Re: Safety briefing from the 1970’s question

Not all aircrafts were equipped with life jackets back then. There might still be some older aircrafts used for domestic operations that do not have them. In those cases, there will not be a safety demonstration for life jackets; the seat bottom cushion can be used as a flotation device and should b...

Re: Airlines selling F upgrades cheap, undercutting Elite flyers

Elite customers are not "entitled" to an upgrade. They get an upgrade if the airline chooses to give them one. You want to sit in first/business class? Then buy first/business class. THIS. All day long... Nobody is entitled to free upgrades on demand, of course. The problem is that airlin...

Re: Which US gateways have you flown to/ from internationally?

ORD- LHR, FRA, AMS, CDG, IST, MUC, DEL, NRT, PVG, PEK, HKG, EZE, SJO, MEX, PVR, SJD
MIA- MAD, BGI
BOS- KEF
JFK- MXP
SJU- AMS
IAH- SJD

Re: Largest and smallest airports you've ever flown out of

Largest and Busiest: DFW and ATL
Smallest: CPX (Culebra, Puerto Rico)

Re: How do airlines decide crew bases

How do airlines decide which cities become crew bases? I always assumed it was only at the hubs. But I recently flew a Delta flight from LAX-LAS and they announced that the crew were San Francisco based. SFO is not a hub for Delta and they only fly from SFO to a few other cities (all DL hubs). So w...

Re: Business class for travel

In my opinion, the only reason anyone would choose economy over business or first class would be for the cost. However, I can see why someone would choose business over first. I think the business class model came as a way to bring efficiency while still providing comforts such as a comfortable seat...

Re: KLM "New" Premium Economy 777-200

100% take the nonstop flight and avoid the possibility of a misconnect caused by a delay (or checked luggage issues). If you want to be more comfortable, I'm sure you can get extra leg room by paying a little extra to sit in a bulkhead or exit row. Exit rows probably have more leg room but they're r...

Re: Canadian customs

He might be American. In the US, Customs and Immigration are handled by the same agency (CBP); there are no dedicated Immigration officers any longer. Thank you for the explanation. I am shocked that you frequently take one day trips to the US and you haven't been questioned about it. During one of...

Re: Canadian customs

My question is, since I'll be flying alone, not leaving the airports and coming home the same day, would that raise suspicion from customs? Why would this raise any suspicion? The 9/11 hijackers were travelling in groups, not alone. And they didn't have return tickets for the same day. Customs supe...

Re: Canadian customs

"I'm on a mileage run" is my usual exucse in these situations. I.e. trying to rack up some frequent flyer miles. Never get any questions after that! Never lie to Customs official! If you're caught in a lie you'll open up a huge can of worms that may come back and haunt you every time you ...

Re: Meal on a 25 min. flight

I remember in my F/A days in the early 2000s, a couple of times I worked ORD-CLE and back in the DC-10 with lower deck galley. We had to do a beverage service for the entire plane. This flight was under an hour long and we were RUNNING around bringing the carts up from the lower deck and them bringi...

Re: Deeply Unpopular Airline Opinions

ExpatVet wrote:

The civil aviation forum is boring, with all the megathreads. (previous post disappeared)

Re: Pan Am future fleet makeup

What if there was no deregulation and Pan Am and TWA remained the premier flag carriers? That would be terrible for us, because flying would be a lot more expensive. A simple flight from EWR to LAX may cost about $3000. It would also keep all the riff-raff out of the skies! There is PLENTY of riff ...

Re: Routes you've flown that are no longer served

My first trip to Europe while in college in 1997, I took the nonstop SJU-AMS on KLM. The flight back had a brief stop in SXM. It was great seeing the tourist in Maho beach so close to you while flying over it. This route is long gone. I think Martinair took over that route for a while after KLM quit...

Re: Have you ever been in a lighter-than-air craft?

DocLightning wrote:

CrewBunk wrote:

[
I wonder if the turbulence you encountered was due to it being tethered.

Most likely.

Re: End of reclining seats?

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the seat that AA introduced some time ago to avoid this problem. For a while they had seats that, instead of the seatback reclining, the seat itself would slide forward giving you the sensation of being reclined while reducing your leg room, instead of encroaching the ...

Re: Pax gifts for Flight Attendants

A fun and inexpensive treat is to bring scratch-off lottery tickets. I'm not sure if this works outside of the US, though. You can bring one or more to each FA and then ask them to play during the flight when service winds down. We've done this when traveling on vacation and to see their excitement ...

Re: The Little Known Fact thread

Most folding lavatory doors on the airplane are opened by pushing in the center section of the door, right where it says "Push".
Pulling on the ashtray will *not* open the door.
Bonus tidbit: Lavatory doors lock from the inside for privacy.

Re: Maybe not so „1-China“ policy by China Eastern?

Not even close to the same thing. China is doing this just because it's Taiwan. So, no inspection of any kind when you arrive in Taiwan from mainland China? I'm talking about why it is being done. That's fine, but then I wouldn't completely dismiss my comment as "not even close". I think ...

Re: Maybe not so „1-China“ policy by China Eastern?

This sounds like the same thing that brings so much confusion when landing in USA from another country. When coming from another country, you ALWAYS have to pick up your checked luggage in your FIRST point of arrival, regardless of your final destination. This is because you and your belongings hav...

Re: Maybe not so „1-China“ policy by China Eastern?

This sounds like the same thing that brings so much confusion when landing in USA from another country. When coming from another country, you ALWAYS have to pick up your checked luggage in your FIRST point of arrival, regardless of your final destination. This is because you and your belongings have...

Re: Mom files complaint, claims UA refused to accommodate son's peanut allergy

Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum Don't you even try to bring that mess in here, or at least, please share your referencing... :roll: There's no mess, just a simple Seinfeld quote. The Mandelbaums were three generations of men (the middle one played by Lloyd Bridges) that had a beef with Jerry abo...

Re: Iranian FA let go by American Airlines

When I worked as a F/A, my best friend and I (both F/As) took a pleasure trip to Beijing, which was a new route back then and we had never worked it. Upon landing, my friend declared in the landing card about his medical condition, which is technically "communicable". Sure enough, while cl...

Re: What luggage do you use?

When I was a flight attendant we got Travelpro issued and it's honestly the best quality. We would get a new one every two years but my first one lasted three years! Have in mind that this bag was used a LOT and sometimes three or four flights in a day with aircraft changes. After I quit the airline...

Re: TAP 237 Medical Divert to KFAR

I was on this flight, and I happen to be a physician that was sitting behind the passenger we diverted for. The need to divert was indicated as the passenger was in a hypertensive crisis on the plane. The decision to divert to Fargo vs. an airport that could accommodate the turn around for this pla...

Re: Two new Skywest planes in one month

Very interesting! Thanks for updating us. I've actually heard that planes can smell pretty nasty to the gate agents who open the door after a long flight. Is that true? Most entry/exit doors to commercial passenger jets are located by a galley. Galleys always smell like coffee, which masks most odo...

Re: Lufthansa to cancel 800 flights on Friday due to pilots’ strike

I took a really quick look at all flight departures from FRA and saw that all mainline LH departures were cancelled except for three flights to TLV. Anyone knows why TLV? I didn't check MUC or other LH hubs but I thought it was interesting that only TLV flights operated.

Re: Nervous Flyers

I still get nervous during takeoffs and anything beyond very mild turbulence. Interesting. I also get nervous, after all the flying I have done in my lifetime, but more like when it's moderate turbulence and beyond. I don't really feel like I'm in danger; I'm just concerned that it will get worse o...

Nervous Flyers

Any nervous flyers out there? In my days working as cabin crew, countless times I had to sit down with nervous flyers to try to comfort them, specially during turbulence. IMO, fear of flying is mostly an irrational fear similar to, if not a phobia. I've come to that conclusion because you can ration...

Re: Condor Airlines and the new paint scheme

after learning that it was supposed to resemble a beach towel. I sure don't see a beach towel in it, actually this is the first time I heard that. It's a very bad beach towel in my opinion, my beach towel looks nothing like that. Besides, they also serve a bunch of non-beach destinations so a beach...

Re: Condor Airlines and the new paint scheme

I hated it at first glance but I changed my mind after learning that it was supposed to resemble a beach towel. As a leisure destination airline, I think they hit the nail on the head. I still wouldn't call it beautiful but I always appreciate creativeness.

Re: USA Immigration Foreign Country Pre-Clearance Staffing

Because they're acting on foreign soil. In my mind, a foreign government having agents at a domestic airport is a violation of sovereignty, and knowing the US they will keep on pushing to have more and more power at your airport. It's a slippery slope, at some point you have to tell them no. CBP Of...

Re: USA Immigration Foreign Country Pre-Clearance Staffing

Because they're acting on foreign soil. In my mind, a foreign government having agents at a domestic airport is a violation of sovereignty, and knowing the US they will keep on pushing to have more and more power at your airport. It's a slippery slope, at some point you have to tell them no. CBP Of...

Re: airlines with bidet lavatories?

I think bidets are great, but you need to have certain water pressure to get the job done. Three years ago I flew ANA while on vacation (ORD-NRT-BKK) and was very surprised to see that the toilet had a bidet. Unfortunately, the water pressure was terrible so it's just kinda pointless.

Re: American tourists bring unexploded bomb shell to Israeli airport

They were questioned and didn't even miss their flight!

Re: Airport codes different from where you expect them to be

MCO, MSY, OGG, ITO, BQN, PIE, MFE, FAT, SWF, VPS... A few of these weren't mentioned in other answers so did some digging: OGG - Kahului/Maui. After Hawaiian aviator Bertram "Jimmy" Hogg ITO - Hilo, HI. HIL and ILO were already taken. Sometimes it's as simple as that. BQN - Aguadilla, Pue...

Re: So what are the chances these airlines could return to SJU?

BA served SJU? I know BCal did way back on it's services to N/W South America but not sure when that got dropped. I seems that as the case with AF, Brits and French have their own former colonies/overseas territories/departments that would cater to those travelers from France/UK looking for a Carib...

Re: United Airlines Fleet Thread - 2022

Recently flew Polaris on a 789 Johannesburg-Newark. Loved it. Comfortable, good food, friendly crew. Thanks UA, outstanding job. Have they improved the inflight service? I'm doing ORD-DEL next month and not really expecting much. The photos I've seen of what they're doing on long haul during the pa...

Re: Updated: WOW Air to relaunch as MOM