2008   Feds Investigate Airplane Brawl (WOWT.com) - 12/31/08 The FBI is looking into a bizarre and frightening incident aboard a commercial jet heading from Houston to Omaha last Friday involving an unstable passenger. It began with a middle-aged man leaving the plane's lavatory covered in his own feces. more>> [Includes vid] Go! airline pilots admit sleeping during flight (USA Today) - 12/29/08 The pilots on board a go! airlines flight that overshot the Hilo airport last February have admitted they fell asleep in the cockpit while the plane was on autopilot. more>> “Please stop the madness” dog owner begs Delta Air Lines (Tripso) - 12/24/08 As far as airline fees go, it probably doesn’t get any more absurd than this: The fee for Christy Lynn Wilson’s miniature-schnauzer mix to fly under her seat on Delta Air Lines is $300 — $28 less than her airfare. more>> Outrageous airline lawsuits (USA Today) - 12/22/08 "It’s been a bad week for airlines, but a great week for lawyers." So says the Times of London, which goes on to examine a series of outlandish lawsuits brought by travelers against airlines. more>> An economist should not get stuck in a toilet seat (Irish Times) - 12/18/08 It is rather haunting, the notice above the Flush button in the toilet on the airliner, "Do Not Flush While Seated On Toilet." One imagines the engineers of the toilet running tests with flush dummies with big flat butts and the suction ripping the stuffing right out of them... more>> 'I'm not qualified to land plane,' pilot tells passengers (Breitbart) - 12/18/08 A British passenger plane was forced to turn back minutes before landing in Paris because the pilot of 30 years' experience was not qualified to land in fog... more>> Couple accuse United Airlines of overserving husband, causing him to beat wife (Chicago Tribune) - 12/17/08 This is no bar bet, it's a lawsuit. Can you get drunk on a flight, then sue the airline for giving you the booze? more>> Unruly passenger forces plane to land in SLC (Salt Lake Tribune) - 12/16/08 An unruly passenger forced a New York City-to-California flight to make an unscheduled stop at Salt Lake City International Airport late Monday after he drank several beers and boasted that he had shot people in Lebanon. more>> Twisting Into a Human Pretzel on Airplanes (New York Times) - 12/15/2008 It's always surprising to me how little I enjoy flying. My husband used to work for British Aerospace, so I certainly know that planes are a safe mode of travel. It doesn’t matter. I don’t enjoy it. more>> From snoring seatmates to XL passengers: 10 “gray” areas on a plane (Tripso) - 12/10/08 Showing up early for your flight. Carrying no more than six ounces of liquids. Being prepared to pay for anything extra. Some things are black-and-white when you travel by air. But many others aren’t. more>> Desert Sun editor shares own tale of airplane woes (Desert Sun) - 12/2/08 I didn't plan to end my vacation to Costa Rica trapped inside a plane at the Ontario airport for nine hours, but that's what happened. Nope, that's not a typo. Nine. 9. Nueve. more>> Christina Szele Pleads Guilty to Interference With a Jetblue Flight Crew (LawFuel.com) - 11/26/08 Christina Elizabeth Szele, of Woodside, New York, pled guilty this morning before U.S. District Court Judge John L. Kane to interference with a flight crew... more>> Five ways to avoid germs while traveling (CNN) - 11/27/08 This week while you're traveling, if you happen to spot a man applying hand sanitizer as he gets off an escalator, there's a good chance it's Dr. Mark Gendreau, a senior staff physician at the Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Massachusetts. more>> Rude Travel Behavior Hitting New Highs, Survey Says (Tampa Tribune) - 11/26/08 Ever sit in an airliner in front of a family with a parent who tells the youngsters to stop kicking the seat because "that mean woman in front of you wants you to stop?" That's one of the examples of in-flight rudeness respondents related in a recent... more>> Obese Airline Passengers Get Break In Canada (Hartford Courant) - 11/24/08 Passengers who need more than one airline seat because of obesity or a disability won't have to pay for the additional seat in Canada. more>> The Tarmac’s Madding Crowds (New York Times) - 11/21/08 A federal study group — created with fanfare to tackle the wretched ordeal of passengers stranded for hours on idled jetliners — has refused to mandate how long airlines can keep their passengers trapped before taxiing back for relief. more>> Report: Co-pilot had breakdown, flight attendant helped land jet (CNN) - 11/19/08 An Air Canada co-pilot having a mental breakdown had to be forcibly removed from the cockpit, restrained and sedated, and a flight attendant with flying experience helped the pilot safely make an emergency landing... more>> Tampa Woman, 83, Mistakenly Flown To Puerto Rico (Tampa Tribune) - 11/18/08 Employees at US Airways are looking into how an 83-year-old woman in a wheelchair flying Monday from New York to Tampa instead found herself at an airport in Puerto Rico. more>> [includes pic] Unruly airline passenger bound with duct tape (MSNBC.com) - 11/5/08 An airline crew used duct tape to keep a passenger in her seat because they say she became unruly, fighting flight attendants and grabbing other passengers... more>> Airline staff give 'annoying' passengers a slap in the Facebook (New Zealand Herald) - 11/3/08 British Airways staff have criticised passengers as "smelly and annoying" and condemned the opening of