Just how late is your flight going to be? Here’s how to find out — and what to do

While winter storms make for dramatic pictures of shut-down airports, travelers know that summer thunderstorms can cause just about as many delays. And one of the most frustrating things about delays is the uncertainty.

For example, if you know a plane is delayed a couple hours, you can relax and have a meal, get some work done, or perhaps stay in your comfortable hotel or home a little longer. It’s those 5 to 15 minute delays that can really make you crazy.

While all of this is an inexact science, here are several tips to try to reduce the uncertainty.

First, try to contact the airline or your travel agent to find out the cause of the delay, if it hasn’t been announced. Sometimes they will tell you at the gate, if you can get close enough to talk to a human.
But remember, gate agents for delayed flights are in one of the worst positions in the travel industry. So use common sense and be as nice as possible. If there are twenty people in line, an agent is going to be a lot less forthcoming with information and speculation. If, however, there is no one else around, a nicely asked query may get you more information.

Airline clubs such as Delta’s Crown Room or United’s Red Carpet Club may also have personnel with information, and they are likely to have more time to talk.

If the delay is caused by “late arrival” of another flight, try to find out when that other plane is actually arriving. Airlines have that information, as do travel agents. Earlier this month United Express was saying an Atlanta-Dulles flight was leaving late at about 8:30 p.m., when the plane was still on the ground in Dulles after 6 p.m. And it’s a two hour flight. So 8:30 was incredibly optimistic. (The plane finally arrived in Dulles after 9 p.m. and pushed back from the gate after 10.

Besides a delayed plane, a delayed crew is another potential problem. Often flight crews will switch from one plane to another, so everything can be fine with your plane, but if the crew is coming in from somewhere else, no one is going anywhere. Again, if you know when that other plane is arriving, you can get a better idea of your departure time. Crews will get to their next plane as soon as they can, but they generally can’t get through a terminal much fast than passengers can.

If it’s “crew legality” this can be a reasonably set delay. The FAA mandates that pilots have a certain amount of downtime between flights to rest. And that means if those pilots got in late the night before and their minimum rest time ends at 8:32 a.m. the next day, then that plane is not going to leave until 8:32 a.m. Period. Regardless if everyone is there and the plane is not ready to go.

Note, flight attendants don’t have the same rules, so you easily can have flight attendants on your plane who have had very little sleep. If so, be kind.

The other three most common codes can be somewhat open ended - weather, ATC (Air Traffic Control) holds, and mechanicals. In some cases, an airline will have information on how long the weather issue may last, though it is an inexact science, ditto the ATC holds, when an airline may have an estimated time, but it could be subject to change.

With mechanicals, if you can find out the nature of the problem, you may be able to get a better sense of the time involved. A flat tire or broken seat can be a quick fix, a light that is on that shouldn’t be on, can be a different matter. (And even if the airline determines the problem is a broken sensor light and not a more serious issue, there will be serious paperwork involved.

Another danger with weather or mechanical delays is that if they go on long enough, you can run into crew legality issues, and then it’s either get a new crew, or wait until the original crew is rested. (This can really mess up Hawaii flights, where a new crew can’t simply drive in.)

None of these tips is a guaranteed answer for a delay time, but they can take some of the uncertainty out of delays. And potentially give you the information you need to about changing a meeting, or even changing to another flight.

But perhaps the most important tip with any delay, whether you decided to wait it out at the gate, an airline club, or an airport shop, restaurant or bar, don’t go too far away from a departure monitor. With any or all of these reasons, things can change.

And the only thing worse than finding your plane will be delayed another few hours, is to find that the airline has found a new aircraft, crew, or some other fix, and the plane has left without you.

