NTSB Reminds Pilots To Land At The Right Airport

More funny than insightful, the NTSB is warning pilots about "Landing at the Wrong Airport."  Flight crews are recommended to "confirm that [pilots] have correctly identified the destination airport before reporting the airport or runway is in sight."  Sounds pretty basic, but someone thought this bulletin was needed.  Other gems the NTSB could publish include Adding Enough Fuel, What Runways Look Like, or Why Altitude Is Important.

Don't Land at the Wrong Airport

Southwest Airlines' New Slim Seats

Southwest has caught the industry wide craze for slim seats.  Lucky for Southwest flyers, they are installing comfortable models on their 737 fleet. United, American, Lufthansa, Austrian, etc. are installing a different style with the magazine holder above the tray table and all padding removed.  Add in free TV in flight (bring your own fully charged device) and Southwest looks like a great way to see the country.  

New Southwest 737 Seats

United Recommending Seats

United is now recommending seats online; a helpful feature for infrequent flyers.  I would like them to add where missing windows are located on seat maps, but Seat Guru knows.

United Suggests 7A and 7F

Brussels Airlines to Start Flights to Antarctica

Brussels Airlines, the Belgian national airline, announced today the opening of a new scheduled flight route between Brussels and Antarctica during the winter season.

A first in the history of aviation. As part of its new commercial strategy, Brussels Airlines adds Antarctica to its network to offer an even wider choice of destinations from its hub, Brussels Airport. Between October 27, 2014 and March 29, 2015, it will be possible to visit this continent with its unique landscapes. The new destination is announced just after the addition of 11 other new destinations earlier this year: Ajaccio, Athens, Bari, Bastia, Cagliari, Figari, Krakow, Malta, Montpellier, Sevilla and Warsaw.

The Antarctic continent, previously unknown to the general public, contains an immeasurable wealth: its fauna and flora consist of many fascinating species. In addition, it is a beacon for scientists from around the world. Tourists have the choice between many activities: snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, taking a sea cruise or visiting the Princess Elisabeth base, the Belgian scientific polar research station in Antarctica.

Brussels Airlines will operate one flight per week (Sundays) between Brussels Airlines and Antarctica with an Airbus A330. In order for its operations to proceed as efficiently and safely as possible, the airline has invested in the construction of a runway on which the aircraft will be able to land on its wheels. The flight makes a technical stop in Luanda (Angola), one of Brussels Airlines’ 19 African destinations. The intermediary landing is necessary to refuel the aircraft and provide new catering, but also to do an exchange of cabin crews. At the occasion of the opening of this new route, the uniform has been adapted and features (faux) fur to deal with the cold temperatures upon arrival.

Brussels Airlines is working closely with a renowned hotel chain to open a hotel in Antarctica to accommodate its passengers. There is a real demand for this destination, both for tourists and for scientists. Brussels Airlines will be the first company to offer scheduled flights between Europe and Antarctica during the winter season, which is paradoxically the least cold period of the year on the continent.

Flight Schedule (in local times):

Route	Departure	Arrival
Brussels – Antarctica (via Luanda)	10h45	7h45 (+1)
Antarctica – Brussels (via Luanda)	9h15	6h15 (+1)

WestJet Moves to Metric Time

CALGARY, April 1, 2014 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced it is changing the way it displays its flight schedule, switching from its current system of "a.m." and "p.m." to metric time effective immediately.

740 Miliminutes View

"This has long been a source of confusion for a number of our guests," said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. "Some are used to the traditional 'a.m.' and 'p.m.' designations while others live their lives on the 24-hour clock, particularly those with medical, military or law enforcement backgrounds. The confusion stems from the fact there is no one universally-accepted way to express time and as a result, unfortunately, sometimes guests miss their flights.

"We hope that by converting our flight schedule to metric time, it will simplify things for our guests and ensure they arrive for their flights with lots of time to spare," said Richard Bartrem.

Visit westjet.com/metrictime for more information.

Germans Like To Strike

Germans sure do enjoy strikes.  Recently the airport security workers went on strike, now Lufthansa pilots are striking.

As a result of strike actions, which the German pilots union “Vereinigung Cockpit” (VC) has announced at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Germanwings from Wednesday, April 2nd 2014, to Friday, April 4th 2014, Lufthansa will reduce its schedule significantly.

Flights of the Lufthansa Group Airlines Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines are excepted from the strikes and schedule adjustments.

Check currently cancelled flights under http://f.lh.com/Pkf4(prelimenary state: cancellations will be completed until approx. 18:00h).

Grounded

The 747 Looks Great

The 747 is my favorite Boeing product (the Saturn V was a group effort, so I don't count is as a Boeing product) and it looks better than any other airliner moving people today.

Lufthansa 747-400 Top