New York traffic jams

Today's New York Times notes that despite restrictions on take offs and landings at the New York City airports, delays continue through this summer. While much of the article speaks to problems associated with weather and labor disputes, the real problem is buried in the last paragraph of the story. The only way to decrease the traffic jams in New York City is to build additional runways with new approach and departure routes. However, these advances are being blocked by communities worried about the noise. This NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) problem is pretty disgraceful, considering that catering to a few cranky New Yorkers' noise complaints ends up causing massive delays that ripple throughout the entire air traffic system. I like my peace and quiet just as much as the next guy (so much that I moved from New York to Vermont), but New Yorker's can't expect to have a first rate air system that is conveniently located and accessible, without enduring a rumble or two of an airplane every now and again. I mean what's the big deal, I grew up in the flight pattern of Burlington International Airport, and look at how well adjusted I am!

The future?

Interesting little piece about using solar panels on planes to lower fuel costs. This is the type of innovation that we need if we're going to break the strangle hold oil has over the airline industry, our economy and our lives. The sad thing is, we could have been developing innovations like this decades ago if folks had the political will to do it. Sad that it takes an economic crisis to make us realize that we have to look beyond our reliance on a fuel source that will some day run out.

What 30-300 million will get you

Sick of the constant hassles, the nickel and dimming, the old planes, the lack of amenities, the in-flight brawls between airline staff and passengers, well take a looksy at how the super-duper rich do it. We're not talking souped up Cessnas or ticked out Gulfstreams, we're talking entirely retrofitted 737s, 747, 777s, and A-380s! It's pretty incredible to think that any single person could actually own their own 747, and not many do, but as the rich get richer by the day, their toys get bigger and brighter and flashier, and I expect we'll see more and more private ownership of these super jets. In fact, all my google searching, gmail emailing, and blogger postings helped Larry Page and Serge Brin (founders of google) pay for their own Boeing jet. I have to say, I don't really care about getting rich, BUT, I wouldn't be sad at all if one or two of my friends happened to earn a Bill or two allowing me to hitch a ride on their modest 747 every now and again. So c'mon friends, get back to making those Benjamins!

"You never know when they're going to not work right"

That was the quote from American Airline spokeswoman rationalizing why an MD-80 had to make an emergency landing yesterday in Dallas. In an age when passengers are frustrated, annoyed, concerned, angry, basically anything but satisfied and happy travelers, it's not the best PR to tell us that at any time a plane could just stop working. How about something like this: at American we hold the highest standards for the maintenance of our planes, and are committed to doing everything we can to keep the traveling public safe. A simple statement that lets us know that when we strap in, the company has done everything it can to look out for us. Flippant statements like the one made by American really makes me question whether I would fly their airline. Passenger satisfaction has a lot to do with confidence in the airline, and while I'm sure that American and most airlines do a great job on maintenance at the end of the day the failure to let us know the steps they take to keep us safe is a failure unto itself.

Birthplace of aviation?

A week or so ago the New York Times ran an article about foreign airlines increased introduction of economy plus, a hybrid between business and economy class. For almost a decade airlines like Virgin Atlantic have been offering this service, which includes many of the amenities of business class without the soul crushing price. Like the super budget airlines used by European travelers for so long and only recently introduced through the Southwests and JetBlues, U.S. airlines are late in the game when it comes to economy plus or anything really innovative. How could it be that in the birthplace of aviation, we get out hustled, out innovated, out maneuvered at every turn.

I have a theory on what's going on. As a result of deregulation and the public trading of airlines, the only concern airlines have had over the last 20-30 years has been profit margins, quarter by quarter, year by year. Let's just look at what this mentality has done for the industry: old planes, terrible service, bankrupt airlines, safety concerns, little to no innovation, and interestingly enough, very low stock prices and terrible profits. These problems have all come post-deregulation and to deny the connection and wrap ourselves in the cloak of deregulation and unbridled free market innovation, not only denies reality, but will allow competitors across the world to continue to surpass the U.S. airline industry by every conceivable benchmark.

Obama's Plane

Earlier today Obama's plane had to make an "emergency" landing because an emergency slide in the rear cone of the plane deployed during flight. The deployment impacted the pilot's ability to steer. The article about the incident says that he was flying on a 1981 MD-80, the same planes that, in recent days, have been taken out of service because of myriad problems. Call me crazy, but I think that after raising hundreds of millions of dollars the Obama campaign could splurge for a campaign plane that was a little more modern and reliable. Jeesh, I mean it's the future President of the United States we're talking about here! I just find this bizarre. Well at least McCain can't accuse Obama of being elitist. Barack's slumming it on old, crappy planes like the rest of us.