Saturday at Breckenridge was most likely my last day for 2007-08
I have a love/hate relationship with spring. The gardener and the gas bill payer in me love warm weather, sunshine and the end of the home heating season. I rejoice at the first crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips, but I'm never sorry when they are snowed upon. These early-season blossoms can take it. The skier and snowshoer rues the end of winter. Especially this winter, with great snow during much of the season across the North American and European snowbelt, the skiing and snowshoeing were great.
It rained in Boulder on Wednesday evening, April 16, but the high country experienced another wintry surge. Overnight, Breckenridge was blanketed with up to 10 inches of new snow. Powder in mid-April. Sweet! I met my son there a couple of days later. The powder, of course, was no more, but we enjoyed a great season-ender, skiing laps on the Mercury SuperChair that had to lines any time during the day. We started skiing with great spring conditions -- firm base with a surface was corning up in the course of the day. By mid-afternoon, the hot sun softened the snow still more, and it was time to hang 'em up for the season.
Sunday was Breckenridge's last day. In Colorado, the season has not quite ended at Loveland (May 4), Echo Mountain (May 4), Arapahoe Basin (June 8) and Silverton Mountain (April 27) that will run their lifts every day for a while, with Aspen Highlands and Wolf Creek operating for another weekend. Snowbasin, UT, is open until April 27 and Snowbird until May 26, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday operations only after May 1. In Oregon, Timberline on Mt. Hood is just cranking for its summer peak. Mammoth, CA, has a few weeks to go with skiing through May or beyond. Alpental, WA, at the Summit at Snowqualmie is operating weekends though May 5, ending with a Cinco de Mayo party on Monday the 5th.
Virtually every ski area that operates well into spring offers deals: buy next year's season pass and start using it at the end of this season, show a season pass from another mountain and ski free or at a discount, bargain daily lift tickets, even better deals on lift/lodging packages. Even as this season has ended for me, and I've done major spring yard cleanup, I'm already looking forward to 2008-09.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Clear Closes Up Shop
Clear customers rejoin the rest of us in airport security lines
Clear, part of New York-based Verified Identity Pass Inc. (VIP, get it?), which charged customers up to $199 a year for a faster approach to TSA security checkpoints, disappeared overnight. The Clear website now has just one page of short-and-to-the-point content:
At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement
with its senior creditor to continue operations.
The company's premise was that if Clear cleared your ID, you could fast-track directly to the screening area, which at most airports meant significantly shorter lines. The preclearing process included fingerprinting and iris scanning. Clear launched with great fanfare (and a $99 initial fee) on July 18, 2005, and sank with barely a bubble breaking the transportation industry surface less than four years later, having signed up 18 or 20 airports and at its peak reportedly had some 250,000 customers, which had shrunk to 150,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Verified Identity Pass, a private company, was initially funded by Lockheed Martin, GE Security, Lehman Bros. and some venture-capital firms.
The concept was that frequent travelers or the terminally impatient (yes, that pun was intended) would happy pay to speed their way to the screening checkpoint, where they would still have to take off their shoes and belts, empty their pockets, remove their laptops from their cases and undergo the normal indignities of getting to their airline membership clubs or departure gates.
A perfect storm sank Clear. Travelers who fly enough to make Clear worthwhile also are elite members of one or more frequent-flyer programs that have their own shorter lines at many major airports. A number of airports themselves have worked hard to streamline security lines, and the TSA itself has instituted its black/blue/green ranking system right at the checkpoints in order to unclog back-ups of inexperience travelers or families that take longer to get through the Xray/metal-detector process. Many people begin their flights at smaller regional airports that don't have long lines to begin with. And now, of course, fewer people are flying, relieving pressure. The corollary is that financing is more difficult to obtain, which drove the final nail in Clear's coffin.
According to Danny Sullivan's posting on his blog, Daggle (which included the image above right), problems began surfacing when Clear started hustling for multi-year memberships. Sullivan, a search-engine wizard, wrote: "...I’ve been a regular user since it started. In fact, I was probably one of the program’s most successful affiliates. I’d written about it from an early point, and so many people used my code to get an extra month (and giving me one in the process) that my card was good through 2064. Poof. Now all that credit is apparently gone. And so is any time left on cards for people who bought the 2, 3, 5 or 10 year options that Clear recently promoted."
