Is there anywhere on the net that lists planes leaving Manila and what type pof jet was used?
I know Sydney has one somewhere, or at least it did, is there something similar there?

Brad

Try the NAIA website:
http://www.manila-airport.net/index.cfm

There are sections on departures and arrivals listing the flight status. If you click on a flight number, it will redirect you to flightstats.com that contains the aircraft type under the "notes" or "details" section. I don't know how updated the flightstats info is, but at least you get an idea of what plane they usually use. But the flight listings on the NAIA web site should be pretty accurate because they even list delivery flights, charters and cargo.

Try the NAIA website:
http://www.manila-airport.net/index.cfm

There are sections on departures and arrivals listing the flight status. If you click on a flight number, it will redirect you to flightstats.com that contains the aircraft type under the "notes" or "details" section. I don't know how updated the flightstats info is, but at least you get an idea of what plane they usually use. But the flight listings on the NAIA web site should be pretty accurate because they even list delivery flights, charters and cargo.

Salamat mate, I found my way to the Flightstats site and it lists tonights PAL departure to Sydney as a 747-400.
I will definitely be up early and down Foreshore Road at Mascot to get this arrival. If successful, I shall share some shots.

Thanks again
Brad

Try the NAIA website:
http://www.manila-airport.net/index.cfm

There are sections on departures and arrivals listing the flight status. If you click on a flight number, it will redirect you to flightstats.com that contains the aircraft type under the "notes" or "details" section. I don't know how updated the flightstats info is, but at least you get an idea of what plane they usually use. But the flight listings on the NAIA web site should be pretty accurate because they even list delivery flights, charters and cargo.

Again, this is not the NAIA website. This website is unofficial, but it is certainly more authoritative than the MIAA's official website (which is also by extension the official NAIA website).

wala lang. shot taken inside Macroasia presmises.


http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1867/dsc8626r.jpg

wala lang. shot taken inside Macroasia presmises.


http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/1867/dsc8626r.jpg

Awesome. Is this place easy to get in to?

Brad

PAL 747 arrived at Sydney Airport significantly early (about 20 minutes) this morning.
Sadly I can't identify which one it is - can any of you guys find out?

Am going to try to get the departure in 60 minutes time as the heat hae mucked up a lot of the shots. May try the other side at Kyeemah - the light wont be smashing but you stand next to the craft on the runway.

Brad

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4195602087_4dd5d27a4a_b.jpg

I thought Cat 2 downgrade prohibits PAL to upsize to a bigger or other aircraft to US routes. How come upcoming holiday schedule changes on PAL lists the use of A330 aircraft for the usual smaller A320 aircraft on certain holiday peak days to Agana from Manila.

^^ They can upsize aircraft, but they cannot use types that they have not used to the U.S. in the past. In this case, PAL can fly their A330s, A340s and 747s to the United States, but not the 777.

If Cat2 is because of safety concerns, then what does forbidding new members of an airline's fleet have to do with safety? Just wondering because by hindsight, newer aircraft is presumed to be safer than old aircraft.

^^ Newer aircrafts may be a lot safer than other older models but they're not certified/licensed/approved by the FAA to be flown over US airspace, hence PR's new 777 is forbidden to mount flights to the mainland (for now).

posted by: aircargo (PEx)

Qantas flight turns back after 'flames from engine'
THOMAS HUNTER
December 18, 2009

Qantas passengers on board a flight that turned back shortly after leaving Singapore have described seeing "tongues of fire" coming from one of the 747 jumbo jet's engines.

Flight QF10 was on its way to Melbourne carrying 354 passengers when the incident occurred.

Dylan Brady, 38, was returning to Melbourne after visiting Singapore on business when the plane "convulsed and lost power".

"[My business partner and I] both thought something had fallen off the bottom, or the landing gear had come undone," he said.

"Then we saw this orange light and we both looked out the window to see fire coming out of the back of the jet. It was pretty scary."

Mr Brady said the flames lasted about 10 seconds, while the whole incident was over in about 25 seconds. He said the passengers knew something had happened but stayed calm, and the captain quickly informed them he had shut the engine down.

"When he shut the engine off, obviously everything was OK, the plane slowed down a little bit and then he sort of pulled gently and slowly to the left to get out of the flight path because the plane behind us was only a minute and half behind and still going full speed," he said.

On its return to Singapore, Mr Brady said the plane was directed to its own runway which was lined with fire engines and emergency crews.

"To Qantas's credit, by the time the plane got back to the ground they had hotels for everybody. It was pretty well organised. There were some conniptions when the business class passengers got their luggage and economy didn't ... I didn't notice anyone who was ridiculously disgruntled."

Another passenger, Steve Tanoto, described the shock "tongues of fire on the rightmost engine ... in the middle of the night".

The airline this morning confirmed a "mechanical fault" forced the jet back to Singapore soon after it took off last night.

A passenger who contacted Traveller reported flames coming from an engine 25 minutes after the jet took off from Singapore's Changi Airport at 8.53pm, local time (11.53pm Melbourne time).

The plane landed safely and Qantas engineers are believed to be examining the aircraft.

The spokeswoman said pilots announced to passengers that the jet had developed a problem and they were shutting down the No.4 engine.

There was no panic among passengers, the spokeswoman said, as the pilots carried out "an air turn back" and returned to Singapore.

"There was no smoke or fire in the cabin, according to official reports, and at no stage was the safety of any of the passengers at risk," the spokeswoman said.

Asked if the cabin crew reported smoke and flames from the failed engine, she said "there was no report of that, none at all".

Passengers were take by bus accommodation for an expected 23-hour delay while the airline arranged a replacement 747 to fly passengers to Melbourne.

The incident is the latest in a long line of incidents to affect the trouble-plagued airline.

In July last year an oxygen gas bottle exploded mid-flight, ripping a hole in the side of a Qantas jet above the South China Sea.

A final report is expected next year. The explosion happened on a Hong Kong-Melbourne flight, carrying 369 people. No one was seriously hurt.

In October 2008 a computer glitch caused a Qantas Airbus to plunge twice in quick succession on its way from Singapore to Perth, injuring more than 100 people.

Meanwhile, industrial action at Qantas by professional engineers had no impact on services, an airline spokesman said yesterday. Alison Rose from the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers said yesterday's action was designed to not inconvenience the public over Christmas.

If the dispute was not resolved she said passengers travelling next month may be affected.

Source: theage.com.au

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JAL Likely To Choose Delta Over American - Report

Japan Airlines is likely to choose Delta Air Lines as its overseas partner, ending its ties with American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported on Friday.

JAL, Asia's largest carrier by revenue, strongly denied the report and said it was planning to make a decision early next month on whether to stick with American Airlines or defect to Delta and the rival SkyTeam airline group.

"It is absolutely wrong to say that we are leaning either way on the alliance decision at this moment," said JAL spokesman Kojiro Waki.

JAL has decided that switching to Skyteam would allow it to more effectively restructure its operations while also offering it better growth prospects, the Asahi newspaper said without citing a source for the information.

American, along with other members of the Oneworld alliance and private equity fund TPG, has offered to invest USD$1.1 billion in JAL and wants closer business ties under an "open skies" treaty signed by the US and Japan governments last week.

Delta has said that it and other SkyTeam members are ready to offer a total aid package of about USD$1 billion, including USD$500 million in equity. Delta has also said it may team with a fund to sweeten its proposal.

"We are still in ongoing discussions with JAL and we continue to maintain that American Airlines' offer is superior to that of any other rival," said Carlo Niederberger, a public relations official representing American Airlines in Japan.

A Delta spokeswoman declined to comment.

JAL, weighed down by USD$15 billion in debt and struggling to cut a USD$3.7 billion pension shortfall, is seeking a bailout from a government-backed turnaround fund. The fund is expected to decide whether to inject capital into JAL next month.

ANTI-TRUST

Both US airlines are keen to gain access to JAL's network to fast-growing Asian markets and a stronger foothold in Japan ahead of the expansion of Tokyo's Haneda airport next year.

Delta has estimated JAL could gain USD$400 million in annual revenue by joining hands with the world's biggest carrier given that it transports several times the number of passengers on transpacific routes.

Takahiko Kishi, an analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities, said forging ties with Delta would offer greater scope for cutting costs but warned the move could prove risky.

"With a move to SkyTeam the positive effects would not become visible for a year or so. The question is whether JAL can wait that long," Kishi said.

American has argued that JAL could lose USD$500 million in sales over a two-year transition period if it left Oneworld and that regulators would not approve anti-trust immunity for Delta and JAL under the open skies pact because SkyTeam would then control the bulk of US-Japan travel.

Delta says it believes it could receive anti-trust immunity, which allows airlines to work closely on pricing, scheduling and marketing to boost revenues and lower costs.

American has also argued that Delta would likely look to route more traffic through South Korean's Incheon International Airport, bypassing JAL and Japan. Delta is a partner of Korean Air in SkyTeam.

"American doesn't have a hub in Japan or a hub in Korea that would compete for JAL's customers, siphoning important revenue and traffic from its network," American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey told a news conference in Tokyo this week.

(Reuters)
http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1261138331.html

If Cat2 is because of safety concerns, then what does forbidding new members of an airline's fleet have to do with safety? Just wondering because by hindsight, newer aircraft is presumed to be safer than old aircraft.

Safety is not something that rolls out of the factory. It is certified by an authority after inspections and implementations of certain standards. After all, aircraft undergo cycles and age over time.

New plane or old plane, someone has to maintain safety standards. And we don't have this 'someone' because what Cat II means is that our oversight authority has been found incompetent.

While the 787 was taking off the commentator mention that the wings on the plan are meant to flex. I guess the composit material and the air pressure causes this action.

As to the tail scapping the runway. There are those regular show that have one hour on airline crashes. A plane crashed about 15 years ago because the mechanic just bolted on a peice of metal where it scapped. It eventually began to crack under the pressure years later and cause the plane to breakup. A smart investigator notice residue from smoking on the plane had cause stains coming out of the cracks on a crash part for a while before the crash.