Heathrow's Terminal 5 as a disaster. more>> Delta worker finds cheetah loose in plane's cargo hold (Atlanta Journal Constitution) - 10/31/08 A Delta baggage worker got a bit of a fright before Halloween when she opened a jetliner’s cargo door and found a cheetah running loose amid the luggage. more>> Spooky, kooky and unpredictable travel tales (MSNBC.com) - 10/30/08 Last week, in preparation for Halloween, the Well-Mannered Traveler column was filled with scary travel stories “ripped from the headlines.” more>> [Includes FlightsFromHell.com mention] Is the TSA violating your privacy with its new body scanning machines? (Budget Travel) - 10/29/08 "Virtual strip searches" are currently being done using full-body scanners at Los Angeles International, JFK, Baltimore-Washington International, Miami, and many other airports. more>> [Includes mature pics] Tired and Impatient? Keep Your Pants On (New York Times) - 10/27/08 Canceled flights, delayed flights and surly crews. This is the stuff of travel. But occasionally, airline personnel are helpful, going beyond the confines of their job descriptions. more>> Runaway Poodle Delays Boston Departures (Wall Street Journal) - 10/27/08 The spate of cutbacks airlines have put in place seem poised to help relieve some of the congestion that has dogged U.S. carriers in recent years. But over the weekend, another problem unexpectedly snarled traffic.. more>> [Includes pic] Tales from airports, planes downright scary (MSNBC.com) - 10/23/08 Canceled flights. Non-existent service. Sky-high airfares and fees. Modern day travel can be unpredictable and unpleasant. With Halloween just around the corner, let’s not forget that being at an airport or on a plane can be pretty scary, too. more>> United Airlines pilot arrested on suspicion of being drunk (Telegraph) - 10/20/08 An airline pilot was arrested in the cockpit of his plane on suspicion of being drunk before take-off. more>> Airport ready to start scans (St. Petersburg Times) - 10/17/08 Before your next flight from Tampa International Airport, you might end up striking poses in what looks like a phone booth big enough for basketball behemoth Shaquille O'Neal. more>> [includes pic] Hermès fashion house heir 'grabbed pilot's crotch' in alleged air rage incident (Telegraph) - 10/16/08 The polo-loving heir to French fashion house Hermès, Mathias Guerrand-Hermès, allegedly grabbed at an Air France pilot's crotch in a drunken mid-air attack. more>> Plane with ill passengers diverted to Chicago (San Francisco Chronicle) - 10/8/08 A United Airlines plane was diverted to O'Hare International Airport on Wednesday night after about a dozen passengers became ill during a flight. more>> Qantas plane suddenly plunges, injuring dozens (International Herald Tribune) - 10/8/08 Passengers told of terror in the sky when their Qantas Airways plane suddenly plunged nose-first over Australia, tossing travelers around the cabin, causing fractures, concussions and bruises. more>> FlightsfromHell.com lets anonymous travelers share bad experiences (St. Petersburg Times) - 10/8/08 When he's not at his paying job as an environmental health supervisor, Gregg Rottler of Lutz chronicles the weird and ugly side of air travel on the Web. more>> After flight delay, man accused of spraying powder in plane (Boston Globe) - 10/7/08 A man whose original flight was delayed seven hours is facing disorderly conduct charges today because he allegedly sprayed fellow passengers with foot powder after landing in Boston. more>> Man accused of binding teen's hands on flight (Associated Press) - 10/7/08 A 29-year-old man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly binding the hands of a teenager sitting next to him on a Southwest Airlines flight and trying to tape her older sister's hands as well. more>> Ads at 35,000 feet: A new frontier for commercialism? (USA Today) - 10/3/08 Looking for a refuge from commercialism? Don’t expect to find it on the inside of an airplane, at least not if recent trends continue. more>> Couple lose 12st after plane could not take off because they were too heavy (Mail Online) - 10/3/08 The plane was on the runway; the holidaymakers in good spirits. And when the stewardess came down the aisle towards Jan Coupe and her husband, she thought the flight attendant was going to check their seatbelts. Then came the moment Mrs Coupe wished the earth would open up and she could disappear. more>> Passenger: JetBlue Attendant Sexually Harassed Me (CBS) - 10/2/08 Tells CBS 2 HD Employee Showed Naked Pictures Of Himself, Made Lewd Comments, Grabbed Victim's Buttocks... more>> Coffee, tea or laptop privacy screen? (MSNBC.com) - 9/25/08 An in-flight activity practiced by some ill-mannered travelers is about to become even more of a hot-button issue. We’re not talking about reckless reclining, armrest hogging or even coast-to-coast wind-breaking. The topic du jour is surfing pornography...more>> Wheelchair on plane bursts into flames (Times Online) - 9/23/08 A holiday jet carrying 229 passengers narrowly avoided disaster when a wheelchair stored in the hold burst into flames shortly after landing at Manchester airport. Ground staff unloading baggage from the hold of the First Choice holiday jet noticed blue sparks coming from the chair...more>> Readers let fly their disgust with airlines (MSNBC.com) - 9/22/08 Additional baggage fees. Extra charges for snacks and pillows. More moolah for an aisle or window seat. These are just some of the many ways airlines are getting you to cough up even