The Boeing 737-300

The Boeing 737-300

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The Boeing 737-300

By: Robert G. Waldvogel
Posted: Jan 12, 2010
Views: 174

I

               Seeking to complete its family of quad-engined, long-range 707s and tri-engined, medium-range 727s with a twin-engined, short-range airliner, and capture some of the market already filled by the similarly-configured SE.210 Caravelle, BAC-111, and DC-9, Boeing had designed a low-wing aircraft which had deviated from these competing designs by using the same fuselage cross-section as its larger counterparts’, retaining their six-abreast coach seating and attaching its engines to the wing underside, obviating the need for the t-tail.  That aircraft had been designated “737.”

              Intended for the same short-sector, high-frequency routes as these other twinjets, it employed a wing short enough to reduce drag, structure weight, and direct operating costs, yet long enough to house the fuel capacity required for its intended sector lengths.  Because these had been envisioned as relatively short, high cruise speeds had been less pivotal to the design than those of its long-range models.  Although the wing-attached engines had resulted in some degree of lift loss compared to the now-standard, aft, fuselage-mounted powerplant configuration of the other twins, Boeing had been able to counteract this tendency with both leading and trailing edge high-lift devices on the wing.

              Citing the design’s commonality with its other Boeing types, and conceding that its existing 727s had offered excess capacity, particularly on internal German routes, Lufthansa had become the launch customer for the 737 in its initial version as the 737-100 when it had placed an order for 21 on February 19, 1965.      

              First flying in prototype form two years later, on April 9, and registered N73700, it had entered scheduled service on February 10, 1968, powered by two 14,000 thrust-pound Pratt and Whitney JT8D-7 engines and able to accommodate up to 103 single-class passengers.  A slightly stretched version, the 737-200, had been launched with an order for 40 from United Airlines, and had first flown on August 8, 1967.  The elongated version, with longer engine nacelles, had a maximum capacity of 130 and entered service the following year on April 28.

              Despite a meager production run of only 30 for the former, the latter, particularly in its later “Advanced” guise, had achieved an impressive 1,114 sales, having earned it the title of world’s “fasted selling” twinjet. 

              In order to incorporate evolving technology, improve performance, and reduce operating costs, Boeing offered yet a third basic version, the type’s first significant upgrade and second passenger capacity increase.

              Integral to both had been the new-technology, high bypass ratio turbofan which had offered greater thrust, lower fuel consumption, and reduced noise, eliminating the need for a costly redesign of the existing wing and hence restricting the development program’s costs to the 0 million level.  Unlike the narrower JT8D engine, however, the new turbofan featured a larger diameter and could no longer be directly attached to the wing underside, requiring, instead, attachment by means of a pylon, a configuration which left inadequate ground clearance without an equally costly main undercarriage strut lengthening and redesign.

              Only close cooperation between Boeing and CFM International, intended engine manufacturer, could result in a co-solution to the engineering obstacles.  The engine itself, the CFM56, had first run in June of 1974 after a considerable development period and had first become airborne on a McDonnell-Douglas YC-15, later also doing so in France mounted to a Caravelle.  Retrofitted to the Super DC-8 as the CFM56-2, at which time the aircraft had been redesignated the DC-8-70 series, it had produced 24,000 pounds of thrust.  At reduced rating, as the CFM56-3, it had been targeted at the new 737 version.

              Relocating the ancillary equipment ordinarily installed in an engine’s top and bottom portions, CFM International had redimensioned it to one of oval shape with an almost flat underside, reducing its diameter and therefore increasing its ground clearance, while Boeing had pylon-mounted it at a slight angle in order to avoid wing underside and trailing edge heat and exhaust interference.  The configuration, which had placed most of the turbofan ahead of the leading edge and had resulted in downwardly canted thrust efflux, had liberated previously unusable wing volume for increased fuel tankage, indirectly increasing the aircraft’s range.  Coupled with a lengthened, repositioned nose gear strut, the arrangement had produced a 28-inch engine-to-ground clearance, which had been only two inches shorter than the 30 provided by the much narrower JT8D nacelle.

              In order to counter the additional weight exerted on approach speeds, a new leading edge slat, running between the engine pylon and the wing tip and featuring double the area of the precedent 737-200’s, increased the chord by four percent, permitting an approach speed which had been only five knots higher than that of the earlier version and raising its altitude capability by 4,000 feet.

              Program launch, on March 5, 1981, preceded actual first orders, by USAir and Southwest Airlines, by three weeks.  The first roll-out, occurring three years later, on January 17, 1984, in Renton, Washington, of the prototype, which, for the second time, bore the N73700 registration originally assigned to the 737-100, initially took to the skies the following month, on February 24, attaining a 29,000-foot altitude and completing a successful two-hour, 56-minute maiden flight.  FAA type certification, following a three-aircraft, 1,294-hour flight test program, had been attained on November 14 for an aircraft which had not only met new stringent noise level regulations, but had demonstrated greater performance and economy than calculated during its design phase.

              The third basic version of the 737 family, designated 737-300, featured a fail-safe aluminum fuselage with a nominal, 8.8-foot extension over that of the 737-200, comprised of 3.8 feet ahead of the wing and five feet along its trailing edge, and resulting in a 109.7-foot overall length and a modest, 19-passenger capacity increase.

              The cabin, incorporating larger, redesigned overhead storage compartments and revised lighting, standardly accommodates eight first class, two-two arranged seats at a 36-inch pitch and 120 economy class, three-three arranged seats at a 32-inch pitch.  A maximum of 149, single-class, exit-limited passengers can alternatively be accommodated in a single-class configuration at a 32-inch seat pitch.  Underfloor baggage, cargo, and mail holds are located forward and aft of the wing.

              Cockpit commonality with the earlier 737 versions had been deliberately retained in order to facilitate a common type rating.

              The aluminum alloy, two-spar wing, with a 94.9-foot span, features 11-inch tip extensions, a 4.4-percent leading edge extension and a lateral control spoiler panel outboard of the engines, and a new flap section and track fairing aft of them.  Low-speed, high-lift devices include inboard, leading edge Krueger flaps; outboard, three-section, leading edge slats; and trailing edge, triple-slotted flaps.  Three outboard, powered, overwing spoiler panels, of aluminum honeycomb, augment lateral control and act as inflight airbrakes and ground-based spoilers, while graphite composite ailerons provide roll control.  Wing and fuselage center section tanks house 5,311 US gallons of fuel.

