Aviation

Saw an unusual situation after a long haul flight from Europe to the US while waiting at baggage claim. At the carousel there was one young airport employee trying to manage the luggage, repositioning bags so the belt wouldn’t jam. The bags were coming out quickly and she was...

Had an unusual moment on a recent Ryanair flight from Athens to London Stansted. During descent the crew made repeated announcements telling passengers to completely switch off all electronic devices. Not just airplane mode. They specifically said flight mode wasn’t enough and...

I was looking at airport stats and didn’t expect this at all. The US has around 15,800 airports. Brazil is second with about 4,900. Then Australia with 2,100, Mexico and Canada around 1,400 each, the UK about 1,000, and Russia roughly 900. So the US alone has more than those six...

I would be standing there like… what? Flying from Chile to Montreal and suddenly the rule is you can’t have over 100ml because the plane crosses US airspace? That sounds completely new. I’ve flown over the US tons of times on international routes and never had anyone care about...

Had a successful AviationADR determination last year against Ryanair. Award was £350 per passenger for 3 passengers, so £1,050 total. In November I received just £350. I raised it multiple times through the ADR portal. They kept saying they’d ask Ryanair for proof of payment,...

Saw a report saying Emirates expects to bring back almost its full flight network within the next few days, depending on airspace availability. The airline is hoping to restore around 106 out of its 140 destinations, which would be a pretty big step toward normal operations...

Three similar mileage options NYC to Milan. What would you choose? • Emirates A380 economy, nonstop • Delta A330 economy, nonstop • United economy plus, NYC to Chicago on a 737 then 787 Dreamliner to Milan with a 1 hour layover Curious what people would prioritize here....

I’ve seen those airplane collectible cards all over social media lately and thought they looked pretty cool. Since I’m flying with Singapore Airlines soon, I was wondering if they also have those kinds of cards. If they do, how do you usually get one? Would love to grab one as a...

Had a Ryanair flight recently and something happened I had never seen before. I was watching a Netflix episode I had downloaded on my phone. As we were getting ready to land, a flight attendant came over and told me I had to turn my phone off completely, not just stop watching....

I came across an explanation from a Southwest employee about why they are strict about people not moving seats anymore. The short version is their system now assigns seats and calculates aircraft weight and balance ahead of time using multiple cabin zones. Because of that, if...

Flew from Manchester to Salzburg and had an unusual landing experience. About 10 minutes before landing, the flight attendants went through the cabin telling everyone to turn electronics completely off, not just flight mode. They were pretty strict about it and said the pilot...

That’s brutal, especially on a premium transcon. If it was a true aircraft swap to a non-Mint aircraft, that explains the system auto-downgrade. JetBlue doesn’t have a ton of spare Mint-configured planes, so when they sub in a non-Mint bird on JFK/LAX type routes, it creates...

That’s the best kind of surprise. Qatar aircraft swaps are a rollercoaster. You get the dreaded “equipment change” email, mentally prepare for 2-2-2, and then somehow end up with the shiny new bird anyway. They’re pretty quick to notify on downgrades, but upgrades back to...

I recently applied for cabin crew positions with Scandinavian Airlines in both Copenhagen and Stockholm. I was invited to attend an assessment day, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it. I was told I would be invited to the next one, but when I asked about upcoming dates...

After a disrupted Ryanair flight last year, I had to pay for some basic expenses like a hotel, transport, and food overnight. Nothing excessive, just normal costs you’d expect to be reimbursed after a disruption. I submitted the receipts multiple times, opened several support...

During boarding on a DCA to Chicago Midway flight, the flight attendants got on the intercom and told everyone to put small bags under the seat in front of them. They said the plane was weight restricted, and if the overhead bins filled up they might have to start pulling people...

Just saw the news that Spirit Airlines plans to recall pilots who were previously furloughed, apparently to help stabilize operations ahead of the busy summer travel season. Considering how many pilots and crew were furloughed during the airline’s restructuring and bankruptcy...

The elevator controls pitch, meaning whether the nose goes up or down. On takeoff, the pilot has to pull back to rotate the nose up. If the elevator is jammed, you may not be able to lift the nose at all. In the Flight 9363 case, the elevator was stuck in a nose down position....