^^ That's China Airlines Flight 611, which happened seven years ago.

Went back to get our distinguished visitor leaving Sydney again.
RP-7475 was the Jumbo concerned and a number of people were there to send her on her way.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2718/4197049174_b41911e6de_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/4197049168_1175a0f2dd_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4197049178_afff481c86_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4197049182_293149de0e_b.jpg

~~ FLUKE OF 2009 ~~

What started out as a photo I thought was wrecked, turned out to be one of the more unusual ones taken this year.

The plane was to get the Cathay Pacific jet right above the Tiger Airways one. What I didn't notice was the Pacific Blue jet screaming up the third runway and slamming into the viewfinder just as I am taking the shot.
On viewing the shot back on the computer I find the Korean Air 747 also wanting to be in on the action.

This one is going to be enlarged and put on the wall :lol:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2607/4197049190_1cea2268f0_b.jpg

JAL Likely To Choose Delta Over American - Report

Japan Airlines is likely to choose Delta Air Lines as its overseas partner, ending its ties with American Airlines and the Oneworld alliance, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported on Friday.

JAL, Asia's largest carrier by revenue, strongly denied the report and said it was planning to make a decision early next month on whether to stick with American Airlines or defect to Delta and the rival SkyTeam airline group.

"It is absolutely wrong to say that we are leaning either way on the alliance decision at this moment," said JAL spokesman Kojiro Waki.

JAL has decided that switching to Skyteam would allow it to more effectively restructure its operations while also offering it better growth prospects, the Asahi newspaper said without citing a source for the information.

American, along with other members of the Oneworld alliance and private equity fund TPG, has offered to invest USD$1.1 billion in JAL and wants closer business ties under an "open skies" treaty signed by the US and Japan governments last week.

Delta has said that it and other SkyTeam members are ready to offer a total aid package of about USD$1 billion, including USD$500 million in equity. Delta has also said it may team with a fund to sweeten its proposal.

"We are still in ongoing discussions with JAL and we continue to maintain that American Airlines' offer is superior to that of any other rival," said Carlo Niederberger, a public relations official representing American Airlines in Japan.

A Delta spokeswoman declined to comment.

JAL, weighed down by USD$15 billion in debt and struggling to cut a USD$3.7 billion pension shortfall, is seeking a bailout from a government-backed turnaround fund. The fund is expected to decide whether to inject capital into JAL next month.

ANTI-TRUST

Both US airlines are keen to gain access to JAL's network to fast-growing Asian markets and a stronger foothold in Japan ahead of the expansion of Tokyo's Haneda airport next year.

Delta has estimated JAL could gain USD$400 million in annual revenue by joining hands with the world's biggest carrier given that it transports several times the number of passengers on transpacific routes.

Takahiko Kishi, an analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities, said forging ties with Delta would offer greater scope for cutting costs but warned the move could prove risky.

"With a move to SkyTeam the positive effects would not become visible for a year or so. The question is whether JAL can wait that long," Kishi said.

American has argued that JAL could lose USD$500 million in sales over a two-year transition period if it left Oneworld and that regulators would not approve anti-trust immunity for Delta and JAL under the open skies pact because SkyTeam would then control the bulk of US-Japan travel.

Delta says it believes it could receive anti-trust immunity, which allows airlines to work closely on pricing, scheduling and marketing to boost revenues and lower costs.

American has also argued that Delta would likely look to route more traffic through South Korean's Incheon International Airport, bypassing JAL and Japan. Delta is a partner of Korean Air in SkyTeam.

"American doesn't have a hub in Japan or a hub in Korea that would compete for JAL's customers, siphoning important revenue and traffic from its network," American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey told a news conference in Tokyo this week.

(Reuters)
http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1261138331.html

I asked in the past if MNL is likely going to be a casualty of DL's route network and they said the only way that would possibly happen is if DL gets a stake in JL. With the article above, will we see MNL say goodbye to mainland US carriers?

19-12-2009
MEL Melbourne PR 209 Philippine Airlines 8:30 PM T-C2 Scheduled
744

May get lucky with PAL 747s two days in a row.

Brad

^^ thanks alcogoodwin, those were all great photo's :)

According to the PAL Facebook page, PAL is finally producing a new safety video. Hopefully they take all my suggestions (especially the use of NON-TAGLISH Filipino) into account! :banana:

Awesome. Is this place easy to get in to?

Brad

umm. if u have an appointment with them you're allowed to come in but security is very tight. You're always accompanied by a vehicle escort.

by the way I also saw different carriers parked there. JAL, Thai airways, australian and singapore. Marami palang customers ang Macroasia

According to the PAL Facebook page, PAL is finally producing a new safety video. Hopefully they take all my suggestions (especially the use of NON-TAGLISH Filipino) into account! :banana:

PAL as well is sick with the current Safety Video. If you have noticed a month or two ago, all aircraft except for A320's RPC-3221-3231, A330's and A340's (which are all MATSUSHITA)stopped playing the safety video. The reason behind this was the supposedly new one was already programmed. According to one of PAL Learning Center (PLC) heads, the new one was festive, animated and attractive but it has safety issues which they need to fix before CAAP can approve it. One of the featured FA's was ******. Same FA that was in the refurbished 747 economy ad.

^^ Is it bilingual (English and non-Taglish Filipino)? I hope it is. :D

If it isn't, I will cry to high heaven. :cry:

^^ dont have an idea. But All i can remember, it was said to be Sexy, animated and festive. why do you want it to be bilingual btw? it will just be longer and i feel its really not needed. hehe

^^ Because for those who do not understand English (like first-time flyers from lower socio-economic backgrounds), the Filipino will definitely help. Some who fly PAL (especially overseas Filipinos) also believe that the use of Filipino makes them feel more at home as they return to the Philippines. And how will it make it long? The average length of a bilingual safety video is five minutes, and they can certainly make it as attractive and visually pleasing as the Thai and Air Canada videos, which are my preeminent examples of bilingual safety videos.

Air Canada

_FVkYF8iNuA

Thai Airways International

c3qUxyQ1Krc

I e-mailed them, and I hope to get a response soon. If the video is not bilingual, I will still cry to high heaven. Maawa ka naman PAL: ang pagka-Pilipino mo, hindi mo pa maiangat sa buong mundo! :ohno:

^^

Speaking of bi-lingualism as I know PR is one of the few airlines that doesn't do at least 1 of its safety videos bi-lingually (AA does it in Spanish, NW has Japanese embedded), is it a requirement for all commercial airlines to do the safety video in English?

^^ Not really. JL used to do its safety video solely in Japanese until they made it bilingual with their rebranding back in 2003-2004. AY's charter flights only have the safety video in Finnish. TA (TACA) did it only in Spanish with English subtitles (they are producing a new video in line with their corporate rebranding), and KE sometimes shows only a Korean video with English subtitles. Here's some samples of monolingual non-English safety videos.

Finnair

Zj1Bl1X46FI

Japan Airlines (old)

I4Q7lraoMR4

Korean Air

JKyVFBgvrQk

TACA

YVXHBtUmIYQ

^^ Because for those who do not understand English (like first-time flyers from lower socio-economic backgrounds), the Filipino will definitely help. Some who fly PAL (especially overseas Filipinos) also believe that the use of Filipino makes them feel more at home as they return to the Philippines. :

I only speak english, but I agree.
It also adds to the general feeling of going away to the Philippines from the moment you leave the terminal :-)

19-12-2009
MEL Melbourne PR 209 Philippine Airlines 8:30 PM T-C2 Scheduled
744

May get lucky with PAL 747s two days in a row.

Brad

Yep it happened.
RP-7475 did the honours again and yes, more piccies were taken :-)

Not getting the departure this time, have to gotrain chasing down south :-)

A330 rostered for tonights Manila departure, so I guess the excitment is all over.

Thank you to Mr Tan - he obviously did this as a Xmas present to me after purchasing so much of his quality rum beverage during the year. Onya Lucio....

http://pinoybusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/luciotan.jpg

Brad

^^ Because for those who do not understand English (like first-time flyers from lower socio-economic backgrounds), the Filipino will definitely help. Some who fly PAL (especially overseas Filipinos) also believe that the use of Filipino makes them feel more at home as they return to the Philippines. And how will it make it long? The average length of a bilingual safety video is five minutes, and they can certainly make it as attractive and visually pleasing as the Thai and Air Canada videos, which are my preeminent examples of bilingual safety videos.

Air Canada

_FVkYF8iNuA

Thai Airways International

c3qUxyQ1Krc

I e-mailed them, and I hope to get a response soon. If the video is not bilingual, I will still cry to high heaven. Maawa ka naman PAL: ang pagka-Pilipino mo, hindi mo pa maiangat sa buong mundo! :ohno:

I like how these two videos are done with two languages used one after another.

I like how these two videos are done with two languages used one after another.

I just L-O-V-E the TG inflight safety vid.:lovethem: It never fails to keep me hooked on to their screens during taxi.

I like the cartoons at the start with the temples and planes, the music, the ayatana background and the alternating bilingual instructions.:) All of them together give you a very Thai feel.

By BHNL from HKADB :
http://www.hkadb.com/forum/files/img_0012s_814.jpg

PAL 777

Aviation Expo 2009
December 18-20 2009 Mactan-Cebu International Airport

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakidoodle/4195069444/

PAL 777

Lovely looking bird.

You know, I have just noticed the flag appears back to front on the planes. What is the reason for this?
Normally the stars would be on the left side.

Brad

^^ That's the starboard side. The flag appears normally on the port side.

I know that ships/trains use the terms 2nd and 3rd class to describe level of service. Did airlines used to use these terms to describe business and economy class respectively?

^^ Nope, as far as I know.

PAF (Philippine Air force) orders 8 new PZL W-3WA Sokół
PZL Swidnik won 2.8 Billion bid

December 21, 2009

Manila- The Philippine Air Force has officially ordered eight (8) W-3 Sokół combat utility helicopter from manufacturer WSK-PZL Świdnik S.A of Poland in a deal worth two billion eight hundred fifty seven million eight hundred sixty four thousand six hundred twenty five pesos (P2,857,864,625.18). Defense Secretary Norberto B. Gonzales announced the award for the combat utility helicopter during the weekend.