              A variable incidence tailplane, whose span is greater than that of the earlier 737-200, is activated by two electric motors, with manual standby reversion capability, while the vertical tail introduced a dorsal fin atop the fuselage in order to counteract engine loss-created asymmetric thrust conditions.

              All surfaces are hydraulically actuated and operate off of two independent systems.

              The equally, hydraulically retractable and extendible, dual-wheeled, tricycle undercarriage is devoid of wheel well doors on its main units, their wheels forming aerodynamic seals in the stored position.  The design decreases weight and fosters simplicity of operation and ease of maintenance access.

              Power is provided by two thrust-reverser equipped CFM International CFM56-3C-1 turbofans, each rated at 20,000 pounds of thrust.

              The basic gross weight variant, at a 124,500-pound take off weight, features a 1,625-mile range, while the high gross weight option, at 138,500 pounds, produces a 2,260-mile range.

 II

               A representative round-trip flight, from New York/La Guardia to Chicago/O’Hare with United Airlines, illustrates the typical two-hour sectors for which the 737-300 had been designed.

              After some two hours of taxiing parallel to both the active (13-31) and the nonactive (4-22) runway at La Guardia Airport amid 50 other aircraft, most of which awaited westbound air traffic control clearances through the weather-obstacled Cleveland Center corridor, the United Airlines 737-300 followed a US Airways Express DHC-8-100 on to Runway 13, conducting its acceleration roll and rotating.  Instructed to “contact departure,” Flight 695 maneuvered into a tight left bank over Flushing Bay and the East River, as the Throgs Neck and Whitestone Bridges, draped in white light necklaces, passed below and beyond the left wing. 

              Given successive altitude clearances, from 5,000 through 9,000, 10,000, and 15,000 feet, the aircraft banked to a 320-degree heading, contacting New York Center on 132.6, and was cleared to its first VOR at a “climb and maintain” flight level of 230.  After a 280-knot speed restriction, the 737 had been cleared to 36,000 feet and contacted Cleveland Center.  A full orange moon, hovering above the left wing tip, faintly illuminated the thick cumulonimbus cloud deck below.

                Speed brakes permitted rapid, initial descent 70 miles from O’Hare International Airport.  Plying the moon-illuminated, silver skies, the aircraft briefly raced across the fluffy cumulous tops before plunging into them at 10,000 feet.  United 695 contacted Chicago Approach Control. 

                The moon, periodically visible through the broken cloud deck, transformed the sky into a silver-and-black Halloween-scape on the other side of midnight.  Instructed to “descend and maintain 6,000,” the 737 momentarily turned left to 200 degrees before almost immediately banking right to a heading of 220.  Maintaining 4,000 feet to the ADAM VOR, United 695 intercepted the ILS to Runway 27L, subsequently contacting the Chicago tower and completing its undercarriage and flap extension sequencing. 

                The orange geometric pattern of ground lights appeared through the mist as the aircraft commenced its flap and undercarriage sequencing.  Applying partial power and maintaining a 135-knot approach speed, it passed over the blue-bordered taxiway patterns of the field and flared on to the runway during the wee hours of the morning.

              Pushed back from Gate C31 amid a glowing copper dusk the following day on the return sector, the United Airlines 737-300, operating as Flight 690, commenced a lengthy taxi roll to the pad just short of runways 22L and 27L, where air traffic control restrictions necessitated its engine shut down for 30 minutes, before being granted take off clearance on the former of the two runways. 

              Contacting Chicago Departure Control and rolling into a tight left bank over the ground lights, the aircraft was instructed to “climb and maintain” 8,000 feet, cleared to its initial VOR.  The orange, rectangular light geometries yielded to the black, referenceless surface of Lake Michigan.  Angling from 10,800 to 13,000 feet, the 737 contacted Chicago Center on 126.47.  Huge, moonlit cumulous mountains moved under the right wing as the aircraft was cleared to 35,000 feet.

                Contacting Cleveland Center on 133.07, the aircraft rode “light chop” and was instructed to reduce speed to Mach .74 “for spacing.”  Contact with New York Center, on 128.57, subsequently followed.  A published hold at the MILTON VOR, with a 0345 Zulu release time, had been canceled before reaching it, although the 737 reduced speed to minimize its then anticipated hold time upon reaching it.

                Now cleared to La Guardia via Milton 3, the aircraft, maintaining 280 knots, was instructed to cross the Mark intersection at flight level 190, and then “descend and maintain” 10,000 feet and reduce speed to 250 knots.  Contacting New York Approach on 127.43, Flight 690 was given the altimeter of “29.64” and requested to maintain a heading of 120 degrees and “reduce speed to 180 knots.”

                Instructed “direct to Green and intercept the localizer,” the 737 was cleared for an ILS approach to Runway 4.  The full moon, now visible through the thin, sheath-like clouds, assumed an apparitional profile.

                Handed off to the tower, the aircraft was advised of “wind 090 at 5.”  Breaking free of the cloud cover, now with fully extended leading and trailing edge wing devices, it emerged above the ground lights of Jackson Heights, knifing through strong, slanting rain and rolling on its longitudinal axis as it counteracted winds. 

              Cleared to land, it passed over the black, reflective Grand Central Parkway, flaring on to the wet runway surface with a bounce before its raised spoilers firmly implanted it groundward.

III

             When Boeing had rolled out its last, intermittently designated “Classic” 737, a 737-400, inRenton, Washington, it had achieved an impressive production milestone of having built 1,113 737-300s, 486 longer-fuselage 737-400s, and 389 shorter-fuselage 737-500s.  In 1991, it had reached a peak of 21 aircraft completed each month.  When these production figures include the 30 “First Generation” 737-100s and 1,114 737-200s, the 3,132 aircraft collectively produced had qualified the short-range, low-capacity twinjet as the world’s best-selling commercial airliner.  Usurped by the “Next Generation” 737-600, -700, -800, and -900, the basic design created to complete its family and compete with the then current twinjets, which had all since been removed from production, had achieved every goal its engineers had inceptionally set, as evidenced by the more than 6,000 airframes sold and the global coverage of their routes, which result in a take off or landing every few seconds, somewhere in the world, 24 hours per day.

Robert G. Waldvogel – About the Author:

A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude BA Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, and the AAS Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale. Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and created and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center. A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York.

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Article Tags:
boeing 737 300, 737 200, twin engined jets, united airlines, chicago ohare airport, la guardia airport

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Luxury cruises at really great discounts abound.  One of the major advantages that Americans have is that the cruise lines are increasing their presence by adding a few more ports and increasing some sailings on both the East and West coasts of the United States.  Cruise tours are generally comprised of both a cruise and land tour.  You can opt for taking the cruise first to a destination port and then continue with the land portion of the tour.  Or, vice versa.  You can take the land excursion first and then board your ship for the luxury cruise.    

