All stories about "Flights"

There was an issue with supermodel Naomi Campbell's luggage on a British Airways flight. Of course, you can imagine how this story ends. It involves witnesses reporting that Naomi was taken off the plane in cuffs being "aggressive and abusive to staff." A Scotland Yard spokesperson would only say that "a 37-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer." That's right, folks. Naomi Campbell is 37. That means she is a MILF and we are all much older and closer to death than we ever realized. [Independent]

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Flybe, a low cost airline, paid 172 people between £30-40 to fly between England and Ireland in order to claim a rebate from Norwich Airport. The payment was promised to Flybe if they were able to bring at least 15,000 passengers into Norwich in one year. Just before the Monday deadline, the discount carrier was still 172 passengers short of their goal, so they resorted to the bribery. [Reuters]

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A new Guinness World Record has been set, thanks to Tommy Lee, a peacock, and a plane flying 30,000 feet in the air. Tuesday, on his way to Miami's Winter Music Conference, Lee got a tattoo of a large peacock on his skin while flying high on Revolution Air. Mario Barth, the artist responsible for inking Lee, is the first in the category of giving "a tattoo at such a high altitude." [NY Post]

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It's been a bad week for Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary. Yesterday, the he announced that profits at his low cost airline might be half of what they were last year. Rising jet fuel costs forced O'Leary to make a gloomy forecast: "The next 12 months will not be pretty for net profit and will not be pretty for shareholders." But on Monday, O'Leary's horse Hear the Echo won the Irish Grand National with 33-1 longshot. The surprise victory earned O'Leary a prize of 250,000 euros, but he hadn't bet on his own horse so he missed out on an additional windfall. The lapse in judgment led Reuters to suggest that his "famed acumen and self-confidence" must have "briefly deserted him" and caused the editors of the Irish Daily Mirror to go with the mocking front page headline: "O'Deary." (photo)

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Dubai's Emirates airline is now the first carrier to allow cell phones usage during flights. Phones will be permitted once the aircraft has reached a cruising altitude, but passengers won't be allowed to place or receive calls at certain times including during night flights. The first test of in-flight phone service of took place on a recent flight between Dubai and Casablanca, but Emirates says plan on offering airborne cell phone usage on their entire fleet, which flies to more than 60 countries. They also expect to be able accommodate Blackberries and the like. [BBC]

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A 22 year-old drug mule was caught on a Miami-bound flight after swallowing "dozens" of cocaine-filled capsules. The man began vomiting and convulsing just as the plane was about to depart from San Jose, Costa Rica. The wannabe drug smuggler, identified only by his last name: "Keller," was sent to a nearby hospital where doctors surgically removed almost a half pound of coke from his stomach. [Reuters]

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Air-safety investigators have revealed that, as recently as last March, Southwest Airlines flew planes that were "not airworthy." The aircraft were not given mandatory inspections, and in some cases, planes went for over two years without being checked. FAA whistleblowers say that the government knew Southwest was flying unsafe planes, but that the discount carrier was allowed to miss inspections because taking "aircraft out of service would have disrupted Southwest Airlines' flight schedule." The violations came out when one of the whistleblowers discovered a plane with a large crack in its fuselage during an inspection of a Southwest facility earlier this year. [CNN]

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Environmental activists are pissed at American Airlines after the company flew a plane with only five passengers from Chicago to London. The Boeing 777 used 22,000 gallons of fuel during the flight, which means that each passenger had a carbon footprint that was 45 times larger than it would be on a normal transatlantic trip. American spent around $60,000 ferrying the five fliers halfway around the world. The airline claimed that they tried to cancel the flight, but were unable to do so since the Chicagoans and passengers in England who were depending on the plane for their trips would have all been stranded by a cancellation. (via)

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British discount airline Ryanair will be shutting down their website and phone centers for the weekend starting at 5 p.m. (ET). The airline says they'll be using the next two days to upgrade their reservation systems, but the British government claims the budget carrier is being penalized for their failure to list fares with all hidden fees revealed on their site. Ryanair customers will be unable to make changes to their itineraries, review orders, or book flights during the shutdown. Before they close up shop, Ryanair is going out with a bang, offering "500,000 seats for sale at £5 ($10) each" online until this evening. [CNN]

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Flight attendants have long proved a point of fascination, especially when they're disrobing in a cockpit midflight while on duty. Or, when they're scantily clad on-air personas getting into catfights over shared lovers and extramarital affairs. So when I first learned of photographer Brian Finke's tome Flight Attendants (out on DUMBO's own Powerhouse Books), I'll admit my interest was piqued. While Finke's photos of flight attendants may seem banal, I figured there was still a possibility that his in-air experiences would offer at least a few scandal-ridden stories. Here's what Finke learned from 50+ flights and the lovely ladies he photographed.

