Fifth Dreamliner problem in a week

A fifth problem has been found on the Boeing plane in as many days, raising more safety fears.

 

America's aviation watchdog has ordered a comprehensive review of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner after a spate of incidents involving the aircraft.

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said he is confident the Boeing 787 is safe, but he remains concerned about recent events, including a fire and a fuel leak earlier this week.
Michael Huerta, the FAA administrator, said there is nothing in the data the agency has seen to suggest the plane is not safe.

The watchdog announced it is undertaking a comprehensive review of the 787 to include "critical systems, including design, manufacture and assembly".

The manufacturer responded to fears over the plane and said: "Boeing is confident in the design and performance of the 787. It is a safe and efficient airplane that brings tremendous value to our customers and an improved flying experience to their passengers.

"The airplane has logged 50,000 hours of flight and there are more than 150 flights occurring daily."
The move by the US aviation authority was prompted after a fifth Dreamliner fault this week was reported on Friday morning.                                               London Heathrow Taxis

Oil was discovered leaking from the left engine of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight operated by All Nippon Airways (ANA).

An ANA spokeswoman said the leak was found after the domestic flight landed safely at Miyazaki airport in southern Japan.

It came on the same day another Japanese 787 suffered a cracked cockpit window while in flight on a domestic route.

ANA said crew noticed a spider web-like crack in a window in front of the pilot's seat about 70 minutes into Friday's flight, which was close to its destination.

The Dreamliner, the world's first carbon-composite airliner, which has a list price of \$207m (£128m), has been beset by problems this week.

The plane was designed to use power plants made by General Electric and Britain's Rolls-Royce.
On Wednesday, a domestic flight was halted by ANA because brake parts to the rear left undercarriage needed replacing, a spokesman at Yamaguchi Ube Airport said.

A Japan Air Lines (JAL) jet was also grounded at Boston Logan International airport in the US following an engine fuel leak.           London Gatwick Airport Taxis

About 40 gallons of fuel spilled from the jet that was supposed to be bound for Tokyo.
That event followed the first incident of the week, which also occurred at Boston, on Monday.
Emergency services had been called after another JAL 787 filled with smoke shortly after passengers and crew had disembarked.

Firefighters used infrared cameras to locate the fire in a battery pack in the belly of a different Boeing 787 and extinguished the blaze within 20 minutes.

Sky sources revealed that if the battery fire had occurred during a transocean flight the aircraft may have been brought down.

The 787 Dreamliner made its first commercial flight in late 2011, after a series of production delays put deliveries more than three years behind schedule.

By the end of last year, Boeing had sold 848 Dreamliners, and delivered 49. JAL and ANA operate 24 of the planes.

After the Boston events, British carriers including BA, Virgin Atlantic and Thomson Airways reaffirmed their plans to integrate 787s into fleets this year and next.

In India - where state-owned Air India has taken delivery of six Dreamliners and has more on order - a senior official at the aviation regulator said there was concern at the recent spate of 787 glitches.
Meanwhile, an Air India spokesman said the airline's debut Dreamliner flight from India to Paris on Thursday went without a hitch.

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Sept. 11 changed everything — about air travel

Five-year-old Frank Allocco is 37,000 feet above America, face pressed against the window.

"Cool," he says to his 6-year-old sister. "Francesca, look."
It's their first flight. They ignore a Harry Potter DVD and video games. Instead, there are rivers, mountains and tiny cars below.
Francesca chimes in: "Wow, Frank, look at that cloud."
For Frank and Francesca, soaring high above the country is magical. The kids from Park Ridge, Ill., are treated like stars. A flight attendant gives them wing pins. Mom and dad snap photos.
For most of us, though, the romance of flight is long gone — lost to Sept. 11, 2001, and hard-set memories of jets crashing into buildings.

The good ol' days We remember what it was like before. Keeping all our clothes on at security. Getting hot meals for free — even if we complained about the taste. Leg room.