The W-3WA Sokół (falcon) made its first flight on July 30, 1992 and has a capacity for two crew and twelve passengers. The W-3WA has been certified by US FAR Pt 29 standards granted in May 1993 and European certification granted in December 1993.

"This is the culmination of our negotiation with the supplier. Secretary Teodoro approved the negotiated procurement of P3 billion worth of combat utility helicopters last June after two successive failure of bidding process." Secretary Gonzales said.

"The project has been two years overdue and I think its about time" says Gonzales after awarding the contract to Warsaw based helicopter manufacturer.

The budget for the combat utility helicopter (CUH) project had been released by Malacanang as early as 2007 but no firm has submitted bid proposal according to specifications and budget in two succeeding bids. The budget was part of the P5-billion modernization fund for 2007 aimed to replaced UH-1H Huey helicopters in the Air Force Fleet.

“PZL was found to have the best possible offer based on the budget so after extensive negotiation we awarded it to them” said Gonzales.

The Department of Defense is also acquiring P3 billion worth of night capable attack (NCAH) helicopters, whose bidding had also failed twice. Gonzales said that a negotiated procurement with the US Department of Defense for the purchase of second-hand attack helicopters with the same night capability is already in the works and they are hoping to seal the deal before President Arroyo's term end.

The P3 billion fund was originally part of the P5 billion budget released by President Arroyo for the purchase of combat utility and night-capable attack helicopters that formed part of the AFP Capability Upgrade Program. Additional budget of 1 billion was appropriated by the President this year adding more fund to the project.

A total of 34 priority items are included in the first phase of the re-prioritized AFP CUP shopping list, 62 in Phase 2, and 39 items in Phase 2-B.


Technical data for PZL Swidnik W-3

Engine: 2 x PZL-10V turboshaft, rated at 662kW, main rotor diameter: 15.7m, length with rotors turning: 18.79m, fuselage length: 14.21m, height: 4.2m, take-off weight: 6400kg, empty weight: 3630kg, cruising speed: 238km/h, hovering ceiling, IGE: 3200m, range: 745km, payload: 2100kg,

^^ That's the starboard side. The flag appears normally on the port side.

Interesting. Any reason they do this?

^^ The "hoist" of the flag (the part nearest the flag pole) will always be the leading edge; and the "fly" (the part furthest away from the flag pole) always brings up the end. So, in objects/vehicles that have directional movements, one side will always have the flag in reverse (think of it as a "mirror image").

You know? We had this discussion about flags painted on an aircraft, this time it was an american flag in a C130 aircraft whenver a US president would fly into the city, they normally block part of the taxiway with a C130 aircraft and some apache helicopters. There must be a symbol and meaning for all these.

^^ The "hoist" of the flag (the part nearest the flag pole) will always be the leading edge; and the "fly" (the part furthest away from the flag pole) always brings up the end. So, in objects/vehicles that have directional movements, one side will always have the flag in reverse (think of it as a "mirror image").

Thanks for that.

Am just preparing some photos of yesterdays 747 arrival and will post shortly. I could see the flag on the other side in these.

Brad

~~ RP-7475 December 20th Sydney Visit ~~

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4201953085_60d24fcbd2.jpg
Approaching Smogney Airport

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/4201952675_cdbb47d750_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2616/4202713166_0e4e11b2a8_b.jpg
Turning onto the taxiway.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4202714358_438370ab9f_b.jpg


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4201956041_671819b2cd_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2512/4201951951_252f52273b.jpg
Pinay's don't like planes that much :)

Wow, very nice shots Brad!

lol..hehe very nice shots Brad! :D you obviously got organized. I though about going the night before but got lazy and woke up late. Did it leave on time as per sched 12:15pm?

I go to that fence occasionally but I mainly stay at the carpark since I take videos for youtube lol...

btw did you get any shot of the 5 engined QF747 during the weekend?..thats right a 5 engined 747 QF has a history of doing that

damn i really missed alot on the weekend :nuts:

PAL as well is sick with the current Safety Video. If you have noticed a month or two ago, all aircraft except for A320's RPC-3221-3231, A330's and A340's (which are all MATSUSHITA)stopped playing the safety video. The reason behind this was the supposedly new one was already programmed. According to one of PAL Learning Center (PLC) heads, the new one was festive, animated and attractive but it has safety issues which they need to fix before CAAP can approve it. One of the featured FA's was ******. Same FA that was in the refurbished 747 economy ad.

Who's FA is that and why they find it sexy?

don't you find 747 series dangerous?....70s pa kaya yan....i had a chance to ride in a jumbo once from ceb to mla.....siguro galing japan yun....bigla na lang nagdive...kala ko hindi na makakabawi....ang consolation ko na lang kung mag crash sama sama kami lahat buong family.....buti na lang hindi...:lol:

^^ Huh? The 747-400, which is the type PAL operates, was first certified in 1989, and in PAL's case, their 747s were obtained in 1994, brand-new.

The 747-100 on the other hand dates back to 1970. No 747s remain in service.

^^ In fairness, yung flight namin last August 30 (MNL-CEB) using 747, maayos naman ang flight namin.

don't you find 747 series dangerous?....70s pa kaya yan....i had a chance to ride in a jumbo once from ceb to mla.....siguro galing japan yun....bigla na lang nagdive...kala ko hindi na makakabawi....ang consolation ko na lang kung mag crash sama sama kami lahat buong family.....buti na lang hindi...:lol:

Sky harbor was right on what he said. Besides, what you had experienced must be just a turbulance which is comon especially going to and out of japan, atleast in my experience, each time we would have lay over in japan, we always encounter turbulance that would scare the living daylight out of you. Remember that latest incident of one NWA flight in japan earlier this year? there were injuries? For some reason that area has alot of turbulance especially the ones between Manila to Japan, which is mostly towards the Japanese airspace.

You know? We had this discussion about flags painted on an aircraft, this time it was an american flag in a C130 aircraft whenver a US president would fly into the city, they normally block part of the taxiway with a C130 aircraft and some apache helicopters. There must be a symbol and meaning for all these.

Maybe it's the new impenetrable protection for Air Force One. :)
Baka sa C-130 yata sinasakay yung mga Apache or minsan sa C-17.
But Air Force One is always accompanied by 2 C-5 Galaxies with all the supports needed by the president when visiting another nation.

Well yeah, the C130 was carrying all the apache. There is military installation in SGF this is why we have two runways for a tiny airport. Some of those who are being deployed in the area usually leave from here. It probabably just happen that there is a C130 deployed which is almost regular and they used that to block the taxiway near where Airforce One is always parked. I wouldn't dare to drive near it as we have had incidents where an infrared ray is focused on one of my coworker's head as he drove down the backroad when there were supposed to be no vehicles passing there at a certain time especially when the President is still within the premises.

Here's another nice safety video:

jXRTXc3Heuc

I last took CX 10 years ago yet didn't know it embedded Cantonese in it. I only recall the English parts only.

^^ I'm not too fond of the CX video, as I prefer actual people doing the demonstrations instead of animated figures.

in my case naman i find it demeaning to the stewards and stewardesses to be doing the demo....i prefer yung video.....just imagine you standing there and a hundred or so souls are staring at you...a lot of them specially guys... is mentally undressing you...:lol: ...

^^ In that regard, a lot of YouTubers like the male F/A in the TG video. They say he's hot. :lol:

in my case naman i find it demeaning to the stewards and stewardesses to be doing the demo....i prefer yung video.....just imagine you standing there and a hundred or so souls are staring at you...a lot of them specially guys... is mentally undressing you...:lol: ...

Kalbo na manyakis pa LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Well, not all of us think the way you do kalbongdad. Not everybody is a pervert. Besides if one is as perverted as that, even if the flight attendants are not doing their safety videos themselves, you would still be undressing them regardless as they pass by your seat section. There is no demeaning job that are being carried out with intergrity and efficiency, besides, they are making decent money in doing what they are doing which is very respectable so I don't see where and how it would be very demeaning to them when this profession has been practicing the same task since from the beginning. :nuts:

in my case naman i find it demeaning to the stewards and stewardesses to be doing the demo....i prefer yung video.....just imagine you standing there and a hundred or so souls are staring at you...a lot of them specially guys... is mentally undressing you...:lol: ...

It's no different from an actor on stage delivering his lines in a play, or a teacher standing in front of his/her class presenting the day's lessons, or a priest/minister preaching to his congregation in church.

For those who have been aboard the PAL 77W, which window rows have no windows? (plugged)

Rows 33 and 36? Or 34 and 37?

33 and 36.

lol..hehe very nice shots Brad! :D you obviously got organized. I though about going the night before but got lazy and woke up late. Did it leave on time as per sched 12:15pm?

I go to that fence occasionally but I mainly stay at the carpark since I take videos for youtube lol...

btw did you get any shot of the 5 engined QF747 during the weekend?..thats right a 5 engined 747 QF has a history of doing that

damn i really missed alot on the weekend :nuts:

Thanks Sou-jiro and mwg12a for your kind words.

Sou-jiro, I was totally unaware of a 5 engine Qantas 747. Where do they put the 5th engine? Would have to look a bit unusual.
Sadly I don't have the contacts to tell me when these unusual things happen :(
Hope to catch up with you one day. If you see a little red Festiva with Philippine flags over it and ASWANG across the front windscreen, you will know it is me :-)

Brad

lol..hehe very nice shots Brad! :D you obviously got organized. I though about going the night before but got lazy and woke up late. Did it leave on time as per sched 12:15pm?

I go to that fence occasionally but I mainly stay at the carpark since I take videos for youtube lol...

btw did you get any shot of the 5 engined QF747 during the weekend?..thats right a 5 engined 747 QF has a history of doing that

damn i really missed alot on the weekend :nuts:

Like this one?

