Am I the only one who’s upset about this? I saw it on 7 News (NY’s ABC station) after Dancing With the Stars on Tuesday night, and I’m still all worked up over it. I still have post 9/11 stress and have only recently begun flying again, and just made a plane reservation to visit my mom in North Carolina over the holidays. And now this report about how in the past six months there’s been an insane number of emergency landings at Newark airport alone (guess which airport I’m flying into coming home…) because some airlines are cutting back on fuel, allowing each jet only the minimum amount necessary to get to its destination. Hence, any delay (because we all know those never happen) necessitating a detour, or circling around in the sky or sitting on a runway for any amount of time, equals very possible tragedy. The FAA seems not to even care. If costs of fuel are going up, increase the damn airplane prices???
And what’s up with 7 News not giving the names of the offending airlines? I would like to know if the airline I just bought my ticket for is one of those who has no value for human life so that I can demand a refund and take another. Which airline did the pilot who had to lie in order to protect his and his passengers’ lives work for? How can we protect ourselves?
Oh. Niiiiiiice, I am flying back into Newark in two weeks. I just LOVE that. (…as one who needs to knock back a couple Tylenol PM *and* a glass of wine *and* needs an aisle seat so she doesn’t have to look out the window!)
On no, you too Erin!
I guess Continental is an offender. I was on a flight from Newark and water was pouring down from the overheads and they could close the door.
I got out and took the morning flight on Air France.
I fly as little as I possibly can.
Sailing is the way to go.
The FAA much like the FDA has gone from a public watch dog, to a corprate lap dog.
As a 30yr mechanic with UAL , we have gone from 15000 mechanics to 5000 mechanics, and guess who is doing the work? China, Mexico, and many third world countries by unlicenced mechanics. I wil not put my family on a US carrier other than AMERICAN AIRLINES who do all their maintenance in house. I have seen what has come out of these chop shops first hand. SO TAKE 2 EXTRA STRENGTH TYLENOL AND 3 GLASSES OF JACK DANIELS.
Wow, Jim, thanks for the advice! Good to know about AA. Geez that’s a huge decrease.
SanderO, I’ve had some not so great experiences on Continental too, last year flying from Manchester to Newark. I try not to fly them anymore. Right after 9/11 I was taking trains and even cruises everywhere. I love ships. I wish they had high-speed ones sailing across the oceans, though — you can’t take a cruise everywhere unfortunately…
Time is money honey. Sailing is the way to go. Try it!