While many of us are excited that we will now be able to get Wi-Fi on some of our favorite airlines (Delta and American), others groan. Why the long face? Apparantly people are upset that  the one place where we were able to tell our bosses and co-workers you will be unreachable for the next three hours- you will actually indeed be reachable (read article here).

Personally I’m ecstatic about the thought of being able to blog while actually traveling at 500 knots. Although it is an extra cost (averages about $10 an hour for three hour flights and more for longer) and that does not make me too happy- remember I’m a cheapo traveler! I also think it could be handy to be able to work on the flight and get things out of the way before I land. But that’s just me- I’m all about maximizing my time. Hey- at least we can’t talk on phones during flights. But you will never please everyone- so I applaud the airlines for finding new revenue streams and making advances in thier industry. You can always just choose not to buy access.

All I can say is wow. Really? An African airline that is launching this month called Airtimes Airlines is planning on offering flights where you pay by the minute- similiar to those cell phone plans. You can even book tickets via text message. I get that it’s unique and playing off the demographic of those who are younger and more tech savvy. But really- in an industry notorious for delays- who would be willing to pay per minute when they fly. Pay per mile- yes that makes sense. And I also realize that they probably only charge you for the average flying time, but the thought still makes me uneasy and makes me question this company’s viability. Who knows I could be completely wrong- maybe the concept will take off and become very popular. Proove me wrong Airtimes- Proove me wrong! Read the article that Wired wrote and let me know your thoughts!

So last week the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed a bill placing a permanent ban on using cell phones to  make in-flight phone calls. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Let me tell you why. Last week I went to the doctors office and ended up sitting in the waiting room for twenty minutes listening to the most obnoxious person having the most obnoxious phone call. During the twenty minutes I learned that the lady was allergic to peanuts, hated her kid’s second grade teacher and was having trust issues with her husband. Imagine being stuck on a three hour flight where everyone around you is calling everyone they have ever met and their brother. There is no such thing as cell phone etiquette as it is- so throw 146 people in a metal tube with unlimited cell phone access and guaranteed that hostility would increase even more! Apparantly I am not alone-According to a Department of Transportation Survey nearly 60 percent of flyers are against the usage of cell phones during flights. I am willing to bet the other forty percent are the people who have no concept of cell phone etiquette.

The airlines are a hot topic of discussion these days. I know I have already written a few posts about it this month. I was reading this article today about flying and surviving, but it almost seems like the flight crews are the one that need help surviving! Read a few of the cases that this article listed as examples of passengers that got out of hand:

• Christina Szele of Queens, N.Y., who reportedly lit a cigarette on a flight between New York and San Francisco, punched a flight attendant and broke through the flex cuffs the crew used to restrain her. (Ms. Szele was indicted by a Denver grand jury last week.)
• Zoltan Lensky of Slovakia, who apparently got drunk on a flight between Atlanta and Vienna, slapped a flight attendant’s hand and tried to set an onboard curtain on fire.
• Jacob Kline of New Mexico, who allegedly overindulged on a flight between Dallas and Charlotte, N.C., pinched a flight attendant’s bottom and threw ice at his fellow passengers

Holy cow people! There is an interesting correlation that you will notice in these cases that all of them had something to do with intoxication and cigarettes. Something to be aware of- in case you aren’t already- that if you are drunk when you show up for your flight- the gate agent/flight attendant have the right to not let you get on the plane. Now you can see why! Travel is stressful and especially when you are dealing with long security lines (and lets be honest TSA agents aren’t always peaches), extra fees, and flight delays, so take some time to unwind and remember why you go through all that pain- because traveling is fun!

Have a horror story and need to vent? The article mentioned flightsfromhell.com, this website allows you to submit entries of your awful flight experience. However, after reading some of the entries- I wonder why would people take such the time to write such long entries? I’m talking long, and most aren’t even that bad and some seem highly exaggerated. You can also check out AirRage.org if flightsfromhell doesn’t meet your fancy.

* I know it must look like I’m an advocate for airlines- but I promise I’m not. I do have a sister-in-law who is a flight attendant and another brother-in-law who is a pilot- it just helps me gain perspective that flight crews are human with real feelings

People forget that an airline is a business. Businesses have the right to refuse service. Yesterday American Airlines cancelled a flight because the crew showed up late and the passengers were so angry and hostile- that they didn’t feel comfortable working the flight (click here to read article). Also yesterday a fussy first class passenger was upset that they let coach get off the plane first, he went out an emergency exit(click here to read article)! Are you kidding me? People are getting so disrespectful and are full of entitlement issues that it’s insane! First off the crews were probably late because they were on call crew and somebody called in sick, so it probably wasn’t even their fault. Also, first class passenger- guess you didn’t get home any faster because you spent your evening in jail! Traveling is already stressful enough that you should not pack your tempers with you, as Mrs. Potato Head would say, “I packed your angry eyes just in case!” Well how about we start leaving our angry eyes at home, and focus on the golden rule, treat others the way you want to be treated.