure

Ever open a bottle of hair gel or shaving cream after a flight only to have contents shoot out all over you and the bathroom? Changes in air pressure during flight can cause all kinds of things to become unsettled.

Always open any pressurized or airtight canister or container gently after you've just flown. Keep shampoo, hand lotion, and similar items in a resealable plastic bag to help limit messes.