more dough when you fly the already expensive skies. more>> Dump this! 7 things airlines should jettison (MSNBC.com) - 9/22/08 Meals. Pillows. Blankets. And now, life vests. Is there anything the airlines haven’t tried to remove from their planes? As a matter of fact, yes. more>> Alaska senator accused of causing flight ruckus (MSNBC.com) - 9/17/08 An Alaska state senator caused a disturbance on an Alaska Airlines flight, including throwing a glass of water when flight attendants refused to serve her alcohol... more>> Canadian man changes name to avoid security watchlist hassles (USA Today) - 9/16/08 ...a Canadian man has officially changed his name to avoid travel hassles that began when his name was added to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's passenger watch list. more>> Passengers Force German Airline to Switch Jets (Deutsche Welle) - 9/15/08 Passengers worried by two failed attempts at take-off drafted a petition and forced Germany's second-biggest airline to use a different jet for their flight... more>> Man jailed for kicking cabin crew (BBC) - 9/15/08 A drunken airline passenger who punched and kicked cabin crew after they refused to serve him more alcohol, has been jailed for eight months. more>> Flying the Unfriendly Skies (New York Times) - 9/14/08 It is a typical day for the flight attendants aboard American Airlines Flight 710, a 737-800 headed from Dallas to New York with a scheduled departure time of 9:05 a.m. more>> Airport finds dead baby in Vietnamese man's bag (MSNBC.com) - 9/11/08 Airport officials in southern Vietnam say they have found a dead baby in the suitcase of a passenger who was about to board a flight. more>> HORROR: American Airlines Sued Over Missing Body (WCBSTV) - 9/9/08 It was Miguel Olaya's worst nightmare. Not only had his wife of 26 years died of cancer, but he says American Airlines lost her body when it was time to bury her in their native Ecuador. more>> JetBlue flight diverted after fight breaks out (CNN) - 9/6/08 A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said. more>> Kids and airlines create traveler turbulence (St. Petersburg Times) - 8/27/08 Spoiling for a fight? Here's the quickest way to tap a deep well of vitriol: Start up a conversation about kids and airplanes. You'll get an earful about privilege, discourtesy and selfishness. more>> Jail for Anthony Delaney after he lived at Gatwick airport for three years (Times Online) - 8/23/08 A homeless chef who lived at Gatwick for three years was jailed yesterday for repeatedly breaking an antisocial behaviour order banning him from the airport. more>> Delta flight delayed by catfish (USA Today) - 8/22/08 Four catfish on the runway at Florida's Melbourne International kept a Delta flight from landing on time Wednesday as Tropical Storm Fay hovered over the region...more>> Two arrested with 113 live snakes at Mombasa Airport  (Kenya Broadcasting Corp) - 8/21/08 Two people are in police custody for attempting to illegally export 113 live snakes to Japan through the Moi International airport, Mombasa. more>> Airport slip-ups can turn into a federal offense (MSNBC.com) - 8/21/08 Given how stressed we all get with air travel these days, it’s easier than ever for travelers — even well-mannered ones — to do or say something that lands them in hot water at the airport. more>> Flying the long, uncomfortable, annoying and unfriendly skies (MSNBC.com) - 8/19/08 Happy National Aviation Day! That’s right, August 19 is National Aviation Day, which was officially established in 1939 to “stimulate interest in aviation in the United States.” Unfortunately, it seems that some folks have gotten a little overstimulated recently...more>> Holiday flight is diverted after mid-air brawl breaks out (Mail Online) - 8/15/08 A holiday flight between to Crete had to be diverted after a brawl erupted among drunken passengers, it has been revealed. more>> When Flying JetBlue, Watch What You Do (Joe Sharkey At Large) - 8/15/08 I've been unavoidably off the beat for a couple of days, but I need to catch up on what seems to be increasing incidents of airline thuggery. more>> A Step Too Far For Airport Scanners (Tampa Tribune) - 8/14/08 Remember the scene in "Airplane II, The Sequel" where two airport security guards get their kicks watching a special camera "undress" female passengers? We laughed about it then, but real-world technology that peeks under your clothes is now headed to Tampa International Airport, and it's nothing to smile about. more>> Passengers Say They Didn't See Osteen's Wife Attack Woman (KXAS) - 8/13/08 Passengers testified Wednesday they never saw or heard anything that indicated the wife of renowned pastor Joel Osteen assaulted a flight attendant before the start of a 2005 flight. more>> How airlines deal with 'customers of size' (MSNBC.com) - 8/12/08 You're paying more to travel, and not just for your plane ticket. Every pound counts as the number of carriers charging for all pieces of checked luggage racks up. So it stands to reason that the public might wonder why airlines don't charge extra for passengers with significant overages of a more, uh, personal nature. more>> Delays Keep Fliers Waiting and Guessing (New York Times) - 8/11/08 “Bye-bye!” the big macaw is screaming, using words he says when alarmed. “It’s raining!” the little African gray is repeating shrilly. I have my own reaction to inclement weather...more>> Tampa Airport Ready To Unveil Denuding Scanners (Tampa Tribune) - 8/8/08 New security technology that electronically