Layovers - Air Travel podcast

028 IST - Star Trek influences EasyJet, Twitter for airlines, Turkish IFE, Etihad upgrade bidding

Episode Summary

Flight 028. EasyJet goes Star Trek with its uniforms. Air Astana shows the iPad is a best of class IFE. The potential new reality of airport security after the terror attacks. Twitter as the best customer channel for airlines. Norwegian shows how a website should be done. Testing Etihad’s upgrade bidding system. Turkish aces the IFE interface. Should liquids still be put out at security?

Episode Notes

Terror attacks

• Bomb threats force 2 Air France flights from US to Paris into emergency landings — RT News
• Metrojet Crash In Egypt Was Result Of 'Terrorist Act,' Russia Says
• Exclusive: Investigators '90 percent sure' bomb downed Russian plane | Reuters
• UK Holiday Jet 'Came Within 1,000ft Of Missile'

The new airport security reality: insoucring?

• 4 passengers removed from Spirit Airlines plane in Baltimore; flight was Chicago-bound, officials say | abc7chicago.com
• The TSA’s security screening is worse than you even imagined - Quartz
• TSA failed to catch man with loaded gun on airplane | WFLA.com

Paul narrates how liquids in his carry-on failed to be detected at TSE, IST and ZAG

Emirates goes 2 class and jetpacks

• The plane with the most seats in the world - CNN.com
• Two guys wearing jetpacks fly alongside an Airbus A380

Happy 20, EasyJet (but are you sure about those uniforms?)

• EasyJet is now 25: Who's shaking up the travel industry today?
• EasyJet unveils futuristic LED-studded uniforms for 2016 - Telegraph

The Air Astana experience and its IFE

• In-Flight Entertainment
• Bluebox Ai
• Air Astana on Twitter: "We are happy to hear that you have enjoyed your first flight with us! ✈ https://t.co/i76NPOJh0i"

Etihad's upgrade bidding system

• Plusgrade | revenue upgrade platform for the airline industry
• Guide to Bidding on Flight Upgrades for Premium Seats

Is Twitter a better way to handle customer service?

• Alex Hunter on Twitter: "@EtihadHelp Hi, I need help cancelling a trip due to hospitalisation. Can you help? Tried calling but can't get through to a human."
• British Airways on Twitter: "@cubedweller Hi Alex, please DM your booking ref and email address and we'll look into this for you. Thanks. ^Linda"

Paul narrates his nightmarish Turkish flight cancellation incident

Paul and Alex both flew in the same "Pope plane" by Croatia Airlines

The state of maintenance

• DGCA report finds Air India operated 787 with only 4 of 47 screws installed - Bangalore Aviation
• The Disturbing Truth About How Airplanes Are Maintained Today | Vanity Fair
• Should there be a Carfax Record Report for commercial airliners? | George Hobica | LinkedIn

Paul narrates how a third of his SWISS flight wasn't allowed to board

Lufthansa experiences a very bad strike

• Lufthansa cancels 1,000 flights as staff walks out - Nov. 9, 2015

The Norwegian experience

• Norwegian 787 Dreamliner
• jon bradford on Twitter: "Getting flashbacks. If @VirginAtlantic launched today, it would look something like @Fly_Norwegian transatlantic. /cc @papadimitriou"

The modern Turkish experience

• Turkish Airlines New Planet TV 2015 (IFE System) - YouTube (video)
• Turkish Airlines - Fleet - turkishairlines.com

IST

• TAV Istanbul Ataturk Airport