If this is your first cruise, or you’re not really sure what you want in a cruise, it may be advantageous to deal with a travel agency that specializes in cheap cruises like a cruise consolidator, by searching that phrase, or by booking with a local travel agency that has extensive experience in booking cruises.

Cruises are more complicated then booking cheap flights or cheap hotel rooms because there are numerous options which can be confusing to many first time cruisers.  Some items to consider are the choice of state rooms (inside, ocean view, and balcony), deck location of the state rooms, and dinner sitting options except on ships that have anytime dining, etc.  Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if you opt for the least expensive accommodation, you are always entitled to use all the standard amenities on the cruise ship.  All quoted prices are usually based on double occupancy.  Always make sure that you are aware of the total cost of your cruise including all government fees and port charges.

When you book any vacation travel deals or holiday travel packages, it’s always best to pay with a credit card.  That way you will have a record of all your trip transactions just in case a dispute arises with a bill, or a travel supplier runs into financial difficulty.  It’s highly unlikely the latter would happen, but if it does you’ll have a better chance of being reimbursed or rebooked.

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WestJet Becomes International

Good news for WestJet fliers. As of October 20, 2010 travelers booking flights from Asia into Canada will be able to connect with WestJet flights on a single ticket. WestJet has partnered with a Hong Kong based airway, Cathay Pacific. WestJet will not be selling direct tickets to Hong Kong.

What Does This Mean For The Airlines?

This is WestJet’s first major ticket-sharing partnership. Cathay Pacific will allow travelers to connect directly to WestJet flights once landing in Toronto or Vancouver (where they already have a hub), under one ticket. It is also expanding to six new Canadian cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal. This is a significant milestone for them since it is the first successful international ticket arrangement.

This will also bring more travelers to Vancouver, simply because more people will be coming through their airport. Many will be passing through to other destinations but some will stay in Vancouver, which will be great for the tourism in the city.

Where Else Will WestJet Be Going?

Since WestJet is a Calgary based carrier, it will be most beneficial to the company if they can get a successful partnership with a company based out of the US.  Most of the fliers that WestJet attracts are North American. They still plan on expanding through partnerships with more global carriers.

The vision at WestJet is: “..to become one of the five most successful international airlines in the world.” There has been talk of partnering with other airlines (Southwest Airlines) which have been called off. They are still determined to reach their goal and partner up with more international airlines. WestJet is planning for a similar partnership with Air France and has been discussing also with British Airways and Delta Air Lines.

Why Has It Taken So Long?

One of the delays they have encountered is with their reservation system. They needed to implement a new system which could handle the complex coding of the new arrangements. This has caused two years of headaches for the airways, but now that they have it in place hopefully new partnerships will be made quickly and effortlessly.

What Does This Mean For Travelers?

This partnership will most strongly affect North American travelers. Having the option to use a local airline will make international travel (Asia for now) will simplify the process of traveling. WestJet pioneered discount airfares in North America, and hopefully they can do the same internationally. As WestJet branches out and creates new partnerships with other international airlines it will also increase tourism to international destinations. North Americans will be more likely to travel to foreign destinations if they know and trust the airline they are traveling with.

Find out more on my blog:

http://satsifythetravelbug.com

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10 Green Travel Tips for the Holidays

The holidays are synonymous with family and friends. Chances are your family is scattered across the country – Aunt Mae and the cousins are in Nebraska, Grandma and Gramps spend their winters in Florida, and your best friend finishing school in Oregon – making it almost inevitable that someone is going to travel to be near their loved ones during this festive season. Whether it’s you going to see them or them coming to you, green travel can help offset the carbon footprint we leave when we’re on the road.

1. Seek out eco-conscious airlines. Air travel is the quickest but not always the greenest. Try to find cheap tickets with airlines that promote recycling. Southwest Airlines not only offers discount airfare; it recycles cabin waste, was one of the first airlines to offer electronic airline tickets, and has retrofitted its Boeing 737s with additions to the plane wings that are supposed to reduce fuel consumption by 3 percent per plane.

2. Use online airline tickets. If discount airfare is what you’re looking for you’ll be best served by booking on the Internet. Online tickets cut down on paper and make for more convenient check-in when you get to the airport.

3. Take non-stop flights. Hands down, one of the easiest ways to cut down on your carbon emissions when traveling is book non-stop airline tickets. Certain search engines specialize in tracking down cheap airfare for non-stop flights, including Lowfares and Cheaptickets.

4. Cram a year’s worth of travel into one vacation. There’s no better excuse to travel than for the holidays. You can cut back on your carbon footprint, and probably score some cheap flights, if you piggyback a personal vacation onto your holiday travel. Spend a few days with the fam then meet up with some friends for a ski trip in the Rockies before heading home.

5. Offset your carbon emissions. Even if you manage to book a cheap flight, you can still benefit from offsetting your carbon emissions. Sites like treeflights.com will plant trees to absorb the carbon footprint from your travel ventures.

6. Pack light. The less you take with you, the less the fuel is used to move your stuff. Keep in mind that you don’t need much stuff if home is where you’re headed for the holidays. Consider doing your holiday shopping once you get to your destination so you don’t have to add gifts to your luggage.

7. Use green travel search engines. Gogreentravel.com has created a travel search engine that claims to donate 50 percent of its ad revenue to environmental organizations and help you find cheap airline tickets.

8. Opt for a volunteer vacation. So visiting your family may not be the picture-perfect holiday you have in mind. Why not take the opportunity to lend a hand and expand your national and global horizons with a volunteer vacation; this way you’re at least giving back to a community to help make up for your not-so-green travel to a far-off destination. Plus, some volunteer vacation programs partner with certain airlines to make sure you’re able to find cheap airline tickets.

9. Pack a snack. If you’ve snagged the best deal on airline tickets you’ve got to find a way to keep down your costs on the rest of the trip. Bring your own snack on the plane. Even the discount airlines still charge for food and specialty drinks.

