Air Travel News 3.6.12

Air Travel News, Fitness & Workouts, Travel Products & Services — By Nancy Y on March 6, 2012 at 6:00 am

by Nancy Yeomans

LG Air Travel Editor

Look up in the sky! It’s a bird….it’s a plane! No….it’s your weekly air travel news! Here’s what’s happening in the world of aviation, from the ground up.

Handy To Have

If you’re like most of us, you wouldn’t think to head to the airport without your handheld lifeline; your smart phone. They come in handy for much more than just whiling away the time playing Angry Birds. Apps galore can help you with everything from checking in for your flight to finding out where the nearest Sbarro is to crossing your fingers that your luggage is going to the same place you are. Source: NYTimes

Equality For Co-Pilots

For a trained pilot to be the co-pilot (right seat) on a commercial flight the flight requirement is currently 250 hours. Contrast that with the requirement for the captain (left seat) on that flight at 1,500 hours and you see the disparity. The FAA has proposed bringing up the co-pilot requirement to equal that of the pilot. Seeing as the co-pilot performs all the same tasks as the pilot it only makes sense that the training should be similar. Source: MSNBC

Mandatory Pilot Rest

Not to unduly scare anyone, but the pilot on your flight – especially if it’s a regional carrier – may not be as rested as you’d like. The FAA has fined Colgan Air for scheduling their pilots too many days in a row as well as without the mandatory 8 hour rest period between flights. Shift work is tough on anybody and even 8 hours just isn’t enough time to get a good night’s sleep. The 8 hour rule, as well as several others governing pilot scheduling, is set to change in 2013. Source: Chicago Tribune

Flying After Running

As a marathon runner who has traveled by air to many a race, this study raised some concerns. Apparently a person is more at risk for the dreaded Deep Vein Thrombosis if air travel occurs shortly after an endurance event. While none of the subjects studied actually experienced DVT, their blood was clotting in a way that might signal possible problems. There are several precautions a traveler can take to keep themselves safe. Source: Yahoo

New Routes

This week’s additions come from Spirit, American Airlines, United Airlines, JetBlue and Korean Air. Source: Jaunted

Photo credit: MJ/TR, slgckgc/flickr