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Lufthansa Lays Down New Baggage Rules
Lufthansa has broken down its free baggage allowance policy into simpler terms for those who fly through this airline and they are all applying the rules to all of their flights. These rules will officially apply to all tickets which have been purchased after June 1st, 2011. North Atlantic routes have also implemented this concept successfully, proving that it can in fact work well. Those who fly within Europe and longer flights going to Asia will have a higher free baggage allowance than most others. The previous baggage allowances for tickets purchased before June 1st however will still apply. Under what is called the “piece concept”, all passengers will be able to check in a certain number of bags completely free of charge, according to which travel class they are booked for.
There are certain weight restrictions which apply to business, economy, and first class accordingly. Some passengers will find that their weight allowance is significantly higher than before, depending on a number of factors. The weight allowance for anyone traveling through economy class is 23 kg whereas it used to be 20 kg. Those who are going through business class will find that they can check in several different items of baggage. First class flyers will be able to check in three bagged items which can weigh up to 32 kg and no more.
Under the new baggage allowance rules for Lufthansa airlines, those who travel in economy class will only be able to check one item free of charge and it can only weigh up to 23 kg. Those who are going through business class will be able to take two items free of charge with a weight that cannot exceed 32 kg. In first class flyers will be able to take three items free of charge and they can weigh no more than 32 kg each. Those who fly first class cannot have their total bagged items exceed 96 kg. The previous baggage weight allowance for first class was only 40 kg, a significant increase from before.
The baggage allowance rules for infants who are traveling in their own seat and are under the age of two will remain the same. There is one collapsible pushchair allotted for infant travelers as well as one baggage item which cannot weigh more than 23 kg. Anyone who brings additional checkin bags will be required to pay an additional fee. These new baggage allowance rules apply only to a certain number of items which are free of charge; anything beyond that is subject to additional fees at the cost of the traveler.
There will be a flat rate charge for each additional bag, as opposed to per kilo as is the case with some other airlines. As for long-haul European flights, there will be an excess baggage fee of exactly 150 Euros per flight. These figures are a dramatic improvement over the previous baggage allowance rules which Lufthansa enforced, making a number of flyers very happy about the extra baggage which is allowed free of charge.
Decrease in Hubs means Limited Options for Fliers
Those who reside in some of the smaller towns and cities have most likely noticed that the size of their airports has shrunk significantly in recent years. It is no secret that airports have been reducing their number of hubs quite frequently, making a noticeable impact on some of the smaller cities across the country. Delta recently made the decision to cut twenty five percent of flights in both Tennessee and Memphis, meaning that yet another hub will be cut. This could have a fairly significant impact on quite a few people in smaller towns/cities all over.
People who live in the larger cities don’t really have a lot to worry about. They can depend on their big airports to provide them with a relatively smooth transportation experience. Most people who use big airports have the option to do nonstop flights, but that is not the case with an increasing number of people in smaller cities across the U.S. After you start to leave some of the larger cities in the country though, that is when things begin to change a little bit. At one time Pittsburgh used to be one of the main hub airports in the entire country; however that has changed in recent years.
The current average for Pittsburgh’s airport is around 165 flights each which span out to around 37 different airports with multiple airlines. Some of the different cities across the U.S that have seen hub closures in airports include Columbus, Ohio; Durham, North Carolina; San Jose, California and many more. The number of airports large and small that are started to close hubs is on the rise and that means a lot more inconvenience for those who fly. If you are a frequent flyer and find yourself going through a relatively small airport, you might start to feel the squeeze that these hub closures are having on the average flyer.
Even people in the smaller cities have options though, such as going to a nearby airport which can provide more hubs and an easier traveling experience overall. Those who are in mid-sized cities will still find that there are numerous opportunities for lower fares. A lot of people do not have the option to go to another airport, as sometimes it is 50 miles away or even further. Airports are expecting a lot of trouble related to these hub closures, forcing people to get creative with how they travel.
There is no doubt that some of the smaller cities across the country face a rather challenging future with regards to getting people from one location to another as quickly and easily as possible. The hub closures continue to rise and it doesn’t seem like they will be stopping anytime soon. While most of the larger airports in the U.S have been able to accommodate flyers in the same way because of their sheer size, that is not the case with a lot of smaller airports which are facing major problems because of these closures.