Today, we feel beaten down even before reaching our seats. Shoes must be removed and all but the tiniest amounts of liquids surrendered at security checkpoints. Loved ones can no longer kiss passengers goodbye at the gate. And airlines, which have struggled ever since the day terrorists used airplanes as missiles, are adding fees, squeezing in passengers and cutting amenities to survive.
In interviews conducted during a week flying around the country — nine flights totaling 8,414 miles — many passengers expressed anger with air travel, which they said left them feeling like second-class citizens. Generally, the terrorism fears that prompted most of the changes were a distant afterthought.
"Anytime I walk into an airport, I feel like a victim," said Lexa Shafer, of Norman, Okla. "I'm sorry that we have to live this way because of bad guys."
Despite the aggravations, America's skies are busier than ever. Airlines carried 720 million passengers last year, up from 666 million in the year before the attacks.

There was little concern about terrorism even on a flight that was almost identical — same route, airline, plane type and departure time — to United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11 after passengers fought the terrorists for control.
Instead, passengers were jockeying for position at the gate as if they were waiting for the doors to open on a day-after-Thanksgiving sale. They glanced at each other's tickets and mumbled complaints when somebody boarded before they were supposed to.

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"Passengers have lost civility," said Karen McNeilly, of Gold Hill, Ore.
And it's not just the boarding process that would make Emily Post cringe.
On a flight to Houston, an oversized man stole a window seat. Why? Because in his assigned seat he would have spilled into the aisle. The rightful occupant couldn't really object since the seat-stealer was already firmly planted, tray table down, Burger King cup out.

Can't we all just get along?
It's easier now for passengers to get annoyed with each other. We're simply getting packed in more tightly by airlines that are reining in costs more than they ever did before the terror attacks.
A decade ago, an average of 72 percent of seats per flight were occupied. Today, 82 percent are. Passengers once had a shot at an empty middle seat. Now that rarely happens. Airlines have added rows, meaning less leg room. Smaller, regional planes now carry a quarter of all passengers, twice that of a decade ago.
"It is a dismal experience that you simply put up with because you have to get from point A to point B. It used to be the part of the trip you looked forward to," said Virgin America CEO David Cush. "As an industry, we've found a way to beat that joy of flying out of people."

In another effort to balance their books, airlines have added fees for once-free services. Last year, $8.1 billion in fees were collected, more than three times the $2.5 billion collected before the attacks, adjusted for inflation.

Checked-luggage fees accounted for $3.4 billion of the 2010 total. Without them, major airlines would have lost money last year rather than reporting a combined $2.6 billion in profits.
It's no wonder that for shorter trips, Americans now avoid flying. New inter-city buses have popped up and Amtrak now carries 37 percent more riders than a decade ago. Buses and trains don't have the security checkpoints that make it necessary for air passengers to arrive at the airport about an hour before domestic flights and two hours in advance for trips out of the U.S.

The days of arriving minutes before a flight are a distant memory, and lines are inconsistent. While one Transportation Security Administration checkpoint took four minutes to clear, another involved a 27-minute wait.
Frequent fliers know the ever-changing set of security rules. Most others don't.

Safe, or just feeling safe? Some people worry about radiation-emitting, modesty-eroding full-body scanners, although their use is still

Budget New York

By Amanda Statham New York’s one of the top cities in the world for fashion, nightlife and sightseeing, but it’s also on the pricey side. However, it’s perfectly possible to visit the Big Apple and not break the bank - you just need to know where to go.

Copyright Rex

Shop around

If you’re after high-end goodies but don’t want to pay high-end prices, hit the concession and discount stores. For bargain dresses, make a beeline for Dress Barn (747 Third Avenue). Don’t be put off by some of the gaudy goods on offer, hunt around and you’ll discover some choice pieces; I picked up two Calvin Klein dresses for under $100, a fraction of their normal price.