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/2/8/9/0227982.jpg

in my case naman i find it demeaning to the stewards and stewardesses to be doing the demo....i prefer yung video.....just imagine you standing there and a hundred or so souls are staring at you...a lot of them specially guys... is mentally undressing you...:lol: ...

Would you mentally undress the overweight dinosaurs of some US carriers?:ohno::nuts::lol:

thats the one Bitoy :D there you go Brad..

it creates Drag but pilots can coope with it...You're actually more updated than me, I haven't been at that beach there for a while. just the observation deck which is still pretty good. for landings and taxiing.

There is an active group in the YSSY messege board. many of them are Enthusiast as well in based in SYD. :)

^^ I'm not too fond of the CX video, as I prefer actual people doing the demonstrations instead of animated figures.

parang karaoke ba:lol:

Like this one?

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/2/8/9/0227982.jpg

wow
5 engines?

why 5?

wow
5 engines?

why 5?

It transports it from point A to point B. I am not sure if it is counted as cargo

I'm not sure if it is just me or if everyone else can't understand the purser in this safety video:

GTXPMxMXAR4

This has got to be the best live safety demo I've seen online:

Sl_V8BYP1O4

wow
5 engines?

why 5?

mukhang photoshop

I've seen an episode of ACI featuring Air India (if my memory serves me right) B747which was then carrying an extra engine. Only the four engines are working during flight. As seven13 mentioned, the extra engine is being transported from one point to another. It would be impractical to put the extra in the cargo hold.

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/9/6/7/0635769.jpg

wow
5 engines?

why 5?

;48898983']mukhang photoshop

Bebenta nila ng por kilo yung isa. :lol:

That's usually a spare or a repaired engine for another plane on their company.

Clark to replace NAIA as RP's premiere airport

By Ding Cervantes
(The Philippine Star)
Updated December 23, 2009 12:00 AM

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines — The upgrading of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here and the downgrading of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila is “inevitable,” Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano said yesterday.

In an interview, Luciano said the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted the government at least $5 million for a “transition study” that would make the DMIA the country’s premiere international airport.

Modern aircraft are now being built much larger and bigger terminals are needed for the growing number of international passengers. Physical limitations hamper the NAIA from absorbing these developments, Luciano said.

The JICA grant, he said, will cover infrastructure projects in neighboring Angeles City which also has to prepare for the conversion of DMIA into a premiere airport.

Luciano said the study is expected to be finished by the fourth quarter of 2010. “It will cover transport network needed between the NAIA and DMIA,” he said.

But he said the NAIA will not be phased out, although it will be downgraded from its current status as the country’s premiere international airport.

Luciano said the study will consider the DMIA’s expansion so that it would be able to process 80 million passengers per year. “This is much more than the 45 million capacity of the airport in Hong Kong and the 50 million capacity of the airport in Thailand,” he noted.

In the absence of a new world-class “terminal 2” which is still on the drawing board, the CIAC has bid out the upgrading of the current terminal to equip it initially with two foot bridges supposed to be operational by the first quarter next year. At present, passengers use mobile stairs to board or alight from their aircraft.

This, even as more international flights have started to operate at the DMIA, including initial flights to Kuwait and Bahrain. CIAC said at least three flights per week are being eyed between Clark and the Middle Eastern destinations.

Fedex, too, has plans to expand operations beyond the 1.6 hectares it now uses at the DMIA, Luciano said.

^^

Again, the key thing there is it is the country's premier gateway, not Manila but the country's.

Dreamliner is a breath of fresh (cabin) air

December 23, 2009 - 2:36AM [/B] Click for more photos Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet has taken to the skies for the first time, in a critical milestone for the problem-plagued aircraft seen as key to the future of the US aerospace giant. Photo: Bloomberg


The successful launch of the Boeing Dreamliner has highlighted concerns about the amount of toxic air in conventional aircraft cabins.

The new lightweight plane, which is designed to cut fuel costs by 20 per cent, has been hailed as the answer to the problem of contaminated air that scientists claim affects up to 200,000 British passengers each year – known in the industry as aerotoxic syndrome.

Since 1963, all commercial aircraft have used the "bleed air" system, whereby compressed air is drawn through the engines and into the cabin. The air passes through filters that remove bacteria or viruses but do not remove fumes or vapours from the engine – so if there is an oil or hydraulic fuel leak, toxic chemicals can contaminate the air supply.

On its new Dreamliner, Boeing is to pump fresh cabin air from a separate source (away from the engines) for the first time since the 1950s. This had previously been deemed too expensive.

"This marks a serious milestone in aviation history, with the long-awaited first flight of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner," said Tristan Lorraine, a former commercial pilot and spokesman for the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE), which represents thousands of airline staff. "The GCAQE urges other manufacturers to design aircraft with this new 'bleed-free' design and stop using out-of-date technologies, which fail to protect passengers and crews from being exposed to toxic chemicals."

Earlier this year, undercover investigators claimed to have found high levels of a dangerous toxin on several planes using the bleed-air system. Of 31 swab samples taken secretly from the aircraft cabins of popular airlines, 28 were found to contain high levels of tricresyl phosphate (TCP), an organophosphate contained in modern jet oil as an anti-wear additive, which can lead to drowsiness, respiratory problems and neurological illnesses.

Dr Mackenzie Ross, a clinical neuropsychologist at University College London, has claimed that contaminated cabin air may affect up to 200,000 passengers each year. An investigation by London's Daily Telegraph last year disclosed that hundreds of incidents of contaminated air had been reported by British pilots.

Reports linking exposure to contaminated air with long-term harm to health have led to an increase in the number of passengers and crew seeking redress. Earlier this year a former American Airlines attendant, Terry Williams, 40, launched a lawsuit against Boeing over illnesses she claims were caused by toxic fumes.

A spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said that investigations were continuing, but that there was no evidence of a link between cabin air and ill health.

The Telegraph, London

Clark to replace NAIA as RP's premiere airport

By Ding Cervantes
(The Philippine Star)
Updated December 23, 2009 12:00 AM

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines — The upgrading of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here and the downgrading of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila is “inevitable,” Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano said yesterday.

In an interview, Luciano said the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted the government at least $5 million for a “transition study” that would make the DMIA the country’s premiere international airport.

Modern aircraft are now being built much larger and bigger terminals are needed for the growing number of international passengers. Physical limitations hamper the NAIA from absorbing these developments, Luciano said.

The JICA grant, he said, will cover infrastructure projects in neighboring Angeles City which also has to prepare for the conversion of DMIA into a premiere airport.

Luciano said the study is expected to be finished by the fourth quarter of 2010. “It will cover transport network needed between the NAIA and DMIA,” he said.

But he said the NAIA will not be phased out, although it will be downgraded from its current status as the country’s premiere international airport.

Luciano said the study will consider the DMIA’s expansion so that it would be able to process 80 million passengers per year. “This is much more than the 45 million capacity of the airport in Hong Kong and the 50 million capacity of the airport in Thailand,” he noted.

In the absence of a new world-class “terminal 2” which is still on the drawing board, the CIAC has bid out the upgrading of the current terminal to equip it initially with two foot bridges supposed to be operational by the first quarter next year. At present, passengers use mobile stairs to board or alight from their aircraft.

This, even as more international flights have started to operate at the DMIA, including initial flights to Kuwait and Bahrain. CIAC said at least three flights per week are being eyed between Clark and the Middle Eastern destinations.

Fedex, too, has plans to expand operations beyond the 1.6 hectares it now uses at the DMIA, Luciano said.

During the time of FVR, the governent's plan was to put up a third terminal for NAIA (T3) that would have lived out its purpose by around 2008 (ten years from 1998). During such time, a new airport, "the country's premiere gateway," would have been up and running at Clark. That airport and MNL would be connected by high-speed rail.

In a few days, it will be 2010 and where are we on that "roadmap?":nuts:

There was already recognition of the limits of expansion at NAIA from various sectors of society more than ten years ago. But it remained just that - recognition. No action taken. And here we are with a half-built T3, a decade late.

I'm not sure if it is just me or if everyone else can't understand the purser in this safety video:

[/youtube]

I can for most part. They have manual -visual instructions anyway together with in seat card or handout you can refer to.

It's just funny how that flight attendant in air philipppines sounds like from another asian country as well, she sounded like tik tuk tuc tuc tuc tuc but I can pick up most of what she is saying as well somehow.



There was already recognition of the limits of expansion at NAIA from various sectors of society more than ten years ago. But it remained just that - recognition. No action taken. And here we are with a half-built T3, a decade late.
That dream of connecting NAIA and DMIA seems like it comes from a fantasy land. Overly ambitious and unrealistic. What is more realistic is what was said in this article, downgrade NAIA and transform DMIA into a premier gateway into the Philippines.

Dreamliner is a breath of fresh (cabin) air

December 23, 2009 - 2:36AM [/B] Click for more photos Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner jet has taken to the skies for the first time, in a critical milestone for the problem-plagued aircraft seen as key to the future of the US aerospace giant. Photo: Bloomberg


The successful launch of the Boeing Dreamliner has highlighted concerns about the amount of toxic air in conventional aircraft cabins.


The Telegraph, London

Funny how this article sounds more like an add to promote B787 which I am not oppossing about what-so-ever, okay? Now, they are making all the passengers and airline owners to be overly conscious about the safety of the air we breathe in while we are inside the cabin and most especially while flying, while there is really alot truth to it, there would be alot of passengers or patrons who would get paranoid, not to mention the cabin crews... it would compell the airline owners to look into B787 to replace their fleets with this, the even more funny part here is that, the authorities would be checking for the breathable air safety on all types of aircrafts which would probably cause the authorities to either call for recall on airfilters or impose rulings on how airline companies can provide cleaner breathable air for their passengers, Boeing would be selling that kit to help the filtration device in most type of aircrafts. SMART MOVE? Cha-Ching Cha-ching I can hear the cash register chimming in ...he he

...

That dream of connecting NAIA and DMIA seems like it comes from a fantasy land. Overly ambitious and unrealistic. What is more realistic is what was said in this article, downgrade NAIA and transform DMIA into a premier gateway into the Philippines.

