Eric Joiner's Freightdawg.com - The Logistics and Supply Chain Blog!

JetBlue Flight Attendant Blows a Gasket.

Flight attendant curses out passengers, slides down emergency chute | NWCN.com | NWCN - News

 Frankly I am not surprised that a flight attendant finally had enough. These folks routinely get abused by fed up passengers suffering from delayed flights, too small aircraft, ineffective luggage policies and frankly...militant (harassed) flight attendants.  And this is all after having run the TSA gauntlet just to get to these problems. 

I'm surprised fisticuffs were not involved.  At least the guy exited with a little flair.  Using the emergency exit was a guaranteed loss of job plus FAA and legal complications...but hey...the guy got home early. 

This is all dandruff falling from the heads of airline and government management of today's airline market. 

Lufthansa MD-11F Crash at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, July 27th, 2010, a Lufthansa MD-11 Freighter bound from Frankfurt, Germany to Riyadh, KSA crashed on landing destroying the air frame, however without loss of life.  LH8460 was subsequently scheduled to fly from Riyadh to Sharjah then on to Hong Kong.   Lufthansa only operates the MD-11 as a freighter. 

The MD-11 suffers from a bad reputation given its few numbers built (200 aircraft).   Of the 200 built, now 8 have crashed.   Three of those were FedEx freighters. Compared to other wide body jets this number of crashes is very high.  

Here are some comparisons to other aircraft currently flying.

• MD-11: 8 crashed out of 200
• B744: 3 crashed out of approximately 700 (166 pure freighters built)
• A340: 3 crashed out of approximately 390+
• B777: 1 crashed out of 860+

Previous MD-11 crashes are detailed here.

• 31-JUL-1997 MD-11F N611FE FedEx
• 02-SEP-1998 MD-11 HB-IWF Swissair
• 15-APR-1999 MD-11 HL7373 Korean Air
• 22-AUG-1999 MD-11 B-150 China Airlines
• 17-OCT-1999 MD-11F N581FE FedEx
• 23-MAR-2009 MD-11F N526FE FedEx
• 28-NOV-2009 MD-11F Z-BAV Avient

I'll be honest...if I was a FedEx pilot I'd be working on getting a rating to fly something else.  I have friends who are Delta pilots who "inherited" the MD-11 when DAL purchased other airlines.  There were always complaints that this aircraft was complicated to fly and was less-than-intuitive when it came to systems.  Most were not unhappy to see these birds retired.  

I will say as a passenger, I never liked the MD-11's older sister, the DC-10.  When American had the horrific crash at Chicago ORD many years ago, that crash scared me.   I always flew on the L-1011 because I thought it was a safer bird.   The MD-11 is a derivative of the DC-10. Perhaps the recent crashes are not linked, but as a guy who rides in back...I pay attention.

Lufthansa is still sorting out the freight manifest for this flight and as far as I know, no losses have been formally confirmed to freight forwarders or shippers with freight aboard.  That, I am sure is coming, but so far nothing has been put forward by the airline that I am aware of.

Eric

N836D: First of the Last

The Historical Flight Foundation, located in Opa Locka Florida, operates what is today the last flying example of the famous Douglas DC-7. This DC-7B was once operated by Eastern Airlines.  After meticulous and costly restoration, this old girl finally got off the ground on July 4th, 2010. She will now be making the air show circuit in the USA.

Guess what?  You can fly on her.   The HFF will be selling seats for passengers once the aircraft starts making her rounds.  She will be seen at Airventure in Oshkosh, Thunder over Michigan and coming up in August, Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.    Check out this Google slide show as well for interior pictures.  She is a beauty.

Ok, these things are CREEPY.

I spent the last couple of days in south Florida in some customer meetings.   I normally fly into KFLL, pick up a rental car, go to our corporate headquarters to visit my amigos, then go do what I need to do with the Latin American regional offices of my clients that are based in Miami.   This is all quite normal and regular business for me.  

On the return to Atlanta tonight, going through TSA security at Fort Lauderdale, I noted that they had a new (at least since the last time I was there) scanning unit in terminal 2.  It is a backscatter body imaging machine.  These are the units that can see through the clothing of scanned passengers, though said not to either store scans nor compromise the modesty of the scanned passenger. (see for yourself here.)

