Latest news with #theWing
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Flying into Turkey? Wait your turn to stand up on the plane or face a fine
When an aircraft lands at its destination, there are two kinds of people waiting to disembark: those waiting for their aisle's turn before standing to retrieve luggage and those immediately standing to retrieve their bags from overhead when the seatbelt light turns off. Effective May 2, those who do the latter when landing in Turkey could be fined. The country's ministry of transport introduced the new regulation in response to 'a serious increase' in the number of travellers doing so even before the plane had finished taxiing to the gate and with the seatbelt warning still in place, despite the established norm and the warning from the flight crew. What is 'gate lice'? How one airline is getting rid of this airport issue Is air travel still safe? 2024 has been an especially deadly year Doing so risks 'passenger and baggage safety and security' and disregards 'the satisfaction and exit priority of other passengers,' wrote General Directorate of Civil Aviation Kemal Yüsek. A suggested flight announcement in English reminds travellers to stay seated and asks them to 'please respect the disembarkation priority of the passengers in front of or around you and wait for your turn. 'Do not stand up or proceed in the aisle before it is your turn to exit. Passengers who do not comply with the rules will be reported … and an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations.' The fine will come from the government, not the airline, whose role is only to file a 'passenger ignorance report' to Yüsek's office. It's not clear precisely how much travellers risk being fined for their transgression; however, the Independent, the Daily Mail and the Mirror quoted a price of £50 (CAD$93), citing Germany's DPA news agency as a source. Turkish Airlines, the behemoth flagship carrier that flies to a world-leading 131 countries, has already adopted the boilerplate sample on its flights, according to travel blogger site One Mile at a Time and Visa Digital Nomad. At long-running travel site View From the Wing, blogger Gary Leff took on the sometimes polarizing topic and wrote earlier this year that not only is it acceptable, but more people should do it. He said it speeds up deplaning for everyone, and it's courteous to the person hemmed in the middle seat. Furthermore, 'You've been stuck in an uncomfortable seat for hours, why not stand as soon as you can?' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
Vancouver Sun
26-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Flying into Turkey? Wait your turn to stand up on the plane or face a fine
When an aircraft lands at its destination, there are two kinds of people waiting to disembark: those waiting for their aisle's turn before standing to retrieve luggage and those immediately standing to retrieve their bags from overhead when the seatbelt light turns off. Effective May 2, those who do the latter when landing in Turkey could be fined. The country's ministry of transport introduced the new regulation in response to 'a serious increase' in the number of travellers doing so even before the plane had finished taxiing to the gate and with the seatbelt warning still in place, despite the established norm and the warning from the flight crew. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Travel Time will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Doing so risks 'passenger and baggage safety and security' and disregards 'the satisfaction and exit priority of other passengers,' wrote General Directorate of Civil Aviation Kemal Yüsek. A suggested flight announcement in English reminds travellers to stay seated and asks them to 'please respect the disembarkation priority of the passengers in front of or around you and wait for your turn. 'Do not stand up or proceed in the aisle before it is your turn to exit. Passengers who do not comply with the rules will be reported … and an administrative fine will be imposed in accordance with the applicable legal regulations.' The fine will come from the government, not the airline, whose role is only to file a 'passenger ignorance report' to Yüsek's office. It's not clear precisely how much travellers risk being fined for their transgression; however, the Independent , the Daily Mail and the Mirror quoted a price of £50 (CAD$93), citing Germany's DPA news agency as a source. Turkish Airlines, the behemoth flagship carrier that flies to a world-leading 131 countries , has already adopted the boilerplate sample on its flights, according to travel blogger site One Mile at a Time and Visa Digital Nomad. At long-running travel site View From the Wing , blogger Gary Leff took on the sometimes polarizing topic and wrote earlier this year that not only is it acceptable, but more people should do it. He said it speeds up deplaning for everyone, and it's courteous to the person hemmed in the middle seat. Furthermore, 'You've been stuck in an uncomfortable seat for hours, why not stand as soon as you can?' Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
American Airlines' Latest Move Is Bad News for Summer Travelers
We're just a couple of months away from the busy summer travel season, which will have thousands of people jetting off on highly-anticipated vacations. And if you happen to be flying on American Airlines for an upcoming trip? You'll want to be aware of one of the latest changes they just made, which will likely have an impact on people's summer plans. According to Gary Leff for View From the Wing, the airline plans on cutting back on their airport customer service hours, which is presumably an effort to cut back on overhead by reducing staff hours. So if you happen to be on a layover and your flight is canceled, and it doesn't happen during those new customer service hours? Be prepared to wait on hold for an indefinite amount of time with their phone customer service cutbacks are as follows: He notes that, "The Chicago O'Hare Customer Service Center is currently open 6 a.m. – 11 p.m. But on the upcoming employee summer shift bid, service center shifts prior to 2 p.m. have been eliminated." Based on that information, it sounds like travelers won't be able to get live customer service help during the busy morning hours, which would be incredibly inconvenient in the case of a missed connection or canceled flight. Leff also adds that customer service usually ramps up their hours in summer, so doing the opposite could have even more of a negative impact. Air travel is stressful enough these days without additional headaches, so if American continues to cut back on customer service, the airline is going to wind up with plenty of unhappy fliers, which is the last thing it needs.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
American Airlines Makes Troubling Move Ahead of Summer Travel: Report
Summer travel season is coming up, and if it's anything like last year, it's going to be a busy travel season. In 2024, a AAA travel survey revealed that 84% of U.S. residents traveled and 43% took more vacations than the previous year. Summer travel season is always busy, but American Airlines is reportedly making a move that could make things a bit more hectic for travelers. According to a report from Gary Leff of View from the Wing, the airline is "cutting airport customer service hours right before summer flight disruptions hit." In Leff's report, published on April 6, he says that "when you misconnect or your flight cancels, you're going to have to be doing a lot more self-service if you're flying American. They are cutting the hours of airport customer service." Leff states that the Chicago O'Hare Customer Service Center is currently open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., but that "on the upcoming employee summer shift bid, service center shifts prior to 2 p.m. have been eliminated." Leff also notes that "usually, airlines staff up for peak summer." He says he has contacted American Airlines to learn what other scheduling cuts are taking place at other hubs, too. Leff also states that American Airlines has "reduced the number of agents at each gate, so that domestic flights that are no more than 80% full now get a single employee." He adds, "That solo staffer has to board the aircraft, perform customer service like seat changes, and watch out for passengers who are too drunk to fly or who have too many carry-on bags. They've automated tasks like clearing upgrades and standby passengers with a program called AgentAssist." So, if you're flying American and have trouble rebooking during flight disruptions, Leff suggests trying to rebook on the mobile app, going to the club (if you have access), trying X DMs, calling customer service or trying to get help at the gate, among other suggestions.
