PSA Airlines Still Exists

Above, a PSA Airlines 727-200 jet. Wikipedia Photo.

Back in the 1970s, whenever I flew around California (usually for GOP state conventions) or to Las Vegas, Nevada, I often flew with PSA Airlines or Western Airlines. My first flight was with PSA Airlines from San Jose, California to LAX in 1974. 

I was using Google to read about PSA (short for Pacific Southwest Airlines) after reading about the current troubles with Spirit Airlines and found that the airline still exists.

Above, yours truly about to board a PSA Airlines plane in 1974. Photo by Max Bettman.

According to the AI-generated overviews: 

Does PSA Airlines still exist?

Yes, PSA Airlines still exists and is a major, growing regional airline operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group. It operates under the American Eagle brand, focusing on short-haul flights with a fleet of Bombardier CRJ jets, operating over 700 daily flights to nearly 100 destinations.  

PSA Airlines originally stands for Pacific Southwest Airlines, a prominent West Coast carrier founded in 1949 and known as "The World's Friendliest Airline". Today, PSA Airlines operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group, using the historic name to protect the trademark. 

 

Airliner and Helicopter Collide In D.C.

An American Airlines commuter on approach to Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC collided last night with a Blackhawk military helicopter and both crashed into the Potomac River.

So far, no survivors have been found. The plane carried around 60 passengers, many of which were members of the US Figure Skating team.

I have to wonder how such a collision happened. If the airliner were on normal approach to Reagan National, what was the helicopter doing in the plane's path? Did airport's flight controllers see the aircrafts on their radar monitors? 

Here's a report from Fox 8: 

UPDATE:

It has been reported that air traffic control asked the Blackhawk if they see the American Airlines jet and they said they did. In the video, there is another jet shown. Could it be that the Blackhawk thought that was the jet air traffic control was referring to?

Probably Done With Air Travel

For the past several years, whenever I have taken a trip by plane I can get to my destination from home without any problem. But getting back home has been a whole different story.

Flight delays and flight cancellations due to weather or other causes have been the norm. 

That was the case again last week when I was trying to get home from Des Moines, Iowa. I was set to fly home last Thursday evening via American Airlines with an arrival at the Albuquerque Sunport around 11:00 PM. But the flight got delayed due to mechanical issues in the plane's cockpit. 

Well, it is better to discover a problem on the ground than at 35,000 feet in the air.

Above, at the bar at Des Moines Airport waiting for my flight to be rescheduled. It was later canceled.

First, it was to be delayed and hour. Then, as time passed, departure time was updated several times to 5:00 am. Then, the delay time was reversed backwards. Finally, the flight was canceled. We were given vouchers for a hotel room (mine was for the Quality Inn near the airport) and a meal. 

I also had my flights rescheduled for the next day. That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. 

My morning flight from Des Moines International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was delayed an hour of some oil issue with the plane. This delay caused me to reach the airport just after boarding for my flight to Albuquerque ended.

Well, I went over to American Airlines' customer service desk and got flight to Albuquerque scheduled to depart hour and a half later. This was fine, except my luggage was aboard the flight that I missed. It was waiting for me at the baggage area at the Albuquerque Sunport. 

Above, waiting at the Des Moines Airport hotel shuttle area
for the shuttle to the Quality Inn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Flying has become more of a nightmarish chore than a pleasure. The only flights in recent years that had no problems was my trip to and from Miami in August for the Bahamas cruise. We did get a half hour delay for our connector flight from Atlanta, but that actually worked out better as passengers from our Miami flight took their sweet time getting their overhead carry-on luggage and getting off the plane. I actually had to say something to spur them on. We made it to the gate before boarding started.

I am either never flying with American Airlines (they seem to be the worst) again or not flying altogether. I have had enough of this.

Airlines need to have passengers with connecting flights seated towards the front of the plane so they can get out faster. They also need to not have short layover times in case of delays. 