There was absolutely no overly ambitious and unrealistic dream of connecting NAIA and DMIA during 1998. The vision was to transfer most flights from NAIA to DMIA. There is no way MNL could support two airports.

The point is, there is nothing new that has been said in this article. Just plain recycled ideas, with some more daydreaming.

Its my first time to post here. Just want to share my pics of SQ's B777-200 Christmas cabin decor. Sorry for some blurry shots.:)

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38871.jpg?t=1261579258
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38861.jpg?t=1261579324
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38851.jpg?t=1261579361
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38841.jpg?t=1261579395

^^ i was expecting christmas lights hanging... :lol:

I can for most part. They have manual -visual instructions anyway together with in seat card or handout you can refer to.

It's just funny how that flight attendant in air philipppines sounds like from another asian country as well, she sounded like tik tuk tuc tuc tuc tuc but I can pick up most of what she is saying as well somehow.



Hmmm... it appears as if most of the Youtube viewers who have seen that video can't get it as well as you do. Actually, the part that struck me the most was the part when she warned passengers not to remove the lifejackets from the aircraft outside of an emergency.

With those 2 safety demos side by side you can tell the difference in emergency procedures. AK for instance insist passengers inflate 1 side of the jacket immediately before leaving the aircraft and the the other side immediately after.


That dream of connecting NAIA and DMIA seems like it comes from a fantasy land. Overly ambitious and unrealistic. What is more realistic is what was said in this article, downgrade NAIA and transform DMIA into a premier gateway into the Philippines.

I just hope they don't screw-up DMIA as much as MNL. I have maintained that we have a real chance to prove ourselves in the global aviation sector with DMIA. It will be fantasy alright, unless our government can be super trusted.

Do you really think all the people in power that live in Manila and take international flights are going to be happy that they have to add another hour to use Clark airport.

Even if the railroad tracks are completed it will still add 45-60 minutes with all the stops between Clark and Manila.

^^

I think the same argument could be said about HND, SEL and the old KUL which were all closer to the city. As far as it may be, is there any other alternative to building a new airport nearby or demolishing what's nearby to expand the runway or even terminal space? And I think one person in power will be happy with DMIA as a long term replacement for NAIA.

Its my first time to post here. Just want to share my pics of SQ's B777-200 Christmas cabin decor. Sorry for some blurry shots.:)

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38871.jpg?t=1261579258
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38861.jpg?t=1261579324
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38851.jpg?t=1261579361
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af211/okm_okm25/IMG_38841.jpg?t=1261579395

Kinda tacky. :ohno:

^^ Exactly @kiretoce. Its very much "un-SQlike".:ohno::lol:

I kind of like this safety video, very funny.

j6ixjc5yeMU

^^ The Virgin series of videos (VA, VX and VS) is known for its trademark Virgin humor. However, I don't like the fact that they are animated.

Merry Christmas eveeryone! I tried checking koreanair.com and found that there was an advice saying flights originating from the Philippines can only be purchased at Philippine stations (i.e. not in the foreign airlines or travel websites). Is there any truth to that?

^^ Yup. You can only book KE flights from KE agents in the Philippines.

I kind of like this safety video, very funny.

j6ixjc5yeMU

Me too! its entertaining and attention catcher...

Me too! its entertaining and attention catcher...

I kind of like it when they used an animal as a passenger. haha!

^^ Yup. You can only book KE flights from KE agents in the Philippines.

But is there a law stating that we can only buy Philippine-originating tickets within the Philippines only? I can probably understand domestic destinations because of VAT/GST. CX, MH and SQ do allow flights originating in the Philippines to be booked in their respective websites. How are they all different?

PAL as well is sick with the current Safety Video. If you have noticed a month or two ago, all aircraft except for A320's RPC-3221-3231, A330's and A340's (which are all MATSUSHITA)stopped playing the safety video. The reason behind this was the supposedly new one was already programmed. According to one of PAL Learning Center (PLC) heads, the new one was festive, animated and attractive but it has safety issues which they need to fix before CAAP can approve it. One of the featured FA's was ******. Same FA that was in the refurbished 747 economy ad.

By any chance would this be one of those affected flights?

Yfati7qwvcY

If you look carefully, the IFE of business class appears to work well.

I only speak english, but I agree.
It also adds to the general feeling of going away to the Philippines from the moment you leave the terminal :-)

It is quite a shame that PR does not offer a bilingual safety video feature. I'm a little disheartened as this, to me, signals American imperialism and the decline of the Filipino culture (in that our language is slowly being polluted by 'ingles' and butchered). It's so frustrating haha.

^^ Not exactly. A major reason why the video isn't bilingual is the (imagined) difficulty of using technical terms in Filipino. However, I'd like to believe that line of reasoning is complete BS. It's not that difficult to say sinturong pangkaligtasan or teleponong selyular.

And it's not difficult to translate technical terms in Chinese or Thai? Or even in Spanish? I'm just saying, we could try a little harder. In a few decades, we might as well give up Tagalog all together. I'd imagine that Tagalog will join Latin as a dead language, sooner than later, the way we're going.

By any chance would this be one of those affected flights?

Yfati7qwvcY

If you look carefully, the IFE of business class appears to work well.

probably. The aircraft is an 8600 series A320. Dunno when was that taken but also, some pursers on international flights prefer a live demo because theyre just too lazy to learn all different IFE that PAL has. :)

And it's not difficult to translate technical terms in Chinese or Thai? Or even in Spanish? I'm just saying, we could try a little harder. In a few decades, we might as well give up Tagalog all together. I'd imagine that Tagalog will join Latin as a dead language, sooner than later, the way we're going.

Think of it this way: Taglish has had a profound impact on Philippine language policy and especially on the development of the Filipino language as a whole.

Merry Christmas eveeryone! I tried checking koreanair.com and found that there was an advice saying flights originating from the Philippines can only be purchased at Philippine stations (i.e. not in the foreign airlines or travel websites). Is there any truth to that?

I do not think so, I purchased two round trip tickets of Korean Air from NYC office and pick-up Korean Air, Cebu, Philippines office for trip from MNL to JFK a few years back. :)

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/9/6/7/0635769.jpg





Bebenta nila ng por kilo yung isa. :lol:

That's usually a spare or a repaired engine for another plane on their company.

This is a photo shop. This will cause an aerodynamic drag and cause to destabilized the flight. If it will be working, the plane will tend to yaw due to uneven power of the engine thrush.

Bakit hindi nalang lagyan ng stamps para e coreo nalang. toink. :ohno: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Sometimes the US Air Force uses Fedex or UPS to have some equipments transported even they have thousands of assorted sizes of cargo planes. :nuts:

^^ That's not Photoshopped. 747s are capable of lifting a third, non-functioning engine to be transported somewhere for repairs. The weight is balanced such that the engine's impact on the balance of the plane while in mid-air is negligible.

I do not think so, I purchased two round trip tickets of Korean Air from NYC office and pick-up Korean Air, Cebu, Philippines office for trip from MNL to JFK a few years back. :)

That's the ticket office. The issue here is that you can't book KE tickets originating from MNL or CEB online.

This is a photo shop. This will cause an aerodynamic drag and cause to destabilized the flight. If it will be working, the plane will tend to yaw due to uneven power of the engine thrush.

Bakit hindi nalang lagyan ng stamps para e coreo nalang. toink. :ohno: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Sometimes the US Air Force uses Fedex or UPS to have some equipments transported even they have thousands of assorted sizes of cargo planes. :nuts:


I've seen that done before on a 747 cargo version. The engine was stripped of blades and fairings to reduce the drag, that was one of the quickest way to send an engine for repair or to replace an engine of a jetliner that needs one.

Hindi na yata pinadadala ng USAF ang mga engines and parts sa ibang cargo company, baka nakawin, look what happened in Vietnam, lumilipad pa yung mga naiwanang Hueys nila... :lol:

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/9/2/4/0289429.jpg

probably. The aircraft is an 8600 series A320. Dunno when was that taken but also, some pursers on international flights prefer a live demo because theyre just too lazy to learn all different IFE that PAL has. :)

In October, I took an A320 in the same series with a live demo although maybe not for the reasons you stated but simply because their IFE broke down. Sometimes a live demo can be preferred because it constantly reminds the crew of their training.

I was going through the suite class of SQ and EK on their respective A380s.

quG96HfZFI0

As you can see it is a bit complicated and unintuitive for a passenger to convert his space into a sleeping area. It took over 2 minutes to set-up the bed. I have to give the edge to EK as the seat and bed are integrated and the conversion is more seamless.

vNvRCBx8gas

rWjZX57QQDY

Daming delays sa mga Airports sa Europe. This certainly eases the stress of traveling.

Just wanted to share this!! Saya naman ang Lisboa/Lisbon Airport~ Merry Christmas!!

I kind of like this safety video, very funny.

j6ixjc5yeMU

This is absolutely fantastic :lol::lol::lol:

"Not least of which is ending this speach" :lol::lol:

It is the Virgin humour that has me always seek to fly with them around Australia. I always love to leave a plane happy and it just dosen't come from the stuffiness that Qantas offers.

A Northwest A330 flying from AMS to DTW was subject to an apparent terrorist attack after a man suffered some burns attempting to ignite something.

This is a photo shop. This will cause an aerodynamic drag and cause to destabilized the flight. If it will be working, the plane will tend to yaw due to uneven power of the engine thrush.

Bakit hindi nalang lagyan ng stamps para e coreo nalang. toink. :ohno: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Sometimes the US Air Force uses Fedex or UPS to have some equipments transported even they have thousands of assorted sizes of cargo planes. :nuts:


lol.. thats not photoshopped what do you based that on??...
B747s are capable off carrying a spare engine for another 747 i have seen this 3 times all QF planes (2 x 744 and 1 x 743) yes it creates drag but pilots deal with it.
One take off I saw the angle of rotation is much less steep :ohno::ohno:

A Northwest A330 flying from AMS to DTW was subject to an apparent terrorist attack after a man suffered some burns attempting to ignite something.

Described by some as a fire cracker type of thing.

How the heck do you get this on board nowdays? You can't even manage to get on with an excessively heavy carry on case full of Philippine books, let alone a firework type explosive.

Interesting that it was announced here this week that security was to be relaxed with carry on stuff :ohno:

^^ went to the beach today Brad.. hardly the ideal weather to go out...but I did see the QF A380 and SQA380 take off making a big splash during rotation..then headed of to La Perouse Beach..lol


RodZz

^^ went to the beach today Brad.. hardly the ideal weather to go out...but I did see the QF A380 and SQA380 take off making a big splash during rotation..then headed of to La Perouse Beach..lol


RodZz

Drat.
I had planned to do the same thing, trying to cover the PAL Airbuses before they disappear from Sydney.
But yeah, the weather turned me off some. Ended up going to a friends house for some Filo food, Tanduay and karaoke :lol:

Next attempt will be Saturday. I don't think I will be awake for the new years arrival :lol:

Brad

Passengers help foil attack on Detroit-bound plane
By JIM IRWIN
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091226/ap_on_re_us/us_airliner_attack

Associated Press Writer Jim Irwin, Associated Press Writer – 51 mins ago
ROMULUS, Mich. – An attempted terrorist attack on a Christmas Day flight began with a pop and a puff of smoke — sending passengers scrambling to subdue a Nigerian man who claimed to be acting on orders from al-Qaida to blow up the airliner, officials and travelers said.

The commotion began as Northwest Airlines Flight 253, carrying 278 passengers and 11 crew members from Amsterdam, prepared to land in Detroit just before noon Friday. Travelers said they smelled smoke, saw a glow, and heard what sounded like firecrackers. At least one person climbed over others and jumped on the man, who officials say was trying to ignite an explosive device.

"It sounded like a firecracker in a pillowcase," said Peter Smith, a passenger from the Netherlands. "First there was a pop, and then (there) was smoke."

Smith said one passenger, sitting opposite the man, climbed over passengers, went across the aisle and tried to restrain the man. The heroic passenger appeared to have been burned.

Afterward, the suspect was taken to a front-row seat with his pants cut off and his legs burned. Multiple law enforcement officials also said the man appeared badly burned on his legs, indicating the explosive was strapped there. The components were apparently mixed in-flight and included a powdery substance, multiple law enforcement and counterterrorism officials said.

The White House said it believed it was an attempted act of terrorism and stricter security measures were quickly imposed on airline travel. Dutch anti-terrorism authorities said the U.S. has asked all airlines to take extra precautions on flights worldwide that are bound for the United States.

The incident was reminiscent of Richard Reid, who tried to destroy a trans-Atlantic flight in 2001 with explosives hidden in his shoes, but was subdued by other passengers.

Multiple law enforcement officials identified the suspect in Friday's attempted attack as Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab. He was described as Nigerian.

One law enforcement official said the man claimed to have been instructed by al-Qaida to detonate the plane over U.S. soil, but other law enforcement officials cautioned that such claims could not be verified immediately, and said the man may have been acting independently — inspired but not specifically trained or ordered by terror groups.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing.

Intelligence and anti-terrorism officials in Yemen said they were investigating claims by the suspect that he picked up the explosive device and instructions on how to use it in that country. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.

The man was being questioned Friday evening. An intelligence official said he was being held and treated in an Ann Arbor, Mich., hospital. The hospital said one passenger from the flight was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, but referred all inquiries to the FBI.

Melinda Dennis, who was seated in the front row of the plane, said the man involved was brought to the front row and seated near her. She said his legs appeared to be badly burned and his pants were cut off. She said he was taken off the plane handcuffed to a stretcher.

One law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mutallab's name had surfaced earlier on at least one U.S. intelligence database, but he was not on a watch list or a no-fly list.

The suspect boarded in Nigeria and went through Amsterdam en route to Detroit, Rep. Peter King, the ranking GOP member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told CNN. A spokeswoman for police at the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam declined comment about the case or about security procedures at the airport for Flight 253.

Dutch airline KLM says the connection in Amsterdam from Lagos, Nigeria, to Detroit involves a change in carrier and a change in aircraft.

Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest with a heavy load of transit passengers from Africa and Asia to North America, strictly enforces European security regulations including only allowing small amounts of liquid in hand luggage that must be placed inside clear plastic bags.

A spokesman for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Akin Olukunle, said all passengers and their luggage are screened before boarding international flights. He also said the airport in Lagos cleared a U.S. Transportation Security Administration audit in November.

"We had a pass mark," Olukunle said. "We actually are up to standards in all senses."

Nigeria's information minister, Dora Akunyili, condemned the attempted bombing. She said the government has opened its own investigation into the suspect and will work with U.S. authorities.

"We state very clearly that as a nation we abhor all forms of violence," Akunyili said in a statement issued Saturday.

London's Metropolitan Police also was working with U.S. officials, a spokeswoman said, and searches were being conducted in that city. The spokeswoman would not provide additional details, including what connection the suspect had to London or what was being searched. She spoke on condition of anonymity in line with department policy.

University College London issued a statement saying a student named Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab studied mechanical engineering there between September 2005 and June 2008. But the college said it wasn't certain the student was the same person who was on the plane.

Delta Air Lines Inc., which acquired Northwest last year, said a passenger caused a disturbance, was subdued, and the crew requested that law enforcement officials meet the flight.

Passenger Syed Jafri, a U.S. citizen who had flown from the United Arab Emirates, said the incident occurred during the plane's descent. Jafri said he was seated three rows behind the passenger and said he saw a glow, and noticed a smoke smell. Then, he said, "a young man behind me jumped on him."

"Next thing you know, there was a lot of panic," he said.

Federal officials said there would be heightened security for both domestic and international flights at airports across the country, but the intensified levels would likely be "layered," differing from location to location depending on alerts, security concerns and other factors.

Passengers can expect to see heightened screening, more bomb-sniffing dog and officer units and behavioral-detection specialists at some airports, but there will also be unspecified less visible precautions as well, officials said.

The FBI and the Homeland Security Department issued an intelligence note on Nov. 20 about the threat picture for the holiday season, which was obtained by The Associated Press. At the time, officials said they had no specific information about attack plans by al-Qaida or other terrorist groups.

President Barack Obama was notified of the incident and discussed it with security officials, the White House said. Officials said he is monitoring the situation and receiving regular updates from his vacation spot in Hawaii.

___

Associated Press Writers Lara Jakes in Baghdad, Iraq, Jon Gambrell in Lagos, Nigeria, Arthur Max in Amsterdam, Jennifer Quinn in London, Ahmed al-Haj in Yemen, and Larry Margasak and Devlin Barrett in Washington contributed to this report.

An American Airlines 737-800 (N977AN, msn 29550) crashed and broke into several pieces during landing at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica shortly after 10:00 pm Tuesday. All passengers and crew were off the plane, a spokesman said.

Flight 331 took off from Miami International Airport Tuesday at 8:52 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Norman Manley International Airport at 10:27 p.m. The airplane overran the 8,900ft runway 12, crossed a highway, and came to rest on a rocky beach. 91 occupants were taken to hospital with injuries.

The airport was experiencing heavy rain at the time of the accident.

Source:http://www.jetphotos.net/news/index.php?blog=1&title=american-airlines-737-crashes-in-jamaica&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

not sure how this guy managed to get firecrackers and such on board the plane, but before you board the plane in Amsterdam, the security check is right on the gate and waiting area itself. so when boarding, sa gate na mismo papatangal mga belt, passing through the metal detector, and such before you reach the aerobridge. thought it was more convenient that way, but guess its also vulnerable if not thoroughly checked. terribly big breach of security in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.

This is a photo shop. This will cause an aerodynamic drag and cause to destabilized the flight. If it will be working, the plane will tend to yaw due to uneven power of the engine thrush.

Bakit hindi nalang lagyan ng stamps para e coreo nalang. toink. :ohno: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Sometimes the US Air Force uses Fedex or UPS to have some equipments transported even they have thousands of assorted sizes of cargo planes. :nuts:

I'm sorry, but i find this really funny!!:nuts:

This is a photo shop. This will cause an aerodynamic drag and cause to destabilized the flight. If it will be working, the plane will tend to yaw due to uneven power of the engine thrush.

Bakit hindi nalang lagyan ng stamps para e coreo nalang. toink. :ohno: :bash: :bash: :bash:

Sometimes the US Air Force uses Fedex or UPS to have some equipments transported even they have thousands of assorted sizes of cargo planes. :nuts:

Why are engines transported this way?

1) The engine and its pod cannot fit through the conventional cargo door.

2) The only place it can fit through is the nose cargo door. But not even all freighters have those. Only the side cargo door is present on the converted freighters.

3) Not all airlines have planes with nose cargo doors, let alone dedicated freighters. It could cost an airline a lot of money to charter a cargo transporter from the other side of the world just to transport a single engine several miles away.

Therefore, the most practical way of getting an engine from an outstation to an airline's maintenance hub is to ferry it via a commercial flight. Boeing would not have designed planes this way if it weren't practical, no?

^^^^ Yeah, good luck on sending engines for another aircraft without being totally dismantled to fit
in the cargo compartment. Normally, they would only send a fully assembled engine like that urgently when another aircraft has a broken engine, they usually send their own aircraft maintence crew as well together with that engine.

Boeing delivers last 747-400 ever produced to Kuwait's LoadAir

Chapter closes as Boeing finally delivers last of original 747s (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/22/336510/chapter-closes-as-boeing-finally-delivers-last-of-original-747s.html)

Boeing has finally - and quietly - delivered the last of the original 747 family off the line, a -400ER Freighter (MSN 37304).

The General Electric CF6-80C2-powered aircraft, which is the 1,419th 747 to be built, was officially delivered on 10 November to Kuwaiti freighter cargo start-up LoadAir, along with its sister-ship.

The hand-over of the last original 747 marks the end of a chapter in Boeing's Jumbo Jet story, which began 40 years ago with the delivery of 747-100 N733PA to Pan Am on 12 December 1969.