Since I work with customers who produce some of these kinds of security devices,  I figured I would go through the body imaging line.  No big deal really.  You take off any and all metal, then you proceed to hold your arms up and get scanned.  The TSA officer then tells you to move along.   However, I will say watching a young lady in front of me get scanned, then subsequently get frisked, gave me the willies.  The TSA officers did nothing unusual and were perfectly professional in the examinations. Standing in the unit, then holding your arms up to get scanned, was somehow just a little unnerving.   After a few times, I'm sure it will seem quite normal, but I can think of a few things that might seem normal if you did them enough.

Here is what the TSA says about those who observe these screenings:

"For additional privacy, the officer viewing the image is in a separate room and will never see the passenger and the officer attending to the passenger will never see the image. The officers have 2-way radios to communicate with each other in case a threat object is identified."

Why is this even more unnerving?     I do not want to even know what those people could be doing in the observation rooms, though I can pretty much assure the traveling public my image won't incite anything weird.

I really think it's time to go to a US domestic passport along with some kind of bio marker that says it's me.  Maybe a retina scan or a fingerprint scan, but something that shows I am a safe traveler and something that expedites travel through security. I am convinced that at least one true cost of 9/11 is being borne and costed out on the traveling public by the inefficient use of security measures.   

Politically, I am a center right independent.  Mostly I just want to be left alone by government to pay my own way, take care of my responsibilities and do my own thing.  Most conservatives rail at the idea of any kind of domestic passport on the grounds that it is like Nazi Germany "requesting your papers" just to travel in your own country.  

On a defacto basis I think we are already there.  We are just using technology to verify who is safe and who is not.

Stop screening my shoes and my underwear.   Neither of which is really that interesting.

Eric

BA, American and Iberia win EU OK for alliance | al.com

So much for Virgin Atlantic's competitive motto of "NO WAY BA/AA".   Seems the European Union has approved the merger of BA and Iberia and the subsequent expansion of the relationship with American.  The net result will be deeper ties between the carriers and a larger penetration of the European and American markets.   Associated Press reported the story below.   

It will be interesting to see how the coordinated flight schedules will impact air freight space availability especially in crowded markets like the Latin American trades where American has a significant presence as does Iberia.

BRUSSELS -- British Airways and Iberia won the European Union's regulatory approval to merge and to team up with American Airlines to share more of their lucrative trans-Atlantic routes.

British Airways' merger with Iberia will create Europe's third-largest airline with a market value of around $7.5 billion pounds. They will keep their existing brand identities and claim the deal will create savings of euro400 million ($530 million) a year by the fifth year.

BA and Iberia also plan to expand their oneworld alliance with American Airlines, which currently coordinates how they sell and operate flights between the 27-nation European Union and the United States. They will now also jointly manage schedules, capacity and pricing on flights from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Norway and Switzerland as well.

BA, American and Iberia win EU OK for alliance | al.com

Things airlines don't want you to know

Consumersearch.com has some good tips for finding cheaper airline tickets as well as how to upgrade.

Go visit the site and read on. Power to the people baby!

Planning a cross-country vacation? With today's soaring airfares and sneaky baggage fees, you may be wondering whether it's still possible to get a good, drama-free deal. To help you get the best bang for your travel buck, we did some detective work and found four inside tips to keep in mind before you pack your bags.

via www.consumersearch.com

Spirit Airlines pilots strike: Cancellations Strand Passengers

 Spirit Airlines pilots struck today causing multiple flight cancellations and stranding of mostly holiday passengers in South Florida. There is a very interesting discussion of this over at Airliners.net.

I'll be watching this one since Spirits marketing strategies of late have been questionable in my mind, particularly charging customers for carry on bags.  Anybody who reads this site knows my opinions on air carrier baggage strategies.  Now the airline has a pilot strike on its hands.   Not good when its peak Florida travel season and there is already a catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico panicking Florida travelers.   Spirit published this advisement on their site today cancelling this weekends flighs.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - June 12, 2010 -- A strike by Spirit Airlines pilots has shut down the discount carrier, stranding thousands of travelers.