10. Rely on public transportation. If you were lucky enough to find some cheap tickets for your flight home for the holidays, you may not be so lucky as to arrive at a convenient time for your family or friends to pick you up. Instead of taking a cab try out the public transportation for a green alternative.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Executive Changes Announced After Annual Shareholders’ Meeting DALLAS—May 21, 2008—Today, Southwest Airlines Board of Directors elected Gary Kelly, Southwest’s Chief Executive Officer, as its Chairman of the Board. The airline announced that Kelly will also assume the title of President when Colleen Barrett’s employment contract expires on July 15, 2008 making Kelly CEO, Chairman, and President at that time. Additionally, the Board of Directors elected Executive Vice President Ron Ricks to fill Barrett’s vacated position of Corporate Secretary. “The awesome task before us is to ensure the continued prosperity of Southwest Airlines—one of the greatest success stories in American business,” Kelly said. “We all pledge to continue to keep the LUV alive and the Warrior Spirit strong that Herb and Colleen inspire in all 34000 Southwest Employees.” Herb Kelleher ceremoniously passed the gavel to Kelly at Southwest Airlines’ annual Shareholders’ meeting today at the Company’s headquarters. More than 300 Shareholders attended the meeting where Kelleher and Barrett were honored for their more than 40 years of service to the airline. Both Kelleher and Barrett will remain full-time Southwest Airlines Employees through July 2013. Additionally, the airline redefined the roles of its three Executive Vice Presidents. Bob Jordan, Executive Vice President Strategy and Planning; is responsible for strategic planning, technology, airport …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Dog Carrier Tips

Below are some tips that will help you choose the best dog carrier for your plane ride.

• Don’t buy a carrier right before you need to use it, buy it at least a week before hand to give your dog ample time to get used to it. Many people buy dog carriers on their way to the airport and then wonder why their dog won’t get into it.

• Don’t feed your dog for 6 hours before you get on the plane and hold off water at least an hour before the trip. If you dog has a full stomach, it could make for a very uncomfortable trip for them or even an accident while flying.

• When flying with your dog, make sure you get there early enough to give yourself extra time to get through security.

• Make sure you do your research before you travel. Some airlines require you to have an extra form filled out by veterinarian.

• Every airline is different, make sure you check your airline for different regulations regarding animals in the cabin and the extra fee associated with it.

• Not every dog carrier is airline approved. Not every airline approved dog carrier will work on every airline. Make sure you check out the regulations and requirements of the airline you are flying on.

Here are the regulations for a few of the bigger airlines.

American Airlines: Dogs & cats are allowed in the cabin. Prior arrangements are needed. Extra fee charged. Maximum carrier dimension- 23”L x 13”W x 9”H. You must check in at the ticket counter.

Delta Airlines: Prior arrangements are needed. Extra fee charged. Dogs, cats, ferrets, & rabbits, hamsters, and guinea pigs are permitted. Contact delta for maximum carrier dimensions. Health certificate needed. Must check in at ticket counter.

Northwest Airlines: Prior arrangements are needed. Extra fee charged. Dogs, cats, & birds allowed in cabin. Animal & carrier must weigh less than 15lbs. Maximum carrier dimensions- 17”L x 12”W x 8”H. Health certificate needed.

United Airlines: Prior arrangements are needed. Extra fee charged. Dogs, cats, & birds are allowed. Maximum carrier dimension: 17”L x 10”W x 10”H. Health certificate needed.

US Airways: Prior arrangements are needed. Extra fee charged. Dogs, cats, & birds are allowed. Health certificate required. Maximum carrier dimension- 17”L x 16”W x 10”H (soft sided) & 17”L x 16”W x 8”H (hard sided)

Continental Airlines: Dogs, cats, rabbits, & birds allowed. Extra fee charged. Maximum carrier dimension- 16”L x 12”W x 8.75”H. Health certificate required.

Southwest Airlines: Dogs & cats allowed. Extra fee charged. Carrier counts as your carryon. Must check in at ticket counter. Carriers can be hard or soft sided.

Frontier Airlines, Champion Air, Maxjet Airways: Do not accept pets in cabin. Service animals are allowed.

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Discount Air Travel and Carriers for Your Benefit

Over the years, air travel has declined significantly. Bad economic times, acts of terrorism, and the overall high cost of flying have deterred many travelers from flying the friendly skies. Instead, they’re opting for local travel that doesn’t require flying or selecting other methods of transportation such as driving, taking the train, or going “Greyhound”. As a result, the major airlines are making less and less each year, forcing some to close up shop and call it quits.

However, bad economic times and acts of terrorism aren’t the only things affecting the major airlines and the air travel industry as a whole. Discount air carriers who offer limited yet discount air travel rates have put a huge dent in the business of the major airlines. These airlines, such as U.S. based Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines, can undercut the major players in the air travel market because of lower overhead and less labor costs. Since the discount air travel carriers are smaller and often only have one type of aircraft (compared to bigger airlines that have full fleets of varying plane types), they have more flexibility with their pricing and can offer discount air travel deals more often then their much larger counterparts. And when combined with the decline in overall air travel, the discount air carriers are winning out over the larger airlines, causing the major players to rethink their game plan and, in many cases, start offering discount air travel through dynamically priced fares.

Using Discount Air Travel and Carriers for Your Benefit

For the most part, discount airlines operate within their country of origin. In other words, many don’t offer flights abroad. So if you need to fly domestically for business travel or a family vacation, a discount air carrier is the way to go. However, just because the discount airlines don’t offer overseas travel, it doesn’t mean you can’t get discount air travel deals on international flights. Remember, domestic AND international air travel has dwindled significantly over the years; so, the major airlines are often scrambling to fill overseas flights. As a result, the bigger airlines are starting to offer last minute travel deals and dynamically priced fares to try and fill their flights as much as they can. And since the discount air carriers are taking much of their previous domestic air travel customers, the larger airlines are desperate to make a buck any way they can.

Finding Discount Air Travel Deals

Some airlines offer last minute and discounted travel deals directly to the consumer; however, many work with online travel sites and supply them with bulk-rate deals on plane tickets. Either way, the key to finding discount air travel deals is to search the web and call the airlines. Compare prices and give yourself time to research your discount travel options. You may find that booking last minute will save you a bundle on your flight in some cases, but cost you twice as much in others; so be flexible and don’t purchase the first ticket you find. You’ll find a better deal on discount air travel if you shop around.

The discount air carriers have caused a significant shift in the air travel industry. There is more competition and less people buying, causing the industry to offer more discounted air travel deals than ever before. As a traveler, this means there are currently more ways to save on your air travel. All you have to do is go out and find those deals.

This is an excerpt from the February 11, 2009 episode of Late Show with David Letterman. Dave interviews 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl Bar Refaeli and discusses the Southwest Airlines 737-700 whose fuselage has been wrapped with her image to promote the issue.

