Are You A Passenger Or A Criminal?

Cavity search, biometric data, pat-down, body screening. What is next? A regular passenger is checked more often than an average criminal in jail. Is it really necessary?

As CNN reported yesterday (April 16), two majos US airports – Los Angeles LAX and New York JFK – will start to use body screening machines. The machines had been tested in Phoenix, Arizona and apparently it proved to be useful as more passenegrs chose to go through the body screener than having a pat-down.

When I read this part of the article, I was really surprised. I am not pleased by a pat-down, still I would prefer it to a body screening machine, where all bits of my body could be seen for a complete stranger. May be it just my “feminist aggression” that says: no, I have the right to decide who can see my body.

Then I kept on reading and I understood it:

Travelers will continuously and randomly be selected to go through the machine. While signs will inform them of the pat-down option, screeners will not announce that choice. But passengers electing not to go through the millimeter wave machine will be given the option of the pat-down.

You have the right, you just won’t be informed about it. Now that is nice, isn’t it? Bad news for passengers departing from the US is that TSA is planning to buy 30 more machines. Once a business is blossoming…

I understand it, that they just want to protect us, regular travellers from being blown up on a passenger jet and I agree that airline safety is first priority for them, but is it really necessary? Is there anything on earth that this wil show on a human body and those beeping gates do not filter out? Is it still about safety?

Basically it has become a nightmare to fly in or out of the US. Hours of queues at the immigration when travelling in including fingerprint and eye check and now body screening when travelling out. Why is it much more simple in the EU?

(photo by USA Today)

By Szafi

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines Goes Out of Business

On 09APR2008 14:00 Hong Kong time, the first long haul low cost airline has ceased its operations. Oasis Hong Kong has been a story that a large portion of the Airline Industry was following as it was the ice-breaker in the long haul low cost market with its cheap flights between Hong Kong and London Gatwick.

They started their daily flights in October 2006 with the above mentioned route and have later added 6 times weekly service between Hong Kong and Vancouver, Canada. Their fleet has grown to four Boeing 747-400s, two are (were) former Singapore Airlines aircraft and two were formerly operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA). They were providing two cabins: Economy and Business starting from just GBP 358 return fare.

The airline was planning new routes to Europe (Berlin, Cologne/Bonn, Manchaster, Milan), North America (San Francisco and Chicago) and Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) “in the near future” according to their website, which plans will probably be cancelled or at least revisited now. Less than a month ago (19MAR2008) they still had news about new appointments in their sales force, but now it looks like those were too late.

Currently the following statement is on their website (www.oasishongkong.com):

“It is with regret that Oasis Hong Kong Airlines announces that the airline has applied to the Hong Kong Court to appoint a provisional liquidator on 9 April 2008. The Court has appointed Edward Middleton and Patrick Cowley of KPMG as the provisional liquidators, and they have assumed control of the airline with effect from 1400h the same day Hong Kong time.

Our flight operations have been cancelled until further notice. The Provisional Liquidators are liaising with other airlines in order to help customers make alternate travel arrangements as quickly as possible.“

This will probably mean a lot of business for British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and Qantas - who operate most of the flights between Hong Kong and London as well as for Air Canada and Cathay Pacific who fly between Hong Kong and Vancouver.

Looks like after all -in this case- the traditional airlines managed to withstand the promised competition of a low cost long haul operator…

by balint01

London Heathrow Terminal 5 Opens

The biggest construction work over the last years is finished and the largest standalone building of the UK has started its everyday business today. The UK’s flagship building is solely to be used by British Airways (BA), the UK’s flag carrier. BA promises that connections will be much faster (~20 mins), and also time spent at the Terminal while departing will also be significantly reduced (~10 mins), as they plan with most of the passengers checking in online before arriving to the airport and then “flying” through the Departures area very quickly. To allow this, 96 fast-bag drops have been installed with the same number of self-service check-in kiosks for those who had no time to check-in from their office, home or mobile phone. According to the website of British Airways, all passengers must be ready to fly (passed check-in and security) 35 minutes before their flights, which means on a normal operational day you can arrive at the airport only 45 minutes before your flight (but this is a theoretical minimum, we believe this means 55-60 minutes in reality…) – if you’re an experienced self check-in kiosk user or have used online check-in and do not have any baggages to check-in.