The walkout, which began Saturday, forced the airline to cancel its Saturday and Sunday flights. Its CEO said no talks were scheduled with picketing pilots.

Spirit carries 16,680 passengers per day - about 1 percent of the U.S. total - mostly between the eastern U.S. and the Caribbean and Latin America. But its shutdown is causing major problems for its flyers.

Spirit tickets are only good on a handful of other carriers, and only if there's space on the flight. The airline said it was refunding fares for Saturday flights plus a $100 credit toward future flights. It was trying to get its passengers booked onto other airlines.

People who needed to replace their Spirit tickets found the cost of same-day fares on other airlines was two- to three times more than their tickets.

That was out of the question for Junior Elliott, a 67-year-old mason from St. Ann's parish in Jamaica, who was stranded in Fort Lauderdale while traveling to New York for a cousin's funeral.

Elliott was unable to buy new tickets until his fare was refunded to his debit card. He had no cell phone, no U.S. currency, and nowhere to sleep but the terminal's seats.

"It's bad now, man," Elliott said. "I can't even buy a cup of coffee."

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is Spirit's main hub, where it is the only airline to 14 international cities and five U.S. destinations, said airport spokesman Greg Meyer. Around the country Spirit runs roughly 150 flights per day.

The Spirit terminal, usually the busiest in Fort Lauderdale, was full of angry travelers desperate to return home or start trips on Saturday. Extra Spirit staff and local police officers were posted in the ticketing area.

Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza said in an interview that he hoped to get some of Spirit's 31 aircraft flying soon with management pilots or others who cross the picket line, but that no such flights took place on Saturday.

He said Spirit has lined up one airplane from another air carrier - he declined to say which one - to complete a few flights. He was hoping to add other carriers in the days ahead.

Spirit pilots have said their pay lags competitors such as AirTran Airways and JetBlue. The airline and its pilots had been negotiating for more than three years.

Pilots "will not return to the cockpit until a fair and equitable contract is negotiated," Sean Creed, a Spirit captain and head of its Air Line Pilots Association unit, said in a statement on the union's website.

The privately held airline based in Miramar, Fla. has about 440 active pilots.

Airline analyst Vaughn Cordle said Spirit pilots made more per hour of flying in 2009 in wages and benefits than AirTran pilots, but less than JetBlue.

via abclocal.go.com

DHL: Press Releases

 I'm a few days late in posting this, but this is a significant event for DHL and the folks in Clinton County, Ohio. DHL donated the former Airborne hub at Wilmington, Ohio to the Clinton County Port Authority.

What DHL gave the CCPA is a big, big deal. This is the largest privately held airport in the United States. Its a former SAC base with twin 10,000 ft runways and a complete logistics infrastructure to support it.  A major airport capable of landing 747's in the middle of the United States, plus 1500 acres of logistics park, including warehouses, etc.  Is a great asset to help central Ohio recover from the jobs loss created by the DHL hub move to CVG and its departure from the US domestic parcel business.

_____________________________________________

CCPA, DHL FINALIZE AIR PARK TRANSACTION Wilmington, Ohio and Plantation, Fla. -- June 3, 2010 Deutsche Post DHL officially deeded the Wilmington Air Park to the Clinton County Port Authority (CCPA) in an afternoon ceremony held at the former Employee Welcome Center, highlighting the opportunity to once again open the Air Park to employee traffic.  
 
"We are pleased to accept this donation today," said John Limbert, Chairman of the CCPA. "However we understand it is just the beginning of the process of reactivating the Air Park. There is still a lot of work ahead of us." 
 
Many dignitaries were in attendance to mark the occasion. Representatives from the Ohio Department of Development and the Economic Task Force, as well as local and regional elected and business officials shared their comments with the group assembled at the Air Park. 
 
"I commend John Limbert of the CCPA who, along with State and Local Officials, worked diligently alongside our DHL team to conclude the donation agreement in the best interests of the local community," said Ian Clough, CEO of DHL Express USA. "With today's official donation of the Wilmington Air Park, we are confident that the community here and throughout southwest Ohio will be poised to prosper and attract new and exciting development to the Air Park property in the future." 
 
