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 passengers.  The faux-cigarettes will be sold onboard all Ryanair flights to those passengers over 18 years of age.  A package of 10 will cost €6.

The new plan is being marketed to both smokers (you can smoke onboard) and non-smokers (no more grumpy passengers because they can’t smoke).

What do you think of this new plan?  If you’re a smoker, would it make you choose Ryanair over any other carrier?  Or is price, schedule, and other factors more important?  And non-smokers, what do you think?

NOTE:  Smokeless Cigarettes have not yet been approved for use onboard US flights.

Photo credit: SuperFantastic @flickr

Post from: Blisstree

Ryanair to Sell Smokeless Cigarettes Onboard

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, special baggage policies, and some general airline information.

Armed with this information, you can determine if you’ve got too much or too heavy of a bag, and decide if its balances out to pay the excess fees, or if you should look for alternate shipping arrangements.  Of course, you could always just pack a little bit less!

Luggage Limits swears that it keeps current on the policies and updates the site information regularly.  I chose a couple of airlines that I’m familiar with, did a search, and found the info to be accurate and quick to come up.  It’s a free service, so the site is jam packed with ads, at times making it a little hard to read, so keep reminding yourself it’s free and learn to deal with it.

Photo credit: SXC

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Luggage Limits Sets the Limits Straight

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 its costs and fees.

At the other end of the list, United and US Airways were at the bottom for traditional carriers, and Frontier and AirTran for low cost carriers.

Do your flying experience parallel these results?  Who do you think ranks at the top and why?

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

Airline Customers Continue to be Dissatisfied

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?

Post from: Blisstree

Naked Safety Demonstration from Air New Zealand

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 ice breaking games.  Then, before you know it, you’ll be en route to Auckland, with a hundred or so of your newest best friends.  Once in Auckland, you’ll be invited to attend a Matchmaking Ball at the SkyTower.

Air New Zealand is also hoping  passengers will want to get to know one another before the big take off, so they’re putting together some social media options that will allow ticketholders to upload a personal profile and start chatting with each other.

Love isn’t cheap, but the package is fairly reasonably priced.   Round trip air starts at $780 per person (plus the dreaded taxes and fees), and packages that include airfare start at around $1,109.

Who knows?  Your seatmate on the flight might just become your seatmate for life!

Photo credit: SXC

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Air New Zealand Offers Matchmaking Flight

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 sound more than a little prejudiced?

While I don’t necessarily like being seated next to an obese passenger on an airplane either, I just see it as one of those things you have to deal with on flights – such as crying babies or people ahead of you pushing their seats all the way back.

What’s your take on this? Do you think it’s fair? Let me know in the comments.

Claire

(image from skycontrol.net)

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Nutritionist Suggests “Fat Tax” For Airlines