Charter Pilot Regulations Tightened by FAA
Recently charter pilots have received instructions as to how they can become more effective at their job and work well with others who are in charge of operating the cockpit. The total number of charter airlines is around 1,600 worldwide as well as air taxi companies which have also been affected by the FAA’s decision. The recent stipulations for charter pilots have been long awaited by government crash investigators as well as independent safety experts. The Federal Aviation Administration has stated that the goal of the new training requirements is to lessen the frequency of cockpit errors that can be avoided by additional training. Although there are mixed feelings as to the recent decision from the FAA, all charter pilots are required to undergo mandatory additional training.
The training for these pilots will consist of crew resource management as well as specialized team training exercises which are designed to help those who are in these positions to work together while up in the air. The National Transportation Safety Board has been trying to get these training requirements made mandatory for years since 2003 and just recently has it passed into law. These charter companies will have a total of two years to come up with training systems for their pilots in order to enhance their abilities to do their jobs even better. The requirement for additional training has come after years of mistakes that pilots have made while up in the air, resulting in potentially dangerous situations.
After each company devises a training system the FAA will have the final say on whether or not they meet the requirements for what they have laid out in their plan to help re-educate charter pilots. The FAA strongly believes that requiring these pilots to undergo such training will help to reduce the number of pilot errors significantly which in turn will lessen the occurrence of midair collisions as well as problems on the runway. They say that the training will also help pilots to reduce the amount of stress which they experience while at the helm and to improve their overall decision-making skills and abilities.
The FAA justified the additional training by releasing the facts on aviation accidents involving charter pilots who failed to perform some of their basic duties and as a result people were either killed or injured. They provided at least 24 individual reports of accidents related to pilot errors which they say could have been avoided if their training would have been more comprehensive. In all 20 lives were lost because of human error and it is a problem which the FDA hopes to drastically reduce in the coming years.
It has been proven that team training can help to reduce pilot-related accidents with U.S airlines by at least twenty five percent, a statistic which they believe will apply to charter pilots as well. Even those charter companies which only need one pilot for their flights will need to undergo the training and it will still apply because of the FAA stipulations.
787 Dreamliner Delay Resulting in Disappointment for Passengers and Parts Suppliers
The 787 Dreamliner is currently three years behind schedule because of multiple technical and budgetary issues which the Boeing Corporation has been experiencing, ultimately resulting in the slowing down of the huge project which has been in the works for some time now. So far there has been a lot of disappointment from eager passengers as well as parts supplier in the wake of further delays which are putting the company even further behind than they ever expected to be. Buyers around the world have been enticed with multiple promises of a passenger airliner which is more powerful and luxurious than anything ever to go up into the sky before it, sparking a lot of curiosity as well as anticipation.
Multiple buyers from countries around the world have already ordered a total of 847 jets and the first model hasn’t even been perfected yet. The amount of just one of these jets is $200 million, and despite how ridiculous the price tag might seem, this aircraft will employ some of the most sophisticated aeronautic technology known to man and is supposedly going to be faster than any passenger jet in the world. The jet was once expected to be ready by May of 2008 but since then the project has undergone a number of changes and technical problems which keep setting its finishing date farther and farther.
Boeing says that these planes will start appearing on the runways by Fall, although there are still many who are skeptical as to whether or not that is really going to happen, considering how many times it has been delayed in the past. Passengers and suppliers of parts are certainly looking forward to the finishing of these planes which will prove to be much different than anything else ever before them in history.
The last time a new aircraft was developed from Boeing was in 1995 when they came out with the 777, so this new development is certainly attracting a lot of attention from all sides. One thing is for sure: the new Dreamliner aircraft is sure to be good business for both airports across the country as well as Boeing which has expressed its deepest apologies for keeping passengers and parts suppliers waiting this long, but they claim that the results will be well worth the wait in the end.
Because of the delays on the project, airlines have been forced to delay opening up new routes and they are keeping older model airplanes flying passengers for perhaps longer than they would like to, but as for right now they have no choice in the matter. Boeing is certainly working hard to make sure that they meet their latest deadline which some say is tentative but Boeing insists that there will be no more delays on this particular project which has attracted quite a bit of attention. A majority of the parts suppliers for these new planes are located in Southern California and have already agreed to pay the costs of labor and tooling up front, only adding to the tension and frustration between them and Boeing.
