Why I Was Unimpressed With the Airbus A350-900 Aircraft Operated by Delta Air Lines
While researching how I was going to travel from Atlanta to Amsterdam during a sale through which I was going to save on the amount of SkyMiles which I was required to redeem, I noticed that one of the options was to stop off in Detroit, from which the new flagship Airbus A350 would depart — and as I had never flown as a passenger on that aircraft which Delta Air Lines took delivery only last year, I…
What Two Errors Can You Find With This Lavatory Sign?
During a recent flight, when I went to use the lavatory aboard an airplane, it was occupied — so I bided my time by reading a sign which was affixed to the door of the lavatory…
…and I realized that the sign contains at least two errors on it. Can you spot what are those errors?
Even more embarrassing for the airline in question is that…
More Reports of In-Flight Sexual Assault Than Ever Before — and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
If you think that you have been learning more about sexual assaults aboard airplanes in recent years, you would be correct. In fiscal year 2014, 38 cases of sexual assault during flights were reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States; and in the last fiscal year, 63 cases of sexual assault were reported, which represents an increase of almost 66 percent.
“It’s safe to say that many incidents occur that are not reported,” said…
Stupid Tip of the Day: Watch Carefully When Overhead Storage Bin is Opened
When a member of the flight crew says “please use caution when opening overhead bins, as items may have shifted during the flight” or “be careful when opening the overhead bins, as items may fall, and please, be sure to close them tightly” or some similar verbiage during the safety announcement, heed that warning by watching carefully if an overhead storage bin located above you is opened at any time.
A metal bottle fell and struck…
Windowless Airplane? I Still Say No Thanks
The advent of airplanes one day becoming windowless has again been mentioned since I first wrote this article on the topic back on Tuesday, August 26, 2014 — and my opinion is still unchanged.
Eliminating windows aboard airplanes can reduce the weight of the aircraft — which could translate into less fuel consumption — while simultaneously increasing its strength by eliminating weaknesses in the structure of the fuselage and resulting in airplanes possibly flying at faster speeds. Windows could be replaced with plastic display screens as one of several solutions.
However…
Overhead Light On During Overnight Flights
For many passengers, the opportunity to get some modicum of rest is while seated aboard an airplane during an overnight flight — and if those passengers are able to sleep despite conditions which are typically less than favorable, all the better…
…but when a person seated nearby decides to turn on the overhead light…
Was Pilot Justified for Demanding Conversing Passengers to Shut Up?
Imagine you and your colleague are seated in the premium class cabin on a flight which departed at approximately 10:30 in the evening — but was not a “red-eye” flight — and you are both engaged in a conversation with each other when a uniformed pilot sitting in a seat adjacent to you repeatedly tells you to shut up.
At the conclusion of the boarding process, a pilot in full uniform sat in one of the…
Brushing Teeth in an Airplane Lavatory
During a recent flight to Europe, I sat in my seat and noticed the line forming around the lavatory, as is usually the manner after the members of the flight crew remove the empty trays, wrappers, cups, and assorted food scraps from the tray tables of each passenger seated in the economy class cabin aboard the airplane.
Each person who used the lavatory consumed a few minutes before leaving so that the next person in line may use it.
One of the people who stood in this line was…
The One Benefit of a Window Seat With No Window
My preference for a window seat has been mentioned in many articles here at The Gate primarily because I can enjoy the view of outside the aircraft — even if it only offers clouds, ocean and sky; and whether the view is during the day or night…
…but I have the occasional bad luck of being seated in what is called a “window seat” — even though no window is next to it. Rather…
The Filthy Poop of Diaper Changes During Flights
Imagine that you are seated in the first class cabin with your companion aboard an airplane across the aisle from a mother and her child. The aircraft sits at the gate prior to departure when that all too familiar odor fills the air.
After taking off from the runway, the fasten seat belt light is deactivated. That is when the mother changes the diaper of her child on the seat itself — and none of the members of the flight crew intervened.
When…
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