Air Travel: the New First Class Dining Experience

With first-class air travel reaching enormous amounts in regards to cost, what are the airlines doing for their first-class passengers in exchange for such hefty dues? For one, they are upping the ante when it comes to the onboard first-class dinging experience. As we all know, airfare has sky rocketed recently as the average first-class round trip flight is around ,000. Yes, a much more comfy seat and more leg room may be worth the price, but airlines are beginning to do away with those pre-determined menus and beginning to go so far as to hiring their very own on-board chefs.

Yes, you heard it correctly. With several airlines, your very own first-class chef is available on your flight. Of course, much of this sort of activity is being done on more foreign flights, but it seems to be quite a popular trend these days. The number one and number two rated best on-board meals currently go to Gulf Air and Cathay Pacific (Gulf Air being the airline with the personal chef aboard, of course.) While this all may be a bit ‘overdone’, like a fresh egg made to order at Cathay Pacific, it really only costs the airlines about -50 per traveler. This all seems like a pretty good deal for the airline, as well as the traveler. That is, if this is what they expect out of a ,000 flight. But it does not end here.

Airlines, such as Singapore Airlines is providing first-class travelers heir choice of beverage, including champagne including Dom Perignon upon boarding the flight. This pleasant experience in accented with a lovely serving of world famous caviar with travelers’ meals. While all of this seems a bit overdone, one may begin to wonder if it is really a bit over the top. In the United States, many of us have not experienced such pleasantries on our flights. We are pretty lucky if we get a free box of snacks, like Southwest Airlines has been so kind as to provide on several flights. Are airlines going to be jockeying for such positions in the future in the US as they have been on foreign airlines? If so, then how far? Today it sounds as if our airlines are really having some trouble dealing with things such as oil prices and rising costs in order to do business.

It is actually a very interesting point in time in regards to the airlines as competition is heating up as well as airfare prices. How high will they go? Who knows? What I wonder about is if the first-class upgrades will really propel the airlines into better profits, ultimately cost them more money, or if they actually have more money than we think? All I know is this is getting very interesting; however, not interesting enough to raise prices for airfare even more just to suit the personal chefs on board. So, what will happen next with the airlines seems to be headed towards raising the bar in terms of quality of experience. But, how will this affect everyone? Hopefully, it will allow airlines to pick themselves up across the board and provide a pleasant flying experience for everyone in the air. For more information about great travel rates for everyone, please visit http://www.eGadCity.com for side-by-side reviews and comparisons on travel packages and rates available now.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 taking off from MDW (Chicago-Midway) headed off to PHL(Philly!).

Air Travel Security Issues

As a web developer, I tend to find the flaws in websites quickly and as part of my daily web-browsing habits. Some people may call this bad, others good.

Not too long ago, when I went to visit a friend in Texas and while flying with an unnamed airline, I noticed that they online check-in where you print your boarding passes is not very secure.

I explored things further and found that in a few simple steps, anyone with even the most basic computer knowledge would be able to modify any part of their boarding pass (from Boarding Groups, to seat assignments, even name changes).

When viewing your boarding pass, save the document to your local computer by clicking File > Save Page As once this is done, right click the file and open it in NotePad. Use the Find function from the Edit menu and find your name, seat number, flight number, date, or any other information you wish to change. When NotePad highlights it, just replace it with what you want, hit save and then double-click the file to open it in your browser. From there, you can just print it as if it were from the airline’s website.

I approached several of the major airlines to find out what their policy is on ticketing (boarding pass) versus system discrepancies. If a passenger has a printed-out ticket that has information that is different than what is in the system, what the policy is? How would the company proceed?

Airline Response

United Airlines – Whatever is on the Boarding Pass is what the gate agents and airline crew are supposed to follow.

American Airlines Up to the discretion of the airline representative at the airport.

Southwest Airlines There is no specific policy in place.

The results and information I received from airlines shocked me, so I dug further into the issue and found some disturbing facts;

The TSA does not check to see if you have a valid boarding pass, only that it matches your ID
The Airlines do not check to see if your ID matches your boarding pass
The Airlines do not validate your seat assignment when you board the aircraft

In this respect, someone may cross through security without a valid boarding pass, and not fly. Or even go through security with their real name while having an airline ticket with a fake one.

The argument will be made that that is why the TSA has a no-fly list, to prevent things like this from happening. The truth of the matter is, the airlines are the only ones with the no-fly list, so if you book under a fake name, and pass through security with your real name, real ID, and modified boarding pass, you can effectively and easily get around the no-fly list.

Now, I’m not going after anyone, I want to be clear, that my sole intention in writing this article is to bring to the attention of the passengers, airlines and TSA that there are some large security holes that have been created with printable boarding passes.

I personally prefer printing my boarding pass online versus having to stand in long lines to check-in like some time ago, and as such, I am not trying to stop the issuance of these passes, just to refine the technique and patch up potentially deadly security holes.

As a result, I do have some solutions, that would work wonderfully, ranging from a quick, cheap short-term fix to a much more secure long-term fix.

The short-term solution is to modify boarding passes to have them print and display as images with a watermark to prevent tampering. Of course this solves only half of the problem, on the airline side.

The TSA needs to step up (and given their history of spending sprees, they should have no problem funding this) and have the ability to link into airline ticket databases and validate your ticket at the same time as they check your ID. (I believe they already do this with the digital boarding pass on mobile phones).

The long-term solution would be to replace unsecure 2D barcodes with 3D barcodes that contain encrypted information so that tampering is almost impossible.

In closing, I wish to point out once again, that while this article is very critical of both the airlines and the TSA, it is written with good intentions.

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Airplane Maintenance Outsourcing Tests Bounds of Safety

While the aviation industry is currently awaiting implementation of brand new Transportation Security Administration security rules to strengthen domestic and foreign aircraft repair stations against terrorist threats, safety at these maintenance facilities is the subject of an investigation conducted by National Public Radio (NPR).

NPR recently published a three-part series which has energized an ongoing debate about the outsourcing of airline maintenance to repair shops overseas. To many frequent fliers, this is news. This growing cost-cutting approach, however, has been at the forefront of controversy for a few years.

Drowning from financial pressures and suffering from a hard hit economic crisis starting in the months after 9/11, the aviation industry scrambled to find ways to cut costs in order to stay afloat. Airlines began to increase profits by reducing flight volume and implementing other passenger amenity changes that dismayed many travelers. Disgruntled travelers, however, have been largely unaware of another cost-cutting approach that an increasing amount of airlines have adopted: the global outsourcing of aircraft maintenance.