For chic-but-cheap designer tops, trousers and lingerie, Daffys (426 Broadway and several other locations around the city) is unbeatable. You may have to root around for the good stuff, but the rewards are great with T-shirts from as little as $5.

New Yorkers bag a bargain at Century 21 (22 Cortlandt Street) where there’s up to 65 per cent off everything from adult and children’s clothing to homewares. Arrive early morning or mid-afternoon to avoid the lunchtime crush.

The Big Apple is top of the tree when it comes to vintage and my in-the-know second-hand store isCheap Jacks (303 5th Avenue), where stylists, designers and celebs all pop in for a bit of inspiration. You can pick up quality goodies like sunglasses from the 50s or an 80s suede jacket for tens rather than hundreds of dollars.

Finally, browse bric-a-brac bargains at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market (39th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues), which runs every weekend and is lined with stalls selling everything from vintage clothing and pottery to jewellery and art.

See the sights

The Staten Island Ferry is probably the best sightseeing bargain in the world: it’s free, passes close to the Statue of Liberty and offers amazing views of the city skyline. Twenty million people per year take the 25-minute cruise from Battery Park, Lower Manhattan, to St George on Staten Island, which runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Invest in a CityPASS, $89, which gives you up to 50 per cent off entry fees to six must-see attractions, lets you jump the queues and provides extras such as a free audio tour of the Empire State Building.

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Cheap eats

You don’t have to pay the earth for award-winning food in Manhattan. Take the 6 train to 77th Street in Brooklyn and treat yourselves to some slices of pizza at Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano (1524 Neptune Avenue). It opened in 1924, is cheap as chips and still serving the best pizzas in town in 2012 according to Zagat judges.

A picnic in Central Park is a must-do when the sun shines. Grab some gourmet goodies from the basement Wholefood Market in the Time Warner Center (10 Colombus Circle), then cross the road and enter the park at its southwest corner, where there’s plenty of grass to chill on.

If you want to cut down on the lbs as well as dollars, visit the Better Burger NYC (178 8th Avenue) which serves up delicious low-fat, 100 per cent organic, hormone-free turkey, chicken and veggie burgers until 11pm.

For a tasty-but-cheap lunch stop, drop by Calexico, a mobile cart selling delicious Mexican food where Broadway meets 5th Avenue opposite Madison Square Park. For great value Mexican in the evening, like chili con carne or quesadilla for $9 each, book a table at Arriba Arriba! (762 9th Avenue). Live DJs keep the experience upbeat as do killer cocktails – don’t miss the frozen margaritas, which come in three sizes, bebe, mama and papa.

Finally, my best free food find is the new Crocodile Lounge (325 East 14th Street), a funky East Village bar covered in, you’ve guessed it, crocodiles – even the door handles are croc – which gives away a pizza with every beer you buy.

Bargain entertainment

New York’s famous for its jazz scene, but going to a legendary club like Iridium or Blue Note can set you back $30 before you’ve even had a drink. For a sophisticated evening with a background of smooth jazz for less, go to an off-the-beaten-track venue like the Cornelia Street Café (29 Cornelia Street). Ditto the Zinc Bar (83 West 3rd Street), one of the most intimate places in town to enjoy live jazz, funk, blues and world music until 3am at weekends. If you don’t have big bucks to spend on a Broadway show it’s possible to get 25 to 50 per cent off ticket prices from one of the Theater Development Fund’s ticket booths. There’s one in Times Square which gets very busy, so head instead for the less crowded Downtown booth in South Street Seaport (199 Water Street), where you can queue for same-day evening performances from 11am–6pm.