Warning About European Scam and Pickpockets
This is a good article to read on new scam artist's tricks to relieve you of your purse or wallet. It was written by Rick Steves and you can read it here:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/traveltips/07/07/europe.scams/index.html

NOW THIS IS STATE OF THE ART.......... DUE TO COME OUT JULY 2010
Norwegian Epic Offers Largest Ship-Within-A-Ship Suite Complex
Norwegian Epic, NCL's largest Freestyle Cruising ship to date features the biggest ship-within-a-ship suite complex at sea, with 60 suites and villas on two private decks at the top of the ship. Guests staying in one of these suites will have exclusive access to the Courtyard Villa complex featuring a pool, two whirlpools, gym, saunas, sundeck, indoor/outdoor dining, bar/nightclub and concierge lounge. Norwegian pioneered the ship-within-a-ship concept on its Jewel class ships and is now bringing that vision to the 4,200 passenger Norwegian Epic. For the budget-conscious traveler, Norwegian also unveiled a new category of inside staterooms - The Studios. A first in design for the cruise industry, these ultra-modern staterooms maximize space and feature a large, round window that looks out into the corridor, along with customizable color changing light effects that mirror different stages of the day or the guest's mood. The Studios occupy two decks and have exclusive key-card access to the Living Room, a two-story shared private lounge. The area is a two-floor lounge which features a concierge, bar, room service, two large TV screens, and comfy seating for hanging out, reading a book or just enjoying a cocktail before dinner. Norwegian is also introducing spa balcony, deluxe balcony staterooms and suites located within the spa with complimentary access to the ship's ultra-relaxing thermal suite and state-of-the-art fitness centre. For families travelling on Norwegian Epic, NCL has placed the majority of its family-friendly staterooms, both deluxe balcony and balcony staterooms (many that connect) on two decks within close proximity to an expanded, biggest ever Kids Crew facility for added convenience. All of the ships outside staterooms feature private balconies.

Which airline makes the most from luggage fees?

by Christopher Elliott
That would be American Airlines, according to the latest government-reported numbers for 2009.
The rest of the list may surprise you even more.

1. American Airlines - $108,117,000
2. Delta Air Lines - $102,838,000
3. US Airways - $94,227,000
4. United Airlines - $59,102,000
5. Northwest Airlines - $59,786,000
6. Continental Airlines - $55,616,000
7. AirTran Airways - $30,881,000
8. JetBlue Airways - $12,603,000
9. Frontier Airlines - $12,456,000
10. Southwest Airlines - $5,982,000

Here are the top 10 airlines by passengers:
1. Southwest Airlines
2. American Airlines
3. Delta Air Lines
4. United Airlines
5. US Airways
6. Continental Airlines
7. Northwest Airlines
8. AirTran Airways
9. JetBlue Airways
10. SkyWest

Conclusion? Southwest is the real story here. It carried the most passengers, yet charged the least in fees. If you want to avoid luggage fees, you know who to fly.

Pet Airways Flew For First Time Tuesday
The airline is using a Beech 1900 with the seats and overhead bins removed and pet cages installed in the main cabin. The first flight had 35 to 40 pets onboard. The airline has four of the Beech 1900s fitted with rows of cages for its passengers and can carry up to 50 pets at one time. There are special pet attendants who watch the animals, get them on and off the plane and take them on potty breaks. The flights go between five cities: New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver and Los Angeles. The cost ranges from $149 to $299 each way, prices comparable to what other airlines charge to put pets in the cargo hold. The airline says flights are sold out for the next two months. I hope this one keeps flying. 

Cancellation Fees Are Big Business For Airlines
The resulting change fees and cancellation penalties passengers end up paying add up to a whopping $2 billion a year, according to new Department of Transportation filings. At some airlines the fees bring in more than baggage fees. Travelers paid some $116 million in change and cancellation penalties in the first quarter this year, compared with only $108 million in baggage fees that travelers paid. Back in February the Department of Transportation changed the rules on how fees were reported to the government so now we can see just how much they collect and it’s mind-boggling. The first numbers are from the first quarter of 2009 and give us a first look at how much consumers pay to make changes on non-refundable tickets. Change and cancellation fees amount to an added 3.2% of U.S. airline passenger revenue, totaling $527.6 million for the first quarter. Business travelers pay the lion's share and it’s going up because several airlines have raised the amount of their penalties. Southwest is, I believe, the only airline that does not charge a change fee or charge for first and second bags. It’s interesting that the major carriers all lost money in the second quarter while Southwest made a small profit. The majors also have had large capacity cuts while Southwest has improved its load factors and made fewer cutbacks. 

Hope everyone is well…………take care   LIL

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