The Most Affordable U.S. Airlines

Above, Delta Airlines came in at number 10 as an affordable airline. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year, I took six flights on U.S. airlines. 

The first was a round-trip to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to attend G-FEST. The flights were non-stop flights. The second was a round-trip, which included two connecting flights, to Miami for the cruise last month to the Bahamas, bringing the total of six. The Chicago flights were with American Airlines and the Miami flights were with Delta Airlines.

According to a study by AirAdvisor, those airlines are far from the cheapest. American came in at number 8 and Delta came in at number 10.

The average cost for each round-trip was $400.

One may ask, What are the most affordable (and most expensive) U.S. airlines?

Travel + Leisure has posted an article answering just that question.

They begin it with:

Frontier Airlines is the cheapest carrier in the United States, despite its history of upselling customers for things like bags and seat selection.

The ranking is courtesy of a new study from airline compensation company AirAdvisor shared with Travel + Leisure, which looked at total passenger revenue per seat mile for the top 10 airlines in the U.S. When it comes to Frontier, the airline was more than $0.01 per mile cheaper than the next cheapest airline, fellow low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.

“Frontier Airlines is often referred to as an ultra-low-cost carrier, and this certainly rings true based on our research,” AirAdvisor wrote in the study. “US airlines don’t get any cheaper than this as a whole.”

 To read more, go here.

Labor Day Weekend Looks To Be Busier

Above, Albuquerque's Sunport TSA area will be a lot busier
than this during Labor Day weekend. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There is one thing I don't have to worry about. That is Labor Day weekend travel.

I plan on staying home during the weekend, so I am leaving traveling to others. This Labor Day weekend looks to be even busier than last year's.

According to KOB 4:

Many children have gone back to school in the U.S., and the days are getting shorter, but there is still one more excuse to use the swimsuits and beach towels before packing them up: Labor Day.

Airports, highways, beaches and theme parks are expected to be packed for the long holiday weekend as a lot Americans mark the unofficial end of summer the same way they celebrated the season’s unofficial start: by traveling.

The Transportation Security Administration anticipates screening more than 17 million people between Thursday and next Wednesday — a record for the Labor Day period.

AAA says bookings for domestic travel are running 9% higher than last year for the holiday weekend, while international trips are down 4%.

American Airlines plans to have its largest Labor Day weekend operation ever and expects a 14% increase in passengers compared to last year.

To read more, go here. 

Delta Airlines Issues Apology To Passengers Over Outage

Above, a Delta jet at the Twin Falls, Idaho airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next month, I am to go with a friend on a cruise to the Bahamas. The package includes flights to and from Miami via Delta Airlines.

Currently, Delta and other airlines are canceling flights. This is fallout from a massive IT outage that took place last Friday.

According to ABC News:

Delta apologized for its widespread cancellations and delays over the last several days, issuing a new message Wednesday to customers affected by the fallout from the global IT outage last Friday.

The airline also says it plans to issue 10,000 bonus miles and offers to reimburse "reasonable expenses."

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your recent travel plans caused by a vendor technology outage affecting airlines and companies worldwide,” the airline said. “Delta teams have been working tirelessly to restore our operation to get our customers safely to their final destinations. We understand that unexpected disruptions like this are difficult for everyone and do not reflect the operational reliability and experience you have come to know and expect from us.”

Delta also said that if passengers incurred “any hotel, meal, or transportation expenses while in transit resulting from this flight disruption,” they may submit a claim to the airline for a reasonable expenses reimbursement.

“Please note that we do not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at your destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts, or other tickets,” Delta said.  

Thousands of flights were canceled in the U.S. after American Airlines, United and Delta asked the FAA for global ground stop on all flights.

We are keeping an eye on further developments along with weather conditions. After all, we're in hurricane season.

To read more, go here. 

