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Airlines cancel flights after volcanic eruptions. An aviation expert explains why that’s a good thing

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-murray-2027113">Patrick Murray</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> At least three airlines <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-13/flights-to-and-from-bali-cancelled-due-to-volcanic-ash/104593698">cancelled flights between Australia and Bali</a> this week after a volcano eruption in eastern Indonesia spewed a vast plume of volcanic ash into the air. But while would-be holiday makers are naturally <a href="https://7news.com.au/sunrise/volcanic-eruption-in-indonesia-forces-airlines-to-cancel-flights-to-bali-stranding-frustrated-passengers-c-16732486">upset</a> at having their plans disrupted, it’s worth remembering it’s not safe to fly planes through volcanic ash. So, how do airlines decide it’s not safe to fly when a volcano erupts? And why is volcanic ash so dangerous for aircraft, anyway? <h2>What does volcanic ash do to a plane?</h2> Volcanic ash particles are very, very abrasive. They can cause permanent damage to windscreens in the aircraft and can even make windscreens look opaque – like someone has gone over them with sandpaper. Imagine getting spectacles and scraping them over and over with sandpaper – that’s what you’d see if you were sitting in the cockpit. Volcanic ash can also clog or damage external sensors, leading to erroneous readings, and can infiltrate an aircraft’s ventilation system. This can affect cabin air quality and lead to potential respiratory issues. But the main issue, in fact, is the impact volcanic ash has on engines. A jet engine works by drawing in air, compressing it, mixing it with fuel and igniting it. This creates high-pressure exhaust gases that are expelled backward, which pushes the engine (and the aircraft) forward. The correct balance of fuel and airflow is crucial. When you disrupt airflow, it can cause the engine to stall. Ash particles that get inside the engines will melt and build up, causing disruption of the airflow. This could cause the engine to “flame out” or stall. Volcanic ash has a lot of silica in it, so when it melts it turns into something similar to glass. It won’t melt unless exposed to very high temperatures – but inside a jet engine, you do get very high temperatures. There was a famous incident in 1982 where a <a href="https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the-story-of-british-airways-flight-9-the-boeing-747-that-lost-all-four-engines-due-to-volcanic-ash-yet-it-landed-safely/">British Airways Boeing 747 plane</a> was flying in the vicinity of Indonesia and lost all four engines after it encountered volcanic ash spewing from Java’s Mount Galunggung. Fortunately, the pilot was able to <a href="https://simpleflying.com/gallunggung-glider-the-story-of-british-airways-flight-9/">restart the engines and land safely</a>, although the pilots were unable to see through the front windscreens. <h2>How do airlines decide it’s not safe to fly when a volcano erupts?</h2> The decision is made by each airline’s operational staff. Each airline’s operational team would be looking at the situation in real time today and making the decision based on their risk assessment. Every airline has a process of risk management, which is required by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority. Different airlines may tackle risk management in slightly different ways; you might have some cancelling flights earlier than others. But, in broad terms, the more sophisticated airlines would come to similar conclusions and they are likely all communicating with each other. Mostly, they make the call based on the extent of the plume – how big the cloud of ash is and where it’s going, bearing in mind that winds vary with altitude. As you get stronger winds with altitude, the ash can drift quite far from the source. There is also a United Nations agency called the <a href="https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx">International Civil Aviation Organization</a>, which issues guidance on volcanic ash hazards. Various meteorological agencies around the world work together and liaise with aviation authorities to spread the word quickly if there is an eruption. For airlines to resume flights, the ash needs to clear and there needs to be a low probability of further eruptions. <h2>Passenger safety is the priority</h2> The underpinning reason behind these flight cancellations is safety. If you lose engines and you can’t see out the window, the risk to passenger safety is obvious. Naturally, people are upset about their holiday plans being held up. But it’s actually in passengers’ best interests to not fly through volcanic ash.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243576/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-murray-2027113">Patrick Murray</a>, Emeritus Professor of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/airlines-cancel-flights-after-volcanic-eruptions-an-aviation-expert-explains-why-thats-a-good-thing-243576">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Virgin Australia passenger denied travel over tiny passport detail

Renee Reader, 30, flew to Melbourne from the Gold Coast on Monday and had her passport checked several times by Virgin Australia staff. It wasn't until she was in the final boarding queue to Bali when staff spotted one tiny detail in her passport. "I got through security and customs. It wasn't until I was actually boarding the flight and I handed over my boarding pass and passport that the staff weren't sure about my passport," she told Yahoo News Australia. Staff then started taking photos of her passport and she was asked to step aside. When asked what the issue was, she was told there was a "yellow stain" on her passport identification page. It wasn't long before she received the "heartbreaking" news, with staff telling her: "You're not going to Bali." Although she tried to plead her case, airline staff stood firm on their decision, and said Renee would need to be escorted out of the airport by security. "I said, 'I don't think that's quite necessary. I'm not a criminal — It's a passport with a watermark on it'," she recalled, but was she was escorted anyways. While the airline paid for Renee's flight back to the Gold Coast, and acknowledged that they should've flagged the passport damage earlier into her journey, she still lost the money for her return flight tickets to Bali which cost around $200. "My message to everyone is to triple-check your passport and make sure that it is in immaculate condition, because they are getting a lot stricter, and I would never want this to happen to anyone else," she said. "I've travelled all over Europe, I've been to Bali with it [the mark] twice... I was in Bali just in July... it was absolutely heartbreaking," she said. A Virgin Australia spokesperson told Yahoo News that staff are required to flag any passport issues to prevent passengers from being refused entry at their intended destination. "When a guest presents for check-in for an international flight, Virgin Australia team members are required to ensure they have the necessary travel documentation and that the documents are in suitable condition," the spokesperson said. Image: TikTok/ Yahoo News

