Going Viral What a year so far. Two issues have dominated the global headlines: grounding the Boeing 737 MAX and the Coronavirus outbreak – which has canceled hundreds of thousands of flights so far. We ran a survey earlier this week asking you if flights should be screened coming into the US, or banned altogether. (If you missed… Read More
EXCLUSIVE: Interview With EU Aviation Safety Agency EXCLUSIVE: Interview With EU Aviation Safety Agency FlyersRights.org recently interviewed representatives at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) about the future of the Boeing 737 MAX. The timing is noteworthy, as it comes just as the FAA is expected to decide on whether to let the aircraft fly again. Below is our Q&A with EASA: FlyersRights:… Read More
FlyersRights Assists In Passenger WIN Passengers win appeal case against Spirit Airlines’ “gotcha” carryon baggage fees. FlyersRights’ amicus brief by Andrew Appelbaum prevails: Spirit Airlines must face lawsuit over ‘gotcha’ carry-on bag fees, judge rules The plaintiffs accused the Spirit of knowing that its online travel agents hid the “gotcha” bag fees they would have to pay at the airport. Click… Read More
“Fatally Flawed” MAX Meeting FlyersRights.org attended a Capitol Hill hearing this week where Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger told lawmakers that during a flight simulation, he too struggled to recover the 737MAX and that the automated flight control system was “fatally flawed.” Our takeaways: Even more safety dangers were revealed by pilot testimony during Wednesday’s House Aviation Subcommittee. They include: – The… Read More
MAXed Out Boeing, Boeing, GONE! Last Wednesday, President Trump announced the grounding of the 737 MAX fleet in the United States, making it the last major country to take this step. His statement came after days of turmoil that saw Boeing stock descend steadily while nation after nation moved to bar the fast-selling plane from flying.… Read More
Outsourcing Airworthiness Serious problems were exposed this week by the Southwest Airline Pilots Association when the organization’s leader said that 80 percent of its maintenance is outsourced. This is far more than other airlines. United Airlines farms out 51 percent of maintenance, Alaska 49 percent, Delta 43 percent, and American 33 percent, the union said. Last Friday, Southwest… Read More
By the Seat of Their Can’ts Last week, the response by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was outright refusal to reconsider its denial of FlyersRights.org’s petition to set minimum seat standards. The FAA declared that questionable evacuation tests are valid and there are no problems with shrunken seats and larger passengers impeding escape. Problematic Certification Process But when aircraft evacuation drills are carried out, organizers do… Read More
FAA declines to regulate airline seating Sarah D. Young – 07/09/2018 | ConsumerAffairs Despite safety concerns and numerous complaints made by travelers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it has found no need to regulate airline seat size and legroom. In a letter announcing its decision, the agency said it “has no evidence that there is an immediate safety issue necessitating rule-making at this time.”… Read More
Prepare for Takeoff Across the U.S., commercial air travel is the main, often the only, means of long-distance transportation. Yet the airline industry is a case study in U.S. policy gone awry. Mergers have resulted in four mega airlines with take-it-or-leave it conditions while reaping consistent record profits. It may be last major industry where service standards are steadily declining for… Read More