Where to stay

Apple Core runs five hotels in amazing Midtown locations from just $190 a night. They aren’t going to win any design awards, but the extras are way better than you’d expect for the price, such as free continental breakfast, WiFi and US telephone calls. In-room facilities include cable television, pay-per-view movies, coffee makers and modern bathrooms with marble units and hairdryers. Unsurprisingly, occupancy rates are high, so book early. Alternatively, consider opting for an apartment. HouseTrip is a great new website where native New Yorkers rent out their flats, meaning you get to live like a local and pay less than a hotel room for the privilege. There’s lots of choice, from compact one-bedroom apartments in the Upper East Side through to palatial pads in Midtown.

America's best and worst airports

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Travel and Leisure magazine have rated the best and worst airports in the country after ranking them by seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. The airport that rose to the top of the 'best' list was the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. NBC's Brian Williams reports.Travel from Heathrow Gatwick Cabs Transfer Services 

By Everett Potter

The major American airport that delivers the most seamless experience isn’t on any coast. It wins over fliers with shopping and dining options, the ease of check-in and security, and the friendliness typical of its city hub

So breathe a sigh of relief if you’ve booked a flight through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; Travel + Leisure readers have crowned it America’s best airport.

In our first-ever airport survey, we asked readers to rate America’s 22 major airports in seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. The best-scoring airports have tackled these issues head-on, refurbishing terminals and adding amenities that make the worst airports look evermore outdated by comparison.

You’d also be wise to time your flight as early in the day as possible and seek out alternate airports or regional airports when possible. Baltimore (BWI), for instance, ranked much higher than Washington Dulles airport, with Travel + Leisure readers considering it the best airport for on-time departures. Another highly rated airport, Charlotte (CLT), got high marks for everything from Wi-Fi access to its convenient location.Case in point: Travel + Leisure readers affirmed that if you’re looking to avoid the worst flying experiences in the United States, bypass airports in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, which are hobbled by outdated infrastructure, overcrowding, chronic delays and demoralized staff.

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Travel + Leisure readers penalized certain airports for locations that appear chosen without the advice of urban planners. Availability of public transportation could help offset a bad location; San Francisco, for instance, was acknowledged for the transit options. And if it was easy to grab a taxi, or the terminals had large and easy-to-read flight boards, that airport got points as well.

When it came time to complain, readers went beyond the issues of check-in process and baggage handling to single out the lack of play facilities for children at many airports as well as lackluster spa facilities. Travel can be stressful enough, and based on reader responses, there’s a demand for more drop-in airport spas where you can get a quick neck, back or foot massage while waiting out that flight delay.

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Courtesy of The Port Authority of NY & NJ

Worst: No. 1 New York (LGA)

Dilapidated La Guardia hasn’t aged well. The airport has the dubious honor of ranking the worst for the check-in and security process, the worst for baggage handling, the worst when it comes to providing Wi-Fi, the worst at staff communication, and the worst design and cleanliness. If there was a ray of hope, its location, which ranked 16th, was considered superior to six other airports.

2007 Los Angeles World Airports

No. 2 Los Angeles (LAX)

LAX ranked at the bottom of most categories—that includes location (20th), check-in and security process (21st), impression of safety standards (22nd), baggage handling (20th), staff communication (21st), and terminal cleanliness (21st). Clearly, this worn-out airport is ready for a major Hollywood makeover.

Howard Harrison / Alamy

No. 3 Philadelphia (PHL)

Philadelphia’s airport is singled out for a lousy design and lack of cleanliness (20th), surly staff (20th), and long check-in and security lines (20th). The only thing worse is waiting for your bags, ranked 21st in efficiency (make that inefficiency). That its location came in at 13th is not much consolation.

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iStock

No. 4 New York (JFK)

Ease of getting a taxi may be the best thing to be said about JFK. You will wait—and wait—in check-in and security lines, likely wait again for your luggage, encounter a less than helpful, and wander in vain looking for a Wi-Fi signal. All of these were ranked 19th by our readers. Even worse is the airport’s location (21st) in relation to the nation’s largest city. Taxi!