Travel Trouble

Pilot dies mid-flight prompting emergency landing

A Turkish Airlines pilot has tragically died in the middle of a flight from Seattle in the US to the Turkish city of Istanbul, prompting an emergency landing. Pilot İlçehin Pehlivan, 59, “lost consciousness” at some point after the flight took off, with the plane then landing in New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, almost five hours into the journey. The diversion came after initial medical intervention on board failed to revive the captain, with the second pilot and co-pilot making the landing in New York. Pehlivan was declared dead on arrival when the plane was met by authorities, and no cause of death has yet been released. Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Üstün said the pilot, who worked for the airline since 2007, underwent a routine health check in March and “no health problem was detected that would prevent him from working”. He recalled the moment onboard, saying, "After the first medical evaluation to our captain on board was inconclusive, the cockpit crew ... decided to make an emergency landing, but our captain died before landing." “As Turkish Airlines, we deeply feel the loss of our captain and extend our sincerest condolences to his bereaved family, colleagues, and all his loved ones,” he added. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Airline bans couple after racist row over reclined seat

Two travellers have been banned from Cathay Pacific flights after an argument over seat etiquette descended into racist insults. The incident occurred on a flight from Hong Kong to London, with a woman documenting her experience in a video posted on Xiaohongshu, China's version of Instagram. The woman, from mainland China, explained, "The lady sitting behind me asked me to put my seat up because it was blocking her husband's view of the TV. I politely declined, and she started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm and cursing at me like crazy." A flight attendant stepped in to find a solution to the issue, but when the woman continued to refuse to put her chair up, the situation only escalated. "When (the female passenger) realised my Cantonese wasn't so great, she started throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a 'Mainland girl' and other derogatory stuff," the woman said, explaining how people from Hong Kong speak mainly Cantonese, whereas mainland Chinese mainly speak Mandarin. "Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy. I felt my personal space had been completely violated," added the woman, who said other passengers then intervened. In footage of the incident uploaded by the woman, a female voice can be heard saying in Mandarin: "You're old enough — why are you bullying a young girl?" And others can be heard shouting in Cantonese: "You're embarrassing us Hongkongers!" "After some passengers spoke up for me, the flight attendant finally said I could switch seats. I felt it was absurd—what if no one had backed me up? Would I have just been left to deal with it on my own?" the passenger said. "As a major airline, isn't Cathay supposed to know how to handle such disputes? Shouldn't treating passengers differently get some consequences? In a statement released Saturday, Cathay Pacific said it wanted to "sincerely apologise" for the "unpleasant experience," with the airline saying, "We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects the rights of other customers." "We will deny future travel on any Cathay Group flights to the two customers involved in this incident." Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Pay-by-weight airfares are an ethical minefield. We asked travellers what they actually think

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/denis-tolkach-11345">Denis Tolkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-pratt-335188">Stephen Pratt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-central-florida-1925">University of Central Florida</a> Imagine checking in for a flight with your two teenage children. At the counter, you are told that your youngest teenager’s suitcase is two kilograms over the limit. You get slapped with a $75 penalty for their excess luggage. This penalty feels arbitrary and unfair. The youngest weighs about 45 kg, and their luggage weighs 25 kg, making their total payload on the flight 70 kg. Their older sibling, on the other hand, weighs 65 kg, and has brought 23 kg of luggage to check in. Their total weight is higher – 88 kg – yet they receive no penalty. Obviously, things aren’t that simple. Charging passengers based on their weight is highly controversial for many reasons. But that hasn’t stopped some airlines <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/466035/should-airlines-charge-passengers-by-weight">experimenting</a> with such policies. Imagine checking in for your flight only to have the staff tell you to <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/plus-size-travelers-slam-airline-seat-policies/index.html">purchase an extra seat</a> as you are a plus-size passenger. You feel discriminated against because you are using the same service as other passengers and your weight is beyond your control. But despite the lived experience of many and hot debate in the media, there has not been a formal study into what passengers themselves think about this matter. Our recently published <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2691">research</a> examined air passengers’ views on alternative airfare policies to understand whether the public finds them acceptable and what ethical considerations determine their views. Though we found a range of ethical contradictions, most travellers were guided by self-interest. <h2>A controversial but important topic</h2> The issue of whether airlines should weigh passengers is an ethical minefield with no easy answers. Despite its sensitivity, the aviation industry can’t ignore passenger weight. Airlines intermittently undertake <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2024/02/11/despite-backlash-heres-why-airlines-need-to-weigh-passengers/?sh=5f07623e1bfa">passenger weight surveys</a> as they need to accurately calculate payload to ensure flight safety and estimate fuel consumption. The evidence shows passengers are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2024/02/11/despite-backlash-heres-why-airlines-need-to-weigh-passengers/?sh=5f07623e1bfa">getting heavier</a>. Airlines including the now-defunct <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/466035/should-airlines-charge-passengers-by-weight">Samoa Air</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/23/hawaiian-airlines-american-samoa-weight-passengers">Hawaiian Airlines</a> have taken things one step further and experimented with weighing passengers regularly. Samoa Air, for example, became the first airline to introduce a “pay-as-you-weigh” policy, where the cost of your ticket was directly proportional to the combined weight of you and your luggage. In contrast, Canada has now long had a “<a href="https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/publication/additional-seating-and-one-person-one-fare-requirement-domestic-travel-a-guide">one person, one fare</a>” policy. It is prohibited and deemed discriminatory to force passengers living with a disability to purchase a second seat for themselves if they require one, including those with functional disability due to obesity. To complicate matters further, the issue of passenger and luggage weight is not only ethical and financial, but also environmental. More weight on an aircraft leads to more jet fuel being burned and more carbon emissions. About <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24091-y">5%</a> of human-driven climate change can be attributed to aviation, and the industry faces enormous pressure to reduce fuel consumption while it waits for low carbon substitutes to become available. <h2>What do passengers actually think?</h2> To get a better sense of how the public actually feels about this issue, we surveyed 1,012 US travellers of different weights, presenting them with three alternatives: <ul> <li>standard policy – currently the most widely used policy with passengers paying a standard price, irrespective of their weight</li> <li>threshold policy – passengers are penalised if they are over a threshold weight</li> <li>unit of body weight policy – passengers pay a personalised price based on their own body weight, per each pound.</li> </ul> The standard policy was the most acceptable for participants of differing weight, although the heavier the passenger, the more they preferred the standard policy. This can be partially explained by status quo bias. Generally, people are likely to choose a familiar answer. The threshold policy was the least acceptable. This policy was seen to violate established social norms and be generally less fair. The unit of body weight policy was preferred to the threshold policy, although participants raised concerns about whether it would be accepted by society. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we found that self-interest played a clear role in determining whether respondents considered a policy acceptable. Younger, male, financially well-off travellers with lower personal weight generally found the alternative policies more acceptable. <h2>An ethical conflict</h2> Alternative airfare policies that are based on passenger weight bring environmental and ethical concerns into conflict. Obviously, the effect isn’t from any one traveller, in particular, but averages over the entire industry. Interestingly, respondents that were more concerned about the environment – “ecocentric” – preferred air fare policies that would reduce the carbon emissions. This made them more open to the controversial alternatives. While the threshold policy was clearly rejected by many respondents as discriminatory, environmental concern played a role in the level of acceptance of the unit of body weight policy. It’s important to apply a critical lens here. These ecocentric travellers were also generally younger and had lower personal weights, so many would benefit from the alternative policies financially. For policymakers overall, our study suggests when it comes to controversial ticketing policies, the public is more likely to be swayed by self-interest than anything else.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237856/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/denis-tolkach-11345">Denis Tolkach</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-pratt-335188">Stephen Pratt</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-central-florida-1925">University of Central Florida</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/pay-by-weight-airfares-are-an-ethical-minefield-we-asked-travellers-what-they-actually-think-237856">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