undresses travelers and shoots a photo image to an officer in another room is set to emit its electromagnetic denuding rays at Tampa International Airport just in time for the holidays. more>> Leeds-based airline apologises for flight from hell (Yorkshire Evening Post) - 8/6/08 Angry travellers today won an apology from Leeds-based budget airline Jet2.com after enduring a holiday flight from hell. more>> Row of seats on United Airlines flight comes loose forcing emergency landing (Seattle Times) - 8/5/08 A United Airlines flight bound for San Francisco from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Sunday evening was forced to make an emergency landing after a row of seats gave way during takeoff and slid into the row behind it, injuring one passenger. more>> US Airways to follow JetBlue's pillow fee (Crain's New York Business) - 8/4/08 US Airways will likely begin selling pillows and blankets to its customers by the end of the year, following closely behind discount carrier JetBlue Airways Corp., which said Monday it will start charging fliers $7 to use a pillow and blanket. more>> Parents forget child at airport (Yahoo!) - 8/4/08 Staff at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel have found a four-year-old girl alone in a duty-free shop after her parents accidentally took a plane without her. more>> Overweight passengers cost the airlines fuel (Budget Travel) - 8/1/08 Newsweek and Forbes have weighed in on whether airlines are likely to charge passengers more if they weigh significantly more than the typical person of their height and age. They say: Fat chance. more>> Punishing airlines whose passengers misbehave (Reuters) - 7/31/08 China will punish airlines whose passengers refuse to disembark or misbehave in protest over problems like delayed flights...more>> Jerry Lewis Cited for Unloaded Gun in Luggage (FOX News) 7/30/08 Police say they have confiscated a gun belonging to Jerry Lewis that was found in the 82-year-old entertainer's carryon bag...more>> Body of woman, 61, found in plane bathroom (ABCNews) ­ 7/30/08 Flight attendants discovered the body of a 61-year-old woman in the restroom of a plane shortly before the flight landed in Atlanta Wednesday morning...more>> An Aging Plane, an Explosion and a Telltale Cigarette Butt (New York Times) - 7/29/08 I think I’m a relaxed flier, which is amusing since I don’t like to ride in a car unless I’m driving. The more I fly, the more relaxed I am. But if a few months go by and I’m not on a plane, I’m the guy who starts to get a little nervous about the noises. I never used to be that guy, but now I am. This is why. more>> Angry, late, tired passengers make computers crash (Reuters) - 7/29/08 Scores of Chinese air passengers smashed computers and desks and clashed with police Tuesday after a night stranded at an airport without accommodation...more>> Mad at the airlines? Here’s how to get even — now (MSNBC.com) - 7/28/08 Are you ready for the airline passenger uprising of 2008? Get ready. It’s coming. You can hear it in conversations with other travelers: the whispers of imminent action. You can almost feel it in the airport terminal: the nervous energy, the pent-up frustration. more>> Panic as binge women try to 'get some air' at 30,000ft (Observer) - 7/27/08 Two British women caused panic on a holiday flight from Greece when they attacked cabin staff with a vodka bottle and fought to open the emergency exit at 30,000ft, one screaming: 'I want some fresh air.' more>> Dwarf comedy stunt shocks airport staff (MSNBC.com) - 7/24/08 Swedish airport staff were not amused when a team from a TV comedy show tried to check in a suitcase with a dwarf inside. more>> Qantas bomb threat (Sydney Morning Herald) - 7/20/08 American anti-terrorism experts are hunting a bomb hoaxer, after passengers were evacuated from a packed Sydney-bound Qantas jumbo in Los Angeles yesterday. more>> Man strips on flight, tries to open exit door (MSNBC.com) - 7/18/08 An American Airlines flight from Boston to Los Angeles was diverted to Oklahoma City on Friday after a passenger stripped, put his clothes back on and then tried to open an emergency exit door before being subdued by members of a pro soccer team and others...more>> Beware the boot: Helping parents, kids fly right (MSNBC.com) - 7/17/08 Earlier this month, Wendy Slaughter, her four young kids and her pregnant sister were scheduled to fly on Southwest Airlines from Detroit to Seattle via Phoenix. more>> Flying — and surviving — the unfriendly skies (MSNBC.com) - 7/15/08 Planning on flying this summer? If so, I’d like to suggest you take your seat, take a deep breath and take a moment to think about Aiden Mackle. more>> [Includes FlightsFromHell.com mention] TSA vs. passenger tussle caught on tape, now focus of lawsuit (KARE11) - 7/10/08 A New York woman has filed a $10 million lawsuit stemming from her arrest at Washington's Reagan International Airport last year, an arrest she says was unwarranted and abusive. more>> [includes vid] Ticks on plane (WRAL) - 7/9/08 Some wayward ticks delayed a United Airlines flight from Denver to Des Moines. more>> Family: 'Southwest Airlines kicked us off flight in Phoenix' (ABC15 News) - 7/8/08 A Seattle family said they were left stranded at Sky Harbor Airport over the holiday weekend when Southwest Airlines refused to allow them to board a connecting flight because their children were disruptive. more>> [Includes vid] 10 instances where being rude doesn't pay (MSNBC) - 7/8/08 While it is true that kindness can be contagious, it seems that in the air, rudeness has become an epidemic. more>> American Airlines Cancels Flight Due to Hostile Passengers (FOX) - 7/7/08 A flight from Florida to New York Sunday night never got off the ground. more>> [Includes vid] Angry flier uses emergency slide to exit Delta jet (USA Today) - 7/6/08 Guyanese authorities say a first-class airline passenger was so angry at seeing economy passengers leave a jetliner before him that he yanked open an emergency hatch and slid down the chute. more>> Autistic toddler kicked off airplane (ABC11 News) - 6/24/08 An American Eagle flight taxiing to a Raleigh-Durham Airport runway was turned around Monday, but not because of a terrorist threat. The crew was kicking an autistic Cary toddler and his mother off the plane. more>> [includes vid] Group Wants Pot Allowed in Airport Smoking Lounges (My FOX Colorado) - 6/24/08 One pro-marijuana group is calling on the government to allow marijuana in smoking lounges at airports across the country. more>> Seizing Laptops and Cameras Without Cause (US News and World Report) - 6/24/08 Returning from a brief vacation to Germany in February, Bill Hogan was selected for additional screening by customs officials at Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. Agents searched Hogan's luggage and then popped an unexpected question: Was he carrying any digital media cards or drives in his pockets? more>> N.Y. woman accused of hitting flight attendant (MSNBC.com) - 6/20/08 A New York woman has been accused of punching a JetBlue Airways Corp. flight attendant who tried to stop her from smoking a cigarette onboard. more>> [includes pic] Naomi Campbell sentenced for assaulting police after luggage lost on flight (Telegraph) - 6/20/08 Naomi Campbell flew into a rage and accused an airline captain of racism when he tried to explain that one of her bags had gone missing, a court has heard. more>> United flight canceled after upset pilot refuses to fly (USA Today) - 6/20/08 United canceled a flight from Salt Lake City Thursday afternoon after the pilot announced to passengers that he was too upset to fly, according to one passenger on board. more>> Uninvited skunk causes stink aboard airliner (MSNBC.com) - 6/20/08 An uninvited passenger created a smelly situation on a plane in Miami. more>> Hilarious hold-ups: Odd reasons for flight delays (MSNBC.com) - 6/17/08 As a flight attendant, delays have become second nature to me. It’s like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, beer and chips — only not as enjoyable. more>> Surviving a flight with your baby or toddler (CNN) - 6/6/08 Flying with a baby or toddler can have its fair share of turbulence. From finding a place to change diapers to keeping your child quiet to dealing with eye-rolling passengers, parents have their work cut out for them on a plane. more>> What not to wear on a plane (CNN) - 6/2/08 Shorts. High heels. Cologne. Even if you're just an occasional air traveler, you probably know better than to wear any of those on board. more>> Pistol pendant causes airport holdup (Toronto Star) - 5/30/08 The Colt .45 hung cold around her neck, like a pendant. Because it was a pendant. On Monday, Marnina Norys, a 39-year-old PhD student of social political thought at York University, was forced to remove a piece of silver jewellery cast in the shape of an antique pistol...more>> [includes pic] Supermodel Campbell charged over 'air rage' (Brietbart.com) - 5/29/08 British supermodel Naomi Campbell has been charged with a string of offences after allegedly assaulting a police officer at London's Heathrow airport, her lawyer said Thursday. more>> Schadenfreude (Awoosh Spl00ge Blog) - 5/29/08 Gregg Rottler, founder of Flights From Hell, has figured out that there is a demand for "Flight From Hell" stories. His popular website, featured in The New York Times, MSNBC and various other media outlets, features submissions from travelers with a beef. more>> Boy who hopped 2 flights last year tries it again (USA Today) - 5/27/08 A 10-year-old boy who last year talked his way onto airline flights to Texas tried another getaway Tuesday but was stopped at a boarding gate, authorities said. more>> Cannabis blunder at Tokyo airport (BBC) - 5/26/08 An unwitting passenger arriving at Japan's Narita airport has received 142g of cannabis after a customs test went awry, officials say. more>> Travelers have plenty to complain about (MSNBC.com) - 5/22/08 It was a four-star hotel in a prosperous mid-western city. I arrived late in the evening and the fresh-faced desk clerk told me I was “darn lucky” to get the last empty room. more>> Mile-high schlub (Boston Phoenix) - 5/21/08 We recall the 10 things we miss most from the Golden Age of Air Travel...more>> Naked pilot, flight attendant charged after romp in woods (USA Today) - 5/20/08 An airline pilot was found hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and a wristwatch as a nighttime romp in the woods with a flight attendant ended with both under arrest. more>> Rocket man flies to 8,200ft (Telegraph) - 5/15/08 Swooping and diving above the mountainous town of Bex in western Switzerland, the self-styled "Rocket Man" flew at 8,200ft for more than five minutes thanks to an 8ft jet-powered wing strapped to his back. more>> [includes pics] Flight attendant accused of setting fire on plane (MSNBC.com) - 5/15/08 A 19-year-old flight attendant has been accused of setting a fire aboard a commercial airplane that was forced to make an emergency landing in Fargo, N.D. more>> Airline