News and notes from around the interweb:
- Crew and co-pilot walk off an American Airlines flight apparently refusing to fly with the captain.
Without naming names we were told by a crew member that 4/6 of the crew members now refused to fly onward with the pilot, regardless of the status of the plane. This is irrefutable. We then witnessed the copilot walk away from the plane. An American ground agent said “that doesn’t happen every day does it”, to which the co pilot replied “that’s never happened in my life, I’m done, I’m out”. He was clearly furious, and immediately left. There was no question the captain was now the issue.
- “[H]ow to travel like your boss when you’re just starting out” the how’s and why’s of joining frequent flyer programs and leveraging benefits to improve your travel, Conde’ Nast interviews me.
The piece then appears to have been excerpted in the UK’s Express with the best click bait title ever: “How to earn more air miles with THIS simple trick”
- Rumor: Turkish Airlines lounge coming to Miami?
- Former President of the Trump Shuttle offers perspective on his old boss (HT: Joe Brancatelli)
- Qantas is celebrating 20 years of collaboration with Neil Perry’s Rockpool Group, they have fantastic first class lounge food I just wish they did a better job with it in the air.
- Two and a half years into my move to Austin I realize there’s just one thing I really miss about living in the Washington DC area: Elephant Jumps Thai restaurant. I haven’t mentioned it in over two years but if you make it to DC you should go.
I’ve finally found one new place in Austin (Sip Saam Thai) whose pad see ew gets a deep smoky flavor, though the pork doesn’t quite caramelize the same way that I love. I still have to go back to Elephant Jumps most times when I’m in DC, it’s still the best Thai restaurant I’ve eaten at in the United States. Order from the authentic menu or the specials board.
Inquiring minds want to know what really caused 2/3 of the crew on the March 3, 2017 AA34 flight to refuse to fly with the pilot and instead walk off with the copilot on this flight from LAX to JFK.
According to flightaware, it looks like the AA34 flight departed LAX on Thursday March 2, 2017 at 6:44 pm PST and arrived JFK at 3:03 am EST the next day March 3rd.
Whoa, flashback to my experience on AA32 LAX-JFK last Tuesday. I got on standby as I was ticketed for a later flight. What a mess: this was the only one substantially delayed by the weird weather issues (wind, fog) in NYC. First it was delayed 30 min., then an hour, then two hours, and then four to five hours …. at that point the captain asked everyone to deplane. Literally 20 people stormed the nearby customer service area, and several immediately started screaming at the beleaguered CSA’s. (Comment: do you really think you’ll get what you want by attacking them?) The CSA’s were overwhelmed, and called for back-up managers. The passengers kept yelling, and the CSA’s phoned again asking managers arrive immediately or they would call in the police. I politely asked for a meal voucher and went to the bar next door. When I returned 20 minutes later a few were still hanging around wondering what they should ask for. The flight finally arrived at JFK just after 2:30am, which even for this seasoned New Yorker road warrior was a totally new thing. However it was still nearly three hours earlier than my originally-scheduled arrival
Live in DC currently, and because of you I seek out Elephant Jumps. I used to settle for Mai Thai in Georgetown which was mediocre at best. Since I don’t have a car, anytime I rent one for a day trip, I always make sure to plan a stop there. It is incredible!!! Now only if they could deliver…
@dan – they do deliver.. just not that far 😉
These First lounges in Melbourne and Sydney have only been open since 2007.
The was no steak sandwich let alone an al a cart service in the decades before that.
Autumn 2017 “all day”* Menu can be found here:
http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/showthread.php?p=292
*Note that “all day” really means after midday, there is a lesser “breakfast” menu before then.
@serfty – but they were serving Rockpool / Neil Perry food *onboard* prior to that. (And I remember quite well the mediocre Melbourne first lounge circa 2005 :).
The article about the AA crew walking out contains a ton of speculation and not many facts. I do not that it seems that same day the pilots union filed a grievance about lack of adequate rest time etc. No idea if its related, but just so happened to be the same day.
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2017/03/03/pilots-file-fatigue-grievance-against-american-airlines/
@Gleff “but they were serving Rockpool / Neil Perry food *onboard* prior to that. (And I remember quite well the mediocre Melbourne first lounge circa 2005 :).”
Indeed – the old Sydney First lounge(s) were pretty mediocre as well.
Yes, it is twenty years with Neil Perry. The article did not specifically differentiate between in flight First dining and First Lounge dining with a possible implication of the latter being of 20 years as well. Having had to deal with those ‘mediocre’ lounges I thought it important to clarify.
I have been really fortunate to have had access to these 10 year old lounges since they opened. 🙂