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German nudists have launched a clothing-optional airline in an attempt to make the friendly skies friendlier than ever. As a response, Dave Letterman prepared a preflight video for airborne nudists featuring essential travel advice and naked flying etiquette. The video lets passengers know that it's prohibited to have anything other than their tray table in "the upright and locked position" and that it's inappropriate to joke with the flight attendant about their "sack of nuts." The nude flying trend sounds like it will be great for airport security, unless of course, Al Qaeda is able to find a ridiculously kinky batch of new recruits.

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Transcontinental travelers will be elated to learn that JetBlue is now flying JFK-LAX; direct flights start May 21. The self-proclaimed unofficial airline of tall people will begin with three nonstops a day. And, if you purchase your ticket online before February 22 for travel through June 14, fares start at $129 each way. [via]

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The folks at Wired have shattered my dreams by posting a gallery of photos from Flight Attendants, photographer Brian Finke's new book of cabin crew portraiture. The shots are all banal depictions of flight attendant drudgery, including pushing beverage carts and walking across the tarmac. Absolutely none of the photos feature stripping stewardesses or cat-fighting air hostesses in skimpy uniforms. WTF? [Wired]

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The Guardian reports today that the Bush administration is asking the 27 countries in the European Union to implement seven different security changes for transatlantic travel. The amendments include requests for "personal data on all air passengers overflying but not landing in the US" and for information on non-traveling family members of those passengers landing in the States. The US Department of Security is also asking for more armed air marshalls and a new permit system that will require Europeans to apply for permission to enter the country prior to booking a flight (approval will take several days). [via]

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Through February 29, JetBlue Airways is hosting a brazen spam-collection promotional scheme wherein not only must you sign up to their TrueBlue rewards program, but you must also rat out the names and email addresses of seven other people in order to enter. A hundred winners will each get a free JetBlue flight as well as seven more free flights to dole out amongst whoever. Note that for tax purposes, each of those trips is calculated at $299. [JetBlue]

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An unidentified 33-year-old Somalian woman attempted to hijack a regional Air New Zealand flight today by stabbing both pilots with a knife and claiming there were two bombs aboard. She demanded the plane be redirected to Australia -- well beyond the small two-prop plane's range. The woman was subdued after wounding one pilot in the hand and the other, improbably enough, in the foot. The flight, which was en route from the regional south-Wellington city of Blenheim to Christchurch, was able to land safely at the latter airport. A search on the ground found no explosives on the plane. New Zealand currently requires no baggage searches for such regional flights. [AP]

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Last year, Delta Air Lines led the charge among American airlines when it came to involuntary bumping of passengers off flights. According to the Department of Transportation's latest reports, 16,691 passengers were kicked off Delta flights in 2007 -- part of an 11-year high of such numbers industry-wide. Other bump villains include Southwest Airlines (11,288), American Airlines (6,764), and US Airways (6,544). The best performer was JetBlue Airways, which bumped a scant 43 people, despite serving 21,386,573 passengers. The good news: The DOT is thinking of making vouchers upwards of $800 mandatory depending on the length of delay for those bumped. [via]

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It's not often that we get direct responses to our rare product reviews from the company in question. Rarer still are responses from the products themselves. As an indulgence for foolish germaphobes, the disposable antimacassar known as the Travekleen must provide hours of OCD fun. But if you're foolish enough to dismiss this item as pointless, as we once did, then you'll get taken to school -- hygiene style.

