24 Hours to Paris
Flying with the Enemy
May 2008 By Denny Hatch
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In the News
Win a Free Trip to one of Three CitiesTo help kick off the launch of our new Today in the Sky section, USA TODAY has unveiled the “Pick a Trip Sweepstakes” promotion. To enter, fill out a quick survey at pickatrip.usatoday.com and you could win a two-night/three-day vacation to your choice of New York, Miami or San Francisco. Good luck!
—Ben Mutzabaugh, “Today in the Sky,” USA Today Blog, May 6, 2008
Gaga with jet lag, your three halcyon days in the Sour Apple would be two dismal daze before boarding a big jet for the return three-hour assault on your internal clock.
Thank goodness my wife, Peggy, and I had planned 10 days in France, not just three or four.
I applaud the safety consciousness of US Airways, but what a horrendous two days!
If you’re flying long distances, it pays to think through your itinerary for possible mishaps.
Flying with the Enemy
Let me say at the outset that I despise US Airways, which went into bankruptcy twice. In 2003, in order to avoid going out of business, it liquidated the pensions of 6,000 pilots and sent them over to the federal government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. We taxpayers assumed the obligation of their woefully under-funded plan.
Following that federal bailout, in June 2007 the traitorous bastards stuck a spike in the eye of their benefactors—the federal government and the American people—by placing a $10 billion order for 92 European Airbus jets, yet another screwing the of American economy. It was on one of those Airbuses that we were scheduled to fly to France on May 1.
Why fly US Airways? It is the major carrier out of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Peggy travels a lot for business and is a Dividend Miles preferred member, which means she (we) can bypass the long, long economy class lines and check in quickly.
Getting There Early
I am a nut about getting to the airport early. Suffice it to say we got to PHL two hours before scheduled takeoff, only to find that the flight was delayed an hour because of a malfunctioning temperature gauge in the left engine. OK, if you’re flying over the Atlantic Ocean and the left engine heats up—and the pilot does not know it—the result could be ugly.
The one-hour delay stretched to three hours. Staring out of the giant window overlooking the gate, you could see various sections of cowling raised off either side of the engine and a group of workers seeing to the problem.
Takeaway Points to Consider:
* With the price of oil now over $120 a barrel, a number of airlines have announced that they will be retiring older, less fuel-efficient planes, thus reducing seat capacity by an average of 4.4%. Planes will be fuller and fewer options will be available for rerouting or spare planes.* Forgetting snafus such as the one we experienced, remember that on-time performance of the airlines is horrendous. On very long flights, you might want to consider a day’s layover before a connecting flight or tour. If your flight is cancelled—or very, very late—you’ll still be on schedule. If there on time, you can get some sleep and see a few sights.
* Remember the folks from Phoenix who flew via LaGuardia and Harford and reached Philadelphia at 7:50 p.m. for our 6:15 p.m. flight to Paris.
* Put another way, think of the consequences if your cruise ship leaves port without you, or you’re four hours late for the keynote speech that you’re expected to deliver to 2,500 industry leaders.
* Before booking flights, log onto www.seatguru.com. Here is a remarkable Web site that diagrams the seating configurations of every plane model flown by 49 airlines, enabling you to pick the best seats in advance
* Last month I wrote about two all-business-class carriers: Eos Airlines, which folded, and Silverjet, which is still flying between Newark and London. Both charged premium prices for service to two minor London airports—Stansted and Luton respectively. If you fly a tiny airline out of either of these two facilities—or equally out-of-the-way airports—and something goes wrong with the plane, you may have a problem in terms of spare parts, qualified mechanics, substitute planes and getting rebooked on another airline that will get you remotely near to your final destination.
* When flying anywhere, always have the phone numbers of your airline’s main ticket office and your travel agent—if you use one. This way, if thousands of stranded screaming passengers are crowding around the help desk, you can short-circuit the mob and go to the source.
* Pack medications plus a change of underwear and socks in your carry-on luggage.
* Pack nothing of value (camera, jewelry, etc.) in your checked luggage for obvious reasons.
* If you travel long distances, consider Bose noise-suppressant headphones. They are expensive, but engine sound is greatly diminished and the plane’s film and music sound are splendid.
Web Sites Related to Today's Edition:
Seating Configurations for Planes of 49 Airlineswww.seatguru.com
Airline Contact Information Worldwide
http://tinyurl.com/4cfbjb
http://airlinecontact.info/
Airline Liability for Loss, Damage or Delay of Passenger Baggage
http://tinyurl.com/4w4zlp
Companies Mentioned:
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