Southwest Temporarily Grounds 130 Aircraft
1 A discrepancy over weight data has caused Southwest Airlines to temporarily ground 130 of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft while it sorts out the issues. Some delays and cancellations are expected due to the grounding of the aircraft, but Southwest expects the disruption to be minimal. Some aircraft have already returned to service.
The discrepancy in the weight data is 75 pounds, according to Southwest. I had a weight discrepancy of about 75 pounds last time I went to the doctor, and he told me if I didn’t fix the problem, the FAA would be fining me also.
This announcement comes after the FAA found weight infractions in January on 21,505 Southwest flights in the summer of 2018.
United & Its Pilots Step Closer to Avoiding Furloughs
2 United Airlines and its pilots are closer to avoiding furloughs at the end of the month as the leadership of the pilots union approved a plan to trade saving jobs for pilots agreeing to fly fewer hours each month and taking more days off.
The deal also ensures United will not lay off any pilots until June 2021 at the earliest and guarantees a 5% pay raise for pilots once the airline resumes producing a 5% profit margin… so everyone put the year 2050 on your calendar.
The next step in the process is sending the agreement to a vote by United’s 13,000 pilots for approval. As an added bonus, the airline has promised each pilot that votes “yes” a month’s supply of stroopwafels and a size medium pair of Polaris pajamas.
New York Removes Six States from Quarantine List; Hawai’i Gears for October 15 Opening
3 New York State, which has one of the strictest quarantine requirements on the U.S. mainland, removed six states from its mandatory 14-day quarantine.
Those entering New York from California, Hawai’i, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, and Ohio will no longer be required to observe the quarantine. Visitors from the Northern Mariana Islands were also taken off the list.
On the downside, Puerto Rico was added to the list, which still includes 29 states and Guam. States on the list have a positive test rate above 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average. New York Gov. Cuomo also puts states on the list if he thinks their governors are being mean to him.
Meanwhile, about 5,000 miles west, Hawai’i Governor David Ige is hoping for an October 15 reopening for his state to tourism without a 14-day quarantine.
The plan is for travelers who arrive to Hawai’i having with proof of a negative test from a CLIA-certified laboratory taken via the nasal swab to be exempt from the quarantine after also having their temperature checked upon arrival.
Travelers arriving without a negative test will have the option of being subject to the 14-day quarantine or being forced to swim back to the mainland.
Air Canada Offers All-You-Can-Fly Buffet
4 Anyone who ever wanted to fly around Canada for weeks at a time with no limitations is living their best life. Air Canada is introducing the Infinite Canada Travel Pass, allowing Canadian residents who are Aeroplan members unlimited travel within the True North Strong & Free in one, two, and three-month increments.
The pass starts at US$1715 per month and includes unlimited travel without blackout or booking restrictions plus the ability to make changes or cancellations without penalty for the duration of the pass.
The pass is on sale for a brief time… only through September 23. The clock begins ticking from when you purchase the pass, not the first flight. Passholders are also eligible for business class upgrades within 48 hours of departure. If you miss out on the upgrade, Air Canada guarantees to let you know in a very polite way.
Some Canadians are calling this the “Ultimate Tim Horton’s Challenge,” using the air pass to see who can visit the most Tim Horton’s throughout Canada in one month. The winner of the Tim Horton’s Challenge will win a lifetime supply of poutine aboard Air Canada flights on all flights that poutine is served.
Qantas Launches Seven Hour “Flight to Nowhere”
5 Qantas is introducing its “Flight to Nowhere,” a seven-hour excursion over half of Australia, featuring flyovers of Ayers Rock, the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Harbour, and more. The flight departs from Sydney’s Terminal 3 at 10:30 a.m. following breakfast in the Qantas Business Lounge and returns around 5:30 p.m.
The adventure includes a meal on-board the flight and an auction of memorabilia from Qantas’s recently-retired fleet of 747s. Flight attendants have promised to be surly, and mechanics have advised they will plan on a mechanical delay so it feels truly authentic.
Prices for the flight aboard the 787 Dreamliner started at A$787 in economy class and ranged up to A$3,787 in business. If that sounds appealing… you’re too late. Every seat on the inaugural flight sold out in less than 10 minutes.
The seven-hour flight to nowhere is not an original concept. Airlines flying in and out of New York/JFK first invented the concept when attempting to taxi for takeoff during a late afternoon thunderstorm during the summer — prior to COVID, of course.
Airline Potpourri
- American will open a new Admirals Club in SFO’s Terminal 1 on October 6.
- Emirates is returning to Luanda, Angola (LAD), with once-weekly service beginning October 1.
- Qatar is resuming service to Amman (AMM), Entebbe, Uganda (EBB), Hanoi (HAN), Seychelles (SEZ), Windhoek, Namibia (WDH), and Yerevan, Armenia (EVN).
- Sukhoi will produce a new version of its SSJ aircraft primarily with Russian parts. Might want to start waiting in line for a ride now to beat that crowd….
- Transavia France will operate five domestic routes when it begins domestic operations in November, one from Paris/Orly (ORY) and four from Nantes (NTE).
Andrew’s Moment of Levity
Our neighborhood baker was pulled over last week for suspension of DUI. Police interrogated him for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.