Most On-Time Airlines and Airports

Above, a Delta Airlines jet at Magic Valley Regional Airport in Twin Falls, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If there are some big pet peeves of mine when it comes to air travel, it is when airlines are not on time or they cancel flights right under your feet.

Travel + Leisure has a article on the most punctual airlines and airports in the U.S. One may want to make note of these when planning future trips by air.

They begin with:

Hawaiian Airlines is the most punctual airline in the United States, according to a new study shared with Travel + Leisure.

The Hawaiian carrier had an on-time percentage of 89.9%, ranking No. 1 in the U.S. for the seventh year in a row and No. 9 globally, according to the annual Punctuality League 2022 study from OAG, which tracks flights and travel data. Hawaiian Airlines was followed by Delta Air Lines, which had an on-time performance of 88.4%, American Airlines, which had an on-time performance of 85.1%, and United Airlines, which had an on-time performance of 83.5%.

JetBlue, voted the best U.S. airline for 2021 by T+ L's readers, came in 10th in the U.S. and 59th globally when it comes to punctuality with an on-time performance of 73.4%.

To read more, go here. 

Over 2,000 Flights Canceled Sunday

Above, a United Airlines Dreamliner at LAX. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If this so-called pandemic continues throughout 2022, people may have to think twice before traveling by air during the holiday season.

The travel nightmare continues as over 2,000 flights were cancelled yesterday, a day where New Year's revelers were returning home.

According to WGNO (an ABC affiliate of New Orleans):

(NewsNation Now) — For air travelers, the new year picked up where the old one left off – with lots of frustration over canceled or delayed flights.

By Sunday afternoon, a day when many travelers plan to return home from holiday trips, 2,322 U.S. flights and more than 3,926 worldwide had been canceled, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Southwest canceled more than 411 flights nationwide or 11% of its schedule Sunday. SkyWest canceled 494 flights. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines scrubbed more than 100 flights each, and United Airlines canceled 101.

Among international carriers, China Eastern scrubbed more than 464 flights or 23% of its total schedule and Air China canceled more than 150 flights, 14% of its schedule, according to FlightAware.

 To read more, go here.

Airline CEOs: Masks On Planes Don't Help Much

Above, yours truly at the Albuquerque Sunport waiting for the
flight to Dallas Love Field to board. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

The CEOs of Southwest and American Airlines questioned the usage of masks during flights during a senate hearing.

It is interesting to note that I flew on both planes during the past two years of the pandemic, American to Las Vegas and Southwest to Dallas/Fort Worth. I remember that we were packed like sardines aboard the American flight while Southwest had passenger seating spaced out for social distancing. We had to wear masks during both trips the whole time while on board.

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported:

The CEOs of two of the nation’s major airlines say they don’t think wearing masks on planes does much to help limit exposure to Covid.

The comments from American Airlines CEO Doug Parker — the nation’s largest carrier — and Southwest CEO Gary Kelly came during a hearing about the financial support that airlines received from the federal government in 2020 and 2021. But the topic of masks arose via a question from Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the Senate committee holding the hearing.

“I think the case is very strong that masks don’t add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment. It is very safe and very high quality compared to any other indoor setting,” said Kelly.

Both Kelly and Parker mentioned that high-grade HEPA air filters on planes capture virtually all airborne contamination and air quality is helped by how frequently cabin air is exchanged with fresh air from outside the cabin.

The article also noted that Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants, testified that not all planes are equipped with HEPA air filters.

To me, masks offer as much protection as a chain-link fence does to keep mosquitoes out of a yard. My cardiologist agrees.

To read the full article, go here.

Airliner Has Encounter With "Cylindrical" Object In New Mexico

Above, a display at the International UFO Museum in Roswell, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

New Mexico is known for UFOs and crashed flying saucers (Roswell). The state can add another, for an American Airlines flight crew encountered a cylindrical object February 21 in the northeast section of the state. 

The encounter occurred west of the village of Des Moines, New Mexico.