The airline industry says outsourcing is one of the most effective ways to cut costs. It has also become popular, as less and less airlines send their planes to their own local repair shops and instead opt for less expensive private maintenance.

According to a 2008 audit conducted by the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), nine major air carriers, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, America West Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, outsourced 71 percent of their heavy airframe maintenance checks in 2007. Almost 27 percent of these heavy airframe repairs were outsourced to repair shops overseas. Roughly 20 percent of these repair shops are in developing countries. Therefore, about one in every five planes is being sent to developing countries such as Africa, Asia and South America, to be overhauled and repaired.

Why Outsource?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires airlines to perform regular maintenance on their aircraft at least once every two years, which can be quite costly. On average, a union mechanic working in the U.S. will make about 0 per hour. An airline can cut that cost in half if they send their plane to a non-union mechanic in the U.S. If the airline sends their aircraft to a developing country, their savings triple. Maintenance has quite simply become one of the biggest ways air carriers can cut costs because of the much cheaper labor rates overseas.

As maintenance outsourcing continues to become more prevalent, critics of the outsourcing trend have become increasingly more vocal about their worries that although outsourcing does indeed slash costs, it is doing so at the potentially high price of safety.

Outsourcing Raises Serious Safety Questions

The problem with outsourcing, particularly to maintenance and repair shops located overseas, is that these shops are difficult to monitor. In addition to the 4,227 domestic repair shops located in the U.S., there are roughly 700 FAA approved foreign repair shops in 70 countries. The FAA is required to inspect and monitor all of these on a regular basis through a system of checks and balances. According to the DOT’s Inspector General, this system is flawed.

The OIG report, Air Carriers’ Outsourcing of Aircraft Maintenance, Federal Aviation Administration Report Number: AV-2008-090, issued on September 30, 2008, became a scathing review of the FAA’s role, or lack thereof, in the inspection and supervision of many foreign aircraft maintenance shops, which are supposed to maintain comparable safety standards to the U.S. counterparts.

The Inspector General reported that the FAA and industry inspectors have not been properly monitoring aircraft maintenance work. According to the report, “while the FAA has begun moving its safety oversight toward a risk-based system, it still relies too heavily on air carriers’ oversight procedures, which are not always sufficient.”

Specifically, the OIG determined that the “FAA did not (1) have an adequate system for determining how much and where the most critical maintenance occurs, (2) have a specific policy governing when certificate management inspectors should visit repair stations performing substantial maintenance, (3) require inspectors to validate that repair stations have corrected deficiencies identified in air carrier audits, and (4) have adequate controls to ensure that inspectors document inspection findings in the national database and review related findings by other inspectors. As a result, the FAA could not effectively target its inspection resources to those repair stations providing the highest volume of repairs, which caused deficiencies at repair stations to go undetected or reoccur and prevented inspectors from obtaining sufficient data to perform comprehensive risk assessments.”

Close Calls Don’t Inspire Confidence

One foreign shop, in particular, became the focus of NPR’s report on the industry’s growing trend of outsourcing maintenance. That particular facility is Aeroman repair station in El Salvador which made a mistake that could have potentially been catastrophic. In January 2009, a US Airways jet traveling from Omaha to Phoenix was forced to land in Denver after the pressure seal around the main cabin door started to fail. It was later discovered that the mechanics at Aeroman had installed an important door component backwards.

In another case at Aeroman, a mechanic crossed the wires connecting the gauges to a plane’s engines, a potentially catastrophic mistake that was thankfully caught by an airline employee before the plane left with passengers. According to records obtained by NPR, this was not the first instance of problems with wire connectors. In late September of 2009, US Airways discovered another wire mix-up caused by mechanics at Aeroman. Thankfully these mishaps were caught, and no one was hurt.

NPR also interviewed mechanics at the Aeroman repair shop who declared their own concerns regarding safety there. According to the mechanics, there is often a great deal of pressure to repair planes quickly, even if safety is sacrificed. They confessed that some employees stored glues at temperatures different than those required by law, which means that the glues could fail, potentially causing parts of the airplane to quite literally fall apart.

When asked about FAA inspections, the mechanics revealed that the inspections are pre-announced so management has time to prepare for the inspection and the FAA inspectors find nothing wrong. NPR reported that the mechanics were paid between ,000 and ,000 per year, and some did not speak English, making the reading of the aircraft repair manual impossible.

Still, aviation officials maintain that outsourcing maintenance is safe and that the Aeroman repair shop in El Salvador is one of the best run foreign repair shops in the world. The vice president in charge of maintenance at US Airways stated that he was “impressed with the facility, having been to a number of heavy-maintenance providers here in the U.S.”

Also, officials argue, there hasn’t actually been an accident due to a maintenance mishap since 2003, and that the accident in 2003 was caused by a mistake made in an American repair shop. Many people fear, however, that it might take a catastrophic accident to wake the industry up to the dangers of outsourcing.

Is having our planes fixed overseas safe? Or are we taking too big of a risk? Many readers, especially those that frequently board an airliner, might find themselves asking the same question: Should we be worried?

So, Should We Be Worried?

The naysayers argue that our safety record proves we have very good maintenance. The FAA, also, assures the public that there is nothing to worry about. Industry analysts say that there is no reason for concern. Kevin Michaels, director of consulting with AeroStrategy said that foreign repair shops are harmless and productive, adding that “over the last 10 years, we’ve seen a significant growth.” And according to the senior Vice President of Air Transport Association, the industry’s safety record shows that repair companies overseas do excellent work and that El Salvador’s Aeroman is one of the best repair shops in the world.

In other words, according to some, there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Others disagree and argue, yes, we should most definitely be worried. The Inspector General of the Department of Transportation in particular has warned for the past six years that the monitoring of these foreign stations is far below standard, declaring that the “FAA still does not have comprehensive data on how much and where outsourced maintenance is performed.” The Inspector General added that “problems existed, such as untrained mechanics, lack of required tools and unsafe storage of aircraft parts.”

And what about the stellar safety record? One official said “The absence of an accident doesn’t mean you’re safe. We should be monitoring and doing our job before there’s an accident, not after.”

Legislators are also worried. Senator Clair McCaskill (D-MO) has been pushing legislation in Congress that would require tougher standards on foreign repair shops and their oversight. “When you have a situation like this, where you’re going to El Salvador because it’s going to be a lot cheaper, and the company in El Salvador is going to make a lot more money if they can promise the planes out more quickly, then that is a dangerous stew that we are stirring,” McCaskill said.

Real Estate, Jobs And Tourism Equal Opportunity In The Panhandle

According to an article recently posted on News Channel 7 Panama City Beach, Florida’s website, it seems that locals are expecting the new airport to boost job opportunities while greatly boosting the number of visitors to the area.

Rayford Corvo, a resident of Panama City Beach, stated that he and his girlfriend have never been without a job, he also said that jobs were hard to come by and that the airport will most likely generate more jobs for the local community.

Corvo, a landscaper, seems pretty excited due to his expectation that tourist will fill local condos as well as increase demand for real estate in the surrounding areas. He feels that people will start buying houses again! Naturally if people are buying houses they will need a landscaper.

Local officials have been preparing for the opening of the new airport and seem to think that Panama City Beach is now prepared for the increase of tourists! Officials have recently approved the initial set of plans for a St. Joe Company business center development — 110 acres of land by the entrance of the airport.

Wow! A business center on 110 acres of land directly in front of the new airport!  It is no wonder St Joe’s donated 4,000 acres for a new airport plus agreed to cover up to million in potential losses for Southwest Airlines….the region will become an accessible DESTINATION and real estate values will SKYROCKET!!

Valerie Lovett a Bay County public information officer said, “In the area surrounding the airport, you’re going to see a litany of different types of development. It could be residential, commercial, any number of things. Commercial will likely come before any residential would come out there.”

As for new beach attractions, Pier Park is continuing to fill a niche, recreating a part of the beach’s hey-day with its own Miracle Strip amusement park, as well as an amazing open air Simon Mall that is more than 1 million square foot property.

Just last week, beach city council members agreed to plans for the new Emerald Coast water park on Front Beach Road.

What most people are not aware of is that there are numerous entities with deep pockets that are acting in concert to boost the value of the surrounding areas. History tells us that one of the best things you can provide a local economy with is attractions that catch the attention of tourist across the world. Throw a discount airliner like Southwest to service the area and a 10,000 foot runway that can accommodate European jetliners and now you have a winning formula for creating a boom in the local economy.

A great example of what could take place in the panhandle is Orlando. Where would Orlando be without Disney World.

Panama City is already one of Frommer’s top 12 tourist destinations in the world, Southwest will certainly make this destination accessible domestically, and I would be surprised if we didn’t see overseas visitors landing in the area in the foreseeable future.

The question is “who will gain from this boom in the local economy?”

Here’s is the most likely answer, The St Joe Company (NYSE: JOE). Leukadia National (NYSE:LUK) Southwest Airlines (NYSE :LUV) New Bastion Development (NWBA:OTC Pinksheets) and according to rumors Disney may even have some skin in the game when it comes to the panhandle!

Wow Your Customers – 6 Lessons To Keep Them Coming Back

What is exceptional customer service that gives a Wow effect? Read on to be inpsired and think of ways you can wow your customers.

The United States Thesaurus states exceptional means outstanding, excellent, brilliant, extraordinary, or incomparable.

When was the last time you…?

… received exceptional, extraordinary, or incomparable customer service?

… were surprised or delighted by a company or service provider going beyond your expectations?

… felt important or valued after making a purchase?

… were treated so well that the service made you smile or feel special?

… you walked away saying WOW!

W. O. W stands for Wonderful, Outstanding and Way beyond what you ever expected!

In my experiences the W.O.W. factor is hard to find.

It is often said that up to 95% of businesses will fail within their first five years. If a business lacks customers, it can no longer exist. 68% of customers will leave due to the attitude or indifference of the Service. The good news is that 68% of customer retention is within our control. Read on to learn 3 reasons to provide W.O.W service, 3 companies leading in customer service and 3 personal ways that I have been W.O.W.ed. Here are 3 big “R’ advantages for providing exceptional customer service to retain customers:

1. Reduce Costs – It costs us 6-7 times more to get a new customer than to keep our existing.

2. Raise Sales -Repeating Customers spend 67% more

3. Recurrence generates Referrals – a loyal customer typically will refer up to 7 people after they make 10 purchases.

Satisfied customers stick around longer, cost less to service, and are easier to maintain. Additionally, they pay less attention to what your competitors are doing because. On the other hand, an unhappy customer will retell their negative experience with 9-12 people. Often times we do not even know that our customers are unhappy because only 2% will tell you. The majority of customer switchovers occur without a customer ever telling you. Reflect on the successful companies that have developed their business around a customer-centric culture – small business owners to large corporations alike can draw from the same core principles for stability and success. Here are 6 examples of companies leading in exceptional customer service:

1. Nordstrom’s – “offering the best possible service, selection, quality and value.”

Nordstrom’s, started in 1901, has a longstanding reputation for fanatical customer service. Their business model is focused around a customer-centric culture. My daughter was a Nordstrom’s employee and this gave me a chance to notice their exceptional customer service and retention practices.

Brand loyalty was ingrained in Rayna as early as her interview, when the hiring manager said, “This might be the only interview you need to go on in your entire life.” The seed was planted for a long-term career vision; pride in company was passed on. This loyalty has a positive impact on how “Nordies”, Nordstrom employees, treat the end customer. Nordstrom’s does not have a cumbersome policy and procedure book. Their values dictate the rules:

- Do what it takes to make the customer happy.

- Use your best judgment.

- Smile even if the customer does not deserve it.

- Find ways to be a customer superstar. “Heroics”

- Employees who catch a collegue giving superior customer service are asked to write up their observation.

Some of my favorite heroic stories are:

- A Nordstrom’s sales person delivering a suit to a time-crunched customer’s hotel

- Ironing a shirt for a customer who had a meeting that afternoon

- Wrapping a gift for a customer that was purchased at Macy’s

- Warming a customer’s car in the winter for a customer while the customer finished shopping

- Tending to an elderly women who was confined to a wheel chair by knitting a shawl that was short enough to clear the spokes

- Selling a customer two different shoe sizes

What can you do to go out of your way for your current customers? Can you make a positive connection? Make them smile? Make them laugh?

2. Southwest Airlines stands for freedom [to fly] and we are committed to proving our Customers something different in airline industry: everyday low fares and superior Customer Service. With this simple focus they have survived through bad times and good – price hikes, escalating fuel prices and more. They strive to be friendliest service in the sky.

I am a fan of Southwest Airlines and some of the special ways they W.O.W me are:

- Resisting the added baggage fees when the other airlines have

- Sending customers an anniversary card – Rewarding customers with a loyalty rewards drink coupons

- Having humor and dignity when talking to their customers in flight. Their culture has a fun spirit.