The CCPA, working with the State of Ohio, the County Commissioners, the Mayor's office and other Economic Development leaders, have been bringing visitors to the Air Park, sharing information on building specifications and discussing possible business opportunities. Now that it can enter into agreements with these groups, the CCPA will be able to negotiate in more detail with these potential tenants what it would take to make things move forward. 
 
"A lot of people put a lot of hours into this donation agreement," noted Limbert. "We want to thank DHL for this opportunity for our community and for their commitment throughout the process." 
 
At different points in the process over the last year - negotiations first began in early June of 2009 - DHL and the CCPA had the assistance of representatives from the State of Ohio, from national legislators, the community and its leaders and professional consultants, all with the intent of making sure the Air Park would be functional and viable as the CCPA accepted ownership and began to market it in earnest. 
 
Included in the property transfer are approximately 1,500 acres of land and several buildings located, for the most part, "inside the fence" of the airport. ATSG, ABX Air and AMES all will continue their leases of buildings at the airport. 

via www.dhl-usa.com

Could Concorde Fly Again?

  A British and French team are working on the possibility of returning a former Air France Concorde to flying status as part of a Le Bourget Air and Space Museum effort to preserve the Concorde as a piece of living history.  Very exciting news to this aviation buff.  

Concorde was and is one of the all time cool airplanes, along with the SR-71, who performed marvelously and well beyond their era.

BBC News - Work starts in £15m plan to get Concorde flying

The engines on a French Concorde are to be examined as the first move in a £15m project aiming to get the supersonic passenger jet back in the air. The Rolls Royce engines of the former Air France Concorde will undergo an initial examination to see what work needs to be done to start the engines.

Concorde was retired seven years ago, but it is hoped the jet could return to flight in a heritage capacity. The tests by a French-British team will take place at an air museum near Paris.

The work at the Le Bourget Air and Space Museum is being done through a partnership between the British Save Concorde Group, SCG, and a French group Olympus 593.

'Critical date'

Vice-chairman of SCG Ben Lord said: "Today marks the most critical date in Concorde's history since she was retired almost seven years ago.

"Two members of our management team are in France this weekend to observe these amazing developments. "SCG has always maintained that she could return to flight in a heritage capacity, and the findings of today will hopefully go an awfully long way to proving our point.

via news.BBC.co.uk

Airline Boarding Passes - Fail

 Just a quick post to offer a link on an excellent design article I saw on increasing the design efficiency of airline boarding passes. 

Check this article by Tyler Thompson out. http://passfail.squarespace.com/   Tyler captures a number of design changes that might make airline passenger tickets easier to use.   Unfortunately, most of the artwork is fictional.  Ah! what could be! 

The sad reality is tied to cost.  The current version is based on lowest cost to print.  At the airport, this consists of a single black only thermo jet printed document on very low density paper.   The fictional, high color version above, whilst practical and beautiful consists of at least black and WHITE as a printer color.  That additonal color doubles printing costs at a time when the airlines don't want to incur any cost at all for non essential activities. One must also account for the four color printed card stock of the ticket paper and distribution costs of this paper.  In fairness, in Tyler's article there are black and white alternatives giving better ergonomics to the current format and he addresses design only.  Leave it to a logistics guy like me to think of the other stuff.  

Where this creative stuff gets fun however, is in online log on and check in.  Why not use the artsy format for online tickets?  I printed my check in ticket for my flight today on my own color printer.  It costs the airline nothing to both lay the keystokes off on me as well as the color printer ink.   

Delta Airlines at least is semi-close to this.  When I print an online boarding pass, I get the standard black and white boarding card with bar codes as well as other non essential stuff that prints below the boarding pass, like weather and a lot of advertisements.  For these, the marketing gurus have no problem using my color printer ink.  Why not redesign the boarding card I actually paid for in order to improve its usability and spare me the BS I won't use and don't care about?  

Almost certainly that will translate into lower cost remedial customer care.

Why not give passengers yet another reason to do all the work themselves in exchange for additional convenience and speed at the airport?  The airport is the difficult, physical bottleneck to travel.  Giving passengers ways to alleviate that pain at home before travel only increases brand loyalty in ways that are FREE to most air carriers.   DUH.   

Eric