The Savvy Tourist

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US airlines United and Continental create global leader

from BBC Business News:

United Airlines and Continental Airlines have been cleared to merge, creating the world's largest carrier.

Shareholders in the two airlines overwhelmingly voted to approve the deal on Friday.

The merged airline will be known as United Airlines, with Continental's chief executive Jeff Smisek taking on the same role at the new carrier.

Global airlines have struggled due to overcapacity, and United was forced into bankruptcy protection.

United and Continental announced their merger proposal in May, two years after Continental spurned similar advances from United.

The merger plan already has antitrust clearance from the US and European Commission.

"In approving the transaction, our stockholders recognised the value of bringing together Continental and United to create a platform for increased profitability and sustainable long-term value," Mr Smisek said in a statement.

Many carriers have struggled in recent years due to terrorist threats, soaring fuel prices and economic recession.

Several airlines have sought safety through merging. British Airways plans deals with Spain's Iberia and American Airlines.

Glass-Bottomed Hot Air Balloon

Let me just start by saying that the thought of this particular adventure gives me the heebie jeebies. For you adventurous savvy readers, this might be the fun you have been looking for.

This glass-bottomed hot air balloon is the first of it's kind, designed by Christian Brown, the pilot who travelled around the world in a balloon with Sir Richard Branson. Even Mr. Brown thinks this is a bit on the scary side. Up until now, if you were brave enough to soar in the sky in a hot air balloon, you still had the option to look inside the basket to gain any composure you might need. I know you cannot beat the view from up in the open air, but I wonder if you feel like you are falling the entire time when you look down at your feet.

I guess you have figured out by now, that even though I am "The Savvy Tourist", I am a tad fearful of heights, so maybe this post leans more on the frightening side of this very cool adventure. I am sure there are so many people out there that would pay a lot of money for this once in a lifetime experience, and I would highly recommend it over things like bungee jumping or sky-diving. But, that's just me.

This particular adventure will be available to the public some time next year, but if you can't wait that long you can try the glass-bottomed sky walk that goes over the Grand Canyon. That is something else I don't think "The Savvy Tourist" will be doing any time soon, but hopefully my savvy readers can write in and tell me about their thoughts and experiences on the subject. I know there are a lot of thrill seekers out there that think these kind of adventures are great, but I think I will stick with glass-bottomed boats for now.

So, which savvy readers would love to take this adventure? Write in and tell us scaredy cats all about it.

Photo taken from Gizmodo.com

United and Continental to merge

 
They have been to the table before, but it looks like this time they are going to walk away with a deal! Continental Airlines and United Air Lines are expected to announce their proposed merger on Monday, May 3rd. This merger would most likely create the world's largest carrier, to be known as United Air Lines.

The airline industry has suffered greatly since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, forcing them to lower fares, cut costs, lay off employees, reduce customer service, pay higher fuel costs and all around just struggle on a daily basis. This could be the light at the end of the tunnel that brings the industry back up to the standards that were once expected.

Not sure what I mean? Well, let me ask you...do you remember the days when airline travel was actually a luxury? Once upon a time, only certain people could afford to fly, and when you did, you got your money's worth. Many people are going to be disappointed if this merger causes fares to rise, but I think they need to. Traveling across country by airplane should not be a $99 trip. The employees of the airlines are actually the ones paying for your trip when you only pay that much. They have taken considerable pay cuts and have lost their pensions and quality of life so that the traveling public can travel on the cheap.

Pilots and Flight Attendants are highly trained individuals that are carrying your life in their hands. Don't you want to know they are well trained, well paid, well rested and happy to be of service to you? Well, you might just have to pay for that luxury!!! I have been affiliated with the travel/airline industry for most of my life and whereby this is only speculation on my part, I think the fares need to rise and the customer service needs to come back to the industry and the employee moral needs a boost as well. This might just be the merger that changes everything...back to the way it was!!!