From The Independent (U.K.):

Flight crew flying across New Mexico reported seeing a “long cylindrical object” whizzing above them mid-flight.

The object was spotted by crew onboard American Airlines flight 2292, which was en route from Cincinnati in Ohio to Phoenix, Arizona.

The “object” was flying fast over the top of the Airbus A320 craft, which was cruising at 36,000ft just west of the village of Des Moines in New Mexico.

In an audio recording from the flight deck, obtained by radio intercepter Steve Douglass and shared with The Drive, crew can be heard saying that “we just had something go right over the top of us”.

“It almost looked like a cruise missile, moving really fast over the top of us.”

It’s uncertain what this object was.

To read more, go here. 

Traveling When Vaccinated

Above, RV travel is considered the safest during the pandemic. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In about two weeks, I will receive my second vaccination dose against COVID-19.

Despite vaccinations, "experts" (whomever they are) are saying that precautions are still needed while traveling.

The Washington Post published a new article on just this topic.

It begins with:

To date, at least 33.2 million people in the United States have received one or both doses of a coronavirus vaccine since the start of distribution in December. But health experts stress that the vaccine is not a get-out-of-pandemic-free card — for travelers or anyone else.

Because we don’t know the full scale of the spread of new coronavirus variants and still have unanswered questions about vaccines, Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist with the COVID Tracking Project, said even vaccinated Americans need to remain vigilant about their public health mitigation efforts. To that end, she recommends that travel still be limited to essential trips.

For vaccinated people who do choose to travel, Rivera urges that they choose trips wisely and use mitigation strategies to protect themselves and others. While renting an RV and driving to the mountains might be safe, for example, she recommends avoiding high-risk activities such as flying, traveling to crowded places, and gathering with anyone outside of one’s household.

When I recently took a trip to Texas aboard Southwest Airlines, the planes were about half full with passengers spaced apart for social distancing.

A week later, when flying to and from Las Vegas for a friend's wedding, the American Airlines planes were totally filled up as in normal times. My thought at the time, "So much for social distancing!"

Which do you think was the responsible airline?

To read more, go here. 

Ex-Air Base Now Home For Grounded Planes

Above, Roswell now welcomes grounded planes. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since COVID-19 virtually put air travel almost to a grinding halt, something had to be done with all the currently unneeded planes.

A former air base in New Mexico is at least one place where the planes are being stored. All those planes in one spot just may attract the attention of aliens and push them into making a return visit.

According to Stars and Stripes:

ROSWELL, N.M. — The downturn in the commercial air travel industry has turned into a boon for a former military base in New Mexico. 

The Roswell International Air Center has emerged as a major storage facility for planes that have been grounded by airlines due to age and lack of demand. The air center was storing about 160 aircraft before March. As of last week, another 309 planes had arrived from carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Frontier Airlines. 

There are more grounded planes in Roswell now than at any point during the modern history of the former base, surpassing even the number of aircraft stored there in the days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

To read more, go here. 

American Airlines Says Squeezing More Seats Onto Planes Is 'Amazing'

For this post, I'll be blunt. The airline industry (in general) sucks these days!

First, they did away with in-flight meals except for international and (very few) domestic flights.

Then they started charging fees for check-in luggage and "extra" carry-on luggage. And, they charge extra for "overweight" luggage.

Next, they started cramming more seats in planes, thereby reducing legroom for passengers.

Some airlines are worse than others. American Airlines is one of the worst. Yet they say that it is amazing that they're able to add more seats and passengers "really" want this.

Inc. posted an incredible American Airlines video in which the company is just "tickled pink" for all of this. See what else they've done to make everyone's flying experience more miserable.

They wrote (in part):

There are two reasons why American says it makes money, in this era of relatively lowered fares (and elevated fees). [Senior VP of Network Planning] Vasu Raja explained:  

One, is that we have a much bigger network that enables us to collect more revenue. But just as big and arguably maybe even bigger than that are the number of seats that we have on the airplane.