Beloved teddy bear left in airport lounge rescued by airline

Staff at British Airways have rescued a child’s stuffed teddy bear that was left behind in an airport lounge, documenting the toy’s safe journey home. The treasured teddy was found in the British Airways lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport by nine-year-old Alex, who accidentally left the toy behind before boarding a flight home to Dubai. After staff found the stranded toy, a new flight and boarding pass was created for Postman Bear, while members of the BA team gave the teddy the”'VIP treatment” with a journey on an airport buggy to “catch up” with the Cabin Crew Operations team in the Crew Report Centre. Postman Bear was then taken to meet the cabin crew on his new flight to Dubai and was pictured “patiently” waiting for his flight at the gate, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying “some great views of the aircraft” while waiting to board. The teddy’s journey home was lovingly captured by British Airways customer manager, Ed Tumath, who sent the snaps back to young Alex to assure him his beloved bear was being looked after. After touching down in Dubai, the cabin crew took Postman Bear to reunite with Alex and the rest of his family for a “bear-y happy reunion”. Stuart, Alex's parent, recalled the moment they knew the teddy was missing, while praising British Airways for their tireless journey to reunite Alex with his bear. Stuart said, “My son had left his teddy bear - huge sentimental value as he has had the teddy since birth - in the British Airways lounge ahead of the flight. We noticed as the aircraft doors were closing so nothing could be done at that point.” “This was very distressing to my son who uses the teddy as a calming item, especially when flying. This was incredibly stressful and we feared that his beloved teddy may be lost forever.” “Whilst onboard the flight, I took to a series of Facebook groups to seek help in finding the teddy. A member of the group contacted Ed who came to the rescue. I managed to communicate with Ed on the flight and received a picture showing that the teddy had been found, which calmed my son.” “Not only did Ed go out of his way to find the teddy but he communicated so well throughout. He genuinely cared about the situation and worked so hard to get the teddy back to us.” “He arranged for the teddy to board a flight to Dubai a couple of days later and a crew member handed the teddy back to us. Not only did Ed excel in his caring manner and communication, he even provided a few pictures of the teddy's journey, which my son will treasure forever.” “My son was so relieved - words could not express how grateful we are to Ed for his kind act and dedication to getting the teddy back to us. I have been flying with BA for many years - this is the best experience I have had by far and I am overwhelmed by Ed's efforts.” “Sometimes amazing people do incredible things and show such kindness along the way... these things matter. This meant a huge amount to my family and I, and we will be forever grateful.” Image credits: British Airways

International Travel

Readers response: What airline will you always prefer to travel with?

When it comes to travelling, many people have their preferences of their favourite airline after past good experiences. Many seasoned travellers always opt to fly with their preferred airline (when it's possible), instead of running the risk of an uncomfortable experience. We asked our readers which airline they will always prefer to travel with, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Irene Hood - Singapore Airlines. Lovely cabin crew, smooth flights every time. David Slattery - Had quite a few nice flights with Turkish, both short and long haul. Sue Packer - Just came back from Europe with Emirates, great service, great food and the plane left on time! Rick Kehoe - Qantas if available. I have never had a bad flight experience after many flights both domestic and international. Anita Thornton - Finnair is a great airline! Diane Green - For overseas travel, Japan airlines gave the best service. For domestic, Virgin. George Jan Cafcakis - Qatar! It’s definitely the best. Russell Campbell - Singapore, but I just travelled on Vietnam Airlines and they were also good. Goldie Kilford - Air New Zealand for sure. Peter King - Safety: Qantas. Service: Qatar. On time: Lufthansa & Swiss. Friendly Crews: Fiji Air and Air New Zealand. Best Cattle Class Seat Pitches: All Nippon, Korean, Japan. Worst Airline: Jetstar! Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

