Tag: airline

Planes Crash, But This Is Different

Germanwings-Airbus-A320-200

I never had a fear of flying. Still, the French crash of the Germanwings Airbus has me totally freaked out.

I remember the EgyptAir crash from 1999. The airline tried to hide the suicidal cause, if memory serves.

And now I worry this is why MH370 was never found. An airline cockpit is an impenetrable cocoon.

From NPR:

Although uncommon, such incidents are not unheard of. Since the mid-1970s, air-crash investigations have brought to light eight others in which intentional actions by a pilot or co-pilot to bring down an aircraft were either confirmed or suspected.

The Daily Mail asks,

Was Andreas Lubitz inspired by other plane disasters? Germanwings pilot’s actions echo recent tragedies – and could explain what happened to MH370

Is there an industry that has a higher percentage of unhappy employees than the airlines?

I’m still not scared to fly. But none of this is comforting.

Now Air Travel Sucks More

jetblueHappy New Year. Air travel sucks more.

Over time airlines have offered less and less to passengers. Remember food? We’ve got smaller seats, crowded planes and baggage fees.

Now, airlines have begun to eat away at any semblance of dependability.

JetBlue cancelled hundreds of flights over the weekend into Tuesday. More weather than they’re staffed to handle! It’s as simple as that.

JetBlue decides how much they want to spend to be prepared. Their threshold for preparedness falls below this weekend’s weather. The weather was bad, but snow falls in the Northeast nearly every year. An FAA rule affecting pilot rest hours just kicked in, but JetBlue knew it was coming two years ago.

After hundreds of cancellations over the weekend, JetBlue shut down their major Northeast operations Monday at 5:00 PM. Things start up again in the morning, gradually. They just need some ‘me’ time.

JetBlue operates as many as 240 departures and arrivals daily in Boston, and as many as 440 departures and arrivals a day at the New York City region’s three major airports: John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International. The airline said the hiatus would allow for “17 hours of rest for our equipment and crew members and time to service aircraft.” – Wall Street Journal

As airlines have figured out how to fly mostly full planes, options for displaced travelers have disappeared. Miss a flight? Be prepared to wait many days.

Richard Bellefeuille said he had been sitting with his two young sons at Logan since Saturday evening. The boys were supposed to fly to San Francisco at 8 p.m., but after hours of delays, the flight was finally canceled at 3 a.m. The airline told them the next available flight leaves Saturday.

“Their mother’s in San Francisco, but they were here with me for the holidays and it looks like I’ll have them an extra week,” he said. – Boston Globe

When I was a kid, flying was very expensive. Only rich people and celebrities traveled by air. Air travel was luxurious.

Flying has been democratized. Inflation adjusted prices are way below what I paid when I finally did buy a ticket.

Deregulation has been a mixed blessing to travelers. Lower fares, but more hassle.

I liked it better the way it was when I couldn’t afford to use it! There are no easy answers.

Southwest Does It Again

“Don’t worry,” she said. But I did.

Without going into all the rigmarole we’ve qualified for a Southwest Airlines companion pass again. It’s a lot easier to do if you charge yearly college tuition on a credit card!

The problem is we make it by the skin of our teeth every year (this will be the last) leaving us a period where we needed to make a reservation but couldn’t.

Let me know if your airline would do this.

I called Southwest and spoke to Lauren. She understood our story then figured out how to hold the ticket until the companion pass was actually issued. Then she gave us a confirmation number and said she’d write a note so the next person who touched it would know what was going on.

“Don’t worry,” she said. But I did.

I got the companion pass last night. I called Southwest today. We’re set. The notes Lauren said would be there were. The agent I spoke to ‘got it’ immediately.

What Southwest did wasn’t difficult but it required a little creative thinking to make sure we were covered. When there was a question of doing it by-the-book or going a little out of the way to make-it-work for the customer, she chose the latter.

