Want Airline and Airport Information? Get it from SKYTRAX!

Is there something you would like to know about an airline or an airport?  Maybe how good the service is or how comfortable the seat is?  Well, you can find mostly all of the informatoin you need at SKYTRAX.  The website has everything from airline and seat reviews to airport and lounge reviews, all written by the consumers themselves.  SKYTRAX also has an official Airline Star Ranking Guide, which rankes airlines on a scale of one to five stars.  Overall, it is a very informative site.

Here's the URL: http://www.airlinequality.com

New Orleans Int'l Airport Reaching Pre-Katrina Passenger Levels

In a recent article published by S. C. Hunter, Director of Aviation at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, it was stated that air traffic levels are creeping slowly but surely back to Pre-Katrina levels.  At the moment, air operations are at approximately 80 percent of the Pre-Katrina levels.  This number, however, is expected to rise through the end of this year and in 2009.  One of the greatest reasons for the return of air traffic is conventions.  Conventions are vital to the survival of New Orleans and, respectively, the Armstrong International airport.  The Starbucks Leadership Conference, scheduled for this fall, will bring an estimated 12,000 people to the Crescent City.  The airlines that serve the Armstrong International Airport have been very willing to add extra seats on their routes to and from the city for conventions.  Officials are "optimistic about the growth and rebound of the convention/leisure traveler in our market," but are "curiously optimistic about air service return given the current volatile nature of the aviation industry."

Delta's New 777-200LR

Well, just when I thought that Delta Air Lines' service was on the lam, I was happily corrected when I saw the release of their new BusinessElite 777-2ooLR seats. Delta will be the first airline in the United States to offer a lie-flat business class seat. In fall of 2o08, Delta also plans to proliferate these new seats to all of their 777 aircraft. This year, Delta Airlines will receive two of these 777-200LR aircraft, and expects to order more in the future.

Winter Delays Greatly Affects Air Travel

The severe weather that has recently swept the entire nation is greatly affecting air travel. This has not only caused delays in northern cities such as Chicago, New York, Seattle, ecetera, but delays are also becoming more perfidious in cities such as New Orleans, Miami, Dallas (DFW), and Atlanta. Airline passengers across the nation are currently contending with delays that last up to 12 hours, some of those being spent abord the aricraft with no food or drink. Airlines such as JetBlue, American, and Continental have been hit the hardest. United, US, and Delta have also been affected, though not as greatly. So be sure to check those airline websites before you travel! They can save you a lot of trouble!

Want the Pros and Cons of Seating? Go to SeatGuru.com

I was browsing the Internet the other day and found this helpful little site. It is called SeatGuru.com, and it shows you where all of the best and worst seats are on most airlines' planes. It also gives a description of the amenities onboard (i.e. IFE, Meals, Handicap accessable, ect.) If you are one of those people who likes a good seat on those long transcontinental flights (like me), then I suggest that you check this sight out.

The picture attached is a diagram of the United Airlines 747-400 seating chart.


Here is the site: http://www.seatguru.com

United Introduces New Business Class on 757

United Airlines will be introducing its new Business class this fall on all of its International 757s. These, as expected from many travel critics, will be a total innovation to the airline industry. United Airlines has truly done it right. The seats will have five feet of space between each other and will recline to an almost-full flat bed for a night of restful, comfortable sleep. They will also have adjustable headrests, lumbar support, a 110-volt adapter for laptop computers, and a reading lamp. The new B757 will have 12 First class lie-flat seats, 26 Business class seats, and another 72 seats in the all-Economy Plus cabin. These aircraft will also be available on routes between New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angles. The most important thing, though, is that the recline adjustment on the seats go way back. Prepare to experience new, unprecedented comfort this fall!

Lufthansa to Order Boeing 747-8s

As most of you already know, Lufthansa Airlines of Germany announced that they would be ordering 20 Boeing 747-8s along with the purchase rights for 20 more. I believe that this is a good thing because the 747-8 not only reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide output by 16%, it is more spacious and comfortable. The 747-8 will generate 30% less noise than its predecessor, the 747-400 (I know the people living by New Orleans Int'l amd other large airports will love that). This is all made possible by the new GEnx engines. These engines incorporate advanced technology from their previous successful engines and the modern research that is constantly in progress. These engines will also aid in the longer range capabilities of the 747-8. Not just the exterior has changed, however. The new 747 will feature 787-like attributes (I guess that's why it is sometimes referred to as the 787XL). The interior has been tweaked and revamped from mood lighting to new, less claustrophobic lavatories. The entire aircraft's layout has been designed to feel much, much more spacious. In my personal opinion, this was a wonderful choice for Boeing seeing that it is much more practical than the mammoth-like A380, which continues to face production and development delays (we should have seen them in the skies by now...). I believe that all the benefits of this aircraft are corollary, and will definitely be noticeable. The Boeing 747-8: Coming soon to a sky or International airport near you!