Courtesy of The Port Authority of NY & NJ

No. 5 Newark (EWR)

Ah, Newark. It leads the other two New York–area airports, but that’s not saying much. While readers ranked it 11th for location and convenience, its other scores—16th for staff communication and a string of 18th places for design, cleanliness, baggage handling, and miserable check-in and security lines—are near the bottom of the barrel.

Mira / Alamy

No. 6 Chicago O’Hare (ORD)

The best feature of O’Hare is its public transportation to and from the airport (with a score of five out of 22). It ranked 17th for design, cleanliness, and location. The overall check-in and security experience came in with a poor showing of 17, while a reputation for snarled flights and stormy winter weather resulted in a ranking of 21 out of 22 for delays.

Visions of America, LLC / Alamy

No. 7 Washington Dulles (IAD)

Flying into the nation’s capital? Well, Dulles is disparaged for its location (19th ranking) and baggage handling (15th). Flying out of Dulles? Expect long lines at check-in and security (15th) and staff who won’t exactly jump to attention (17th). The cleanliness and design of Dulles (15th) won’t lift your spirits either. Our survey suggests it’s worth considering routing your D.C. plans through Baltimore instead.  

Courtesy of Logan International Airport

No. 8 Boston (BOS)

Logan Airport is far from the cleanest major airport (17th) in the country, according to T+L readers. Nor is the staff known for its rapid response when something goes wrong (rated 18 out of 22 for customer service). You’ll probably wait in check-in and security lines (16th), and when you arrive, factor in extra time to wait for your baggage as well (17th). On the plus side, Logan is lauded for its convenient location (seventh).

Courtesy of Houston Airport System

No. 9 Houston (IAH)

The best that could be said about Houston is that there’s a reasonably good chance that your flight will take off and not be canceled. The bad news? It has a less than desirable location (18th) and lousy Wi-Fi (17th). But remarkably for such a big airport, it had a strong showing in the category of baggage handling (sixth).

Courtesy of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

No. 10 Atlanta (ATL)

Public transportation to and from the airport was lauded in Atlanta. But a string of solid 14th-ranked scores—for longish waits at check-in and security lines, less than user-friendly Wi-Fi, slow baggage handling, average staff responsiveness, and location—kept it ranked among the worst airports on our score sheet. The shortage of kid-friendly areas was also an issue, given the vast size of this hub.

Courtesy of DFW

No. 11 Dallas Fort Worth (DFW)

Readers singled out DFW’s flight information screens as especially helpful. But they were less enthusiastic about the check-in and security line process, for which the airport ranked eighth. With a middling 12th ranking in several categories—baggage handling, staff responsiveness, airport location, and Wi-Fi—DFW came out as a truly average airport. Not the best, but not the worst. At least it’s pretty clean (eighth).

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Aerial Archives / Alamy

Best: No. 1 Minneapolis (MSP)

This may be the cheeriest and most welcoming airport in the nation. T+L voters loved the shopping and food and drink options at this mini-mall of an airport, and when it came to ease of check-in and security, Minneapolis also took the No. 1 spot. It came in second for design and cleanliness, baggage handling, staff communication, and airport location. Only its Wi-Fi offerings were lackluster (11th place), but that still left this midwestern oasis as the clear winner.

Doug Johnson

No. 2 Charlotte (CLT)

Need to get online fast? Travel through Charlotte, which got top marks for Wi-Fi. It also ranked first for baggage handling, curbside check-in, and staff communication. The North Carolina hub is so well rounded that it scored highly for its convenient location (ranking third) as well as for airport lounges and the overall check-in and security process (second). If anything, it could use some improvement in the terminal cleanliness (fifth) department.

Wayne County Airport Authority / Vito Palmisano

No. 3 Detroit Metropolitan (DTW)

Detroit’s airport is at the top of its game, ranked No. 1 in terminal cleanliness, design, location, lounges, and business centers. It came in third for service and staff communication and fourth in baggage handling. As Delta’s second largest hub and the carrier’s primary gateway for Asia, that’s no mean feat. The airport fell short only when it came to public transportation options—not surprising considering you’ve landed in the Motor City.