When people find how slavishly Helaine and I fly Southwest they often poo-poo it like it’s some sort of leper airline. No, no no. Southwest is different because they are not about rules as much as they are about a corporate culture that encourages thinking.

Sully Was The Right Guy To Fly

This is the guy you want flying your plane.

sully.jpgI have been doing a little searching for info on “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot in today’s US Airways Hudson River splashdown. This is the guy you want flying your plane.

From SafetyReliability.com, Sullengerger’s website:

Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III is a captain for a major U.S. airline with over 40 years of flying experience.

A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, he has served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigations. His ALPA safety work led to the development of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular.

Working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, he coauthored a paper on error inducing contexts in aviation. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Crew Resource Management (CRM) course used at his airline and has taught the course to hundreds of his colleagues.

Sully is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.) and the University of Northern Colorado (M.A.). He was a speaker on two panels at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in Deauville, France May 29-31, 2007. He has just been named a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

Tweed/New Haven Airport Is Not A Happy Place

Airlines are desperately trying to cut costs to survive, not expand to small cities like New Haven.

Tweed New Haven Airport USAir Express takeoffI opened the editorial page of Friday’s New Haven Register and was unhappy to read: “Tweed’s prospects fade for new airline.”

In this case, Tweed is Tweed/New Haven Airport. It’s big enough for 737s and DC9s, but the only service nowadays are puddle jumpers to Philly and back.

There was a time when a bunch of airlines flew to New Haven. In the last decade we’ve had non-stop service to Chicago, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh (though not at the same time). Each time one of them pulled out, the word from within was, the service was doing fine, but the airline wanted to be elsewhere.

It is by far the most convenient airport I’ve ever flown from. The terminal is small and steps from the parking lot. There is a jetway, but it hasn’t been used for scheduled service in years and I’d be surprised if it’s full functional.

My sadness comes from the closing paragraph:

The reality for Tweed is that even with the necessary safety and runway improvements, its ability to attract new air service is severely hampered by the state of the airline industry. Airlines are desperately trying to cut costs to survive, not expand to small cities like New Haven.

I’m sad because it’s true.

The level of airline service says something about a community. Not having it says something too. For the foreseeable future, Tweed has no future.

Something Special In The Air

The part of this that upsets me the most, is the way the airlines look at customers. Airline ticketing policies and contracts are one-sided, and often arbitrary and unreasonable (like one way fares often costing more than roundtrip). Their advertising does its best to hide full disclosure.

“We’re American Airlines, something special in the air.”

For years, that jingle played incessantly on radio and TV. No more.

If American has a slogan now, I don’t know it. There’s none on their website’s homepage. They surely don’t have the balls to dust off ‘something special’ right now.

Aircraft Inspections Affect Some AA Travel

We are very sorry for inconveniencing you with the cancellation of a portion of American Airlines’ flights which started on April 8. Additional inspections of our MD-80 fleet are being conducted to ensure precise and complete compliance with the FAA’s directive related to wiring in the aircraft’s wheel wells. For more information about the progress of the inspections, please check our Press Releases. Please be assured that safety of our customers is, and always will be, American’s first priority.

You know how companies that put you on hold often say, “Your call is important to us,” even when you know it’s not? I feel the same way&#185 about, “Please be assured that safety of our customers is, and always will be, American’s first priority.”

Do they really think I’m buying into that gratuitous throwaway?

My friend Farrell’s relatives, visiting from Israel, were scheduled to fly AA from New York to Palm Springs. They got as far as Dallas… took a long pregnant pause at DFW… then continued to LAX (a few hours drive from Palm Springs).

Their bags? Right. This isn’t a fair tale. They followed two days later.

When I last left them, my sister-in-law and her friend were arguing with the AA clerk because AA promised $100 p/day p/person for clothing or necessities. AA since retracted that. In the meantime, Vered (Farrell’s wife) had taken the four of them to shop yesterday since they only had carry-on (my advice was to pack as much as possible in their carry-on’s).

