MAXjet files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

MAXjet, an all busines class carrier filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy today.  The company cited rising fuel prices and the impact on the credit climate for airlines as the primary reasons for the filing.  MAXjet is attempting to protect passengers by contracting with EOS Airlines to protect passengers in the New York to London route.

For more information, contact MAXjet and EOS Airlines .

Filed under: Air Travel, Eos Airlines, MAXjet, airline, airline industry

Airport security check point tips

The holiday travel season is a busy time.  Airports are crowded and lines are long. TSA has created a list that details what to do to make your security check in smooth and efficient.

Pack an organized carry-on bag using layers – a layer of clothes, then electronic, more clothes, and then any heavier items. This will help security officers see what’s in your bag.

Have your boarding pass and ID ready for inspection when you get to the checkpoint.

Remove your coat and shoes and place them in a bin.

Place any oversized electronics (laptops, full-size video game consoles, DVD players and video cameras that use cassettes) in a separate bin. iPods and other smaller electronics can stay in your carry-on bag.

Follow the 3-1-1 rule for liquids and put your one quart baggie separately in the bin.

When in doubt, leave it out. If you’re not sure about whether you can bring an item through the checkpoint, put it in your checked bag or leave it at home. Click here to see the list of prohibited items. 

Watch the TSA Video simpliFLY

Security Check Point Wait Times

Filed under: Air Travel, airline, airport security, airports

Southwest makes open seating policy changes

Southwest airlines offers an open seating arrangement for seating on their planes. Passengers are given cards labeled “A”, “B”, “C”. “A” card passengers are boarded first, “B” card passengers follow and “C” card passengers board last. “B” and “C” cardholders don’t always get bad seats. We flew from Albany, NY last year and had “B” cards. We were directed to enter the plane from a rear door and ended up with an aisle and middle seat in row 16. Not bad at all!

Southwest has decided to modify their boarding procedure by adding numbers to the cards. Passengers will still be assigned “A”, “B” and “C” cards but each card will now have a number on the card. For example, cards will read “A 9″, “B 18″ or “C 2″ or something similar.

Southwest cites customer suggestions of improvement in the boarding procedure as the reason for the modification. Normally there is a line winding through the gate area because passengers queue up 90 minutes prior to boarding. The usual free for all then ensues when passengers rush on the plane in an attempt to stake out their seats FIRST!

Now, passengers will be boarded by letter and number. It is way to divide the letters into more manageable boarding groups, something that airlines who offer assigned seats have had in place for quite some time.

Filed under: Air Travel, Southwest Airlines, airline, airline industry

Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, New York Style

Governor Eliot Spitzer announced on August 2, 2007 that he signed an airline passenger bill of rights into law. The law is scheduled to take effect in January of 2008. New York claims to be the first state to enact this type of law. The law provides for some mandatory basic services if a flight is severely delayed. The law will require that food, water, fresh air and working restrooms be available to passengers on any flight that has left the gate and has been delayed on the tarmac for three hours or longer. The law will also enact consumer protection guidelines that will:

1) Create a consumer bill of rights for airline passengers.
2) Establish the Office of the Airline Consumer Advocate within the Consumer Protection Board to oversee compliance with the airline passenger bill of rights.
3) Mandate that all air carriers provide consumers with notice of complaint contact information to be posted at all service desks and other appropriate areas.
4) Provide the public with a New York State-based consumer advocate and contact person who can help to coordinate with the appropriate airline industry officials, federal agencies and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the event an incident occurs.

The Air Transport Association commented that this law ignores existing federal law regarding customer service. Options, including a possible legal challenge will be considered.

Additional bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that if passed will create a national airline passenger bill of rights.

The airline industry has never been held accountable for decisions made by management regarding delays and cancellations. It is unfortunate that a lack of forward thinking strategies and a serious attempt to create a high customer service strategies has eluded the airline industry for over a decade while CEOs recived millions in compensation, employees gave back salary and pension benefits and the United States Government gave billions of dollars to U.S. Airlines in the wake of 9/11.
New York Governor’s press release
Aviation Week article
Business Travel News story

Filed under: Air Travel, airline, airline industry

lighters+airplanes=ok

The TSA is lifting the ban on butane lighters or “common lighters” in carry on luggage effective August 4, 2007.  TSA says lighters pose no serious threat. Last year the TSA confiscated more than 11 million lighters. The United States is the only country in the world to ban lighters.

Filed under: Air Travel, Travel Industry, Travel Tips, airline, airline industry