Passengers on cancelled flights to be compensated under new reforms

Plane passengers could soon be entitled to compensation or refunds for delayed or cancelled flights in Australia. The long-awaited Aviation White Paper will be handed down this morning, as part of the federal government's crackdown on the aviation sector. The white paper makes 56 recommendations, including the the establishment of an Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme, which will have the authority to make it compulsory for airlines to provide support to passengers and give travellers more rights. The Aviation Industry Ombudsman Scheme will also be able to refer to allegations of misconduct for investigation and enforcement. It will also introduce a new "Charter of Rights" entitling airline customers to refunds for flights that are disrupted, cancelled, or unreasonably delayed. Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the changes were critical to ensure that passenger had better experiences in the air, and will provide them with a baseline for the services they can expect on flights. "The aviation customer experience has deteriorated post-COVID, with an urgent need to better protect the rights of the travelling public," she said. She added that Australians were often not being dealt with fairly by airlines. "The bottom line is if people don't get the service that they are expecting, then customers deserve to get their money back or they deserve to get an equivalent service," she said. "And that's really not what's been happening when it comes to the consumer space." Under the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme, airlines will also have to "show cause" and provide a valid reason why a flight has been delayed or cancelled, and the ombudsperson has the right to request additional information. Airlines will also be required to provide support to people to make alternative travel arrangements. As part of its white paper, the government will also establish new minimum standards for airlines to make their services more accessible to those with disabilities. Legislation to establish the aviation ombuds office will be introduced next year, but the government plans to appoint an interim ombudsperson. The scheme is expected to be fully implemented in 2026. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

Woman banned for life from airline for bizarre reason

A woman has recalled the moment she was told by a major airline that she has been placed on the no-fly list for a very strange reason. Erin Wright, a 24-year-old from the US, was travelling to her sister's bachelorette party in New Mexico and was preparing to board her flight from New Orleans with American Airlines. When she kept running into errors online as she tried to check into the flight, she headed to the airport to sort out the issue, only to be told she was allegedly banned from the airline for life for “having sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated”. The ban came as a shock for one key reason. “I am a 24-year-old lesbian. You see me. Am I having sexual relations with any man? No,” Erin laughed in her now viral TikTok. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7400894263237610794&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40erin_wright_%2Fvideo%2F7400894263237610794%3Fembed_source%3D121374463%252C121451205%252C121439635%252C121433650%252C121404359%252C121351166%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_name%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Dwww.news.com.au%252Ftravel%252Ftravel-updates%252Fincidents%252Fwomans-shock-after-she-was-banned-or-life-by-airline%252Fnews-story%252F98c05daffea9ff538dd05bbbbaca556b%26referer_video_id%3D7401685057980681514&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FoYgBZAELUrpiZizB94QiB6qSIPFE1CosQNYUi%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26nonce%3D34496%26refresh_token%3D518d47d36cd3175f1d18f1fd75262373%26x-expires%3D1723770000%26x-signature%3DPnErCHWVNghfrjSQPdFIU5OLZu4%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> She said the gate staff couldn’t tell her why she was black-listed and it wasn’t until three weeks later the reason was revealed after several back and forth emails. “I got to the airport an hour and a half early, I went to the kiosk and asked them to check me in and they were really nice,” Erin explained in the clip that's amassed 2.6 million views. The airport staff then spent the next 10 minutes on the phone to try and work out the problem, while Erin was “freaking out” that she was going to miss her flight. “She gets off the phone and looks nervous. She said ‘ma’am I am really sorry to tell you this but you have actually been banned from flying American Airlines’,” Erin claimed. A confused Erin demanded to know the reason but the employee couldn’t disclose the information saying it was an issue of “internal security”, recalling in her video, “I was like, ‘what?’ because I’ve never done anything. ‘What did I get banned for, can you tell me?’” “I realised I am going to miss my [United Airlines] flight and luckily I booked another $1,000 round trip flight to New Orleans [with a different airline].” A few weeks after her trip and after several emails to the airline, they revealed that the reason she was banned, as Erin said, “I get an email from cooperate security telling me I am banned because I had sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated.” “It took 12 days and many emails from me between when I contacted customer relations to when I actually got an email back.” She remained on the no-fly list and had to file an official appeal, as advised by corporate security. “I email them a very serious email, but also somewhat funny, because in it I am like ‘I don’t really know how to prove it wasn’t me except for the fact that I am literally a lesbian’," she said. “I can like get you letters from other people telling you that that’s the truth.” After three months, Erin said she was refunded the money for her flight and was taken off the no-fly list. In a follow up video, Erin said it has been a “super upsetting experience” adding she wasn’t compensated for the extra flight she had to book “because of their error”. Image credits: TikTok / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