The last -400ERF completed its maiden flight on 16 May 2009, but along with its LoadAir sister-ship (line number 1416) has been stored in an all-white scheme awaiting delivery. Both were ferried to the aircraft storage site in Marana, Arizona the day after their official delivery.

In April LoadAir was dropped by lessor AerCap as its partner in the joint leasing company AerVenture after the airline failed to make a capital payment. While there had been talk of AerCap taking over LoadAir’s 747 order as part of the settlement in a sale/leaseback deal, the lessor tells Flightglobal that this is no longer the case and it has no involvement in the 747s.

Boeing declines to comment on the fate of the two aircraft now that they have been delivered. However, according to industry sources, the two 747s are likely to enter service early in 2010. The company's website says its "operations are expected to commence upon delivery" of the 747s.

LoadAir was awarded its air operator's certificate in 2008 and had aimed to begin operations in early 2009 with the two new 747s, but these plans were delayed amid the collapse in the cargo market. The airline was established as the first dedicated cargo operator in Kuwait.

Boeing is now gearing up to start flight-testing its stretched 747-8 family, deliveries of which are due to begin at the end of 2010, to launch customer Cargolux.

^^ A pivotal point in Boeing's history; now all the attention is focused on the 747-800 series.

After the NW253 incident, I am reading more rigourous security measures are on the way. The TSA isn't specifying or disclosing to the public what measures will be undertaken but websites have suggested a pat-down to a manual inspection of passengers' personal belongings, especially cabin baggage (some airlines will probably allow only 1 cabin baggage, i.e. inclusive of laptop bag). I even read that drastic measures such as no standing and reaching out for personal items for the final hour of the flight will be taken.

CX has this advisory:
As advised by the US Department of Homeland Security, customers bound for the US will be subjected to additional security measures. These include pat down check by security personnel and physical inspection of their cabin baggage and personal property prior to boarding; and, restricting the use of cabin phones at any time during the flight.

Passengers will be required to cooperate with cabin crew on any other inflight security measures as instructed.

We thank you for your cooperation and will do our best to minimise any inconvenience.

SQ has a similar one:


Security measures for flights to the United States have been enhanced following a directive of the US Transportation Security Administration.

Customers are advised to expect additional security inspections prior to boarding. There will also be restrictions on the use of in-seat telephones, among other measures.

Singapore Airlines thanks its US-bound customers for their co-operation and understanding.

PR hasn't released any word yet on its website.

After the NW253 incident, I am reading more rigourous security measures are on the way. The TSA isn't specifying or disclosing to the public what measures will be undertaken but websites have suggested a pat-down to a manual inspection of passengers' personal belongings, especially cabin baggage (some airlines will probably allow only 1 cabin baggage, i.e. inclusive of laptop bag). I even read that drastic measures such as no standing and reaching out for personal items for the final hour of the flight will be taken.

CX has this advisory:
As advised by the US Department of Homeland Security, customers bound for the US will be subjected to additional security measures. These include pat down check by security personnel and physical inspection of their cabin baggage and personal property prior to boarding; and, restricting the use of cabin phones at any time during the flight.

Passengers will be required to cooperate with cabin crew on any other inflight security measures as instructed.

We thank you for your cooperation and will do our best to minimise any inconvenience.

SQ has a similar one:


Security measures for flights to the United States have been enhanced following a directive of the US Transportation Security Administration.

Customers are advised to expect additional security inspections prior to boarding. There will also be restrictions on the use of in-seat telephones, among other measures.

Singapore Airlines thanks its US-bound customers for their co-operation and understanding.

PR hasn't released any word yet on its website.

I heard from the news just this afternoon that "secondary inspection" (i.e., hand-carry luggage inspection and passenger patdown at the gate area) is being done to 100% of passengers instead of the usual 10%. Additional screening is at the discretion of the airlines and local airport authorities. Delays of up to 3 hours have been reported, because of such measures. I read from A.net that BA has so far reduced hand-carry luggage to one piece for some passengers, probably to facilitate inspections.

^^

So as AC. In fact, they are the ones that said passengers are not allowed to get their personal belongings near their laps, let alone leave their seats for the final hour before landing. What's ironic is that their flights to the US are at most 4 hours long whereas outside the continent, it takes at least 6 hours to reach the US.

i won't be surprised if they limit the number of electronics sa hand carry... magiging madalang na kaya ang mga landing videos gamit ang simpleng videocam/phone??:ohno:

So far, no update from PR's website.

I'm also reading from airliners.net that some fear the airshow/live map will be removed. Who can confirm that?

nasa system briefing namin na bawal na ipakita yung route map kapag inflight..

I hope that all these exaggerated rules are reviewed in a few weeks' time or so. They've just made air travel much much more complicated and less fun.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all in for safety. But they have got to step up the "intelligent" and high-tech measures and screening procedures rather than come up with all these regulations. I mean, pillows and blankets are dangerous?

Several layers of security screening have been in place and that did not prevent this. They have to re-examine their protocols and procedures. Many in the US have been very critical of some of the TSA procedures, even before this happened. They weren't fool-proof. It is only a matter of time before someone swallows an explosive device and detonate himself in midair. There was a feature about this on CNN some months back. A Middle Eastern man blew himself up inside a Saudi palace (belonging to a Saudi prince supporting the Americans) using a swallowed device. They fear someone will do this inflight!:ohno: So what then? Colonoscopy and rectal exams will be routine part of being frisked? Strip search?:nuts:

There are some interesting responses over at SQTalk regarding all these measures:
http://www.sqtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8710

I have to agree with the users of the forum you cited: it's just ridiculous to shut down the flight map, let alone the IFE. Let's make it clear: am I reading it correctly that the live map is shut down for the final hour or the entire flight? VS' IFE was reprogrammed to keep the live map out.

The live map is seriously my favourite feature of any IFE.

Please don't tell me the black-out applies to flights that don't involve the US (or perhaps flights within the US). What's next, will you not be allowed to verbally ask the FAs, pilots where in the world are you?

I don't know if SQ or EK flies their A380s to the US. Boy will the first class-suite passengers sure get a rude awakening if that is the case!

^^^^ why is it ridiculous? its a way for a terrorist to figure out when to start putting together his bomb since they always target doing these within the US airspace.

I would rather lose that rather than be exploded in midair especially when you are traveling with little kids.

I heard that the inflight entertainments even on a 12 to 16 hours flight would also be affected not just internet and inflight phone use.

There is gotta be a flaw on the TSA's in Tanzania's airport as well as The Netherlands because that bomb went through undetected still. I'm sure that the US government are just cautious in condemning The Netherland airport securities as well as the ones from Tanzania.

This would really suck if even on your transit point in other countries as well as within the US, you would be subjected in a thorough security checks just right before boarding the aircraft.

why would they have a bomb in the first place?? shouldn't they be checked thoroughly before the flight??

i agree with hikouki and hybridace, all these new security measures have made air travel more miserable...:ohno:

not sure if napost ko na ito but..
whats wrong with the pic?

http://i49.tinypic.com/2q16zba.jpg

Crumpled yuong poster, cheap!!! LMAO

Alam ko alam ko!!! Sa T2 yan hindi T3.. sheesh he he

Oftentimes we use T1 and T2.. T1 is horrible, T2 is satisfactory, I'm expecting excellence in T3..

I think every region in the Philippines should have their own airport....

mas gusto ko ang T2 kaysa sa T3

T2 is simple.. T3 is not that fully-utilized. Dapat siguro yung ibang international flights ilipat na din sa t3 lalo na yung KLM para hindi nakakahiya sa mga European.

gusto ko ang T2 kasi "light" ang dating..see the pillars na imbes isang malaki eh 4 slender pillars na parang may lightwell sa gitna..

then the high ceiling sa departure area..the terminal is flooded by natural lighting..T3 feels "heavy" to me

I like T2 better than T3 as well but just in the predeparture gates and facade only. I like the check in lounge area, the baggage claim area and the view from tarmac in T3.

parang sa tanda ko eh same lang ang baggage claim ng T2 and T3 ( i mean walang special)

Mas may kaunting kulay dahil sa immigration counter. Masmaganda ang floor tiles sa T3, very dull looking ang marble flooring ng T2 baggage claim area

i see, nung nasa T3 kasi ako naburaot ako sa mga staff dun kaya di ko na napansin ang arrival area..

nagtalo ba naman yung 2 IO kasi yung isa umepal sa taong nasa unahan ko na kesyo baka may opening daw sa pinagtatrabahuan nya (manager kasi sa isang company dito sa SG yung nasa harap ko)

^^^^ why is it ridiculous? its a way for a terrorist to figure out when to start putting together his bomb since they always target doing these within the US airspace.

I would rather lose that rather than be exploded in midair especially when you are traveling with little kids.

I heard that the inflight entertainments even on a 12 to 16 hours flight would also be affected not just internet and inflight phone use.

There is gotta be a flaw on the TSA's in Tanzania's airport as well as The Netherlands because that bomb went through undetected still. I'm sure that the US government are just cautious in condemning The Netherland airport securities as well as the ones from Tanzania.

This would really suck if even on your transit point in other countries as well as within the US, you would be subjected in a thorough security checks just right before boarding the aircraft.

:lol::lol::lol:

I can play games using the IFE, or watch a movie. When it goes blank, then there is that cue to assemble that bomb as you say because the plane can only be on its final hour when the IFE is shut down. Even a kid would know that now that they have published such a policy. Or how about just looking out the window and trying to make out the landmarks? There are other ways of figuring out that the flight is on its last hour. If you've read some of the posts at SQTalk, only an idiot-bomber, or an inexperienced flyer would need the IFE to figure out the exact location of the plane.

You know, there are plenty of bombers out there that deserve to be put to prison after they are caught. But innocent passengers are the ones being punished with these rules. Again, they ought to resort to more sophisticated security measures.

This bomber reportedly smuggled in some powder that he had to mix with some special liquid. Even before the incident, liquids (of a certain amount) are already banned from being brought into the cabin. So how come this Nigerian ended up with several (reportedly) syringes full of liquid?:ohno: The normal security measures, if done right, could have prevented what happened.