Flight Tests for Hondajet Officially Begin
The first incarnation of the much-storied Hondajet flew for the first time under strict FAA regulations, meaning that the developers are one step closer to finishing the project they have been working on for some time now. The flight testing occurred at the Piedmont Triad International Airport which is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. After spending nearly an hour testing it out, its overall performance and characteristics were analyzed for further study. Michimasa Fujino who is the president and CEO of the Honda Aircraft division said that the tests were a very important part of what they are trying to do and a definite milestone.
There will also be several other aircrafts that will be introduced into the flight testing program by the summer of this year. Although the program suffered some major delays in developing the technology they hope to come out with very soon, they have said that they are currently back on track and in the process of come up with some very important and groundbreaking aviation technology. The turbofan engines for the GE Honda HF120 will soon be getting its official FAA certification, most likely sometime later this year.
The president of the program also said that the aircraft itself should meet all of the requirements for quality control standards as well as FAA stipulations in order to pass inspection. So far there have been no major problems reported with development of the new technology which will prove to be an innovative and important step in the right direction for the development of these types of aircrafts. There are already orders that have been filed for around 100 jets, each of which will cost over $4 million to construct.
While the technology that Honda is coming out with will certainly be expensive, it will also prove to make a very large difference in terms of what it will accomplish with regards to aviation and flight travel. Even though there was a jet market collapse in the beginning part of 2008, the company managed to make it through and got the funding they needed for developing this technology which is attracting the attention of many companies and individuals who are eager to see what they will look like and how they will function.
The flight testing which is currently going on at the Greensboro International Airport is almost done and there will no doubt be a collective sigh of relief among those who are working on the project when it is all over. The company has hinted that there are other plans waiting in the wings so to speak, suggesting that it will be likely that this jet model will certainly not be the last that Honda develops and tests. Fujino has goen so far as to say that they will be turning out a total of anywhere from thirty to forty aircrafts in the first six months of production alone, a truly impressive feat which some are skeptical about but the company seems confident in their own abilities.
airport aviation appraisals website releases rare lindbergh documentary footage
Although “Airport & Aviation” might be a somewhat unusual website which provides a reliable source for financial valuations which airport businesses all over the world rely on. The financial airport website has also made history with some of its other posts that draw the attention of aviation enthusiasts from all over. The President of the website, Win Perkins, has a special passion for aviation as well as Charles Lindbergh who made history from his own aviation exploits. Because Perkins has taken a special interest in Lindbergh’s life, he had decided to put his recent compilation of rare footage from the historic figure’s flight history for all to see on the website.
Among the footage that can be seen is the takeoff of Lindbergh’s plane from Roosevelt Field which is located on Long Island. The clips are mixed in with audio that has been enhanced from numerous news sources. Perkins claims that he has a majority of the footage of Lindbergh’s takeoff from Roosevelt field as well as other rare gems that remain in his own collection. The clips of his takeoff apparently have the original and properly-synced audio to go with it, a truly rare find, especially considering how many years have gone by since it was originally filmed.
Those people who are just as interested in Lindbergh’s legendary takeoff as Perkins will be able to access the video on the Airport & Aviation website where they can see the original video and audio together for the first time in many years. As the “Spirit of St. Louis” starts making its way down the track past all of the cameras, you are able to make out the sound of the news planes hovering overhead capturing the entire event. The old familiar honking of the horns from the chaser cars can also be heard as the plane gets going and takes off into the air.
Just as the airplane is pulling up it almost hits nearby telephone lines and someone on the ground can be heard yelling “Pull up”, encouraging Lindbergh to clear the lines before the plane hits them. There is no doubt that this new footage of Lindbergh’s takeoff towards Europe has yielded a lot of excitement from a variety of people all over the world who wish that they could have been there or at least seen the plane taking off the ground for the very first time.
The website has this footage of the takeoff as only one part of a documentary which is broken down into a series of four parts. The scenes included in the documentary lead up to the eventually Oreig Prize that Lindbergh wins. Perkins demonstrates his own intimate knowledge of Lindbergh’s life as well as his flights through the footage he provides to those who visit the website. Fans of what Charles Lindbergh was able to accomplish have waited for rare footage such as this to come out for a long time and they finally have what has been thought to be lost forever.
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Airport & Aviation Appraisals Unveils Web Site – Rare Lindbergh Footage
Airport & Aviation Appraisals Unveils Web Site:
Featuring Stunning Lindbergh Footage
It might be one of the most unusual corporate Web sites you’ll ever visit. Airport & Aviation Appraisals, Inc. (A&AA), based at Morristown (NJ) Municipal Airport, has built its reputation as the go-to source for expert financial valuations of airport businesses and properties. But its all-new Web site (www.airportappraisals.com) is more remarkable as a window into history.