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Carbon footprints serve as a new socially conscious obsession -- these days even Radiohead only agrees to play venues that can prove proper carbon efficiency. The trend is hitting big in Europe, thanks to the EU partnering with both private and public orgs -- car manufacturers like Saab and Rolls Royce included. The goal: to produce a greener aircraft that can help cut carbon emissions 25% by 2020. Additionally, later this month a Virgin Atlantic Boeing will take a test spin from Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam using a biofuel blend. In typical Sir Richard Branson style, the Virgin flight (plans for which where announced last year) is ten months ahead of schedule. [BBC]

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A British firm has unveiled plans for the A2, a supersonic passenger aircraft that could conceivably make five-hour flights from Europe to Australia. Fueled by liquid hydrogen and measuring about twice as long as the current longest passenger jets, the A2 would have at least one design issue: "Passengers would have to put up with having no windows, due to problems with heat produced at high speeds. Instead designers may put flat screen televisions where the windows would be, giving the impression of seeing outside." Physical production of such a plane is at least 25 years away. [AP]

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A French airline crew videotaped themselves enjoying a quality stripping session in the cockpit of their plane and posted the footage online. The clip features a giggly flight attendant, who appears to be wearing a wedding ring, taking off her shirt and bra, flashing her crotch, and presenting her breasts to the eager pilot. This video makes me so happy. It reminds me of the golden era of aviation, when sexism and super-hot stewardesses were the norm. It's not clear which airline is involved, but it's good to know that spirit is alive out there somewhere in the friendly skies. French girls are so freaking awesome. (via)

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"I often think that airport bars may not be the best place to meet people." Possibly the only cogent sentence in this oratorical advertorial that inexplicably appeared in the New York Times regarding "upscale matchmaker" Janis Spindel. Thrill to her stories of chasing men down in baggage claim, and wonder why she hasn't yet been tasered by paranoid authorities. [NYT]

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A plane flying from London to Toronto was forced to make an emergency landing after one of the pilots reportedly suffered a nervous breakdown. Although Air Canada only confirmed that a crew member was "unwell," passengers told the BBC that they saw the co-pilot being carried away in restraints while cursing, and ranting about talking to God. The flight was delayed in Ireland for eight hours while a new crew was brought in. [BBC]

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A German tour operator is offering package trips to the Baltic Sea resort island of Usedom, known for its many nude beaches -- marked "FKK" for "Freikörperkultur," or free body culture. However, the package deals include nudity on the actual plane ride as well. The July 5 trip costs €499. Says a tour company exec: "It's expensive, I know ... It's because the plane's very small. There's no real reason why a flight in which one flies naked should be more expensive than any other." So true! But this isn't an orgy, you perv. "I don't want people to get the wrong idea. It's not that we're starting a swinger club in mid-air or something like that," he added. "We're a perfectly normal holiday company." Of course you are. [via]

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A 40-year old Navy sailor was arrested yesterday after getting caught in the act of molesting a 13-year-old girl on board a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Phoenix. Flight attendants witnessed the man touching the girl on her lips, and she later told authorities that he had begun fondling her under a blanket as they watched movies on his laptop. The man has reportedly admitted to some of the allegations. Psychologists interviewed about this case by a local news station said that passengers often let their guard down on planes, making flights an ideal environment for situational sex offenders. [AP]

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Artist Ramak Fazel has a an exhibition opening today at New York's Storefront for Art and Architecture; "49 State Capitols" details his trip around the United States, photographing each capitol and mailing himself a postcard of each. Trouble is, the Iranian-born Fazel once described his project to a fellow passenger on an airplane, and she "reported him as suspicious" and captured "a picture of him as he slept." Creepy! [via]

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Surprise! Don't be checking those extra laptop batteries on your flights. Rechargeable lithium batteries may only be checked or carried on if packed in plastic bags; regardless, the limit is two per passenger. The FAA's battery assault went into effect January 1. [AP]

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Sad news today out of Thailand. Air Hostess War, the racy soap opera that featured flight attendant catfights and heated extramarital affairs, has been censored in response to complaints that were brought to the Thai Culture Ministry. The controversy was sparked by trade unions representing airline crews who felt the show portrayed their profession in an unfavorable light. Air Hostess War won't be canceled, but it's going to be rendered so much less awesome. After the jump, the new scheme, plus a clip of the sadly departing hotness.

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Australians are a very travel-minded people, and it appears they're also very into high-altitude boinking. When Ozzies were polled about their interests in sex aloft, "almost half of 1,110 people surveyed wanted an adventure, while 12 percent already had mile-high membership wings." I knew Nicole Kidman was undressing me with her eyes when we shared a first-class row to Melbourne that time. [Reuters]

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