Sat Me On Can - (New York Post) - 5/13/08 A JetBlue pilot forced a Manhattan man to sit on the toilet for three hours during a cross-country flight to free up his seat for a stewardess, the flush-with-fury passenger charges in a $2 million lawsuit filed yesterday. more>> [includes pic] Airline passenger refuses to hang up cell phone during flight (Dallas Morning News) - 5/12/08 Dallas police met a Southwest Airlines plane at Dallas Love Field on Monday after flight staff reported that a passenger refused to stop using his mobile phone during the flight. more>> Actor Dennis Farina arrested at L.A. airport (Telegraph) - 5/12/08 Dennis Farina, a former policeman who built a Hollywood career playing detectives, has found himself on the other side of the law. more>> Man found sleeping in jet at airport (UPI) - 5/8/08 A spokesman for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in Missouri said a man found sleeping in a parked jet had walked through a manned security checkpoint. more>> Germs on a Plane: Not So Scary (Aviation) - 5/6/08 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and avian flu have sickened thousands and reaped headlines in recent years — spiking fears that these and other viral diseases could spread quickly in the enclosed environment of airplanes...more>> Flying Foul: Passengers Behaving Badly (Wall Street Journal) - 5/6/08 You'll never look at, or reach into, an airline seat-back pocket the same after reading this. more>> Human skulls smuggling foiled at airport (Jakarta Post) - 5/1/08 The Customs and Excise Office at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport said Thursday it had confiscated three human skulls smuggled through delivery packages from Denpasar to the United Kingdom. more>> In-flight cell service: Answer the call or not? (MSNBC.com) - 5/1/08 When will we be able to surf the Web, send text messages and answer e-mail from an airplane flying over the United States? Any day now. more>> Friendly skies? Ha! Bumpy ride ahead (MSNBC.com) - 4/24/08 The airline industry has been the butt of a lot of jokes lately. more>> Drunk passenger arrested for struggle on jet (MSNBC.com) - 4/24/08 A group of passengers duct-taped a man to his seat after he attacked a United Airlines flight attendant during a trip from Hong Kong to Los Angeles...more>> Babies on planes: Should they be separate? (MSNBC.com) - 4/21/08 There’s nothing so radically new about seating the kids separately from the adults. After all, who hasn’t been banished to the kid’s table at big family dinners? more>> Airport body scanners 'virtual strip searches' (The Age) - 4/19/08 Travellers at Los Angeles and New York airports will be searched using a new scanner that peers through their clothes and creates an image of the person's body...more>> [includes pic] Praying passenger removed from flight (MSNBC.com) - 4/17/08 A passenger who left his seat to pray in the back of a plane before it took off, ignoring flight attendants' orders to return, was removed by an airport security guard...more>> Flight Chaos Shows Passengers Have Few Rights (New York Times) - 4/16/08 American Airlines cancels more than 3,000 flights because of maintenance issues. Too bad. Skybus Airlines goes bankrupt and shuts down. Find another way to get to Ohio. You’re trapped on a tarmac for 10 hours — sit tight. more>> 10 wacky complaints about air travel (MSNBC.com) - 4/15/08 As a flight attendant, I perform many different jobs on board airplanes: safety professional, drinks slinger, bottle warmer, dispute settler, iPod fixer — you name it. One of the more troublesome duties is that of complaint catcher. more>> Travelers share their tales (MSNBC.com) - 4/11/08 By now, you've heard the news. An estimated quarter million travelers have been affected by American Airlines' flight cancellations — about 3,100 of them since Tuesday, to be exact — across the country. more>> How to find what you lost at the airport (MSNBC.com) - 4/10/08 Improve your odds at finding what you've lost at the airport. more>> Naomi Campbell arrested at Heathrow airport (Times of India) - 4/4/08 Supermodel Naomi Campbell was arrested at London's Heathrow airport on suspicion of assaulting a police officer in an argument over luggage. more>> President of Palau left off flight after refusing to be frisked (USA Today) - 4/3/08 The president of the Pacific nation of Palau was briefly stranded in the Philippine capital when a U.S. airline refused to allow him aboard a flight without being frisked...more>> Queues and chaos at Heathrow's new facility (LA Times) - 4/1/08 Heathrow has always been the bad boy of European airports, an international crossroads that periodically morphs into a black hole of chaos and delay with no more provocation than a good English fog. more>> Dealing with Airport Delays (Portfolio.com) - 4/1/08 As far as I can tell, 1963 was the last time that passengers were treated well at an airport after a flight disruption. more>> A $10,000 lesson in airline policies and missed connections (Los Angeles Times) - 3/30/08 This is a story about two retirees who bought $753 round-trip tickets to Europe and wound up paying nearly $10,000. more>> Airline Carry-on Luggage - Waging the Battle of the Overhead Bin (New York Times) - 3/30/08 On her US Airways flight from New Orleans to Washington this month, Corinne Marasco, a science writer from Kingstowne, Va., was forced to check her small wheelie bag at the gate because there was no room left in the overhead bins. more>> Nipple ring search