Isn't there more to being a strong company than just being rigidly focused on revenue? 

It's worth asking, given that American's financial performance has actually been relatively poor when compared to its rivals. 

Yet watch this video and you get the impression that the company's ethos revolves around the revenue and almost not at all around human beings and their experience. 

Any executive who has the gall to tell you that stuffing more seats on a plane is amazing may not have a grasp of what an amazing brand truly is. 

Should you have not flown American lately, the airline inserted as many seats as it could into as many narrow-body planes as it could. It reduced the size of the bathrooms to an squirm-inducing squish, removed seatback screens and even reduced the legroom in First Class. 

As an old airline tagline used to say, "Is this any way to run an airline?" 

To read more and see the video, go here.

I just HAD to add this! Where we're headed:

Yes, You Can...Still Go To Cuba

Above, a vintage Chevrolet in Havana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People have been wondering since President Trump put a stop to cruises to Cuba last year if it is still possible to go there.

According to an article in the New York Post, you can. But there's a few caveats in order to do so.

They begin with:

“I’d love to go to Cuba — but the sanctions are back on, so I guess I can’t,” a friend of mine opined recently after perusing my Instagram pics of the trip to the famed Caribbean island over New Year’s. 

This is not an uncommon sentiment. 

Ever since President Trump reinstituted trade, commercial and economic embargoes against Cuba in 2018, American travel to the country has dropped precipitously — but you can still go. In fact, airlines like Jet Blue, Delta, Southwest and American Airlines have direct flights from cities like New York City, Boston and Miami to Havana on a regular basis. 

But it can be tricky.

To read more, go here.

2019 Travels Are Over (Well, Almost)

Above, J. D. Lees and Armand at G-FEST. Photo by Reagan Lees.

With the exception of the fall clampout of the Lost Dutchman Chapter of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus near Oatman, Arizona in late September and a Christmas trip to my cousin's, my travels for this year are over. (Of course, that could always change if something interesting should come up.).

It seems like I spent most of July away from New Mexico.

Above, catching up with Jessica Tseang at G-FEST. Photo by Steve Ryfle.

First, I spent a couple of days in Albuquerque to get a haircut and get a few things done, including a visit to Cabela's.

Then, a few days later, I headed to the outskirts of Chicago, Illinois for the first G-FEST I've attended in ten years. I was amazed, but not surprised, at how the convention had grown. In years past, the average attendance was somewhere around 1,500. Today, that had multiplied to around 3,000 to 4,000. It is now a tight squeeze at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois (near O'Hare International Airport). It was good seeing a lot of people at G-FEST that I haven't seen in a while. I was out-of-town for the convention for four days. Getting there was painless, getting back home was anything but. I have decided that I shall avoid flying on American Airlines, if I can, in the future.

Then, after a little over a week's respite, I headed on the road for Buhl, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming in The Beast with Mitch Geriminsky. We were going to the Wells Fun Run car show and rally in Wells Nevada, but one of our friends, Bill Wilson, has a life-threatening illness and couldn't go, so we and many others headed to his home in Buhl instead. The gathering seemed to give Bill a boost. I've known Mitch and Bill since junior high school.

Above, Mitch Geriminsky, Bill Wilson and Armand in Buhl, Idaho. Photo by Linda Wilson.

From there, Mitch and I headed to Jackson, Wyoming for a few days and rode the Jackson Hole Aerial Tram and I did some whitewater rafting on the Snake River (great fun!). We also explored Grand Teton National Park and took a drive through southern Yellowstone National Park up to Old Faithful Geyser. I wasn't planning on going to Yellowstone due to the hordes of people there. But we ended up going.

Above, rafting the Snake River in Wyoming.

I got home last Saturday. The trip ended up being a 12-day trip. By the time I got home, I was ready to be home. This was my longest trip since the Great American Eclipse trip two years ago.