In an earlier post Sullivan had warned his readers, that "a 3 year or longer period is that Clear itself isn’t guaranteed to exist that long. So far, they seem to be expanding and doing well. They probably will be around for 3-5 years. But in 10 years, who knows how airport security is going to change — and $1,190 is a lot to gamble on that."
Do I miss Clear? Not for a minute. Unlike Sullivan, I wouldn't dream of paying for express-lane access to the TSA checkpoint. Now if I could manage to avoid that step altogether.....
The concept was that frequent travelers or the terminally impatient (yes, that pun was intended) would happy pay to speed their way to the screening checkpoint, where they would still have to take off their shoes and belts, empty their pockets, remove their laptops from their cases and undergo the normal indignities of getting to their airline membership clubs or departure gates.
A perfect storm sank Clear. Travelers who fly enough to make Clear worthwhile also are elite members of one or more frequent-flyer programs that have their own shorter lines at many major airports. A number of airports themselves have worked hard to streamline security lines, and the TSA itself has instituted its black/blue/green ranking system right at the checkpoints in order to unclog back-ups of inexperience travelers or families that take longer to get through the Xray/metal-detector process. Many people begin their flights at smaller regional airports that don't have long lines to begin with. And now, of course, fewer people are flying, relieving pressure. The corollary is that financing is more difficult to obtain, which drove the final nail in Clear's coffin.
According to Danny Sullivan's posting on his blog, Daggle (which included the image above right), problems began surfacing when Clear started hustling for multi-year memberships. Sullivan, a search-engine wizard, wrote: "...I’ve been a regular user since it started. In fact, I was probably one of the program’s most successful affiliates. I’d written about it from an early point, and so many people used my code to get an extra month (and giving me one in the process) that my card was good through 2064. Poof. Now all that credit is apparently gone. And so is any time left on cards for people who bought the 2, 3, 5 or 10 year options that Clear recently promoted."
In an earlier post Sullivan had warned his readers, that "a 3 year or longer period is that Clear itself isn’t guaranteed to exist that long. So far, they seem to be expanding and doing well. They probably will be around for 3-5 years. But in 10 years, who knows how airport security is going to change — and $1,190 is a lot to gamble on that."
Do I miss Clear? Not for a minute. Unlike Sullivan, I wouldn't dream of paying for express-lane access to the TSA checkpoint. Now if I could manage to avoid that step altogether.....
Move to Rename Eagle Country Airport
Possible rebranding of Colorado's third busiest airport (number two in winter)
Vail Resorts, Inc., whose marquee holdings are the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts, has cleverly been marketing Eagle County Airport as Vail-Eagle Country Airport. Now, according to a report in coloradoconfidential.com, they want to make the marketing name the airport's real name. Vail's new ad agency, Genesis, is cooking up a scheme to rename the airport officially to tie it more closely to the resort brand. The misplaced MadAve minds at Denver's ad agency first came up with Colorado International Airport, and when that was which mercifully shot down, suggested Vail National or even Vail International.
The airport, which can handle aircraft as large as 757s in what the Colorado Confidential website calls "all kinds of weather," is operated by Eagle County. It has become the state's second busiest in winter after Denver International and third-busiest year-round after DIA and Colorado Springs. In addition to some 250,000 commercial passengers annually, it sees "a robust private aviation business." Much of that traffic is to and from Vail and Beaver Creek and ancillary resort developments that cater also to golfers and vacation-home owners, but it is also the airport of choice for many people heading to Aspen, the booming Roaring Fork Valley, Glenwood Springs and to communities beyond. It is located just south of Interstate 70 between Eagle and Gypsum.
I wouldn't be taking bets against the name change, because Vail Resorts, really the proverbial 800-pound gorilla, has publicly stated that it hopes rebranding (I mean the name change) is approved soon so that it can be marketed for next winter. Also, The county is clearly proud of the airport's gateway status to the mountains. The country website introduces it as, "Just minutes from Vail and the best skiing in North America, Eagle County Airport (EGE) gets you directly to the heart of the Colorado Rockies, year round. Trade the long drives, snowy passes and airport delays, for friendly, world class service and ASAP access to your favorite outdoor activities."
While Vail Resorts is promoting an official airport name that shares its brand, you can bet that the Aspen Skiing Company would be less thrilled. Aspen's own airport, formerly called Sardy Field, is now Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), mirroring the current marketing moniker for Vail/Eagle County Airport (EGE). ASE has the benefit of being right outside of town but the drawback of being more weather-vulnerable than EGE, which is 35 miles from Vail and 25 from Avon/Beaver Creek.