What is ‘slot hoarding’ – and is it locking out regional airlines like Rex?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> It’s been a depressing year for regional aviation. Rex Airlines has just become the second Australian airline to go into voluntary administration this year, after Bonza’s collapse in April. Is Qantas’ chief executive Vanessa Hudson right – that there simply <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australia-can-t-sustain-more-than-three-airlines-says-qantas-boss-20240714-p5jtlo.html">aren’t enough passengers</a> in Australia to support more than three airlines? That’s certainly a convenient narrative for the members of our domestic airline duopoly, Qantas and Virgin Australia, who now face even less competition. Or did Rex fall victim to other airlines’ strategic management to limit the number of airport slots available to them to successfully fly between the capital cities? This practice is known as “slot hoarding”. On Thursday, the former chair of the the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Rod Sims, seemed to think so, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/01/rex-airlines-administration-qantas-virgin">telling ABC radio</a>: <blockquote> The government outsources the management of the slots at Sydney airport to a company that’s majority-owned by Qantas and Virgin, it is just unbelievable. </blockquote> It’s certainly not a new allegation. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">Rex</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">Bonza</a>, and the <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/accc-warns-sydney-airport-slots-manager-has-conflicts-of-interest-20231220-p5espy">ACCC</a> have all previously raised concerns. So how exactly do airline slots work, and does the system need reform? <h2>What are slots?</h2> Back in the 1970s, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) developed the airline slot system to reduce airport congestion. The aim was to improve the traffic flow during peak travel times at “level 3” high traffic density airports – a category that includes Sydney and Melbourne. Under the system, airlines are allocated a daily number of slots they can use. Importantly, there is a set amount of slots available, as they represent specific time windows for aircraft to take off or land. Airlines <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2018.04.005">schedule</a> their slots ahead of time as part of a yield management program. This plan looks across the whole calendar year, taking into account projected peak and off-peak travel times for business and leisure travellers. An airline owns the time slot it is designated by the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2018.04.005">airport infrastructure</a> capacity, whether it gets used or not. The IATA system relies on what’s called the “<a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/#:%7E:text=Currently%2C%20an%20airline%20can%20keep,calls%20it%20%E2%80%9Ctoo%20generous%E2%80%9D.">80/20 rule</a>”, which states an airline must use 80% of its allocated slots or it will loose its unused slots. The 20% is a buffer. But it has been <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/">criticised</a> as overly generous. Airlines can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1000936123002340">buy sell or lease</a>, slots they are not using due to slow demand or the need for financial gain. These can sell for <a href="https://simpleflying.com/biggest-airport-slot-deals-list/">huge sums</a>. <h2>Can slots be hoarded?</h2> Broadly speaking, slot hoarding is the practice of booking slots for use only to cancel them in bad faith, preventing other airlines from getting access to premium travel times. In June last year, Rex’s then-deputy-chairman John Sharp <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jun/06/rex-and-bonza-call-for-immediate-overhaul-of-sydney-airport-laws-to-increase-competition">accused Qantas</a> of engaging in the practice: <blockquote> It’s as plain as the nose on your face that Qantas is hoarding slots by cancelling sufficient flights to remain within the 80/20 rule. </blockquote> Slot availability is a particular <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/accc-warns-sydney-airport-slots-manager-has-conflicts-of-interest-20231220-p5espy">issue for Sydney Airport</a>, because takeoffs and landings are capped at 80 per hour. Sydney Airport Corporation’s executive general manager of aviation, Robert Wood, as well as the airport’s then-chief-executive Geoff Culbert also both expressed <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/airlines-qantas-virgin-slot-hoarding-solving-problems/103110390">serious concerns</a> about slot use last year. In February this year, the federal government unveiled a <a href="https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/reforming-sydney-airport-slots-boost-efficiency-competition-and-consumers-outcomes">range of reforms</a> for Sydney airport’s slot system. These included requirements for increased transparency on how slots are used, and new independent audits. Notably though, the government made <a href="https://australianaviation.com.au/2024/02/80-20-rule-looks-to-survive-government-overhaul-of-sydney-slots/">no change</a> to the 80/20 rule. <h2>What needs to change?</h2> A number of further reforms could help make the airport system friendlier to new entrants and more equitable. One possibility is to sell a predefined number of slots to the major participating airlines. Airlines would have to make a business case outlining their proposed needs over the next calendar year. Currently, airlines request slots from the airport slot management team at no cost to the airline, a system which favours established airlines that have met the 80/20 rule. But a key criticism of this proposal is that the cost of purchasing slots <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-21/airlines-qantas-virgin-slot-hoarding-solving-problems/103110390">would be passed down</a> to the flying public, likely resulting in higher airfares. Bidding for slots would also add new cost barriers to entry for would-be startup challengers. Another possibility is to look at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2019.0926">slot allocation based on fairness</a>, measuring an airline’s needs against airport infrastructure. Airlines that had historically used 80% of their allocated slots would be given priority bidding on up to 50% of the following year’s total airport slot allocation. The remaining 50% of slots could be prioritised for new airlines without an established history, with the goal of awarding them take off and landing times that aren’t necessarily premium, but close enough. Airlines that didn’t achieve this 80% target or were found to be abusing the slot hoarding rules would be removed from the top-tier fairness status and placed in a slot allocation “sin bin” until their performance measures were brought up to standards. Australia has challenges ahead for domestic flights that are already at capacity. Government reforms that provide better oversight of airport usage of the 80/20 rule could help mitigate the risk of anti-competitive behaviour. Australian airlines have the right to compete without feeling unfairly held back, and we as consumers have the right to reasonable airfares. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/235960/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-slot-hoarding-and-is-it-locking-out-regional-airlines-like-rex-235960">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

"Heartbroken": Sacked Rex Airlines hostess speaks out

A “devastated” and “heartbroken” Rex Airlines flight attendant has spoken out after the regional airline entered <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/aussie-airline-s-shock-collapse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voluntary administration</a>. Following the shock decision, 350 staff from the airline were made redundant and told they would not be paid any wages or redundancy packages for months. While many frustrated travellers took to Rex's Facebook page to complain about their flights being cancelled at the last minute with no notice, one cabin crew member called for calm and understanding. Air hostess Layla Rackley issued a reality check in the comments, writing, “I know this is so frustrating but the Rex staff, including myself, have lost our jobs very unexpectedly and we are all heartbroken.” “I hope your flights get sorted.” Another Rex flight attendant Makayla Meagher said on social media that she was “devastated” and it was something she thought would never have happened. “Im so grateful for all the friends i have made along the way,” she said. “Please keep Rex staff in your prayers.” Administrator Sam Freeman said regional flights were unaffected and would continue to operate, but domestic 737 services were grounded. “Virgin Australia are offering impacted Rex passengers free of charge rebooking,” he said. In the wake of the airline's collapse, competing Aussie airline Virgin wrote on their website, "Virgin Australia is also offering support to Rex employees who may be impacted by today’s announcement." "People whose employment has been affected should visit the expression of interest form on our website to apply for open positions." Image credits: Shutterstock / Instagram

