Big Old Jet Airliner – Late Summer Air Travel Link Throwdown
OK, air travel continues to be a clusterf#%K for many people, with staffing shortages, mechanical issues, scheduling snafus and all sorts of inexplicable factors bedeviling the supposedly “friendly skies.” I suppose one option would be to swear off flying for the foreseeable future, but at least for us that doesn’t seem reasonable. We have too many places we want to fish, and not enough time to drive to many of them (especially those across a pond or two).
Once again, we collect the links so you can get straight to the good stuff.
Air Travel Advice
5 reasons why you should always book a morning flight — As hassles increase, or persist, anything you can do to minimize them is a smart move.
You’re Traveling Abroad. You Test Positive for COVID. You Board Your Flight Anyway — An ethical quandary we didn’t have to think about three years ago. Lots of factors to consider, and everyone’s sense of personal responsibility may vary.
How I Navigate Air Travel as a Fat Frequent Flier — Airline seats, especially those in economy, pretty much suck, even for rail thin travelers. If you’re packing a few extra pounds or inches it doesn’t need to be totally miserable.
How to apply for Global Entry: Tips for first-timers — If you’re headed overseas, Global Entry will usually make your return to the US better, and certainly never worse. It can be the difference between making a connection and missing it. Don’t delay.
Some New Flights That Make Us Happy and/or Intrigued
Manaus Airport gains direct flight to Florida, United States — Air routes to the hub of the Amazon were decimated during the COVID era and had been slowly coming back, with a few hiccups along the way. Now there are three more a week into Ft. Lauderdale.
A Major Airline Just Launched a 15-Hour Nonstop Flight — We are dying to get back to southern Africa, and while last time we flew to Johannesburg through Doha, a direct flight from our home airport to Cape Town might be a better option. Now we have it available to us.
Seaplanes Are Coming To Washington To Connect Passengers With Manhattan — In our experience they’ve been for just Alaska and the Amazon. The College Park location is inconvenient for us, and the price is a little high, but you never know.
American Airlines puts deposit on supersonic aircraft: Here's what they'll feature — Still several years away, but if safety is up to snuff and price isn’t exorbitant, could be a huge deal.
Random Other Flight News and Tidbits
This Airline Has Called on Execs to Help With Baggage Handling Amid Staffing Shortages — Not sure if this is a publicity stunt or if it will truly help, but anything to make the flight experience better is welcome at this point.
Global Entry flyers will speed through some airports even faster now — Check out my blurb on Global Entry and how to get it, above. Now it’s getting even better so you really have no excuse. The biometrics are making things better.
Clear testing new curb-to-gate premium service — We love using Clear, and our AmEx Platinum pays the yearly fee. Now they’re testing even more elite service. It would be an add-on, and so far it’s just in one airport, but sometimes it might be worth it – especially among the Mouse-Eared hordes.
This Airline Is Allowing Passengers to Disembark From 3 Points for Easy Exiting — Sounds brilliant, but somehow I just don’t see it working, from a standpoint of security and orderliness – but I’m willing to be proven wrong if it speeds things up.