A Green Building

Following the first idea about a fifth terminal in as early as 1982, construction finally started on the £4.3 billion pound project in September 2002 (5.5 years ago) and has been on time and on budget. 2006 Stirling Prize winner the Richard Rogers Partnership designed the 40 metre high, 396 metres long and 176 metres wide, 5 level Terminal 5. It is built between Heathrow’s two runways, on reclaimed land previously occupied by a sludge works. The project has successfully moved 9 million cubic metres of earth and two rivers have been diverted to create space for the new building. The area now is home to 30.000 woodland plants and 4.000 trees and is planned to have more in the next two years. On top of this green initiative, the building will be operated with as small environmental effects as possible:

• Water conservation – 85 per cent of the water that falls on T5 will be collected and reused
• Recycling – 97 per cent of the construction waste was reused and passengers can contribute by recycling their waste at special facilities around the terminal
• Lighting – the predominantly glass constructed building allows in natural sunlight, reducing the need for artificial lighting (30.000 square metres of reinforced glass and 5.500 glass panels also guarantee the light and airy feel)
• Heat – 85 per cent of the heat required by the building is provided by waste heat from the existing airport heat and power station

The terminal housing the longest baggage carousel system in the world will be able to handle 30 million passengers every year, raising the total capacity of Heathrow to 90 million from 68 million currently (while the airport was originally designed for 45 million…). The main terminal building is home to Concourse A, while the satellite Concourse B has been finished as well (with dedicated stands for the Airbus A380 superjumbo – already on order with BA), and is connected to the main building by an underground people mover system. The opening of Concourse C is scheduled for 2010. Alltogether, Terminal 5 will have 60 aircraft stands.

All sorts of traffic means are connected to the building, including Heathrow Express rail service as well as the London Underground’s Piccadilly Line. 4.000 cars can be parked in the new Parking Garage, but there are bicycle routes up to the terminal as well, with free bicyle parking in car parks 1 and 1A.

BA will use Terminal 5 as the only one carrier, but Terminal 5 will not be the only one terminal used by BA, as they are forced to keep some of their services on Terminal 3. You can find the list of destinations served by BA and their Terminals here. There will also be a frequent coach service launched between Terminals 3 and 5 to allow BA passengers to easily transfer between the two terminals used by the British carrier.

The first flight to arrive is BA 026 from Hong Kong, piloted by BA’s first woman pilot, Captain Lynn Barton, due to touch down at 4.50am. She has described the role as “a huge honour”. The first flight to depart is heading for Paris at 6.20pm with a further 380 (what a coincidence with the A380…) flights due to arrive or depart at the terminal on its first day. The BA move will involve a convoy of more than 1,000 vehicles, including 360 baggage trailers, 240 cargo containers and 27 short-haul aircraft. More than 2,500 ground staff will also make the move, with another 3,000 to follow on the 30th of April.

Once airside, BA passengers will be able to kill time in an enormous shopping mall and a range of cafes and restaurants – the list of outlets includes Harrods, Prada, Bulgari, Wagamama, Gordon Ramsay, Paul Smith and Carluccio’s as well as Starbucks among many-many others.

by balint01

Singapore Airlines A380 News

Singapore Airlines took delivery of the third Airbus A380 superjumbo, which arrived in Singapore on Wednesday and has 471 seats, in the same configuration as the first two aircraft. The delivery was relatively quiet, even in dedicated news about airlines, it was only a two line short notification, rather than a regular news item. Singapore plans to use this aircraft on its new route to London Heathrow, together with their second one. The new route scheduled to open in a few days on 18MAR2008 will mark the first time an A380 is flying to the old continent as a scheduled service.