Then again, I wouldn't bet on it either, even though many Eagle County officials and residents who are not tied to the resort company are not in favor of having another aspect of their identity lost. County commissioners, who have to vote on it, are aware of sentimental attachment to the old name and sometimes dig their heels in when confronted by pressure from the ski company. "There's also an emotional attachment, and it's really important to a lot of people because they fear the loss of identity of Eagle and Gypsum," county Peter Runyon was quoted as saying. "It's just as legitimate to market and give some brand-name identity to Eagle as it is to Vail. If I felt there was a compelling and overwhelming reason [to change the name], if skier numbers were down and the county was having other problems, I might look at this differently, but we have an incredibly robust tourism economy."
Stay tuned.
Vail Resorts, Inc., whose marquee holdings are the Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts, has cleverly been marketing Eagle County Airport as Vail-Eagle Country Airport. Now, according to a report in coloradoconfidential.com, they want to make the marketing name the airport's real name. Vail's new ad agency, Genesis, is cooking up a scheme to rename the airport officially to tie it more closely to the resort brand. The misplaced MadAve minds at Denver's ad agency first came up with Colorado International Airport, and when that was which mercifully shot down, suggested Vail National or even Vail International.
The airport, which can handle aircraft as large as 757s in what the Colorado Confidential website calls "all kinds of weather," is operated by Eagle County. It has become the state's second busiest in winter after Denver International and third-busiest year-round after DIA and Colorado Springs. In addition to some 250,000 commercial passengers annually, it sees "a robust private aviation business." Much of that traffic is to and from Vail and Beaver Creek and ancillary resort developments that cater also to golfers and vacation-home owners, but it is also the airport of choice for many people heading to Aspen, the booming Roaring Fork Valley, Glenwood Springs and to communities beyond. It is located just south of Interstate 70 between Eagle and Gypsum.
I wouldn't be taking bets against the name change, because Vail Resorts, really the proverbial 800-pound gorilla, has publicly stated that it hopes rebranding (I mean the name change) is approved soon so that it can be marketed for next winter. Also, The county is clearly proud of the airport's gateway status to the mountains. The country website introduces it as, "Just minutes from Vail and the best skiing in North America, Eagle County Airport (EGE) gets you directly to the heart of the Colorado Rockies, year round. Trade the long drives, snowy passes and airport delays, for friendly, world class service and ASAP access to your favorite outdoor activities."
While Vail Resorts is promoting an official airport name that shares its brand, you can bet that the Aspen Skiing Company would be less thrilled. Aspen's own airport, formerly called Sardy Field, is now Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE), mirroring the current marketing moniker for Vail/Eagle County Airport (EGE). ASE has the benefit of being right outside of town but the drawback of being more weather-vulnerable than EGE, which is 35 miles from Vail and 25 from Avon/Beaver Creek.
Then again, I wouldn't bet on it either, even though many Eagle County officials and residents who are not tied to the resort company are not in favor of having another aspect of their identity lost. County commissioners, who have to vote on it, are aware of sentimental attachment to the old name and sometimes dig their heels in when confronted by pressure from the ski company. "There's also an emotional attachment, and it's really important to a lot of people because they fear the loss of identity of Eagle and Gypsum," county Peter Runyon was quoted as saying. "It's just as legitimate to market and give some brand-name identity to Eagle as it is to Vail. If I felt there was a compelling and overwhelming reason [to change the name], if skier numbers were down and the county was having other problems, I might look at this differently, but we have an incredibly robust tourism economy."
Stay tuned.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Re-examing Rules After Pillot's Death at the Controls
Health risks versus experience weighed for pilots over 60
The mid-air death of Captain Craig Lenell, a 60-year-old Continental pilot who succumbed to a fatal heart attack last week rekindled the debate over the age limits for commercial pilots in the US. The retirement age was 60 until 2007, when Congress raised it to 65. When I wrote a post about it, I focused in the weird media reports, and now, there's an oddball debate.
Think back to July 1989, when a United DC-10 flying from Denver's old Stapleton Airport to Chicago's O'Hare crash landed in Sioux City, Iowa. One engine disintegrated destroying all three of the plane's hydraulic systems that were routed through a single conduit. The only working controls were the two remaining engines' thrust levers. The mechanics of the crisis are beyond my comprehension, but the bottom line is that a DC-10 flight instructor deadheading on that flight helped by manually adjusting the throttles to keep in minimal control.
