Airlines

A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Dallas turned around and headed back to Seattle when crew members realized an important piece of cargo hadn't been unloaded: a human heart. The mistake was discovered Sunday somewhere over Idaho, and the plane executed a sharp turn and returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Seattle Times reported. The heart was being sent to an area tissue processor to recover a valve. Dan Landson, a spokesman for the Dallas-based airline, said the flight was in the air for about three hours before it returned to Seattle. He said the carrier made the decision to head back because it was "absolutely necessary to deliver the shipment to its destination in the Seattle area as quickly as possible." Deanna Santa of Sierra Donor Services in Sacramento, Calif., told the Times that the organ-procurement organization sent the heart through a courier, who picked it up in Sacramento for shipment to Seattle. The valve will be used for a transplant, though … [Read more...] about Southwest flight to Dallas turns back to Seattle to drop off human heart left on board

Airlines · December 8, 2018 Every year I make the annual trek to Europe, a gruelling 23-30 hour journey from Australia that involves at least one stopover in Asia or the Middle East and after years of return trips, I’ve found my favourite route to be via Hong Kong to allow for a stopover in one of my favourite cities the world over. Hong Kong is a city that requires at least a few days and up to one week to visit, by which time you should have experienced the best the city has to offer and after which be ready to continue your journey onwards to Europe. The Deck Lounge If you don’t have time for a stopover or would prefer to arrive in Europe pronto (perhaps seeing Hong Kong on the journey home), the new lounge by Cathay Pacific known as “The Deck” is a must visit. The lounge has panoramic views of the busy airport happenings below, an open-ceiling verandah, an impressive buffet and even a dedicated noodle bar. The Best European Cities to fly in to When it … [Read more...] about Flying to Europe with Cathay Pacific

"The gate agent started laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees. So I turned around and said, 'Hey, if I can hear you, my daughter can hear you, so I'd appreciate if you'd just stop,'" Traci Redford told the station.Redford's daughter has epilepsy and always boards flights early, the station reported.Someone saw the agent's post on Facebook and alerted Southwest Airlines, Abcde's mother said.Dallas-based Southwest Airlines issued a statement about the incident. "We extend our sincere apology to the family. We take great pride in extending our Southwest Hospitality to all of our Customers, which includes living by the Golden Rule and treating every individual with respect, in person or online," the statement read. "The [social media] post is not indicative of the care, respect, and civility we expect from all of our Employees. We have followed up with the Employee involved, and while we do not disclose personnel actions publicly, we are using this as an … [Read more...] about Southwest Airlines apologizes to Texas mom after ticket agent mocks child’s alphabetical name

Wednesday newsletters always feature a hotel or flight review. I recently enjoyed a relaxing long weekend in Dubai. You can read my trip reports here: Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER new Business Class Brussels to Dubai (today) Review: Armani Hotel Dubai Review: Six Senses Zighy Bay (Oman) Review: Emirates Boeing 777-300ER new First Class Dubai to Brussels Today (November 28, 2018): Emirates Boeing 777-300ER new Business Class Brussels to Dubai. On October 6th 2018, I flew in an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER featuring the carrier’s newest Business Class product  from Brussels (BRU) to Dubai (DXB). Flying the Boeing 777-300ER is a different experience as compared to the Airbus A380, since Emirates has installed a different Business Class product & seat on both aircraft types. While Emirates’ Boeing 777 offers a highly enjoyable and luxurious onboard experience, its Business Class product with a 2-3-2 layout is … [Read more...] about Trip report: Emirates Boeing 777 new Business Class Brussels to Dubai

While airports, airlines and government agencies maintain that protecting passenger data is a top priority, a 2017 report by the Georgetown Law Center on Privacy and Technology raised questions about increasing government surveillance and how accessible the data is to third parties using the technology.“If the federal government is going to use biometric technologies on American citizens, then three things, as a baseline, should be true,” said Harrison Rudolph, who co-authored the report. “Compelling evidence should exist to show biometrics are necessary, the technology should be proven to be accurate, unbiased and privacy protective, and the legal authority should be crystal clear. [The Department of Homeland Security] has come up short on all three.”Concerns about the accuracy and reliability of face-scanning technologies have been raised as well, with a recent audit from the DHS Office of the Inspector General showing that biometric technology was only … [Read more...] about At DFW Airport, your face could someday replace your boarding pass