Travel Trouble

Aussie airline's shock collapse

Australia's third largest airline Regional Express, better known as Rex, has entered voluntary administration. The airline will ground all its Boeing 737 jets and cease flying immediately between Australia’s major cities, as Rex struggled to compete with Qantas and Jetstar for customers. In response to the cancellation, Virgin has said it will allow Rex customers with tickets on 737 flights to transfer them to its services. Rex began connecting major cities during the pandemic, but was unable to keep up with other airlines who were more known for servicing Aussie capital cities. While flights to major cities with Rex will cease, the airline confirmed that its flights to and from regional cities, which use smaller Saab 340 turboprops, will continue as normal. The airline currently serves 56 destinations around Australia, many of them remote. In response to the cancelled flights, Qantas and Virgin Australia shared a statement saying they were “sad” for the “difficult” day. “This is a challenging day for our industry and we are sad to see Rex enter voluntary administration with the immediate suspension of its Boeing 737 operations,” a spokesperson for Qantas said. “We know this will be a difficult period for many Rex customers and employees and we stand ready to assist.” The spokesperson said Rex customers impacted by cancelled flights due to the grounding of their domestic jet services can contact Qantas and Jetstar to be reaccommodated on the same route as their original booking at no charge, where seats available. In a statement on the Rex <a href="https://www.rex.com.au/AboutRex/OurCompany/DomesticFlightUpdates.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, the stricken airline said it was working with Virgin Australia to assist impacted passengers. “An agreement has been reached with Virgin Australia to honour all prepaid tickets for the Rex Group’ direct services between domestic capital cities, at no additional cost to passengers. “If you hold a prepaid ticket for future travel on any of these routes, you can transfer your Rex booking to a similar Virgin Australia flight.” Customers must re-book their flight by Wednesday August 14th or they will lose their money. “Regional flights are unaffected by the administration and will continue to operate as normal,” it stated. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

“Great initiative”: Airline's world first move to make female travellers safer

A popular airline has introduced a new measure to help female travellers feel safer on their journey. IndiGo will make the change in August, giving female travellers the option to choose not to sit next to a man on their flight. Prior to booking, women will be able to check the gender of the flyer sitting next to them and select if they don't want a male seat mate. However, this change will not apply to men, as male travellers will not be shown the gender of their seat mate when making a booking and instead will only be able to view available seats. The low-cost carrier is a codeshare partner of Qantas, and Australian passengers travel on-board its planes for destinations such as India, as well as within the country. The idea for the change came from an IndiGo survey where the airline asked females what would make travel more comfortable, and many said they would feel safer to have more power over who they spent their journey sitting next to. “IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers,” the airline said. “We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all our passengers, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal.” There has been a mixed reaction on social media to to IndiGo’s attempt to make female flyers feel safer, as one commenter wrote on X: “Why can’t they allocate left side for one gender and right side for another gender?" There was also concern about how the good seats could be snapped up, writing, “Almost all seats available will be the middle ones”. Meanwhile a man protested, “What if I don’t want to sit by her? It works both ways”, while many simply praised it as a “great initiative”. Image credits: Shutterstock

Legal

So when should you book that flight? The truth on airline prices

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> How airlines price tickets is a source of many <a href="http://airtravel.about.com/od/travelindustrynews/a/mythticket.htm">myths</a> and urban legends. These include tips about the best day of the week to buy a ticket, last-minute discounts offered by the airlines, and the conspiracy theories suggesting that the carriers use cookies to increase prices for their passengers. None of these three statements is entirely true. Studies have suggested that prices can be higher or lower on a given day of the week – yet, there is no clear consensus on which day that is. Offered prices can in fact drop at any time before the flight, yet they are much more likely to increase than decrease over the last several weeks before the flight’s departure. Further, the airlines prefer to wait for the last-minute business traveler who’s likely to pay full fare rather than sell the seat prematurely to a price conscious traveler. And no, the airlines do not use cookies to manipulate fare quotes – adjusting their inventory for specific customers appears to be beyond their technical capabilities. What is true about pricing in the airline industry is that carriers use complex and sophisticated pricing systems. The airline’s per passenger cost is the lowest when the flight is full, so carriers have incentive to sell as many seats as possible. This is a race against time for an airline and, of course, no company wants to discount its product more than it has to. Hence, the airlines face two somewhat contradictory goals: to maximize revenue by flying full planes and to sell as many full-fare seats as possible. This a process known in the industry as yield or revenue management. <h2>Airlines and their bucket lists</h2> Here is how <a href="http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1522&context=jaaer">yield management</a> works. For each flight or route (if we are talking about multi-segment itineraries), the airline has a set of available price levels – from the most expensive fully refundable fare to the cheapest deeply discounted non-refundable price. The industry jargon for these prices is “buckets.” Then, seats can be interpreted as balls that are allocated among these buckets. Initial allocation of seats between the price buckets is determined by historical data indicating how well a certain flight sells. For example, fewer deeply discounted seats will be offered on a flight on Thanksgiving week than on the same flight during the third week of February. As the seats on a flight sell, yield managers monitor and adjust the seat allocation. If, for instance, the sales are slower than expected, some of the seats might be moved to lower-priced buckets – this shows up as a price drop. As noted above, such price drops can occur at any time before the flight. However, the general trend of price quotes is upward starting from about two to three weeks before the flight departure date. Of course, an average traveler wants to know when he or she should buy the tickets for the next trip. Another important question is where to buy this ticket. Airlines distribute their inventory on their own websites and on several computer distribution systems, meaning that prices can sometimes differ depending on where one looks. We are not entirely sure what precipitates this phenomenon – likely explanations include differences in contracts between the airlines and the distribution systems/travel agents, implying that different travel agents may not have access to the airline’s entire inventory of available prices. <h2>When to book</h2> The airlines’ yield managers start looking at flight bookings about two months before the departure date. This implies that it generally does not pay to book more than two months in advance: studies show that initially the airlines leave the cheapest price buckets empty, and yield managers may move some seats into those buckets if a couple of months before the departure date the flight is emptier than expected. Between two months and about two to three weeks before the flight date, the fare quotes remain mostly flat, with a slight upward trend. However, and perhaps paradoxically, there is a good chance of a price drop during this period. We tend to monitor prices for several days – sometimes up to a week – hoping for a potentially lower quote. It does not always pay off, but sometimes we do manage to save a considerable amount of money. Two to three weeks before the flight date, the price quotes start increasing. This is the time when business travelers start booking. While price drops are still possible, a chance of a price increase is much higher if you wait to book within this time period. This is also the time when one can find significant differences between price quotes, depending on where one looks and what contract they have with the airlines. Thus, if we book a trip earlier than three weeks before the flight date, we tend not to delay the purchase. At the same time, we check quotes from multiple travel agents, or go directly to a site that allows for a quick comparison of prices (such as <a href="https://www.kayak.com">kayak.com</a> or <a href="http://www.skyscanner.net">skyscanner.net</a>). Or check the airline itself. As for answering the original question we posed, here are some simple tips. First, if you have to travel during a peak period, such as Thanksgiving week, it is generally best not to delay buying that ticket. Otherwise, it might pay to monitor the offered prices for some time before committing. The best strategy for booking within the last couple of weeks before the flight, however, is not to delay the purchase, but to try getting quotes from several agents, which is easy to do in the internet age.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/34033/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuriy-gorodnichenko-144556">Yuriy Gorodnichenko</a>, Associate Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-california-berkeley-754">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Senior Lecturer in Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/newcastle-university-906">Newcastle University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/so-when-should-you-book-that-flight-the-truth-on-airline-prices-34033">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Tips

