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Monday, November 2, 2009
GAO: No answer yet on pilot-retirement age effect

The Government Accountability Office (that's the right name, despite what this story says) has found that it can't yet determine the effect on airline safety of raising the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65. The FAA changed the rule two years ago, after a long campaign by pilots, saying that it relfected the the fact people are living longer and are generally in better health than when the age 60 rule was adopted decades ago.

The GAO report found there have been no accidents or incidents involving post-60 pilots but that a longer study period is needed to make any definitive conclusions. Read more in this story,  For the full government report, it's the most recent one listed on www.gao.gov, the agency's Web site.

Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 10:56 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
Monday, November 2, 2009
Airline fees here to stay, perhaps with new name
Airline industry officials and consultants gathered in Southern California last week to talk about "a la carte" fees and "ancillary revenue," the hot buzz words in the busines these days. They weren't there to talk about ways to charge you fewer of them, or do away with them if the economy gets better. But they did offer hope that they become more transparent, or perhaps packaged in a way that may make them more palatable. Advice was also offered at the confab about giving fees a new name that doesn't sound so much like what they are -- additional cost to the consumer. Read more about it here. 
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:28 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
Monday, November 2, 2009
The column: What readers need in a good hotel
The Winging It column on Oct. 19 laid down my criteria for a good hotel room, and I asked  you to tell me what you looked for. The response was overwhelming -- roughly 80 e-mails and phone calls, and I am grateful for those who took time to add to my list. Today's column rounds up all of the readers' requirements, starting with those that generated multiple responses. A link to the previous column is included. Read about the importance of a clean iron and ironing board in a hotel room here.
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:19 AM  Permalink | 1 comment
Friday, October 30, 2009
Elmer Smith waxing eloquent on wayward pilots
The Daily News's Elmer Smith wrote one of those columns I wish I had written, a great take today on those wild and crazy Northwest pilots who missed MSP on the first try. Find the column here.  
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 6:07 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Friday, October 30, 2009
UPDATED: Harrisburg-Lancaster Amtrak service suspended
Amtrak has announced that a Norfolk Southern Railroad freight train derailment has forced suspension of Keystone service between Harrisburg and Lancaster. UPDATE: Limited alternative transportation via bus is currently available. But Amtrak said it did not expect full restoration of service between the cities before the evening rush hour, so travelers need to think about alternatives. For more information and updates go to www.amtrak.com.   
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 2:51 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
Friday, October 30, 2009
September air traffic OK but misleading, group says
The International Air Transport Association reported that September passenger traffic was up a fraction but said the figures were misleading because yield, representing what customers are paying, remains weak. Read a little more here.
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:43 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
Friday, October 30, 2009
American to close Kansas City maintenance base
American Airlines is closing its Kansas City maintenance base that it inherited when it bought TWA in 2001, another effect of major carriers' shrinking aircraft fleet. Read more here. 
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:39 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
Thursday, October 29, 2009
United hits"Breaks Guitars" musician again

You may recall the saga of Dave Carroll, the Canadian musician who created a YouTube sensation with his song "United Breaks Guitars," after the airline wouldn't pay him $1,200 for damaging his guitar during a flight transfer at Chicago O'Hare Airport. The original can be heard here. If you view it, you will be among more than 5.8 million who have seen and listened. It's all about how United was indifferent to his plea for compensation.

Carroll, who I met in Washington last month when he endorsed efforts to get Congress to approve passenger-rights legislation, now has the fodder for more songs and videos. He flew United from Saskatchewan to Denver on Sunday -- and guess what, his bag is still missing. No guitar gone this time, but his bag did contain CDs of his latest version of the United series. Irony of ironies, Carroll has become a speaker on the topic of good customer service, and he had gone to Denver for a speaking engagement. Read more of the latest chapter. 

Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:57 AM  Permalink | Post a comment
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Airline union voting rules expected to ease
The National Mediation Board, which oversees labor relations in the airline and rail industries, is set to make it easier for unions to win approval of airline workers by changing voting rules. Read more detail here. 
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 9:19 AM  Permalink | 2 comments
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Northwest pilots draw wrong kind of attention: The Feds
The Obama administration is worried about distracted driving, and now about distracted flying -- of big Airbus jets. Read the latest in the ongoing saga of the Northwest pilots multitasking in the cockpit here.
Posted by Tom BELDEN @ 7:14 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About Tom Belden
Tom Belden has been reporting and writing about Philadelphia International Airport and other air travel subjects for nearly 25 years. He has written business travel columns for The Inquirer's Travel and Business sections. His ground-breaking reporting (with colleague Craig McCoy) on baggage handling problems in Philadelphia have been credited with helping improve the system. His previous blog was called Road Warrior. He can reached at tbelden@phillynews.com.
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