procedures faulty, TSA admits (CNN) - 3/28/08 The Transportation Security Administration said Friday its officers at a Texas airport appear to have properly followed procedures when they allegedly forced a woman to remove her nipple rings -- one with pliers -- but acknowledged the procedures should be changed. more>> Pilot tried to stow gun that discharged in air (USA Today) - 3/26/08 A US Airways pilot whose gun fired inside a cockpit said he was trying to stow the weapon as the crew got ready to land...more>> [includes pic] Man bit by stowaway snake in luggage (MSNBC.com) - 3/25/08 A high school coach emptying his luggage after a team trip to South Carolina was bitten by a small rattlesnake that had somehow gotten into his bag, authorities said. more>> [includes vid] Rats! Smell stinks up Orlando airport (azcentral) - 3/19/08 At least two dozen rodents died in hidden nooks and crannies of a gate area at Orlando International Airport, creating a stench so foul it forced authorities to shut down a customs checkpoint last weekend... more>> In-Flight Emergencies - Need a Doctor in the Air? Fly With One (New York Times) - 3/16/08 WHEN a New York woman died aboard an American Airlines flight returning from Haiti last month, her death raised concerns among passengers about the level of medical treatment available at 30,000 feet. more>> Airlines tackle wheelchair need (USA Today) - 3/13/08 Ellen Brehm, a retired nurse who walks with cane, was stranded last September after flying home from California following the annual trip she's been taking with college friends since 1947. more>> Woman files lawsuit against AMR because passenger next to her masturbated while she slept (Sky Talk) 3/14/08 A 21-year-old Harris County woman filed a $200,000 lawsuit against American Airlines alleging employees on a flight to Los Angeles from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport failed to protect her while she slept from another passenger who masturbated to her and ejaculated in her hair...more>> Woman Tries to Bring Skeleton on Plane (Breitbart) - 3/12/08 A woman was stopped at Munich airport after baggage control handlers found the skeleton of her brother sealed in a plastic bag in her luggage...see more>> Airport security spoils wedding proposal plans (MSNBC.com) - 3/7/08 A Canadian man thought he had come up with the perfect romantic setting to propose to his high school sweetheart until airport security got involved. more>> Airport blocks some Internet sites (USA Today) - 3/6/08 Travelers using Denver International Airport's free Wi-Fi service cannot visit Internet sites that airport officials consider provocative. more>> How to complain about your flight (MSNBC.com) - 3/5/08 The flight was overbooked and you were bumped. Now your luggage has gone missing and it could be anywhere...more>> Flight From Hell: Passengers Narrowly Escape Disaster (KWTX News 10) - 3/3/08 A Lufthansa Airlines flight carrying 131 passengers narrowly escaped disaster during a landing attempt in gale force winds over the weekend. more>> [includes vid] Teens grounded by manners, not by looks (MSNBC.com) - 2/28/08 Long ago, when I was deep into the ugly duckling phase of my teen years, my mom would remind me that “beauty is only skin deep” and suggest I focus on being smart and nice instead. more>> [includes vid] Lithuanian airline gets rid of "devilish" numbers (Reuters) - 2/27/08 Lithuania's main airline is to change the code number under which its shares are listed to get rid of sixes at the end...more>> TIA Passenger Had Box Cutter In Hollowed-Out Book (Tampa Bay Online) - 2/27/08 A 21-year-old Clearwater man was arrested at Tampa International Airport this weekend after security personnel found a box cutter in a hollowed-out book, authorities said. more>> Whatever happened to common courtesy? (MSNBC.com) - 2/26/08 Last week I wrote a column about some of the annoying people you can encounter when you travel by air. more>> Relative Complains After Death on Flight (Breitbart) - 2/24/08 An American Airlines passenger died after a flight attendant told her he couldn't give her any oxygen and then tried to help her with faulty equipment, including an empty oxygen tank, a relative said. more>> Too Pretty to Fly? ‘Decent-Looking’ Florida Teens Tossed From Southwest Flight (Breitbart) - 2/24/08 more>> [video] Grating, all-too-familiar airport personalities (MSNBC.com) - 2/19/08 There I was, in my sixth hour of sitting at Chicago's O'Hare airport, watching another foot of snow fall on the closed runway, getting the caffeine shakes from my third cup of overpriced coffee...more>> Drunken airline passenger makes plea bargain (The Province) - 2/17/08 A Victoria realtor whose drunken, belligerent behaviour forced diversion of a U.S. flight to Denver has changed his plea to guilty of interfering with the flight attendants. more>> Actress Bai Ling Arrested At LAX For Allegedly Shoplifting (Access Hollywood) - 2/14/08 Bai Ling, of "The Crow" and "Entourage" fame, was arrested Wednesday afternoon for allegedly shoplifting at the Crews of California gift shop at Los Angeles International Airport...more>> The oldest club in the sky (MSNBC.com) - 2/12/08 Wherever I fly on Valentine's Day, I usually encounter some amorous couple trying to join the Mile-High Club. more>> Terror at 10,000ft as lightning strikes jet en route to Gatwick (This is London) - 2/12/08 British holidaymakers spoke of their terror last night after their plane was forced to make an emergency landing when it was struck by