The crippled plane broke up during its emergency landing in Sioux City, killing 110 of 285 passengers and one of 11 crew members. Experts praised Captain Alfred C. Haynes, his first officer and flight engineer and instructor Dennis E. Fitch for their skill in preventing an even greater loss of life. Haynes had to retire in 1991 at the age of 60 (Charlton Heston played him in a movie the next year). Fitch was injured in the crash but went back to work. Many experts feel that the while older pilots might have increased health risks, their experience in the air compensates in emergency situations. And of course, they are required to have regular physicals
According to a USA Today report, "Since the FAA started keeping track 15 years ago, there have been six pilot deaths mid-flight ranging in age from upper-40s to upper-50s. Pilots are required to undergo medical exams every six months once they reach age 40, according to the FAA. Pilots over 40 must have an annual electrocardiogram, and captains are required to get one every six months.
"Justin Green, a former military pilot and an aviation attorney, told CNN that 'there's no magic age for pilots. Big airline pilots, especially those flying internationally, are among the most carefully monitored people in terms of their health.'" Furthermore, flights of eight hours or longer are required to have a captain, a first officer and a relief pilot on board, and those longer than 12 hours must have two captains and two first officers."
Given the millions of commercial aircraft operations in the last 15 years, it seems that no good case can be made for rolling back the mandatory retirement age to 60 because of one fatality in the cockpit.
The mid-air death of Captain Craig Lenell, a 60-year-old Continental pilot who succumbed to a fatal heart attack last week rekindled the debate over the age limits for commercial pilots in the US. The retirement age was 60 until 2007, when Congress raised it to 65. When I wrote a post about it, I focused in the weird media reports, and now, there's an oddball debate.
Think back to July 1989, when a United DC-10 flying from Denver's old Stapleton Airport to Chicago's O'Hare crash landed in Sioux City, Iowa. One engine disintegrated destroying all three of the plane's hydraulic systems that were routed through a single conduit. The only working controls were the two remaining engines' thrust levers. The mechanics of the crisis are beyond my comprehension, but the bottom line is that a DC-10 flight instructor deadheading on that flight helped by manually adjusting the throttles to keep in minimal control.
The crippled plane broke up during its emergency landing in Sioux City, killing 110 of 285 passengers and one of 11 crew members. Experts praised Captain Alfred C. Haynes, his first officer and flight engineer and instructor Dennis E. Fitch for their skill in preventing an even greater loss of life. Haynes had to retire in 1991 at the age of 60 (Charlton Heston played him in a movie the next year). Fitch was injured in the crash but went back to work. Many experts feel that the while older pilots might have increased health risks, their experience in the air compensates in emergency situations. And of course, they are required to have regular physicals
According to a USA Today report, "Since the FAA started keeping track 15 years ago, there have been six pilot deaths mid-flight ranging in age from upper-40s to upper-50s. Pilots are required to undergo medical exams every six months once they reach age 40, according to the FAA. Pilots over 40 must have an annual electrocardiogram, and captains are required to get one every six months.
"Justin Green, a former military pilot and an aviation attorney, told CNN that 'there's no magic age for pilots. Big airline pilots, especially those flying internationally, are among the most carefully monitored people in terms of their health.'" Furthermore, flights of eight hours or longer are required to have a captain, a first officer and a relief pilot on board, and those longer than 12 hours must have two captains and two first officers."
Given the millions of commercial aircraft operations in the last 15 years, it seems that no good case can be made for rolling back the mandatory retirement age to 60 because of one fatality in the cockpit.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Revised Resource for Disabled Tavelers
Guide to barrier-free travel addresses needs of mobility-impaired travelers
I never thought much about the challenges faced by wheelchair users until m
y now-grown was an infant. There I was, an agile woman who often had problems navigating a carriage or stroller into some buildings, up steep stairs or places with oddball angles. I wondered then how people in wheelchairs managed to get around, and I quickly realized that they didn't. "Shut-in" is a word we we heard then but fortunately don't anymore, because the laws have changed and accessibility is now mandated in the US.
y now-grown was an infant. There I was, an agile woman who often had problems navigating a carriage or stroller into some buildings, up steep stairs or places with oddball angles. I wondered then how people in wheelchairs managed to get around, and I quickly realized that they didn't. "Shut-in" is a word we we heard then but fortunately don't anymore, because the laws have changed and accessibility is now mandated in the US. Knock on lots of wood, I remain healthy and mobile, but I have friends and family members who no longer are. I've gone to their homes, gone out to dinner, been to museums and shops and so forth, and I am impressed at how much more user-friendly our country has become since the Americans with Disabilities Act. But when I go to other countries, and see foot-high curbs, broken pavement and other impediments to getting around to see the sights, I realize that there are lots of places that people with physical challenges simply can't travel. These are of concerns for those with mobility issues and also for their families and travel companions.