Separately Singapore Airlines has announced yesterday that it will open another new route flown by the largest commercial jet, on 20MAY2008, which will take the superjumbo to Japan. The new flight SQ636 will depart Singapore Changi at 23:40 (the inagural flight will take off one hour later) and will arrive to Tokyo Narita at 7:30 am (8:30) the next day. The return flight will take off from the Japanese metropolitan at 11:30 and will arrive to Singapore at 17:35 the same day. Tokyo is the fourth city to be serviced by the A380, and the first one in Asia. Tickets already bought for these flights remain valid without a change, similar to the way the London tickets were rebooked to the A380 automatically.

by balint01

New A380 Routes – by Emirates

The first operator of the A380, Singapore Airlines is bringing the A380 to London in two weeks, but in the meantime, the second airline to receive their first A380, Emirates has announced the planned new routes where they will fly the aircraft initially. Emirates will receive 5 Super-Jumbos this year, and they will roll them out on the following routes with the following dates:

• New York JFK (starting 01OCT2008 – starting 01AUG2008 )
• London Heathrow (starting 01DEC2008 )
• Sydney (starting 01FEB2009)

This really brings two new destinations to the growing network served by the A380: Emirates’ home in Dubai and New York JFK, the first A380 destination in North-America, as London and Sydney will be served by Singapore Airlines by that time. Emirates has also announced that the aircraft flying on these routes will have the following seating arrangement:

• 14 seats in First Class
• 76 seats in Business Class
• 399 seats in Economy Class

Just as a quick comparison: Singapore Airlines is flying the following configuration: 12 in First, 60 in Business, and also 399 in Economy. The total difference is 18 seats surplus for Emirates, which probably means slightly larger space on Singapore, though, but let’s wait to see Emirates’ product when they reveal their first interior. Emirates has also announced, that as the leading customer of the A380 (with 58 airliners on order), they will have several cabin layouts for the type:

• 489 seats in 3 classes (described above and used on international routes mentioned in this article)
• 517 seats in 3 classes (for medium-range routes)
• 604 seats in 2 classes (also for medium-range routes)

Also they hinted that they are still in negotiations about the first commercial A380 route, which then suspects that their first aircraft will have one of the higher seating arrangements and will fly on (a) medium-haul route(s).

by balint01

Friday Fun – A Perfect Way To Start Your Holiday?

My friend Attila pointed out a funny video, which is actually an advertising, but features a plane crash. So those of you who are afraid of ever landing on water, please be careful, you may also laugh!

 

by balint01

First Low-Cost Alliance: JetBlue and Aer Lingus

I have been talking (and thinking) about the future of the low-cost market around the world with many friends as well as colleagues from the airline industry for a few years. I’m happy to see one of the ideas I always mentioned in these conversations actually happening.

The equation is very easy to understand. In the beginning there was one, then there were two and by today there are a large number of low-cost carriers. Some of them have a really strong brand, but let’s face it, the average is only known to a certain region -close to their home base(s)-, where they concentrate all their branding and advertising. But you have to get business somehow, so you -as just one of the zillions of low-cost airlines- will eventually be forced to add some extra service to be different from the rest. You will either offer a frequent flier program, or drinks on board, or sandwiches on board, or guaranteed seating or satellite XM radio or TV or something, that differentiates you from the other low-costs. Maybe you team up with another low-cost to offer a wider network, more destinations and connections, one of the things that still keeps the costs of traditional airlines a little bit higher than of the low-costs. Until now low-costs only offered point-to-point flights, or maybe a single connection in their hub from their own flight, to their own flight. But now this is changing!

    

As ATW News reported recently American JetBlue Airways and Aer Lingus from Ireland unveiled details of their strategic partnership late last week, nearly one year after the “alliance” initially was revealed, proving that it will actually happen. The tie-up will take effect 03APR2008 and will feature a booking engine on the website of Aer Lingus (airline code: EI) that will allow customers to purchase tickets on EI flights to the US and onboard JetBlue services from New York JFK in one transaction. EI will have a transfer desk in the arrivals lobby of JFK’s Terminal 4 where passengers can check in and drop their luggage upon clearing customs. Those flying to Ireland will be able to check their bags through from their initial US departure point when first checking in for a JetBlue flight. “Our partnership with Aer Lingus is a perfect fit with our brand and culture and we are thrilled to extend our network,” JetBlue CEO Dave Barger said. Aer Lingus CEO Dermot Mannion said, “We are proud to be pioneering the model of linking low-fare networks.“