Horrifying moment wheel falls off plane during take-off

Video footage has captured the horrifying moment a wheel fell off a United Airlines Boeing plane just moments after take off on Monday morning. The video captured by RadarBox shows the tire coming loose from the aircraft's undercarriage and plummeting to the ground seconds after take off. The airline confirmed that a wheel fell off the plane as the flight departed Los Angeles International airport en route to Denver, but it safely touched down around three hours later. None of the 174 passengers or seven crew members on board were injured. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 573px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7389507936625691920&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40theprojecttv%2Fvideo%2F7389507936625691920%3Fq%3Dboeing%2520wheel%26t%3D1720568253683&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FoEEROKIMm2EpV6DrBgf3FeAUB4EjlBg0BMjmzE%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26nonce%3D85756%26refresh_token%3D9848a1a77a4d011f7ceeb76a41229609%26x-expires%3D1720738800%26x-signature%3DKRkuV5%252BXkjrhdVj9cxtL5oLH5ow%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> A United spokesperson said that the wheel has been found in Los Angeles and they are investigating the cause. “The wheel has been recovered in Los Angeles, and we are investigating what caused this event,” the statement read. It is not known whether it caused any damage on the ground. The incident comes just four months after a Japan-bound Boeing airlines carrying 249 passengers also lost a wheel not long after take off in San Francisco. The flight, that took place in March. was diverted to LAX where it landed safely. The wheel reportedly damaged some vehicles in an airport parking lot. Images: CaliPlanes/ Youtube

Travel Trouble

Emirates takes cheeky swipe at other airlines in new safety video

Emirates have taken a cheeky swipe at Qantas, Air New Zealand and British Airways with their new “no nonsense” in-flight safety video. The Dubai-based airline took a different approach to other major airlines, saying they chose not to include dancers and singers for its in-flight entertainment because they “take your safety seriously”. “Hello and welcome on board your Emirates flight today,” a flight attendant says at the start of the four minute video. “This is your no-nonsense safety video. We do not have dancers breaking into song, characters from movies, or celebrities trying to be funny I’m afraid.” Another cabin crew member then chips in, “But at Emirates, safety always comes first. So it’s important that we take you through some safety features before takeoff. And then you can all get back to our award-winning entertainment system.” <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MCW5kH1G_1Y?si=IgvSjvOEa-n_f01v" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The decision to stick to the basics for such an important video has been praised online, with many comparing the video to others by competing airlines. “Excellent video. No fuss, no faff, just informative and not distracting. These videos are about safety first and foremost, not entertainment,” wrote one fan. “Emirates got it right. This is THE safety video, simple and comprehensive which it should be,” agreed another. “This video is sending a message to other airlines,” stated a third. Emirates has gone in the opposite direction to its Aussie partner <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/disappointing-new-inflight-qantas-video-slammed-for-missing-the-mark">Qantas</a>, as a safety video from the Flying Kangaroo went viral earlier this year for all the wrong reasons. The video was widely panned for being “elitist” and “sexist”, while skimming over vital safety information, as one person on social media wrote, “I’d prefer just focus on, oh I dunno, in flight safety during the in-flight safety video? “Why do we need a long video with all this added stuff?” The video, which replaced an earlier retro video released in 2020 that marked the airline’s 100th birthday, features frequent flyers and Qantas staff delivering the pre-flight safety announcement from their favourite “magic places” around the world. Image credits: Emirates

International Travel

World's best airline for 2024 revealed

The world's best airline has been revealed for 2024, with the winning airline being voted above the rest for quality, customer service and overall flying experience. Qatar Airways, the Doha-based airline, reclaimed the title in the annual Skytrax’s World Airline Awards dubbed “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, returning to the top for an unprecedented eighth time. The 2023 winner, Singapore Airlines, fell back a spot to second place, while Emirates came third. Coming in next on the list was ANA All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, EVA Air, Air France and Swiss International Air Lines in 10th spot. Qatar also took home three other awards: World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge and Best Airline in the Middle East. It’s also become the first aviation group to win Best Airline, Best Airport and Best Airport Shopping, in the same year in Skytrax history. “This is a proud moment for Qatar Airways. I am honoured to share this award with my dedicated team,” Qatar Airways group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said at the Skytrax event in London on Monday. “This award is a testimony to our relentless commitment to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers with the highest level of excellence.” The Skytrax awards are based on the votes of travellers across over 100 nationalities, with any airline in the world eligible to be nominated. In terms of Aussie airlines, Qantas plummeted seven spots to be ranked 24 this year, while Virgin Australia fell from 46 to 54 and Jetstar from 69 to 75. However, Australian regional airline REX climbed from spot 56 to 50. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Singapore Airlines offers huge compensation to turbulence victims

