Nice to hear a warm hearted story about United. Kindness is contagious. Because the flight crew acted professionally, the passengers followed, and joined forces to help the boy. As a UAL frequent flyer, kudos to them. I should hope the example they provided inspires others.

(Written on 31.08.2019)(Permalink)

I am so sickened with the way our veterans are being treated. Even if radiation dangers were not known in 1966, which would really be a stretch because much had been learned in the 21 years since we bombed Japan, we know those effects now. Just as we have long since known the incidences of cancer and other illnesses in St. George, Utah, the nearest town downwind from the nuclear testing in Nevada in the Fifties. I can only pray - veterans of my generation and branch of service - that your suffering is short and that you receive justice in the next life because you sure as hell are not getting it in this one.

(Written on 24.06.2016)(Permalink)

Nice to reminisce, Gary. Gene Thornton, Bob Chan, Henry Boudreaux, Paul Bourg, and my trainee, Melo Nix - one of the first female controllers, along with Joe Kemp, Billy Hennigan, and others whose names I've long forgotten worked Super Bowl VI in 1972. I remember the controlled chaos to this day. Ole Thunder Thornton had been my instructor two years earlier. He unnerved any rookie pilot. Chan operated on the principle of the "big sky" concept, that a mid-air was astronomically unlikely. And Paul Bourg always demanded a last row seat whenever he flew, on the theory he never heard of an airplane backing into the ground. The following year I transferred to IAH where I was able to give them an idea of what to expect for its first game (Super Bowl VIII). But you're right. The air games around MSY and IAH were as exciting, or, in my opinion, more so, than the ones being played out in Tulane, Rice, and later, the Superdome.

(Written on 27.11.2015)(Permalink)

Here we go again. The students and school officials are playing the race and ethnicity card and the airline is playing the stupidity role. Kids, who probably have never flown before don't like to be told to turn off their smart phones and I-pads, etc., because they don't know WHY! Nor do I,really. However, rules are rules, and it's up to the school to forewarn the kids well before boarding - but they don't. On a flight to BOS in January, some years back, the kids left 83 degree IAH in summer clothes. It was 2 below in Beantown. On another evening we left IAH on a 93 degree night in July, and upon arrival in Buenos Aires, the pilot announced a temperature of 28 degrees. The school "leader" said it was Celsius, and that everyone was dressed fine (in tank-tops, shorts, and flip flops for the 80+ degree weather). Were they rudely shocked at EZE baggage claim! The kids didn't know, the school officials either didn't know, or didn't care. But the airline booking the groups had a responsibilit

(Written on 08.06.2013)(Permalink)

Hey,this isn't unusual. A few years back a guy in Frankfurt boarded a flight on Air New Zealand, w/pit stop in LAX, continuing to Auckland. He was asleep on landing at LAX, and rather than wake him, the FA's left him alone and the flight took off. Hours into the final leg, the dummy asked why it was taking so long to get to OAKLAND! But, s--- happens. My own son, who works for a major airline, was flying standby, IAH-SFO. When he couldn't board, he asked for a flight to San Jose, instead. Yeah, you guessed it: He and his bride landed a few hours later in Costa Rica!

(Written on 25.05.2013)(Permalink)

Fire the starstruck idiot airline employees and require the airline to compensate the delayed passengers for their inconvenience. As punishment for breaching security, the fools should be required to watch 48 hours of nonstop Kardashian tasteless TV while Kayne West's music? blares in the background.

(Written on 15.02.2013)(Permalink)

She should have called Mitt Romneny. When his dog couldn't fit in the car, he strapped him on the roof. When Ann's horse needed to get to London for the Olympics, she sent him there FedEx. I'm sure he'd have found a solution.

(Written on 02.12.2012)(Permalink)

Too much information is lacking in this story. I don't care how fat you are, three seats accross is large enough to accommodate Andre the Giant. The problem is the pitch, or the distance between the rows. If you're too fat, you may not be able to fit between the rows, or even walk down the aisle. The only answer is the bulkhead row and most airlines now charge a premium for those seats. Obviously, this woman could never fit in the bathroom either, so where does IT go when she has to go. I believe this woman weighed far more than 425 lbs. and was not medically fit to fly. Anyhow, I live in Ecuador and if I need medical attention I will gladly put my trust into the hands of Ecuadorian MDs. Or, Hungarian doctors, if necessary. That's utter nonsense bouncing from Budapest to Prague to Frankfurt to get to New York. It's all too convoluted. Extradite the caregiver husband to wherever this lady died and expect that country to file neglect or manslaughter charges on him.

(Written on 01.12.2012)(Permalink)

Several years back my wife and I were seated with such a woman on a four hour flight from BOS to IAH. The lady occupied the window and, due to her girth, half the middle seat. Naturally, the arm rest could not be lowered. Rather than balking, my wife, who tops the scales at just over a hundred, helped accommodate her, including allowing her to use her tray table during meal service. (I said it was a long time ago.) The plane in use was a Continental Airlines B737. Not long ago, in response to a complaint about restrictions on carry-on luggage, I recall Continental telling the press that Continental was not Allied Van Lines. I agree! So who flew her to Budapest in the first place? That/those airlines are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, because she should not have been accommodated to begin with. Her husband, no doubt, enabled her obesity, and he should get no more than a one dollar judgement. (The shyster taking the case is entitled to 30 cents.)

(Written on 30.11.2012)(Permalink)

Congrats to Air Canada. At least that sailor's life was saved. Which is more that can be said for the two Panamanian fisherman who, after being ignored by a Carnival Cruise Lines captain, died of exposure off the coast of Ecuador earlier this year. This, AFTER, several of the cruise ship's passengers saw, filmed, and reported the small fishing vessel in distress to the ship's officers. A third fisherman, who lived to tell the tale, was rescued by the Ecuadorian Coast Guard.

(Written on 19.10.2012)(Permalink)