It’s interesting to see this latest step in the transformation of Aer Lingus. The story so far: a state-owned, traditional airline, that has a domestic, low-cost rival named Ryanair… The strategy has been laid a few years ago: EI needs to move towards the low-cost model to be able to compete with Ryanair and escape bankruptcy. Well, they kept their long-haul operations as the flag carrier of Ireland but have really transformed to a low-cost airline on short-haul routes. They used to be a member of the oneworld alliance, which they quit just more than a year ago, due to being too “low-cost-ish” and not fitting the requirements of oneworld anymore. But it looks like they still need the help of other airlines’ networks, and having the experience of a global alliance membership for years, they are now starting their own new alliance, which happens to be in the low-cost market. Just look at any of the currently operating alliances, they all have a strong European and a strong US founding member. This alliance follows the same idea, but in a different market. Let’s see how far they will go with this alliance, whether if it will remain a marketing solution only (linking booking engines, issuing tickets in one transaction (with internal accounting between the two members) and allowing through-check-in of passengers and luggage), or if they will soon link up TrueBlue and The Gold Circle Club to allow frequent flier point/mile collection on each other’s flights and will roll out other joint services? Maybe new, smaller members will be revealed later on? We’ll see.

by balint01 

New A380 Route to London

As we reported earlier, Singapore Airlines has already received their second Airbus A380 super-jumbo, and is planning to take the third one by mid March. While the second one currently serves training purposes and completes a few scheduled flights to Hong Kong, in reality she is only waiting for her sister to arrive so they can start to serve the first European route of the A380: London Heathrow directly from Singapore Changi airport.

The first flight with flight number SQ 308 will take off from Singapore at 9:00 am on 18MAR2008 and will arrive in London at 15:05 the same day. Then late afternoon at 18:55 it will head back to the home of Singapore Airlines (SIA) as flight SQ 319 and will arrive to its Asian destination at 15:35 on 19MAR2008. These two flights mark the official launch of the second route served by SIA after Sydney since October 2007 with the first super-jumbo. This will also be the first commercial flight of the A380 involving a European airport.

Following the special first day flights, the schedule will be similar to other flights on similar routes, please see the table below as provided by Singapore Airlines. The first one is about the interim time between 18MAR and 30MAR (the last day of the Winter schedule for the airline industry) the second table shows the schedule for the Summer season.

Scheduled A380 services (Northern Winter 2007/2008)

Flight number Commencement date Departure Time Arrival Time SQ 322 Singapore-London Daily from 18 March 2008 2320 hours 0525 hours next day SQ 317 London-Singapore Daily from 19 March 2008 1100 hours 0740 hours next day

Scheduled A380 services (Northern Summer 2008)

Flight number Commencement date Departure Time Arrival Time SQ 322 Singapore-London Daily from 30 March 2008 2330 hours 0555 hours next day SQ 317 London-Singapore Daily from 30 March 2008 1155 hours 0745 hours next day

According to the airline, those passengers who already have tickets for these flighs, will be able to fly on those flights, even though they originally purchased their flights not knowing that it would be served by the A380. Those, who already have a booking but not yet received a ticket for it, “may need to check if there have been changes to their fares as a result of the aircraft change.” In other words, their fares have probably been increased at least due to higher demand on these flights. If you manage to get on board the inaugural London flights (SQ308/319) on 18 March, you will receive personalised certificates recognising your participation in the milestone event, as well as limited edition Singapore Airlines A380 souvenirs and exclusive premium giveaways.

The introduction of this route flown by the A380 also marks the first case when a passenger will be able to connect from a flight on the A380 to another flight, also flown by the A380 if they travel between London and Sydney with a transfer in Singapore. In this case they will actually have to spend almost 13 hours in Singapore, but it may very well be worth it!

by balint01

How To Survive An Air Crash?