Harvard-educated A&AA President Win Perkins, a licensed real estate appraiser specializing in aviation properties, also harbors a lifelong passion for studying the life of Charles Lindbergh. Most will find his expertise at his day job as boring as Calvin Coolidge’s diary. (Noteworthy exceptions include anyone who needs a certified, expert appraisal of the value of an FBO or other airport property). So Perkins has created something really special on his Web site to make up for it. It’s front and center on the site, presented as part of an image the Spirit of St. Louis’s instrument panel, and it’s free.
With unique knowledge of Lindbergh’s flight and history, Perkins has painstakingly assembled news footage from five cameras that filmed Lindbergh’s takeoff from Roosevelt Field, Long Island. He’s mixed it with enhanced audio from the same newsreel sources. “I have about 95% of the takeoff, with the original audio accurately synched to the footage,” said Perkins. For the first time, you can now see and hear – in real time — the takeoff that changed aviation, and the world, forever.
As Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis trundles past the cameras, you hear the Doppler roar of a newsplane flying overhead, the Ah-oo-gah horns of the chase cars, and the cheers of the crowd as he breaks ground and begins a slow climb toward Europe. You can even hear a spectator yell “Pull Up!” as the airplane strains to clear the telephone lines at the end of the runway.
The takeoff is part of a four-part documentary on Lindbergh’s quest for the Orteig Prize presented throughout the site, and Perkins’ on-screen narration provides deep insight into not only technical details of the flight, but also its human challenges; including how ill-equipped young Lindbergh was to confront the crippling notoriety that would dog him in the hours, days and years to come. The 1927 New York-to-Paris flight made Charles Lindbergh the first true, global media superstar.
Anyone with even a passing interest will find www.airportappraisals.com an unforgettable window into Lindbergh’s world. And for those with a legitimate need for airport-related appraisal services, you’ll find A&AA’s capabilities and experience an invaluable resource.
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Launch Of New Pilot Store
BusinessAviationTraining.com announces the launch of a new Pilot Store.
We searched and searched to find a great affiliate to team up with and we decided to partner with CFI Pilot Shop. They offer 1,000′s of products that every pilot needs and offer them at great prices. Whether you are looking for Headsets or aviation logbooks we have what you need.
Please take a few minutes to check out the new store.
http://www.businessaviationdirectory.com/pilot-store/
If you have any questions just use the contact us form.
Thanks and have fun shopping!
Private International Flights Must Follow Commercial eAPIS Regulations
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as of May 18, will now require the security measures followed by commercial international flights arriving in or departing from the United States, to be followed by smaller, business aircraft flying internationally, as well. Currently, business flights submit the Private Aircraft Enforcement System Arrival Report (Form 178) to the United States Customs and Border Protection Department (CBP) when making an international flight. Submission of this form is no longer necessary under the new regulations.
Now, 60 minutes before such an aircraft leaves the United States or arrives, the general aviation operators (GA) are required to provide a complete manifest of all passengers as well as information regarding the owner and operator of the aircraft. The CBP requires that the operators supply this information through the electronic Advanced Passenger Information System, otherwise referred to as eAPIS. Operators may also transfer the information through a third party who can send the information online, if they have no Internet access.
Despite Economy, Business Aviation Outlook Bright for 2009
A top provider of aviation systems, products, and services has officially predicted that over the next ten years, new aircraft sales alone will reach the $300 billion dollar mark. Last year was the fifth year in a row that the business aviation industry expanded rather than contracted, with new aircraft manufacture and delivery up over 20% more than in 2007. It’s believed that 2009 will continue the trend.
These are record-setting sales of new aircraft, which might be surprising giving the economic crises in the world today. But the need to remain competitive in an already competitive market prompts many airlines to start replacing their fleet to woo new customers, despite the economic downturn. The age of planes plays a part, as do newer and better avionics, but many order newer, state-of-the-art planes mainly for the more spacious cabins. An increasingly global economy drives the industry, and the need to cater to its customers.
Still, if the prediction for an increase in business aviation sales in 2009 seems like mere optimism, then look at the facts. Right now, top manufacturers have a backlog equaling two to three years of standard deliveries, so just the fulfillment of those waiting orders are sure to make 2009 another record-breaker for the business aviation industry.
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