So now, I am settling back into a normal homebody routine. 

American Airlines and Cancelled Flight Ordeal

Above, O'Hare Int. Airport's Terminal 3. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I left G-FEST XXVI Sunday afternoon to go to the airport, I was looking forward for a trouble-free flight with American Airlines to Albuquerque. Alas, that was not in the cards.

When I got to O'Hare International Airport, I looked at the Departures board to check the status of my flight (which was to leave around 6:30). It said it was "on time". So, after getting a drink and snacks, I headed to the gate and waited.

The sign at the gate also said "on time". But there was chatter among fellow passengers about a lot of flight cancellations on the Departures board. I took a look, and sure enough, there were a lot of cancellations. Our flight still said "on time". Many, if not most, of the cancellations were due to Hurricane Barry that was making shore near New Orleans.

About a half hour before we were to board our flight, a fellow passenger was on his laptop and said that the plane we were supposed to board originates from Raleigh, North Carolina. But, he said it hadn't left the ground.

Oh-oh!

At about 15 to 20 minutes before our scheduled boarding time, the flight sign at our gate flickered off from "on time" for about 2 seconds and then came back on with Cancelled.

Since I had some experience with cancelled flights, I knew right away that I needed to get online a.s.a.p. to find another flight. This I did. But it was for two days later. I then went to the ticket agent and he found a flight for the next day around 6:30, but it had a stop/transfer at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW is a main hub for American Airlines). I paid for a nonstop flight.

But since "beggars can't be choosers" with airlines, I grabbed it anyway. The ticket agent said that my luggage would be transferred to the new flight(s).

So, I spent the night at Motel 6 (just down the street from the Crowne Plaza).

Above, at Motel 6. 

The next day, after spending some time at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, I went to the airport. After a while, I got a text message from American Airlines stating my flight has been delayed. Since I have a connection flight from DFW, I thought this may cause me to miss it. Then, no sooner than I thought that, I received another text indicating that I may miss my connecting flight. I then immediately headed to the Customer Service Desk.

There, they found me a direct flight to Albuquerque, but it doesn't leave for another two hours. No problem! I took it.

Above, at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I finally reached Albuquerque International Airport at around 11:00 PM (a day late). But my suitcase didn't reach it. I received a notice that the airline would send it on another flight and deliver it. So, I headed to the airport parking lot via shuttle to pick up The Beast and headed home. I reached home at around 1:45 in the morning.

I received several messages yesterday that the baggage delivery people were trying to get my suitcase to me, but failed for a variety of reasons. They were supposed to attempt a delivery at around 9:00 last night. Nobody showed up.

Finally, at 3:30 this morning, I received a call from the delivery guy stating that he would bring it over at 5:30, two hours later. I thought it was rather "cheeky" of them to call me at 3:30 in the morning. But, they delivered the suitcase at 5:30.

Above, the gate for the flight that got me home on Monday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thankfully, I had nothing of extraordinary value (except for my $200 boots) in the suitcase. I had the foresight in having my medications with me in my camera bag, just in case something like this occurs.

What a trip!

Back Home In A Blizzard

Above, The Beast at Sky City RV Park before leaving this morning. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finally, I stepped foot at home. It wasn't easy as snow storms caused the cancellation of my Wednesday flight to Albuquerque from Phoenix.

I spent some time trying to find an alternate flight to get to Albuquerque. When American Airlines canceled the flight, they re-booked me on another flight that was to leave Phoenix this morning at 12:50.

Not wanting to leave that late, I did some checking and found one that departs Phoenix at 7:45. It's a good thing I took that one, it was likely the last flight before more cancellations due to another storm coming into Albuquerque. It was lightly snowing when I arrived at Albuquerque. I went to the baggage claim office and my suitcase was sitting inside waiting for me.

