I flew from Houston Hobby to Chicago Midway last week. As I usually do, I asked the Southwest Gate Agent how full the plane will be. I thought I heard the agent say “The plane holds 120. We are booked to 214.” WHAT???!!! Holy cow! I know I have (more…)

On August 11, 2008, on The O’Reilly Factor, Bill O’Reilly read this from the Democratic Platform: “We will give immediate relief for the people who have lost their way …” Are they talking all the homeless people? Are they lost ‘enough’? Or the people that got caught (more…)

I spoke today to Shell Women in Downstream [WDSF] Finance’s Symposium today. What a fabulous congregation of women! The auditorium was nearly filled with women who connected very easily to “You know what you said … do you know what they heard?” Everything from “Denny’s on Highway 234 by (more…)

In a recent article in the Dallas Business Journal, it appears the Allied Pilots Association, the union for American Airlines pilots, has taken offense to American Airlines ‘counseling session with dispatchers’ regarding fuel requirements calculations. The union believes that AA wants to take away the authority of the pilots and schedulers to determine how much fuel to have in the aircraft. The airlines is denying that. They say that are simply making sure that the dispatchers are following existing policies. It isn’t what American Airlines said, it’s what the Allied Pilots Association thinks they heard Read the article and let me know what you think!

I saw this recently in the Aviation Industry Newsletter Tuesday 12 August 2008

ALPA continues United offensive

The acrimony between Untied Airlines’ management and the carrier’s airlines deepened yesterday as ALPA, the pilots’ union, called for United CEO Glenn Tilton to resign. “Under Glenn Tilton’s tenure, United has gone from being the finest airline in the world, with (more…)

“Frontier Airlines pulled blankets and pillows off its planes late last month …” When I first read this opening sentence, my immediate thoughts were of these planes, probably enjoying the cool evening Denver air, and glad it was not in the winter that they lost their blankets and pillows. Then I wondered if when Frontier pulled the blankets, it was not (more…)

I recently attended the National Speakers Association Annual Conference in Times Square, New York City. The American Airlines flight from Houston Hobby to LaGuardia was close to the flight from heck. It actually began the night before we left and continued for about 15 hours. Our original flight was to leave Houston Hobby at 9:35 a.m., change planes in Dallas Ft Worth, then off to LaGuardia. The airlines called me at 10:00 the night before to tell us our flight had been cancelled and we were not booked on a 1:30 flight, arriving in New York at 8:10 p.m. We had dinner plans at 8 pm, so that option would not work. I called the airlines and after hitting button after button, was connected to a live person. When I asked why our flight was cancelled, her response [after checking] was “crew (more…)

I have just returned from the National Speakers Association Annual conference. Lots of great stuff … enlightening break-out sessions and lots to report on. Our flight to NYC was, well let’s say less than stellar. In other words, I now have a lot of great information to report on. Stay tuned this week for insights and gaffs. I’ll pick up the aviation chain of errors and other communications faux pas next week.