Tag: airlines

Men-Only Airline Flights

From 1953 through 1970, United offered men-only ‘Executive flights’ between New York and Chicago and between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

UnitedExecutiveServiceFlights mostly operated at 5pm in each direction between the two cities(generally six days a week excluding Saturdays). They didn’t just ban women, but children also, and flight attendants catered to these business flights with special meals and offered complimentary cigars.

One story has the airline  issuing vouchers to business men to bring their wives with them along, so they could show them how safe flying was (a serious concern back then). They discontinued the promotion because they decided to start calling the wives after the vouchers were redeemed, and a bunch of them had never set foot on a plane.

via United Men Only Executive Service from 1953 to 1970.

Behind the Ash Cloud Overeaction

* Attempts to measure the ash’s density were hampered because the main aircraft used by the Meteorological Office for this purpose had been grounded as it was due to be repainted.

* Computers at the Met Office, which earlier forecast a ‘barbecue summer’ last year and a mild winter for this year, produced a stream of maps predicting the ash would cover a vast area, eventually stretching from Russia to Newfoundland. But across almost all of it, there was virtually no ash at all, and none visible to satellites.

* Though there was some ash over Britain at times during the ban, the maximum density measured by scientists was only about one twentieth of the limit that scientists, the Government, and aircraft and engine manufacturers have now decided is safe.

via The ash cloud that never was: How volcanic plume over UK was only a twentieth of safe-flying limit and blunders led to lock-down | Mail Online.

Kayak & SideStep Merge Reservation Systems

Cheap Flights, Cheap Airfare, Airline Tickets, Travel Deals – SideStep

The best on-line flight reservation systems just merged, as pointed out by intrepid traveler Jeff Ullian. Not too long ago, two companies – Kayak.com and SideStep.com – independently hit upon a new way to shop for travel. Both Kayak and SideStep allow you to search multiple travel sites at once, compare the results, and then buy from whatever travel site you choose. The idea of a “travel search engine” was quickly embraced. Kayak and SideStep have now become the preferred tools of savvy travelers.

Recently Kayak and SideStep decided to merge! We’re combining our strengths and resources – which means a better travel search product for you. Take a look at our new sites at www.sidestep.com or Kayak.com.Now that Kayak and Sidestep have merged, you will notice some new features, such as flight fare history charts or map and photo views of hotels.