Courtesy of Orlando International Airport

No. 4 Orlando (MCO)

The gateway to Disney World sees some serious traffic, and you may wait in check-in and security lines when you depart; the airport ranked only ninth in that category. But a No. 3 Wi-Fi score, a No. 2 shopping score, and a No. 1 score for kids’ zones means there are plenty of ways to pass the time. The airport also ranked No. 1 for its luggage trolleys, which families will surely appreciate. And while it only came in 10th place for location, T+L readers felt it was the easiest major airport for accessing a rental car.

Alain McLaughlin / SFO Airport

No. 5 San Francisco (SFO)

The Bay Area’s main air transportation hub won praise for the ease of its public transportation, even though it ranks only eighth in location. And you shouldn’t have to wait too long for your luggage to turn up (the airport ranked fifth for baggage handling). It’s relatively clean with a design that was rated highly; modern, light-filled Terminal 2 serving Virgin America and American Airlines is particularly appealing and amenity packed. The airport generally does have reliable Wi-Fi, which you’d expect when you’re this close to Silicon Valley.

Courtesy of Baltimore/Washington International Airport

No. 6 Baltimore (BWI)

Fly through Baltimore, and you stand one of the best chances that your flight will take off and not be canceled, say T+L readers. And with a No. 4 ranking for check-in and security lines, there’s a very good chance that you’ll speed through TSA lines as well. And if there’s a problem, the seventh-ranked staff communication means that your complaint should be heard and dealt with appropriately.

Courtesy of McCarran Int'l Airport

No. 7 Las Vegas (LAS)

Viva Las Vegas for having the No. 1 airport location, just five miles from downtown. Check-in and security lines are speedy enough (seventh), Wi-Fi is fast and available (fifth), yet baggage handling is merely average (10th). Vegas lags on terminal cleanliness and design (14th), and it ranked low in the estimation of our readers for kids’ zones. But hey, this is Vegas.

Don Wilson / Courtesy of Port of Seattle

No. 8 Seattle (SEA)

It’s a no-brainer that the land of Microsoft and Starbucks would score second when it came to Wi-Fi and No. 1 for terminal coffee shops. But other factors are more middle-of-the-road, such as location (15th), cleanliness (10th), and overall service (11th). Readers also felt Seattle’s airport lacked spa facilities, a common complaint but perhaps more pointed in this overly caffeinated and wired city.

Blaine Harrington III / Alamy

No. 9 Denver (DEN)

Check-in and security process? Denver came in fifth. Wi-Fi? A solid fourth place. How about baggage handling? It showed up at eighth, not bad for such a massive airport. As for terminal cleanliness, this bright airport with windows that take in the Rockies ranked fourth overall. So what dragged it down? Its location, with a solid last place showing. DEN is about 25 miles from the city center, prompting some wags to say it’s closer to Kansas than the city it allegedly serves.

Steven Brooke

No. 10 Miami International (MIA)

If you’re landing here to party at South Beach, you won’t have to travel too far; the airport is ranked sixth for location. And after those late nights, you can recover with a treatment at one of the airport’s No. 3-rated spas before heading home. You’d be smart to carry on any designer duds; the airport ranked 13th for baggage handling and for the check-in and security process. Readers also faulted the airport for lack of kids’ zones, but that may be beside the point for the Miami crowd.

Courtesy of City of Phoenix Aviation Department

No. 11 Phoenix (PHX)

By the time you get to Phoenix, you should be out the doors quickly (third in baggage handling) and well on your way to your destination (fourth in airport location). On your return, it should be a smooth trip through check-in and security (sixth) and a pleasant wait with Wi-Fi (seventh) and terminal cleanliness (sixth). Only Phoenix’s service and staff communication (10th) brought it down to the middle of the pack.

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