lightning. more>> Comparing TSA to Nazi Party gets flier a hands-on response (St. Petersburg Times) - 2/6/08 The federal agency charged with keeping dangerous stuff and bad people off airliners invited rants and suggestions from travelers last Wednesday on a new blog. more>> Truth in numbers: The agony of air travel (MSNBC.com) - 2/5/08 It’s official. The year-end numbers just released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) confirm what most of us already knew: Flying was a nightmare last year. more>> European airlines upset over racy cockpit video (MSNBC.com) - 2/4/08 Have you ever reclined your seat, tried to tune out the screaming kid behind you and wondered what the captain is doing up in the cockpit? more>> Hey, where's my airline seat? (MSNBC.com) - 1/31/08 I need your advice on an uncomfortable problem I had on a recent trip. more>> Fly the Friendly Skies - Nude. (Wired) - 1/30/08 There are so many jokes to be made here we don't know where to start, so we'll play it straight and say a German travel agency is taking reservations for nude air travel. more>> Remedies for your in-flight ailments (MSNBC.com) - 1/29/08 As a flight attendant, I have always thought it strange that I can serve you a meal that gives you indigestion, but I can't give you an antacid tablet to fix it. more>> Keeping tabs on ‘one-person, one-fare’ rule (MSNBC.com) - 1/24/08 If you board an airplane and take up more than one seat, must you pay more than one fare? more>> What happened to air travel? (MSNBC.com) - 1/23/08 I hate to fly. Which is a problem given that part of my income comes from travel writing. It's not a fear of flying. I actually do love to fly. It's the way that traveling via commercial airline has become torture. more>> Traveler finds he has wrong suitcase when stowaway cat jumps out (FOX News) - 1/23/08 The last time cat-owner Kelly Levy saw her tiger-striped feline was before she took her husband to the airport. more>> [includes pic] Thai Airways objects to steamy soap opera (MSNBC.com) - 1/21/08 A popular new Thai soap opera about love and infidelity in the high skies has angered Thai Airways flight attendants who demanded Monday that the show be canceled for casting their profession in an unrealistic and immoral light. more>> Airport Check-in: Dog has a ruff job at Florida airport (USA Today) - 1/20/08 Southwest Florida International relies on an old-fashioned remedy for runway safety: a smart dog. more>> [includes picture] Snakes on a plane -- really! (USA Today) - 1/18/08 Authorities in Vietnam seized thousands of snakes that were smuggled into the country on a flight from Thailand, officials said Friday. more>> Europe's worst airports: Congestion and other terminal illnesses (International Herald Tribune) - 1/15/08 As I sat on the tarmac for an hour waiting to deplane at Leonardo da Vinci Airport outside Rome after a short-haul flight earlier this year, the pilot got on the public address system to apologize to me and my fellow passengers. "Sorry," he said, "everybody knows this is one of Europe's worst airports." more>> A Million Miles vs. a Few More Smiles (New York Times) - 1/13/08 James T. Kane, a corporate consultant on customer loyalty, has a news flash for his airline. “I hate you, and I tell everybody I hate you,” he says. more>> Angry travelers riot at Argentine airport (MSNBC.com) - 1/13/08 Stranded travelers attacked ticketing counters at Buenos Aires' Ezeiza international airport on Saturday, tossing computers in the air and shoving security guards after Aerolineas Argentinas suspended most of its flights there. more>> Canada: Airlines may not charge clinically obese fliers extra (USA Today) - 1/11/08 Canadian airlines were issued an order yesterday that they must charge disabled passengers for only one ticket, even if they require more than one seat...more>> The buzz with in-flight Internet (MSNBC.com) - 1/10/08 As planes get connected, etiquette is on the radar. more>> Cleaning crew finds mice aboard United flight (MSNBC.com) - 1/10/08 Eight baby mice were found aboard a United Airlines flight from Washington but tests showed they were free of dangerous viruses, the Chinese government said Thursday. more>> Paula Abdul's Airport Flip-out (Radar) - 1/7/08 Paula Abdul, the braying, oft-drunk judge of landmark cultural institution American Idol, caused quite the scene at LAX over the holidays, according to a source. more>> The strangest travel stories of 2007 (MSNBC.com) - 1/7/08 The year 2007 was not merely a tough one for travelers — it was a weird one as well. more>> 71-Year-Old With Blackjack Arrested At Tampa Airport (Tampa Tribune) - 1/3/08 Police at Tampa International Airport arrested a 71-year-old woman after finding a leather bludgeon in her bag she said she kept "to hit men's hands when they get fresh," an arrest report states. more>> [includes picture] Two fliers seek class-action suit against American (USA Today) - 1/1/08 Two passengers who were kept aboard American Airlines jets on the ground for more than nine hours in 2006 have sued the airline, saying they deserve compensation for being imprisoned against their will. more>> Flight Diverted Due to Alleged Groping (Breitbart) - 1/1/08 Federal air marshals charged a Seattle-area man with groping a female passenger aboard a United Airlines flight that the pilot diverted to Pittsburgh because of the disturbance. more>> [includes vid] « 2009   2007 »   Have a question, comment, news tip, or found a link problem? 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