Even though Air Transport is by far the SAFEST way to travel, air crashes occur every once in a while. Fortunately the industry is working hard to avoid such situations, and the number of passenger fatalities on revenue flights DECREASED IN 2007 by 20% to 631 from 790 in 2006. You have to look at these numbers knowing that more than 2.5 billion people travel each year on airliners. According to statistics this basically means that the chance of somebody losing their lives in an air accident is 1 to 9 million! This means that you would have to fly more than 50.000 times in your life to challenge your faith this way.

Most of the irregular operations on an aircraft however, do not end in an actual crash. But if you’re on that particular flight (like one of the 15 in 2007 that were involved in fatal accidents) there are a few things which you should know, which can actually save your life! The following tips can increase your chance of survival, so they’re good to keep in mind!

1. Wear long pants, long sleeve shirts and lace boots!
Try to avoid comfortable slippers or elegant high heels as they make moving around the wreckage much harder. Also loose dresses can easily get stuck which also make your moves much harder. If you know that the route will take you above cold areas (like Canada at winter or the Himalayas in Asia), take a warm sweater or jacket with you onboard. Following an accident one of the most important things it to keep the body warm. Long pants and long sleeve dresses may also protect against possible fire burns.

2. Sit in the back rows by the aisle!
In most of the cases, the crash itself can be survived and then you need to move away from the wreckage as quick as possible. For this you should sit close to an emergency exit and in an aisle seat! According to statistics, those sitting in the back rows have 40% more chance of survival than those sitting in the front.

3. Read the Safety Card!
It may be boring after a while, but let’s pay attention to the safety demonstration before each flight, and even take a look at the Safety Card as the information may be used. The emergency exits are also located at different parts of different aircraft types, you should note those before take off as well. If sitting next to an emergency exit, you should be comfortable about how to operate and open it. This could be your duty if the flight attendants get injured for example.

4. Prepare an Emergency Plan in your head!
If you know the plane is going to crash or emergency land, you have a few minutes to prepare before the actual situation. In this time, check the exits again, and possibly count the number of rows in between. This may be useful in case of darkness or smoke in the cabin as you actually may not be able to see the exit. Let’s try to identify the type of soil where the plane would land. If it’s water, don’t inflate the lifejacket as if the cabin gets filled up with water, it would press you against the ceiling, making escape impossible. Also if you land on water, take a sweater or the blanket along against getting cold.

5. Always fasten your seatbelt!
It may be uncomfortable, but keep the seatbelt fastened throughout the whole duration of the flight. Also make sure it’s tight, as in case of a crash landing, the distance between the body and the belt may multiply the g-force on the body. Also you should be aware of how to open the belt the quickest way, as after the accident, speed counts the most. If you have time before the crash, remove any sharp objects from your pockets (pen, pencil, etc., even eyeglasses) as they may cause injury. Best if you don’t even have those on you!

6. Take on an Emergency Position!
If you are aware that the plane will have a crash, try to chock up yourself as much as possible. Move your seat to an upright position, and take on one of the emergency positions:

A) If the seat in front of you is close, put one your palms on the back of the seat, cross the other hand and put the other palm on your lower arm, and move your forehead on the two lower arms. Never cross your fingers!

B) If the seat in front you is farther away, lean forward and put your chest on your thighs and place your head between your knees, take hold of your ankles with your hands.
In both cases, leave your feet on the ground, a little bit below the line of the knees. These positions also prevent damage to your spine at the crash.

7. Don’t move until the plane comes to a complete stop!
Most of the cases passengers survive the first crash, but the fuselage may “bounce” and most of the injuries happen at this time. Try to place your hand luggage under the seat in front of you and not in the overhead bins, as if a bag is there, it may prevent your feet or legs from being caught in that space.

8. Keep calm!
It is very hard to keep calm and not panic right before and after such a crash. Let’s think about which direction is the safest to go, and try to give maximum chance for your survival by thinking calmly about how to do it!

9. Take on the Oxygen Mask!
You should always take on your own mask, before helping others. In case of loss of cabin pressure these masks are only required for a few minutes, while the pilot navigates the plane to a lower flight level, where the outside pressure is high enough so that you can breath normally. Don’t be afraid to take it off and leave it behind after this has happened.