The newly released third edition of Barrier-Free Travels: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers by Candy Harrington, an authority on the subject, is a godsend when researching how feasible a trip might be. It is a definitive guide to accessible travel including detailed information about the logistics of planning travel by plane, train, bus and ship. She addresses such nitty-gritty details as finding an understanding travel agent, dealing with airport and pier security (a hassle for the able-bodied, let alone a traveler with special needs), traveling with supplemental oxygen and more.
A few years ago on my first cruise, I saw how many fellow passengers had trouble getting around, how helpful the crew was and how suitable cruise ships are for people with such problems. Harrington has found 45 shore-excursion operators on popular cruise itineraries with vans that include wheelchair lifts, so that people don't need to be stuck on the ship all the time. The new edition also includes recent updates to access laws, new resources and an expanded list of companies that rent accessible vans in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The book is $19.95 from Demos Publishing. It is available at bookstores, from the publisher (800-532-8663) or online.
The newly released third edition of Barrier-Free Travels: A Nuts and Bolts Guide for Wheelers and Slow Walkers by Candy Harrington, an authority on the subject, is a godsend when researching how feasible a trip might be. It is a definitive guide to accessible travel including detailed information about the logistics of planning travel by plane, train, bus and ship. She addresses such nitty-gritty details as finding an understanding travel agent, dealing with airport and pier security (a hassle for the able-bodied, let alone a traveler with special needs), traveling with supplemental oxygen and more.
A few years ago on my first cruise, I saw how many fellow passengers had trouble getting around, how helpful the crew was and how suitable cruise ships are for people with such problems. Harrington has found 45 shore-excursion operators on popular cruise itineraries with vans that include wheelchair lifts, so that people don't need to be stuck on the ship all the time. The new edition also includes recent updates to access laws, new resources and an expanded list of companies that rent accessible vans in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The book is $19.95 from Demos Publishing. It is available at bookstores, from the publisher (800-532-8663) or online.
Still More Seven Wonders
The world offers more than seven times seven wonders to visit
If you've vowed to see the components of various seven wonders of the world lists as Wikipedia has with a plan to see them all, you've got quite a challenge. Consider: the seven wonders of the world, the seven natural wonders of the world, the seven wonders of the medieval world, the new seven wonders of the world, USA Today's version of the new seven wonders, the seven wonders of the industrial world, the seven wonders of the underwater world and both man-made and seven natural travel wonders, you'll never be able to see them all. Those alone are nine different versions of not-to-be-missed seven wonders.
Conde Nast Traveler's current issue presents another list of new wonders, thanks to 15 pages of artsy photos of the publication's choice seven architectural wonders. Some are interesting and perhaps even wonderful, IMHO, while others look downright ugly or at least misplaced. The editors call the article, beauitfully photographed by Raymond Meier, "The New Seven Wonders." Where have we heard that before?
In any case, pick up a copy for a full description, but here at least is the magazine's list:
If you've vowed to see the components of various seven wonders of the world lists as Wikipedia has with a plan to see them all, you've got quite a challenge. Consider: the seven wonders of the world, the seven natural wonders of the world, the seven wonders of the medieval world, the new seven wonders of the world, USA Today's version of the new seven wonders, the seven wonders of the industrial world, the seven wonders of the underwater world and both man-made and seven natural travel wonders, you'll never be able to see them all. Those alone are nine different versions of not-to-be-missed seven wonders.
Conde Nast Traveler's current issue presents another list of new wonders, thanks to 15 pages of artsy photos of the publication's choice seven architectural wonders. Some are interesting and perhaps even wonderful, IMHO, while others look downright ugly or at least misplaced. The editors call the article, beauitfully photographed by Raymond Meier, "The New Seven Wonders." Where have we heard that before?
In any case, pick up a copy for a full description, but here at least is the magazine's list:
- Cumulus Building, Danfoss Universe, Nordborg, Denmark
- Burj Dubai, Dubai
- Wembley Stadium, London
- New Museum, New York
- Kogod Courtyard, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
- Red Ribbon, Tanghe River Park, Qinhuangdao, China
- Michael Lee Chin Crystal, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto
Compensation for Bumped Passengers to Increase
Penalties for overbooking a boon to passengers but could hurt ailing airlines
The US Department of Transportation has announced an upward revision of passenger compensation for being bumped from overbooked flights. After something like 25 or 30 years, the government has now doubled the amount that airlines will have to pay passengers who are bumped from flights. Our air travel system is broken. This won't fix it. The timing sucks.