I think we’re in the process of watching a meltdown of the so-called “legacy” airlines. With Frontier going bust, since its creditor would not support the majority of their cash, and the merger chatter going on, it’s a matter of time before prices continue to rise and consolidation becomes an actuality.

Please don’t think it’s only American I’m upset with. I’m still smarting from Southwest’s cavalier attitude toward safety inspections, and they’ve been my airline of choice for years.

The part of this that upsets me the most, is the way the airlines look at customers. Airline ticketing policies and contracts are one-sided, and often arbitrary and unreasonable (like one way fares often costing more than roundtrip). Their advertising does its best to hide full disclosure.

Why would they expect us to respect them or have brand loyalty when they so obviously dislike us?

&#185 – “I take full responsibility” goes on that list as well, especially when said by a CEO taking non responsibility.

Make My Safety Your Priority

Who, exactly, has the chutzpah to screw around with airplanes that fly 600 mph, five miles off the ground? Obviously someone… in this case, multiple someones, as the airline and FAA seem complicit.

I have resisted addressing the Southwest Airlines story, but I guess I should chime in. I’m talking about Southwest’s failure to inspect their 737s for metal skin cracks in a timely manner. I am incredibly disappointed in this company I have used so faithfully over the past decade.

I’m not an airplane expert. I don’t know how serious the cracks are. However, today Southwest grounded 41 airplanes. These were not spares. The way Southwest flies, 41 planes is well over 150 flights/flight segments a day.

The problem is, I had hoped the people running airlines and hospitals and meat processing plants were somehow different. Sure, you can get away cutting corners if you’re making shirts or pencils – and companies do.

Unfortunately, every time a rock is turned over, we see these same revenue friendly shortcuts in businesses with much more worrisome safety concerns. Corporate safety issues have become a recurring theme on the news.

The people who run these businesses should be able to say no. Instead, it seems they just don’t want to hear no.

Who, exactly, has the chutzpah to screw around with airplanes that fly 600 mph, five miles off the ground? Obviously someone… in this case, multiple someones, as the airline and FAA seem complicit.

I applaud the whistle blowers at the FAA who brought this to light. It takes courage to do what they did. The promise of protection when you ‘drop a dime’ on your boss is often an empty promise.

I have a lot invested in Southwest, with all our free tickets and Helaine’s companion pass. It would be difficult for me to switch allegiance. If I have to, I will.

Southwest, please don’t test me.

I don’t want those companies in which I entrust my safety to value anything over my safety. I always thought that was part of the bargain. I’m much too naive.

Plane Talk About The Flight Home

We’re on our way home from Las Vegas. I’m typing this from 39,000 feet somewhere over the vast void that is the middle of America.

Helaine obtained a late checkout, so we left the hotel at 2:30, heading first to refill the rental car and then return it to the “Giant Rental Car Building,” newly opened south of the airport. All the car rental companies share this facility and the shuttle buses that leave every few minutes. This part of the experience, coming and going, was painless.

Oh – there is one thing. Our car had Sirius Satellite Radio. We discovered that sometime around day five and quite by accident. Since Dollar pays for it, and I wanted to use it, you’d think there would have been a placard or sticker advertising its availability. Even when I hit the right button (by mistake) there was only a hint of what I’d unlocked.

We did get to hear a little Nina Blackwood, Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman and former Philly favorite, Michael Tierson. I always had a thing for Martha.

Sunday afternoon at McCarren Airport is a medley of your favorite lines. We stood in line to get our baggage weighed and tagged. We stood in line for security. Helaine stood in line for food. And, of course, we sat in line to get our choice of seats on the plane.

AMAZING, BUT TRUE STORY ALERT: As we checked in, the agent asked for our heaviest bag first. On the scale it went. Southwest only allows (in my family the word ‘only’ must be included) 50 pounds per bag. The bag weighed 49.95 pounds! When the agent put the tag on the bag, the weight rose to exactly 50.00 pounds. None of us had ever seen anything like it.

This was probably the last time we’ll be sitting on the floor, holding our place in line, in the Southwest terminal. Next month they unveil a new, modified boarding system which will reward those who are anal retentive and get their boarding passes within the first few minutes after they become available. The punctual will then get their choice of the best seats!

From the cockpit, this is the pilot.” How many times do you want to hear those words on a flight?

Why ask?

We wanted to sleep. He wanted to speak. “Folks, it’s going to be bumpy over the Rockies.” “Folks, we’re over the Rockies and it’s bumpy.” “Folks we’re passed the Rockies and I’m turning off the seat belt sign.”

There were a few more announcements. I forget exactly what they were, except Iowa City was off to the left during one and “we’re over Chicago,” on the other. The “peddling as fast as we can” line was only funny the first time.

Considering the hour of this flight, I’m surprised the cabin lights were never dimmed. Though, with chatterbox driving, the point was probably moot.

Our flight left Las Vegas 45 minutes late. The plane was there on time, but we waited for connecting passengers from Oakland. Having been on the receiving end of that kind of largess in the past, I didn’t mind being on the giving side tonight.

All Southwest flights are in 737s. It’s funny how times have changed, because Southwest now uses that as a selling point in its ads. You never fly in a little plane on Southwest. A few years ago, when the domestic carriers used wide bodied jets of many more routes, Southwest’s claim would have been laughed off the TV. Now, when the alternative is a 30, 40 or 50 seat regional jet, Southwest has a point.

I have spent much of the last few hours trying to figure out a way to allow fully reclining seats on a 737. Maybe if you remove the overhead bins and create an upper-lower configuration for the seats? There’s got to be a way, and whichever airline does it first, wins.

It’s 1:00 AM now. We’re still in the air. Will there even be baggage handlers when we arrive?

I so want to go to sleep.

Loose Ends

I’m off to Florida this afternoon. First, another trip to get my glasses problem fixed, then a haircut.

I plan on checking no bags. Much of Helaine and my discussions last night centered on what can and cannot be brought on an airplane. My deodorant is 3&#188 oz. Anything over 3 oz is considered a lethal weapon by TSA&#185.

I’m taking it anyway. What a rebel.

The trip to Florida will take about five hours. That includes a 1:35 stopover in Baltimore. As I remember, they have pretty good WiFi coverage in the terminal.

Air travel may be cheaper than ever, but it’s not any faster. Even Southwest, who claims to not be a hub and spoke airline, shuttles a lot of people through Baltimore and Las Vegas, which sure seem like hub airports.

I have some tutorials for Javascript and PHP, two computer languages, I’m taking along. I plan on spending my travel time learning to better program. Last night my mom asked why I was doing that? Is it OK to say, I don’t know?

&#185 – Though written for effect, that statement is literally true. They don’t want me to bring any liquid or gel over 3oz because it might be used as a weapon of some sort!

Southwest Can’t Be Beat

My mom called this afternoon. The doctor has moved my dad’s surgery back one day. Of course, my plans were already made.

I went online with Southwest, moved my reservations (on free tickets) to another day and waited to find out how much more I owed.

Zero!

Is there a better way to run an airline? I don’t think so.

JetBlue’s Problems

jetBlue is in the midst of a meltdown. They’ve scrubbed a boatload of flights tomorrow, the fifth consecutive day of cancellations following a Northeast ice storm. Passengers are up in arms.

There was a call for congressional hearings after a recent debacle by American Airlines in Austin, TX. Whether hearings accomplish anything or not, I see them as certain now.

I don’t know much about the airline business, but I can tell you why jetBlue is having the problems they’re having. To a large extent, it’s because there is no jetBlue!

I look upon jetBlue as a virtual company. It doesn’t own its planes. It doesn’t do most of its maintenance (much of which is performed in El Salvador). Its telephone reservation system is based in Salt Lake City and mostly staffed by women working from home.

Is jetBlue the top priority of any of their contractors?

jetBlue is perfectly staffed… as long as nothing goes wrong. In real life, things go wrong.

Unfortunately, what has happened to jetBlue will happen in more and more places with more and more companies. Since passengers won’t be locked in place for ten or twelve hours we won’t hear as much about them.

Companies are cutting away as much cost as they can and that certainly extends to any protection against unusual failure. There is no profit in standby contingencies.

You see this all the time in stores, with fewer staff members or less competent staff. Here’s what Floyd Norris of the Times said in his blog about the former chairman of Home Depot, Bob Nardelli.

He was a man who thought he was worth unlimited amounts, and yet messed up the company by a desire to slash compensation expenses. He pushed out experienced store workers, figuring part-timers were cheaper, and did not realize in time that those knowledgeable workers were critical to the willingness of amateurs to shop there&#185

In some ways, we bring this on ourselves. We’re willing to shop entirely on price. I’m guilty myself, even though it’s often bad in the long run.

Years ago, when most stores were closed on Sunday’s, my father used to say, “If you don’t want to work Sunday, don’t shop Sunday.” The same applies today. If you don’t want to suffer bad service, don’t shop where service is not a priority.

Easier said than done, I’m sure.

&#185 – When he was drummed out, Nardelli received a king’s ransom in severance. Norris added, “Perhaps Lowe

Balloons Over Albuquerque

Up early again today, but this was different. We had an appointment to fly over Albuquerque during a mass ascension at the Balloon Fiesta.

Actually, this was Helaine’s birthday gift to me. Though very apprehensive, Helaine decided she’d go too.

I’m glad to say she overcame her fears and had a great time in the air!

We were flying in a ‘small balloon.’ The wicker basket only had room for four plus the pilot. We’ve seen some that carried ten or more!

From Albuquerque B…

Our flying partners were Rachel and Roger Smith from Ft. Worth, TX. Married a year, and with Rachel clutching a new Canon Digital Rebel, they flew in just for this flight.

It was breezy as we walked out onto the field. Breeze and balloons don’t mix. At the edge of the field flags fluttered. The wind had to be at least 10 mph, maybe a little more.

From Albuquerque B…

Overhead were clouds. Yesterday the sky was a deep, pure blue. Today the blue appeared in patches. It was the perfect setup for a beautiful sunrise. The colors were just as they appear in this photo. Even the shaft of light is exactly what we saw.

We were supposed to leave at 7:00 AM, but not with the wind. The Balloon Fiesta organizers put a hold on takeoffs. In an event like this, safety has to be your only concern.

They were hopeful the wind would die down a bit. I wasn’t, so I called Connecticut and spoke to Matt Scott. He pulled up some computer data which showed the wind was already well above what was forecast.

We waited. I felt bad for the Smiths. Though Helaine and I had seen a full day of ballooning, Rachel and Roger might have to fly home with nothing!

A bit after 7:30, the word came. Today, we would fly! It was still a little breezy so the special shapes balloons, which are more difficult to control, would stay on the ground.

From Albuquerque B…

Our pilot, Al, pulled the cords starting two big gas powered fans. The balloon began to fill with air. It was environmental air and not buoyant. Then he lit the burners.

From Albuquerque B…

From cannisters in the basket’s corners, propane rushed to two gas jets. A long, slender, blue flame pushed into the envelope. The balloon began to stand.

Within a few seconds our hot air balloon looked like a hot air balloon. We got the signal and climbed in.

From Albuquerque B…

One of the coolest parts of the Balloon Fiesta is the up-close access. Anyone is allowed to walk the field and get close to the balloons… and they do.

I gave my card to a few people with nice cameras, asking if they’d take photos of our ascent. We’ll see. I don”t have high hopes.

The balloons are arranged in lines, one after another. Local volunteers, dressed like referees and referred to as “Zebras” act as air traffic controllers. With their guidance, one-by-one, the row ahead of us began to climb.

From Albuquerque B…

There was no turning back now. Our Zebra took a position a few dozen yards ahead of us, checked our flanks, turned back to us and raised her thumbs. Al turned on the jets. We were airborne.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

A balloon climbs effortlessly. At first, its rise is startlingly rapid. As you get a little higher that sensation is gone.

You’re flying with the wind so there is no breeze on the passengers. I’ve flown five times now and have never experienced any bumpiness or turbulence. Mostly it’s quiet.

From Albuquerque B…

The only sound a balloon makes comes from the burst of flame applied every minute or so.

From Albuquerque B…

Looking around we could see ‘dusty patches’ below some clouds. That was rain and some of it was pretty close.

We began to lose altitude. Al picked out a spot that looked good for landing, but as we descended, the wind’s direction changed. He held the balloon aloft and searched for another spot.

From Albuquerque B…

We flew over a beautiful development of very expensive homes, on dirt roads, looking for a place to land. At a dry river bed we scraped the low brush… but Al decided this wasn’t his right landing spot.

He hit the gas.

From Albuquerque B…

Now we were flying at running speed, no higher than 50 feet above the ground. Landing spots were more difficult to find, though it really didn’t make any difference. We’d just fly until we found one.

We finally landed… on a road! The balloon tilted forward but then quickly righted itself. Someone popped out of our chase truck to stop traffic.

From Albuquerque B…

Unlike flying a ‘real’ airline, if you’re in a balloon, you help after landing. We gathered the balloon, cleared the road and drove back to the field.

Maybe it is possible to have a better flight, but I can’t see how. Helaine beamed. Not only had she overcome her fear, she had done so early enough to enjoy the flight.

We’ll spend the rest of the day doing nothing. Tomorrow we’re making a long drive: Albuquerque to Kayenta, Arizona. See you then.

From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…
From Albuquerque B…

When Good Airlines Go Bad

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know I’m a big fan of Southwest Airlines. I still am at this moment, but they’ve shown a side I hadn’t seen before.

Our flight from Midway was due out at 8:00 PM. “Conditions” (a word which covers a multitude of sins) didn’t allow us to depart on time. Hey – it happens.

The departure time was changed to 9:25 PM, so Stef and Helaine headed out searching for food. I sat on the floor, playing online poker.

A little after 8:00 PM, I faintly heard an announcement from the boarding area. I wasn’t sure what I heard, but Hartford was included. With Helaine and Stef gone, my laptop open on the floor and five bags next to me, I was stuck.

Next to me, another laptop user was also sitting on the cold marble. I had heard her mention New Haven in her conversation. I asked if she’d mind watching my stuff for a moment while I checked out what was going on.

At the gate, the CSR told me “we’re boarding now.” Yikes!

I called Helaine on the cellphone. She was at the far end of the concourse and I was at Gate 24. “Run,” I said.

To show the agents I was earnest about getting on, I disconnected from the poker game, pack muled myself and carried all the bags to the gate.

I will remember that for a while because my hip is killing me with the twingy pain that probably means I pulled a muscle!

It looked like they were about to close the door, but they weren’t. A minute later, Helaine and Stef, who had ordered dinner and then canceled it (thanks Harry Carey’s who understood their situation), pulled up to the gate.

We got on a half empty plane. Many of those who held boarding passes were nowhere to be found.

Imagine you’re told that your plane is delayed nearly two hours. You walk away to get a drink, a sandwich, go to the men’s room. When you come back, your flight is gone! I suspect this counts as “your fault.”

A few more, but not all, the passengers made it on the plane before we left for Connecticut. We arrived at Bradley after midnight.

While I went to get the car, Helaine and Stef stayed for the bags. The buzzer buzzed. The carousel spun. Some bags came down – not all.