10. Protect yourself from the smoke!
In most of the cases, the fire and the smoke after an accident takes the most fatalities. The smoke inside the cabin is usually thick and has poisonous gases. The best you can do is to put a cloth in front of your mouth and nose. If you have a chance, make the piece of cloth wet, even with your own urine if there is no other way, it also reduces the risk of internal injuries if your bladder is empty. It may sound disgusting but it works and may save your life!

11. Leave the aircraft immediately!
The most important after a crash has happened is to leave the wreckage immediately! Don’t sit around stunned and waiting for instructions, GET MOVING as soon as possible. In the aisle or if it’s not possible, on the top of the seats, try to avoid crawling underneath as other passengers may bury you. If there is a fire or smoke, according to studies, you have about two minutes to leave safely. Quick evacuation is what helped all onboard to survive the China Airlines’ accident last year.

12. Leave your luggage behind!
You may have “valuable” things in your carry-on luggage, but leave them all behind, as the most valuable thing you have is your own life and such bags would only reduce your – and that of other fellow passengers – chance of survival as they slow you down and may get stuck, etc.

14. Check the other side!
Check the other side of the exit, as if there is fire or any other danger, it’s better to try on the other side.

15. Quickly move away from the wreckage!
As soon as you’re outside the plane, get away from the wreckage as quickly as possible, as an explosion or fire could happen at any second. At the same time, if your plane “landed” in a remote area, don’t move too far away, as the rescue teams will look around the wreckage for survivors. If we land on water, swim as far as you can. The best is to remove your shoes, and any other non-useful dress items in the cabin or before jumping in the water as those make swimming only harder, but don’t leave a sweater or a jacket behind.

16. Follow instructions by flight attendants!
In general, if the flight attendants have survived the crash, always follow their instructions, as they have been trained for such situations. They may not be nice, rather rude with short, straight sentences in a militaristic tone, but that’s what helps in such a case.

If everybody follows these instructions, all passengers can get out of a crash-landed plane very quickly, just take a look at this video of an evacuation test on the new Airbus A380 super-jumbo!

We hope none of us would have to use any of the items in this article, but it’s always better to be prepared!

by balint01

14 missing After Transaven LET L-410 Crash In Venezuela

A plane carrying 14 people, including eight Italians and one Swiss passenger, crashed into the sea close to a group of Venezuelan islands on 04 January 2008.

The pilot reported that both engines failed just before contact was lost with the Czech-made 19-seat LET L-410. At that moment the plane flew on 3000 feet (914 meters) high.

The plane was flying to the Los Roques archipelago from Caracas but reported engine trouble and never arrived at its destination, an air rescue worker said. Civil protection said the plane, operated by Venezuela-based airline Transaven, fell into the sea about 24 miles from Los Roques on Friday morning. Air rescue and civil protection officials are still searching for the twin-engine aircraft. Rain and strong waves have “made the search for the plane more difficult,” General Antonio Rivero, who heads Venezuela’s civil protection agency, said.

A spokesman at the Italian Foreign Ministry said eight of the people on board the plane were Italians. He gave no further details.

Background

Los Roques is a group of 350 islands in the Caribbean North from Venezuela. It’s a beutiful, exotic tourist paradise with white sand and multicolor water bays. There are 3 airlines carrying passengers to the islands, Transaven is one of them. Their website says it is under construction, so there is now way to learn more about their fleet or safety standards. Apparently the old LET-410s is the only plane they have. I wrote an email to them with questions, I hope they will answer.

Development of the L-410 was started in the 1960s by the Czechoslovakian aircraft manufacturer Let Kunovice. The Soviet airline “Aeroflot” was looking for a turbine-powered replacement for the Antonov An-2 aircraft, initiating the design development by Let. After preliminary studies of an aircraft called the L-400, a new version was introduced called the L-410 Turbolet. The first prototype, designated XL-410, flew on April 16, 1969.

The problem with such airlines is that they are the only ones flying to such tourist places and even though they have basically no maintenance or safety standard, one must take the risk to get there. My recommendation is that if you are about to get to Los Roques any way, rather fly to the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire or Curacao) by KLM and from there you can easily get to Los Roques by motor boats or any way on water.

Although chances are low, let’s hope they are still alive.

By Szafi