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News from August 2024
India's largest budget carrier, IndiGo, appears ready to make permanent a trial that allows women to pick seats beside other female passengers. IndiGo officials report positive feedback on a program that shows women passengers a different seating map than the one accessible to men. Female passengers, who must state their gender when booking a flight, see a map that highlights available seats in pink if they are next to another woman. Male passengers receive the standard seat map.
News and notes from around the internet have highlighted several issues in the airline industry, ranging from hygiene concerns to political influences on flight delays.
NASA has decided it is too risky to send test pilot astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore back to Earth on the Boeing Starliner spacecraft that took them to the International Space Station (ISS) in June. What began as an eight-day shakedown mission for the two veteran astronauts has now turned into an eight-month odyssey. They will replace two of the four astronauts scheduled to travel to the ISS on a SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicle in September for a planned six-month stay. Williams and Wilmore are expected to return home in February at the end of this extended mission.
Many couples traveling together book an aisle seat and a window seat, hoping the middle seat will remain empty to gain extra space. However, this strategy often fails as planes are frequently full, and the middle seats tend to be occupied.
A Marriott Bonvoy member has utilized 2.4 million points to choreograph the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. According to MGM Collection, Mr. Krupa, a long-time elite member of the Marriott Bonvoy program with a passion for music, lighting, and the arts, exchanged his points for the opportunity to take over the show.
MGM Resorts International has introduced a $51 fee for phone bookings, causing significant backlash among guests and industry observers. Heather Benson, a guest who experienced the charge, tweeted: "This guest booked 3 nights x $15 +Tax fee for call center booking = Extra $51.03 just to have a reservations agent book your room for you. TOTAL NONSENSE, MGM!"
Electric aircraft propulsion company magniX has acquired the use of a rare four-engine turboprop airliner as part of the next phase of NASA's Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration program. Eventually, the De Havilland Dash-7 will have two of its four engines replaced with magniX electric motors, reducing fuel consumption and emissions by 40%. "Integrating our game-changing electric powertrains into a regional airliner such as the Dash 7 represents a major step forward in bringing electric solutions into the business of aviation," said magniX CEO Reed Macdonald.
SEATTLE — Taiwanese startup Starlux Airlines officially added Seattle to its route map on August 16, marking its third North American destination. The new route to the Pacific Northwest also initiated a strategic partnership with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, a move that Starlux hopes will be pivotal for its success in the U.S.
Customers flying between Invercargill and Auckland were treated to a unique experience as Air New Zealand celebrated five years of direct service on this route. The airline marked the occasion by serving cheese rolls, often referred to as 'Southland Sushi,' at an altitude of 30,000 feet.
Hilton and Hyatt do not charge resort fees when guests redeem points, with the points covering the stay. Marriott, however, began charging resort fees upon launching the Bonvoy program. This move was seen as an effort to appear to provide strong value while reducing costs for hotel owners.
Passengers on airplanes often engage in personal conversations, seemingly oblivious to those around them. This phenomenon reflects how people create personal space in crowded environments, similar to behavior observed in busy cities like New York.
Several XpresSpa locations have begun offering free 25-minute Zero Gravity Massage Lounger sessions to Priority Pass customers. This benefit is not extended by American Express and Capital One for non-lounge experiences, while Chase excludes restaurants but includes these visits.
Employees at Los Angeles-based transportation company Dependable Highway Express have successfully removed Teamsters Local 63 union officials from their workplace. The campaign, led by employee John Cwiek, gained majority support through a petition calling for a vote to decertify the union. Cwiek received legal assistance from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation throughout the process.
Hughes Network Systems, a key partner in the Eutelsat OneWeb connectivity program, has shipped over 5,000 enterprise-class electronically steerable antenna (ESA) terminals to support the OneWeb Ku-band Low Earth Orbit (LEO) service. Business and government customers can expect speeds of 195 Mbps down and 32 Mbps up, according to the EchoStar subsidiary. Hughes also develops and manufactures the gateway electronics and core modules used in every terminal on the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO system.
Bilt Rewards has announced a new initiative allowing customers to earn points on all purchases made at Walgreens, regardless of the credit card used for payment. This is in addition to any existing credit card rewards.
The owner of a flight school that went bankrupt while allegedly holding hundreds of thousands of dollars in student deposits has struck a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to tax evasion, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Kevin Rylchik is facing a prison term but by pleading guilty he avoided indictment on a series of serious federal charges relating to his operation of American Aviation at Manassas Airport in Virginia and several other businesses. The charges were filed against Rylchik in May, three months before he abruptly closed...
As an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Air France will be transporting 600 pupils from Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Saint Martin, and Reunion Island to Paris. These students will attend Paralympic events as part of a program aimed at introducing them to the diversity of disabled sports and the values of the Paralympic spirit.
Last week's blog provided an update on the progress of replacing 100LL with unleaded high-octane aviation fuels. In the comments section, a reader using the title BestGlideSpeed raised numerous questions and criticisms regarding General Aviation Modifications Inc.'s (GAMI's) G100UL. Many points have been echoed by others, while some were new. GAMI founder and Chief Engineer George Braly addressed these in a detailed response.
Traveling across Europe is often more convenient by train than plane, with extensive regional and high-speed rail networks providing numerous options. Having arrived in Paris for the Olympic Games, I opted to use Ouigo to travel to and from Bordeaux.
News and notes from around the internet: