Smokers who can’t bear not to light up while in the air may make Ryanair their new favorite airline!  In an attempt to woo the business of smokers, Ryanair announced that they are launching a new line of smokeless cigarettes that will let passengers get their need nicotine fix without lighting up onboard.
The Similar Smokeless Cigarettes have the look and feel of a real cigarette, but have no flame, so they are a way around the smoking ban.  They’ll deliver a small bit of nicotine through inhaling, satisfying the craving of smokers, but will not emit toxins to other …read more

A new website, Luggage Limits, is using algebraic equations to help simplify the morass of information about the luggage policies of the airlines.  This FREE site offers you the ability to search for the luggage policy that applies to your flight, hopefully saving you from overweight or excess bag charges.
You can search by airline, there are 60+ represented so far, then enter your flight information, and up will come information about the size and weight allowances for checked and carry-on bags, what is free and what is for a fee, excess bags and overweight charges, any online discounts available, …read more

Traveler’s continue to find dissatisfaction with the airline industry, according to J.D. Power & Associates, making this the third consecutive year.  No surprise that new fees (the result of ala carte ticket pricing), baggage problems, and personnel reductions are not making anyone happy.  Is it all the economy?  You’ll have to decide.
Here’s how the airlines faired.
Alaska and Continental scored one and two among traditional carriers, and Jet Blue and Southwest and WestJet a close second among the low cost carriers.  Alaska scored highest for its inflight crew, Continental for its inflight service, JetBlue for its aircraft, and Southwest for …read more

The safety demonstration is one part of the pre-flight routine where people seem to turn out.  Whether it’s talking to their neighbor, reading the paper, or burying their nose in a book, many people ignore this important information.
Air New Zealand is hoping to change your mind with a safety demonstration video called Bare Essentials – starring employees with body paint.
What do you think?  Would this make you pay attention?

If you haven’t found true love with Match.com or eHarmony, maybe you just need to get out of town for a weekend and see if you can find true love away from home.  And I mean REALLY away from home.
Air New Zealand is offering a singles-only Matchmaking Flight that will depart from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland, New Zealand on October 13th, and hopes that a little matchmaking at 30,000 feet will help you find true love at last.
The weekend starts off with a pre-departure party at the gate (think tailgating, only with an airplane), with food, drink, and …read more

An Australian nutritionist, Dr. John Tickell, has suggested that airlines should charge their obese passengers more for tickets. This is based on the reasoning that the more weight the plane bears, the more the cost for fuel – so we should all pay up according to size.
Sound reasonable? Just listen to what he has to say about overweight passengers:

“I fly Sydney to Perth – five hours – and being totally disadvantaged by some huge person next to me literally flopping over into my seat. Why should I pay the same as them?” (BBC News)
Is it just me, or does he …read more