Search Results for: blog true or false airplanes have safe seats

Making Summer Flying Bearable

Airports don’t exactly spell f-u-n, especially during the chaotic summer travel season. However, there are ways you can make your layovers bearable by following a few simple tips: Hang at an airline lounge: Amenity-filled airline lounges are typically reserved for first-class passengers or business flyers who have accrued a few million miles criss-crossing the globe. Fortunately, these days you can gain access to these elite rooms even if you are flying with an economy-class ticket. For example, if you are a member of Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge, Continental’s Presidents Club, United’s Red Carpet Club, or the US Airways club, … Continue reading →

Too Fat to Fly

Did you know that there are Internet forums designed for people to rant about having to fly next to oversized passengers on commercial airliners? I was sent a link to one the other day and couldn’t believe the viral viciousness being spewed by random flyers. One poster had the gall to tear into an overweight woman he was forced to sit next to whose “blubber spilled over the armrest” and invaded his personal space. The guy then cited a recent incident in which a woman and her mom were allegedly singled out by a Southwest employee for being “too fat … Continue reading →

Say So Long to Shorts on Airplanes

Relax; major carriers are not banning shorts on their aircrafts I just thought with the sweltering summer months upon us I would provide a follow up to my blog on walking barefoot on airplanes. Whereas some airline passengers like to air their tootsies on long flights, others prefer to give their legs breathing room by donning shorts on planes. Since the majority of my trips involve jetting back and forth from the Midwest to Hawaii I have seen my share of skin on planes. Believe me when I say some passengers have no shame when it comes to exposing themselves … Continue reading →

Would You Walk Barefoot in an Airplane?

Frankly, the idea repulses me. Especially given the recent rodent sightings reported by airline passengers. Still, I have to admit I have seen (and winced at) literally dozens of passengers on my flights to and from Hawaii who feel compelled to stroll about the cabin sans shoos. Perhaps, it’s because one of my best friends is a flight attendant for one of the nation’s largest airlines and she doesn’t hesitate to share the horror stories detailing what has been dragged on airplane floors. (I won’t even dare divulge the wretched items she has seen on the plane’s bathroom floors.) Regardless, … Continue reading →

Air Travel—-Securing the Perfect Seat

What is your idea of the “prefect” seat on a commercial airliner? (Besides the ones in the first-class cabin or the one that is next to an empty seat.) For some air travelers securing an aisle seat is a must. Others insist on sitting next to the window. We now know the “safe seat” theory is bogus, and the seats next to the emergency exits come with restrictions. So what is the best seat on a plane and how do you get it? According to travel experts, exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats close to the front of … Continue reading →

Keeping Cozy on a Chilly Airplane

I grew up in Hawaii so when the temperature dips below 73 I tend to get a bit chilly. Doesn’t bode well for dealing with Wisconsin winters, but I digress. Which is why I never venture to the grocery store, movie theater or restaurant without a jacket, regardless of the season. It’s also the reason I never board an airplane without dressing in layers, even when I am flying home to Hawaii. I’ve taken the 15-hour flight home dozens of times and I am still shocked by the number of travelers who board the Hawaii-bound plane in New York or … Continue reading →

Giving Thanks for Safe Travel

I think it is safe to assume that when most of us get behind the wheel of our vehicles we wholly expect that we will get to our final destination in one piece. In fact, many of us are probably so busy either trying to dodge traffic so we make it to said destination on time or are completely distracted by the ten million other mental notes we are formulating in our minds that the thought of NOT getting to work, school, the supermarket or the pediatrician never occurs to us. Bottom line: Safe travel is something many of us … Continue reading →

How To Get Your Hands On A Piece Of Aviation History

One of my dad’s dreams was to fly on the Concorde. He used to talk about it all the time. In fact, as a child I had visions of winning the lottery or becoming so successful in my career that I could buy him a ticket and fulfill his dream to ride on the supersonic jet. So much for that idea. However, I could settle for the next best thing–buying him a piece of the legendary aircraft. Then, again, I probably don’t even have enough to buy him a Concorde toilet seat. Yes, even the now-defunct needle nose airplane’s toilet … Continue reading →

Keeping Germs Away At 35,000-Feet

For some travelers the mere thought of having to be cooped up with hundreds of strangers in an airtight environment is enough to make them sick. But are you really more susceptible to cold viruses at 35,000-feet? I have friends who have told me that they have boarded a flight feeling great, but shortly after they landed a horrendous cold set in and their vacation was ruined. Is this possible? According to doctors, there is little evidence that indicates riding on a plane increases the likelihood of contracting an illness. In fact, the notion that the air in planes is … Continue reading →

Flying the Holy Skies

Would you feel safer on a flight if it were bound for the Holy Land? What if the destination wasn’t the only holy part of the trip? What if the entire plane was affiliated with some of the holiest people in the Catholic Church? It may not guarantee that your luggage won’t get lost, but at least you won’t have to worry about seeing an inappropriate movie in mid-air. A Vatican-backed charter airline, taking flight for the first time this week, has one goal in mind—safely transporting travelers to popular Catholic destinations, including Fatima, Portugal; Lourdes, France; Santiago de Compostela, … Continue reading →