The airport shuttle took me straight to my RV in the parking lot and I headed out. It was still lightly snowing in some spots but Interstate 40 was still drivable. I decided to get as further out of Albuquerque as possible and settled on staying at the Sky City Casino RV Park, 50 miles away.

Above, Sky City RV Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I arrived at the RV park, the office was closed with no means of doing a night registration there and no directions for registering. I figured I'd find a campsite and just pay for it the following morning. So, I settled in and got some sleep.

This morning, I found that registrations or the RV park is handled at the front desk of the casino's hotel. So I went there. The girl at the desk said they closed up their books for yesterday. I suggested that she just say I arrived after midnight and put it on today's date. She really didn't want to be bothered with it so she let me off gratis. Well, I did spend $50 on gasoline there (at $1.99/gallon).

It was snowing hard in spots and about 20 miles from Sky City, I turned off the highway and was going to sit it out. But, I thought that the snow could really pile up and I'd be stuck. So I headed off.

I drove at about 35 to 40 mph with my flashers on. When I approached the city of Grants, it tapered off and I was able to increase my speed a little.

I got home around 6:15 and there was about 2" of snow on the ground. Sierra was glad to have me back. The food feeder was still 3/4 full as well as the water feeder. Both did what they were supposed to do.

Hawaiian Airlines Increases Bag Fees

Above, a Hawaiian Airlines jet at Honolulu Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the past several years (with some fluctuations), fuel prices have plummeted. Yet many airlines are raising checked baggage fees. Remember when checked baggage was free?

Hawaiian Airlines has joined the pack in raising checked baggage fees.

Travel Weekly reported:

Hawaiian Airlines has followed U.S. competitors by raising fees for checked bags. 

Effective Nov. 13, the first checked bag on flights between Hawaii and the North American mainland has increased from $25 to $30 while the cost of the second checked bag has gone from $35 to $40. 

I almost was charged $30 when I accidentally pushed the wrong button at the check-in kiosk at American Airlines at Albuquerque International Sunport a week ago. I had no intention to check in my sports bag. Luckily, I caught it. One carry-on bag is free.

The best way to describe these airline fees can be summed up in one word: greed!

To read more, go here. 

Ah, More Legroom

Above, stretched out during my flight from Albuquerque to Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With airlines trying to cram as many people as possible into their planes, the thing that is suffering the most in economy class is legroom.

During my trip to Las Vegas, Nevada and back on American Airlines, I was fortunate enough to have an empty seat next to me on three out of four flights (I had to fly from Albuquerque to L.A. to catch my connector flight to Las Vegas and vice-versa). This allowed me to stretch by legs out and not feel so packed in like a sardine.

These days, having an empty seat next to yours is becoming rare.

Airline CEOs Try Out Their Economy Seats

Above, ANA Premium Economy seating on display at a travel show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are planning to take an airline for a trip anytime soon, you may want to read an article on airline economy seating in the Wall Street Journal.

Three airline CEOs were asked to try out their economy seats.

According to the Wall Street Journal article:

Have you ever been vacuum-packed into a shrunken coach seat wishing the airline CEO had to endure the same discomfort? 

We did that for you, sort of. The Middle Seat asked the chief executives of the big three U.S. airlines to plop down in the back of one of their airplanes and explain why they think the skimpy confines of coach today are acceptable. 

Two agreed. Delta CEO Ed Bastian, 6-foot-3, arranged for an interview on his company’s most recently reconfigured Boeing 777-200 in Atlanta. American CEO Doug Parker, also 6-foot-3, snuggled into a coach seat on a reconfigured 777-200 in a Dallas-Fort Worth airport hangar.

One refused: United’s Oscar Munoz declined to be interviewed in a coach seat. Asked why, United declined to comment. 

Messrs. Bastian and Parker fit, although knees were kissing distance from the seat in front. Neither had to contend with a middle-seat neighbor to rub shoulders and sides or a passenger reclining in front of them.

There is also a chart of inches or legroom with the article that is also worth a long look.

To read more, go here.