Search Results for: blog why is my plane delayed again

Mere Mortals Aren’t the Only Ones Who Get Delayed

Here’s a refreshing note on the state of flight delays: Apparently even the giants of professional basketball are not immune to travel inconveniences. According to ESPN, after their series-clinching win in the NBA Western Conference semifinals Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs had hoped to fly to Los Angeles immediately after the game to get ready for the next playoff round against the Lakers… only fate had different plans for the team. Turns out the Spurs experienced something we mere mortals face on an ongoing basis when flying the not-always friendly skies—a delay. The team was reportedly forced to spend … Continue reading →

The One Thing You DON’T Want To See On An Airplane

“Mommy, these microphones don’t work!” my 3-year-old daughter exclaimed as she ripped off a pair of oversized airline-supplied headphones in disgust during our most recent flight to Hawaii. Note to self: Pack kid-sized headphones for next airplane ride. “Alvin and the Chipmunks” was the in-flight movie selection for this particular leg of our journey and my daughter couldn’t have been more thrilled. “Hurry Mommy hurry!” she cried as I hastily tried to make adjustments to the plane’s complimentary (see: cheap) headphones. “I’m missing Theodore eat his waffles.” “You can see Theodore eat his waffles right on the screen,” I replied. … Continue reading →

Why Is My Plane Delayed—Again?!

If you have flown at all in 2007 then you don’t need me to tell you that airline passengers are facing the worst delays in at least 13 years. According to the Department of Transportation, so far this year, nearly one-fourth of flights on the 20 largest carriers were late. I told you about being delayed for hours at Chicago’s O’Hare airport with my 3-year-old a few months ago—the airline blamed Mother Nature for us having to sit on the tarmac for more than two hours. But that’s not the only excuse airlines are using. Contributing to the delays, according … Continue reading →

12 Year Old With Autism Revising Einstein’s Theory

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Jake Barnett is twelve years old, and has an IQ of 170. He also has aspergers syndrome. His interest in astronomy and advanced mathematics eventually lead him to question the calculations of Einstein’s theory of relativity. This, from a child who psychologists thought would always remain detached from the world around him. Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism. It’s been described as high functioning autism. Symptoms tend to include an intensely focused interest in one particular subject to the point where the person knows everything about it. Other symptoms involve delayed motor skills, a lack of eye contact, and … Continue reading →

Unwelcome Travel Experiences

Subtitle: My Flight From Hell I don’t travel long distances during the chaotic summer months. I’ve had such horrible experiences flying off-season that I don’t even chance boarding a flight during the months of June, July or August. To prove my point, let’s review my last flight to Hawaii. It was by no means a vacation. Rather, three months ago I was forced to fly 10,000 miles roundtrip to attend my beloved grandmother’s funeral. I decided to take my 6-year-old daughter along since she and my grandma shared such a sweet relationship. Unfortunately, American Airlines cancelled our direct flight to … Continue reading →

Not the Way You Want to Start Your Vacation

“Hope for the Best. Expect the worst.” I think Mel Brooks helped make those words famous. Or maybe it was the person, who typed them up on small pieces of white paper, and stuck them into fortune cookies. Either way the idiom often becomes my mantra when traveling with children. I just survived a 10,000-mile journey to and from Hawaii with my young daughter, and yes, I hoped for the best, but expected the worst. Shockingly, things went fairly smoothly… unlike past trips. Despite two delayed flights and a few shoulder blows courtesy of the guy sitting behind me, who … Continue reading →

Praying Passenger Gets Grounded

I willingly confess that I have said many, many prayers over the years prior to embarking on cross-country flights. Only I have never left my assigned seat to do so. That’s one of the differences between me and a man who was recently ordered off a United Airlines flight. According to news reports, an Orthodox Jewish man boarded a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday night. However, shortly before the plane was set to take off the man left his seat to pray in the back of the plane. Witnesses say the guy, who had … Continue reading →

The Ultimate Travel Tipster

Everyone who travels has accumulated a few horror stories that they recycle among friends and family. You know the ones that start with “You’ll never believe what happened when…” and end with “… and that’s the last time I ever do that again.” Often it’s through our own (and others’) misfortunes that we gain the most valuable travel tips. So where does that leave Peter Greenberg? Most of us know Greenberg as the intrepid travel editor on NBC’s “Today” show, CNBC, and the Travel Channel. The 57-year-old “travel expert” says he logs about 400,000 miles a year and has compiled … 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 →

Insults Flying In The Not-So Friendly Skies

If you are enrolled in a frequent flyer program with one of the country’s largest air carriers then you may have received an email asking for your help to convince Congress that private aircraft owners should pay more to help modernize an outdated air traffic control system. I happen to be enrolled in several frequent flyer programs and have already received a note encouraging me to pen a letter to my congressional representative and demand that private aircraft owners dig deep to help pay for a new air traffic control system. If you haven’t received an email from a major … Continue reading →