3. Walt Disney is a magical place that describes its environment by stating, “We create happiness.” They capture the customer’s imagination. The average family will save up to three years for a trip to Disney World. Disney World acknowledges that the guest expectations are for the park to be clean, friendly and fun. The entire staff is held accountable for going beyond these expectations. What do your customers expect from you? Can you creatively exceed these expectations?

You don’t need to be a Nordstrom’s, Southwest, or Disney World employee to create a W.O.W. response.

Here are 3 more W.O.W experiences that I had recently that might inspire you to think of your own W.O.W. opportunities:

4. Amel’s Restaurant, Pittsburgh, Pa. My husband and I returned to a restaurant that we went to when we were dating. We shared our story with our waiter-we were there visiting, we moved away, and we were there thirty years ago as boyfriend and girlfriend. Next he showed up with a glass of wine on the house for us to celebrate. After our meal, we were W.O.W. ed when the server brought a special dessert and had written (in chocolate syrup) around the plate “Welcome Back”. Last the owner came over to personally acknowledge us. We were so touched by the way they made us feel that we bought a gift certificate so that we could send our friends there.

5. Cheesecake Factory – During a recent business trip to the east coast, while speaking at an International Women’s Conference, myself and two other speakers had our flights cancelled. We went to dinner a little dispirited by our delay and mentioned our plight to the server. She quickly empathized and offered us to stay at her home. We did not accept however yet were touched by her response.

We wanted to share an entree. Whereas some establishments charge a fee for meal-shares or simply ban it, our waitress offered us another piece of fish to make our meal share-able without requiring us to order more than we wanted. Her general attitude was so accommodating that I reported to her manager that she had exceeded our expectations. He replied, “That is great to know, because we reward our staff with a free dinner certificate each time a customer compliments them. And the servers get a complimentary meal for each compliment.”

6. Fed Ex Kinkos – I was working on a project and having some challenges. The employee saw that I was having trouble. In seeing this, he promptly helped me measure my board and equipped me with the right adhesive. It took longer than both of us thought so when the employee said “we normally charge for this service however this time I will not,” I was certainly impressed. I wanted to promote thier business because he gave me exceptional service and chose not to charge me for his time.

FedEx Kinkos is not the least expensive place to get copies however I happily pay a little more in a pinch because of their service. They have saved me so many times in a pinch before a presentation. I have sent them documents in the middle of the night that needed finished and delivered by morning. It is a good idea to build a relationship with your local Fed Ex Kinkos.

About a week later, I got a follow up call with a short survey about my experience. On a scale from 1 to 10 they wanted to know if I was satisfied with the service I had received. They got a perfect 10+ plus from me.

Each of these examples W.O.W.’d me. They found a way to deliver Nordstrom, Disney and Southwest level of service by paying attention to my needs and making me smile and feel special. They gave me more than what I was expecting and they were memorable. Remember your customers and be memorable to your customers.

Consider the varieties of ways you can reach someone in a personal way by letter, email, phone, face to face. How can you create a W.O.W experience?

Statistics Sources: American Society for Quality and the Quality and Productivity Center Harvard Business Review Bain and Company, 2002

More Southwest Airlines Articles

Using Inflight Internet for Wi-Fi Access

Business travelers are used to enjoying Internet access at hundreds of airports worldwide—there are more than 300 locations in the U.S. alone, including numerous terminals and airline club lounges.

Inflight Internet is gradually expanding to more US-based airlines and flight and throughout other international locations. There are a few inflight vendors, such as Row44 and Aircell’s Gogo Inflight, now in partnership with iPass, making business logins automatic.

So what can you do with Inflight Internet?
You can do almost anything you are already equipped to do with your ground-based Wi-Fi service! Things like text chat, Web surfing, email and even Internet radio (with headphones, please!) all work seamlessly. With some services, it even works with corporate VPN networks, offering secure access to your work environment. You’ll be able keep up with the latest news and sports scores, check in with the office, schedule meetings, send and receive documents you’re working on, and much more. Of course airline rules — and basic etiquette — prohibit the use of Internet voice services like Skype, so you won’t need to worry about your seatmate suddenly starting up an intrusive chat session.

How it works
These services either rely on satellite communications or a nationwide network of mobile broadband towers on the ground that are pointed upwards to cover the entire sky above the continental U.S. Once your flight has reached an elevation of 10,000 feet and the crew gives the okay to turn on your portable electronics, the service will be available. Just search for the service in your Internet access client and double click to get connected, or open up a browser which will guide you through connection. Make sure to check if your service provider is listed, to save the cost of connection.

View how to connect with this demo: http://www3.ipass.com/about/inflight-internet/

Where to Connect
Up until now, one of the biggest hurdles to using inflight Wi-Fi was simply not knowing whether it would be available on your flight. However, a critical mass of Wi-Fi-enabled planes traveling within the US are now in the air. AirTran and Virgin American offer the inflight service on every domestic flight, and Delta’s entire mainline fleet is set to be equipped by the Summer. Other airlines are also expanding their Wi-Fi fleets rapidly, with Alaska, Southwest and Continental joining the sky-high team this year.

Who’s On-Board with Gogo and iPass?
Air Canada: Available on select A319 long-haul flights over the U.S. between Montreal or Toronto and Los Angeles. Look for the Air Canada Wi-Fi logo on board.
AirTran Airways: Available on all AirTran flights departing from U.S. destinations.
Alaska Airlines: Expected to roll out across all 115 aircraft by the end of 2010.
American Airlines: Available on all 767-200 aircraft, on select MD80 aircraft, and coming soon on 737s. Check the AA Wi-Fi Widget within 24 hours of your flight to see if it has Gogo.
Continental Airlines: Announced it will install Gogo on 21 Boeing 757-300 aircraft flying domestic routes by summer.
Delta/Northwest: Available now on more than 1,000 daily flights and expanding weekly. The entire domestic mainline fleet is scheduled to be equipped by summer.
United Airlines: Available now on all p.s.® premium service flights between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO).
US Airways: Will be available soon on 50 A321 aircraft. If this service is available on your flight, you’ll see a Wi-Fi icon when booking on USAirways.com.
Virgin America: Available now on every flight.

Southwest Coming Soon with Row44!
Southwest Airlines: Started installing Row44 onto planes, with the entire fleet expecting to be outfitted in 2012.

Inflight Internet is your choice. You can choose to log in for work or for fun, or just read your book or snooze. You now can decide what to do with that time in the air.