A disembodied voice on the PA system apologized. Another plane was about to leave. Our bags would have to wait a few minutes more.

I know it’s tough to be in the airline business on a night when Mother Nature just isn’t cutting you any slack. I just think, in this case, Southwest didn’t live up to its reputation – at least it didn’t in my eyes.

The delay in Chicago wasn’t handled properly. No one was ever advised the plane might not be held until 9:25. I’m not sure what to make of the baggage snafu in Hartford, other than to say we once had this same problem with Carnival Air.

Does any airline want their attention to customer needs compared to Carnival?

The Cold That Keeps On Giving

I started coming down with a cold right before we left the ship. Now, I have graciously passed it along to Helaine and Stef. Helaine is currently sniffling at home. Steffie is sniffling at my parent’s place in Florida (and therefore gets zero sympathy).

Call Guiness. It’s possible this could go three generations, if my folks catch it.

I originally wrote about my cold because of the lovely sensation of flying cross country with clogged nose and ears and the simulation of knitting needles poking toward my brain.

OK – enough analogy. As a guy who can’t watch someone on TV getting a shot, maybe I should stop.

I wondered, if it’s so tough for me (and, of course, I am a very macho and stoic man), how do pilots perform with a cold? You wouldn’t want the guy at the controls of your jetliner wheezing and feeling loads of self pity.

As it turns out, a friend of Helaine’s is married to a pilot for a major commercial airline. Helaine asked her friend.

You asked how Bill flies with a cold. He doesn’t.

If he feels one coming on before a trip, he calls in sick since he can’t medicate himself. He’s only allowed to take Tylenol. If he wakes up sick while on the road, someone else picks up the trip and he rides as a passenger so he can take cold medicine for the congestion.

He tried to “fly sick” once and the pain was awful. Usually he picks up a cold at the end of his trip and brings it home to share with Jason and I. Isn’t that thoughtful?!

Of course, when we get it, the cold isn’t nearly as horrible as the one he had. Men… Gotta love ’em!

Wow! Who would have thought a cold was enough to ground a pilot?

As far as the comment portraying all men as wimps is concerned…. So?

Happy Birthday Harold – Hope You Can Join Us

Next week is a milestone for my dad. He will be 80. This is not a number to take lightly.

I’ve asked him in the past to contrast his age with his expectations of what that age was going to be like. He couldn’t. Long ago he passed any age he had expected to see.

This is not to say my father thought he’d be gone by now. It’s just no one thinks of what life will be like at 80… until you’re late into your 79th year.

I think I speak for him when I say, these are the best times of his life. He and my mom live a wonderful life in Florida. Their condo complex is socially active, which suits them fine.

My mom has become more active in governing the condo complex, something I never would have expected. My dad has become a computer maven to his fellow senior citizens who see him as a latter day Bill Gates.

So, what do you do for an 80th birthday? My folks thought it would be fun to take Helaine and me, along with my sister Trudi and brother-in-law Jeff, to Las Vegas for a family oriented celebration. My cousins Michael and Melissa will be joining us.

What says happy birthday more than Las Vegas?

My folks don’t gamble, but they are great explorers. Vegas has so much to explore. We plan on seeing some excellent shows, taking in the sights and eating as if cholesterol hadn’t been discovered. I will also attempt to play poker 23 hours a day or until I can no longer afford Steffie’s college tuition.

My folks are due to leave Florida Tuesday. Well, they are now. I suppose it’s all Hurricane Wilma dependent.

If you look at the tracking maps, the current projections bring Wilma right over their place. It’s not a reassuring outlook. The one saving grace is, Wilma won’t be a particularly strong hurricane by then.

Earlier today I asked if they would call the airline, AirTran, and see if they could move their flight. Lots of other airlines were accommodating passengers in this manner. not AirTran… or at least not in a way that was meaningful.

October 20, 2005, 10:00 am ET