The new amounts are $400 for passengers who arrive within two hours of their original planned arrival schedule on domestic flights or within four hours on international flights (up from $200). Passengers who don't arrive at their destination within those windows would receive up to $800 (up from $400). The compensation will be remain in the form of credit toward future flights. The precise compensation per passenger seems to depend on "fair ticket value," which does not reflect the among a passenger paid -- discount vacation ticket or full fare paid by a business traveler.
It seems like a half-baked "solution" to airline problems and passenger complaints. Some things that come to mind that perhaps have been addressed with the new rules and perhaps not:
The US Department of Transportation has announced an upward revision of passenger compensation for being bumped from overbooked flights. After something like 25 or 30 years, the government has now doubled the amount that airlines will have to pay passengers who are bumped from flights. Our air travel system is broken. This won't fix it. The timing sucks.
The new amounts are $400 for passengers who arrive within two hours of their original planned arrival schedule on domestic flights or within four hours on international flights (up from $200). Passengers who don't arrive at their destination within those windows would receive up to $800 (up from $400). The compensation will be remain in the form of credit toward future flights. The precise compensation per passenger seems to depend on "fair ticket value," which does not reflect the among a passenger paid -- discount vacation ticket or full fare paid by a business traveler.
It seems like a half-baked "solution" to airline problems and passenger complaints. Some things that come to mind that perhaps have been addressed with the new rules and perhaps not:
- With skyrocketing jet fuel prices, many airlines are already cash strapped, cutting corners and in several recent high-profile incidents, going out of business. Requiring ailing airlines to hand out freebies does not address those problems.
- Airliners burn that expensive fuel while waiting for permission to take off at congested airports with chronic delays, which affected 26 percent of all flights last year. Antiquated airports, inadequate runway and taxiway systems, an over-burdened air control system are a major issue. Chicago's O'Hare, New York's Newark and LaGuardia, Boston's Logan and San Francisco, especially in fog season, are among those that immediately come to mind when the topic is delays. LaGuardia has operated under the same capacity since 1968 (that's 40 years, friends), which the government is proposing to modify by tinkering with takeoff and landing slots allocated to individual carriers.
- When airlines hold loaded aircraft at the gate in order to save fuel, passengers are trapped in planes sometimes for hours. Ventilation systems designed to operate in the air often perform poorly on the ground. Passengers stuck, often without water or, of course, anything to nibble on become cranky. Predictably and appropriately complaints mount. Perhaps instead of a new bump rule, the government should be trying to solve the current major air-travel problem. (As a side note, New York State passed a passenger bill of rights requiring airlines to provide water, food, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers trapped in delayed planes, but a federal appeals court struck it down down in March, saying it was a federal not a state issue. In 2007, the US House of Representatives passed a similar bill, but the Senate has not yet taken it up. Even if Congress does pass a passenger bill of rights, it is unclear whether that new rule would have an penalties for airlines that did not comply.)
- With the prevalent hub-and-spoke system in the US, delays in one part of the country can impact passengers with connections hundreds of miles away. Airlines will have to balance reassigning passengers from incoming flights with those originating at hub airports, and what was not initially an overbooked flight can suddenly become one.
- How do weather delays (rain, fog, tornado activity, snowstorms, etc.) somewhere on a route system or mechanical delays on a particular aircraft play into this picture? Permission for aircraft impacted in flight by thunderstorms has now been obtained for American planes to detour into Canadian airspace, which does begin to address the weather issue -- at least in places like the Northeast.
- What about airline crew members? Do they get still get some kind of priority to reach their own next flights, or will airlines not board them in favor of passengers to avoid the higher bump penalties? Airplanes have only so many jump seats for dead-heading crew.
- According to reports, the new rules seem to be one-size-fits all, whether on a capacious Airbus, MD-80 or even 747 or small commuter aircraft carrying 30 or more passengers flown by regional or feeder airline, which seems unreasonable. The old rules applied to planes carrying 60 or more passengers.
- The only bright spot I see in all this is the possibility -- not probability, but possibility -- that standby passengers might have a better show at getting a seat than previously.
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