Be on the look out tomorrow morning as we all eagerly await the details of this giant industry merger. The transition should be a relatively smooth one as the route structure of the two airlines are very complimentary and the new leadership will be most welcome.

This picture and caption was taken from an article written almost 6 years ago in the NY Times.

 
In the 1960's, air travel was still a relatively exotic and luxurious mode of travel and those who worked for the industry, like the American Airlines flight attendant above, were well paid and their jobs highly prized.

Air France

Due to the tragedy involving Air France Flight 447 this week, all affiliate banners have been removed from this site per the request of the airline. This is one of the world's worst civil air disasters in history. I am asking all of my readers to extend their prayers to the friends and family members affected by this horrible tragedy.

Never a dull moment in the airline biz...

The airline industry used to be known as a glamorous way to travel. There was unbelievable customer service and the pilots and flight attendants (aka stewardesses) were treated with respect and could wear their uniforms with pride. Well, if Orville and Wilbur knew then what we know now, they would've kept their feet firmly planted on the ground and forgotten all about this silly flying stuff because it has been nothing but trouble. Hubby and I have been associated with the airline industry for over 20 years now. Part of me is proud of the service that we have both provided in our careers, but the rest of me feels like I have been through a war. Aviation is a series of ups and downs like no other industry. How many history-making airlines have gone by the wayside because of mis-management? Pan Am, Eastern,TWA and Braniff to name a few. How many are teetering on the edge right now for the same reason? Believe me, you do NOT want to know. Everyone suffered a great loss, both personal and economic after the tragedy that struck on September 11, 2001. The airline industry slowed to a crawl, and people were afraid to fly. Our lives have been in turmoil because of new security procedures, and the overall fear of the unknown while traveling. That holds true for flight crews as well as passengers on the airplanes. The traveling public does not see what goes on behind the scenes or how today's economic downturn has affected the airline employees. There have been massive furloughs, pay-cuts, loss of pensions, loss of stock and overall loss of pride in their profession. The airline industry is an emotional roller coaster for all involved. A lot of pilots have lost the pension they have worked their entire life for, and are now being forced to work an additional 5 years before they can retire. Well, just when we thought the worst was over (for now), the cost of fuel has taken a toll on the industry as a whole. A lot of airlines are doing more cut-backs once again, reducing their fleet, changing their route structure and of course, eliminating anything that could be confused with customer service such as meals and entertainment.

United Airlines, for one, has just announced it will be eliminating it's fleet of Boeing 737s and also a large handful of the much bigger Boeing 747s. The domino effect that a huge change like this brings is astronomical to the point where I can't imagine anyone has really done the math on it. All of the pilots who will be displaced by the disappearance of their airplane will be able to choose another position in another airplane based on what their seniority can hold. That means they will be displacing yet another pilot, and that pilot displaces someone and so on and so forth until there are more furloughs coming from the bottom of the seniority list, not to mention more pay cuts for those still employed. This procedure may sound simple and as fair as it can be, given the circumstances, but think about the cost of training with this kind of upheaval. The Training Department is not manned to re-train half the pilots in the company. Therefore there will have to be pilots trained to be trainers. Then, the real training will begin and every pilot who gets displaced will have to go through a training period of up to 6 weeks before being able to fly again. What you probably do not realize (unless you are very familiar with the way airlines work) is that will calculate into pilots sitting at home, getting paid to do nothing until they are properly trained. To me, this sounds very costly and inefficient. I have to wonder if the guy behind the mahogany desk has gone a little too far with this latest decision. Maybe there could have been smaller measures taken for a more steady pace towards repairing the airline structure and off-setting fuel costs. How does this affect him exactly? What kind of cut-backs will United's fearless (or perhaps feared) leader take personally?  According to the Air Line Pilot's Assoc. (ALPA), Glenn Tilton will be giving himself yet another excessive bonus for this ingenious plan to foil save United Air Lines.