Singapore Airlines has offered compensation to passengers who were on board the SQ321 flight, that encountered deadly turbulence last month. One man died of a heart attack and a dozen others were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/victim-identified-after-plane-hits-deadly-turbulence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">injured </a>when the flight from London to Singapore experienced sudden and extreme turbulence while flying over Myanmar. The flight carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing, where the injured were treated, with some suffering spinal, brain and skull injuries. In a recent statement, the airline said that they will offer anyone injured on the flight from US$10,000 (AU $15,150) in compensation. "For passengers who sustained minor injuries from the incident, we have offered US$10,000 [$15,150] in compensation," they said. "For those who sustained more serious injuries from the incident, we have invited them to discuss a compensation offer." The airline said they sent out the compensation offers on June 10. "Passengers medically assessed as having sustained serious injuries, requiring long-term medical care, and requesting financial assistance are offered an advance payment of US$25,000 to address their immediate needs," the compensation offer read. They will also provide full refunds of the air fare to all passengers who were on flight SQ321, regardless of their injuries. All passengers were also provided AU$1,120 for their expenses in Bangkok. "SIA has also been covering the medical expenses of the injured passengers, and arranged for their family members and loved ones to fly up to Bangkok where requested," the airline said. Under international regulations, airlines must offer compensation when passengers are injured or die on a plane. Director of Carter Capner Law, Peter Carter, who is representing passengers on the flight, said all passengers should seek legal advice before signing anything with the airline. "I doubt there is anyone on the aircraft who did not suffer an injury one way or the other. The insurer should clarify that the $10,000 offer covers all passengers including those who endured the terror of the moment but were fortunate to escape physical injury," he told ABC News. "Those with any sort of injury should exercise extreme care and should be evaluated by their own medical specialists to determine how this accident might still affect them." Image: Andrew Davies/X

Travel Trouble

Pilot reveals area with worst turbulence

Pilot and former Bachelor Australia star Jimmy Nicholson has revealed which area in the world has the worst turbulence in a viral video. Nicholson, who has over five years of experience, took to TikTok to explain the areas where pilots can expect the worst turbulence and how he believes that the recent Singapore Airlines <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-trouble/victim-identified-after-plane-hits-deadly-turbulence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horror flight</a> did not actually experience a "sudden drop". In the clip, he explained that pilots can expect the worst turbulence around the equator in what is called the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). “This is where the winds with the northern hemisphere often converge with the winds of the southern hemisphere often causing bad weather and turbulence,” he said. He added that the ITCZ changes throughout the year, with it affecting different areas between January and July. “As you can see here, this is the approximate location of the convergence zone on the 21st of May,” he explained using a graph that showed an area that was “the exact area of where the [Singapore Airlines] incident happened." “As you can see from flightradar, the flight was tracking from Singapore to London and then made a left turn and ended up diverting into Bangkok," he added. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 573px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7371614320200830226&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40jimmy_nicholson%2Fvideo%2F7371614320200830226&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FowREoIPwwA1lAs31IifkpzBASmJt4iCODZ0sBN%3Fx-expires%3D1716962400%26x-signature%3D%252BkhZRFhuPeWTiEKTMAFYLK0EcTU%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> He said that the 6000 foot drop was not a "sudden" drop as a result of severe turbulence, but a controlled descent. “The plane descended from 37000 feet at six minutes past the hour, down to 31000 feet at 12 minutes past the hour,” he said. “This is not a sudden drop due to turbulence, this is a controlled descent likely because the plane needed to divert into Bangkok, or because they were descending out of the turbulence. “This is a very sad and very rare event,” he continued. “But it is important to remember that these things don’t happen very often." He added that pilots do their best to avoid turbulence, but sometimes it does happen unexpectedly. “This is why pilots always say on the PA when you’re seated make sure you seatbelt is fastened in case we experience an unexpected turbulence.” Image: TikTok

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"Absolute carnage": Injured Aussie reveals turbulence horror

An Aussie man who was onboard the Singapore Airlines flight that plunged <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/victim-identified-after-plane-hits-deadly-turbulence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6000 feet</a>, leaving one dead and dozens injured, has spoken out for the first time. A heavily bandaged Keith Davis told Today that he is still in shock over what happened, and shared graphic detail of what happened straight from his hospital bed in Thailand. "We'd just finished a fantastic holiday in the UK and were one more flight away, nearly home - and this comes along," he said. The flight took off from London Heathrow on Monday night and bound for Singapore with 211 passengers on board. Davis and his wife were among the 56 Australian passengers when the plane was struck by severe turbulence just minutes into the beginning of the breakfast service. "It was absolute carnage, instantly, it was absolutely surreal and there was no warning," he recalled. "When you come into turbulence, there is usually some warning, but this was just a freefall and before we knew it - we were on the ceiling and then bang, we are on the ground." Despite looking battered and bruised, Davis said that his wounds were just superficial, and his wife had an even longer road to recovery ahead. "(My wife) fell into the aisle and she didn't move from then on," he said. "She hit the ground so hard and you know, I leant over her and said, 'hey honey, you're okay', I could see she was breathing and she could speak, but when someone hits the ground, they're going to try and get up and that wasn't happening. "And then I realised I was pouring blood all over her and I thought, wow, we're in a lot of serious trouble here.' Davis said that his wife remained conscious the whole way through, which he said was a blessing as she doesn't have a brain injury. "She's had a severe spinal injury and she has no sensation from her waist down," he said. "She's got all of her wits about her, she's strong and we just just want to get home." Nine Australians remain in the Bangkok hospital, and three are in the ICU with severe injuries. Doctors have also confirmed that a lot of those injured have got spinal issues after hitting their head and landing so hard on the ground, with several of them requiring surgery after showing signs of paralysis. Image: Today

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