23/05/2008-Weekly Roundup: Safer Airline Seats? Flying With Fish Airs On TV!, Navigating Airport Security, American Airlines Nickel-&-Diming Bags
This week’s Weekly Round Up is being written from Hong Kong International Airport's Terminal 2 (HKG), with a slightly stiff neck and semi-sore lower back, after 18 hours traveling from New York's JFK Airport (JFK) to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) , and Beijing to Hong Kong in the back of the plane.
Some people have accused me of losing touch with the "real flying experience," however this is not so. I fly all economy airlines, such as Southwest Airlines and United Airlines's "Ted" often, and fly many of my back-to-back North American transcontinental flights in 'the back.' This weekend I will fly more than 16,000 miles round-trip in 70 hours, while working for 18 hours during my brief time on the ground, and do all my flying in Air China's economy class. I have logged hundreds of thousands of miles cramped into narrow economy class seats on regional jets, turbo-props (my 'home' airport only flies turbo-props) and flown many long-haul flights in barely padded seats with no legroom.
When I say I feel your pain...trust me, I feel the pain of the "real flying experience."
This past week on Flying With Fish I addressed a question of choosing airline seats based on 'safety." In my opinion, all seats are equally as prone to risks should there be a "situation." One reader of Flying With Fish quoted an MSN/Best Life article on seat safety that lists seats specifically by row/seat according to different aircraft types. This article (which can be found in the comments section of my post) lists it's information is written by a well-known travel writer, who bases his opinions on "personal experience", not evidence. I have to wonder how many airliner crashes this person has been in for "personal experience." What makes the MSN/Best Life article even more confusing for potential flyers is that it lists rows/seats that are only in relation to a specific airline and it's seat configuration on one-type of aircraft. Some airlines have multiple seating configurations for the same aircraft, which makes the entire article's information not only baseless but also useless. You can read up on this subject at: 19/05/2008 - Are Some Seats On The Plane Safer Than Others?
This week I introduced the readers of Flying With Fish to a "Month In The Life." This look back at my last month of travel was posted on the same day I appeared on Good Morning America (I hope to have a clip on YouTube shortly, but you can read it here www.FishOnGMA.notlong.com), and takes you through 32,000+ miles traveled, 7 countries and 11 cities (well 10 cities and me sleeping in 1 city). One reader questioned this last photo in a "Month In The Life," asking how I can preach security yet leave a camera out on a timer. The answer is simple, my bags were all locked and secured to bar on the floor a few inches in front of the bench I was laying on. The camera I used to shoot me sleeping was placed inside a locked PacSafe 55. This camera, inside the PacSafe 55 was locked inside an open public locker at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport. This is how I can preach securing your bags, and property, and still create these types of images with my gear being secured. You can see the photos and read up on my "Month In The Life" here:
20/05/2008 - A Month In The Life Of A Flying Fish
I am frequently asked to detail step-for-step my procedure for securing my property, while maintaining my ability to quickly get through a TSA checkpoint. Having sent off a detailed response to more than 400 people since the start of the year I thought it might be time just to post it on Flying With Fish. So, for my detailed step by step procedures for getting through security checkpoints hassle free and problem free read this:
21/05/2008 - Airport Security Screening System : Get Through Security With Ease & Safety
This week on Flying With Fish ended with American Airlines announcing it would begin charging $15 for the first single checked bag on all US Domestic routes, with increasing charges after the first bag. This is not acceptable for an airline that often has some of the most expensive fares in the sky. American Airlines, a 'Legacy Carrier,' currently the largest airline in the United States, is now employing tactics not even used by Low Cost Carriers (except Spirit Airline in the U.S.). American Airlines' new baggage policy takes he top position in the Nickle-and-Diming of flyers, hands down. To read more about American Airlines is further blurring the lines between 'Legacy Carriers' and 'Low Cost Carriers' please check here: 22/05/2008 - American Airlines' New Baggage Policy: Is There A Line Between Legacy Airlines & Low Cost Carriers Anymore?
I'm going to wrap up this Weekly Round Up with a photo I shot around 11:00pm (GMT+8), I'm guessing I was somewhere over (or around) Shenzhen, between Beijing and Hong Kong. We had a lightening storm shortly after the wheels went up, it was bumpy, but beautiful, followed by a big beautiful moon shining in my window in seat 29A for the flight...I know the photo does not do the view justice, but it made me smile.
Happy Flying!
--Click Image To Enlarge It--
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