Going back to that CNN feature I mentioned, they were advocating the use of body scanners. The Nigerian hid some of his paraphernalia in his socks or shoes (?). At any rate, it could have again been detected by the normal procedures.

Maybe when the dreamliner flies, we will all fly naked after a mandatory rectal at the gate.:ohno:

Gatchalian to wait for next Congress
for airline franchise

Malaya Business Insights
Dec.28, 2009

Plastics king William Gatchalian is shelving plans to revive his airline business following difficulty to obtain a franchise from Congress.

Miguel Varela, one of Gatchalian’s partners in the proposed airline company, said the group would instead wait for the next Congress and administration to secure a franchise.

Varela said the boom in tourism needs support services such as airline and he is optimistic Congress would open up for franchises next year.

Varela added that Gatchalian intends to fly domestic and regional routes as there are areas that remain underserved.

He said the new airline would acquire a new fleet as Gatchalian has disposed most of his aircraft after the closure of his airline firm Philippine International Airways Inc. (PhilAir).

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Gatchalian’s other partner, said the revival of the airline remains in the planning stage.

Gatchalian was active in the airline business until the late 1990s via Air Philippines International Corp. (APIC) which he later sold to Lucio Tan, majority owner of the national flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Gatchalian later formed PhilAir which had a fleet of 15 Boeing 737s.

Gatchalian’s return to the airline industry is seen as strategic to his growing hotel business, via Waterfront Philippines Inc. which has under its portfolio four major hotels, namely, the Manila Pavilion; Waterfront Cebu City Casino Hotel in Lahug, Cebu; Waterfront Mactan Casino Hotel, also in Cebu; and the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

WPI also manages boutique G-Hotel in Manila. - Irma Isip

This bomber reportedly smuggled in some powder that he had to mix with some special liquid. Even before the incident, liquids (of a certain amount) are already banned from being brought into the cabin. So how come this Nigerian ended up with several (reportedly) syringes full of liquid?:ohno: The normal security measures, if done right, could have prevented what happened.

Going back to that CNN feature I mentioned, they were advocating the use of body scanners. The Nigerian hid some of his paraphernalia in his socks or shoes (?). At any rate, it could have again been detected by the normal procedures.

Maybe when the dreamliner flies, we will all fly naked after a mandatory rectal at the gate.:ohno:

exactly... i really hope these are just temporary rules...:ohno:

Gatchalian to wait for next Congress
for airline franchise

Malaya Business Insights
Dec.28, 2009

Plastics king William Gatchalian is shelving plans to revive his airline business following difficulty to obtain a franchise from Congress.

Miguel Varela, one of Gatchalian’s partners in the proposed airline company, said the group would instead wait for the next Congress and administration to secure a franchise.

Varela said the boom in tourism needs support services such as airline and he is optimistic Congress would open up for franchises next year.

Varela added that Gatchalian intends to fly domestic and regional routes as there are areas that remain underserved.

He said the new airline would acquire a new fleet as Gatchalian has disposed most of his aircraft after the closure of his airline firm Philippine International Airways Inc. (PhilAir).

Sergio Ortiz-Luis, Gatchalian’s other partner, said the revival of the airline remains in the planning stage.

Gatchalian was active in the airline business until the late 1990s via Air Philippines International Corp. (APIC) which he later sold to Lucio Tan, majority owner of the national flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL).

Gatchalian later formed PhilAir which had a fleet of 15 Boeing 737s.

Gatchalian’s return to the airline industry is seen as strategic to his growing hotel business, via Waterfront Philippines Inc. which has under its portfolio four major hotels, namely, the Manila Pavilion; Waterfront Cebu City Casino Hotel in Lahug, Cebu; Waterfront Mactan Casino Hotel, also in Cebu; and the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

WPI also manages boutique G-Hotel in Manila. - Irma Isip

Did the reporter above just confuse Air Philippines with Philippine International Airways? 2P may have had as many 737s, but I don't think PhilAir had any apart from the 732 rotting at Clark (if that was even theirs).

exactly... i really hope these are just temporary rules...:ohno:

Here is another interesting thread on another forum:
http://www.wings900.com/vb/general-squawk-talk/45820-stupidity-never-fails-amaze.html

Even without IFE, these terrorists will find a way to approximate the location of a flight. Keep in mind that the 9-11 bombers were not only seasoned travelers but were pilots themselves. It is apparent they are willing to employ sophisticated methods to thwart security. It seems the terrorists are getting smarter but the security people are, well...not smart at all.:ohno:

Maybe when the dreamliner flies, we will all fly naked after a mandatory rectal at the gate.:ohno:


I vote that the #1 comment on an airline thread for 2009 :lol::lol::lol::lol:

Can anyone clarify the new rulings to me? At least in regards to anything involving cameras and the laptop I wish to carry on PAL?
I would never trust these in PAL check on luggage, there is rarely a flight they don't loose or damage something...

It's just short of letting us fly with the window shades down or even sedating everyone until landing time. I think the watch list itself should have been taken more seriously, then ordinary passengers wouldn't have to pay the price.

Seriously, flying has been given a bad taste on these procedures, especially flying to the US. The likes of Rockwell-Collins, the makers of those live maps will stand to lose money.

It's just short of letting us fly with the window shades down or even sedating everyone until landing time. I.

Actually you just reminded me.
But I thought it unusual that on our PAL flights this year they seemed to encourage everyone to have there window shades down, actually going along and doing it.
I remember asking the stewardess if they had to be down for any reason and she said no. So I put it up again so I could look out, wondering why the heck they bothered then.

:lol::lol::lol:

I can play games using the IFE, or watch a movie. When it goes blank, then there is that cue to assemble that bomb as you say because the plane can only be on its final hour when the IFE is shut down. Even a kid would know that now that they have published such a policy. Or how about just looking out the window and trying to make out the landmarks? There are other ways of figuring out that the flight is on its last hour. If you've read some of the posts at SQTalk, only an idiot-bomber, or an inexperienced flyer would need the IFE to figure out the exact location of the plane.



I don't think a bomber would device bomb together an hour or so before landing because normally and especially when the movie is off, that is the usual time passengers walk around one by one to cue for the lavatories especially women and women with children to freshen up and such, a bomber's suspiceous movements would just be noticed especially after IFEs are turned off and lights are all on. Using that GPS, a bomber would plan his moves accordingly hour per hour, i'm sure the bomber can use their watch at the same time. I don't think they would bring their own gps on a carry on, And I doubt if you are really not that close to your destination, you would not be able to tell exactly where you are flying over in, you do have an idea but not the exact location especially if you are passing through cloudy areas.

I am not saying exactly that the terrorist used IFE to gauge their moves but since this is a very fresh incident, they laid down all these guidelines to study ALL THE POSIBILITIES and IFEs are a possibility that still needs to be ruled out. Since pillows and blackets are used to conceal his activities while he is seated on his assigned seat, that is another thing they just need to look into.
Heck!! Isn't it true that the first bombing in aircrafts started with chemicals you would have not imagined be used in mixing a bomb, or even using it to conceal it? I'm talking about soaps, lotion bottles, eyedrops and such? This is the reason why US bound passengers can only carry even toothpaste placed in a ziplock back and up to a very minimal amount? Just take that as an example.... Why wouldn't IFE ,pillows and blanket be a suspected device as a possible tool as well? Think about that... It doesn't really mean they think IT WAS really used but that is just part of looking carefully on all facet of possibilities and they can't do that without banning the use of all those which I think would just be temporarily and in time it they will ease out on all these again when they finally figured things out. We all know a terrorists wouldn't let the CIA know what he used outright for sure, so, the result? Misery on the every passengers flights.

As far as those people in their watch list, this is where there is a conflict, you just can't target or arrest those ones in their watch list because alot of those are just a suspect, that unless a crime has already been commited, these target can still be invicible without a valid proof and a valid proof is a concrete and even very visible proof, they can't be arrested, locked up or convicted.

ano yung binabatikos si obama na nde daw nag break sa vacation kahit na may airline terror attack sa america.....didn't catch the whole news on cnn.....meron na nman bang attack?

;49140739']not sure if napost ko na ito but..
whats wrong with the pic?


In addition to the wrong location, the photo itself is badly exposed.

Actually you just reminded me.
But I thought it unusual that on our PAL flights this year they seemed to encourage everyone to have there window shades down, actually going along and doing it.
I remember asking the stewardess if they had to be down for any reason and she said no. So I put it up again so I could look out, wondering why the heck they bothered then.

You're probably referring to east-bound transpacific flights which depart after 22.00. That is standard for long-haul flights which have a significant amount of daylight in the middle of the flight to facilitate sleeping passengers.

I'm going tell you that these measures to tighten security, in the long run, I can't see how they are different from taking pre-cautions while crossing the street where there is always a possibility that you may get run over or something.

It's not about introducing new measures, it's about properly enforcing existing ones.

Who agrees with me that those suite class passengers are in for a rude awakening especially since pillows and blankets are a key part of the service?

I don't think a bomber would device bomb together an hour or so before landing because normally and especially when the movie is off, that is the usual time passengers walk around one by one to cue for the lavatories especially women and women with children to freshen up and such, a bomber's suspiceous movements would just be noticed especially after IFEs are turned off and lights are all on. Using that GPS, a bomber would plan his moves accordingly hour per hour, i'm sure the bomber can use their watch at the same time. I don't think they would bring their own gps on a carry on, And I doubt if you are really not that close to your destination, you would not be able to tell exactly where you are flying over in, you do have an idea but not the exact location especially if you are passing through cloudy areas.

I am not saying exactly that the terrorist used IFE to gauge their moves but since this is a very fresh incident, they laid down all these guidelines to study ALL THE POSIBILITIES and IFEs are a possibility that still needs to be ruled out. Since pillows and blackets are used to conceal his activities while he is seated on his assigned seat, that is another thing they just need to look into.
Heck!! Isn't it true that the first bombing in aircrafts started with chemicals you would have not imagined be used in mixing a bomb, or even using it to conceal it? I'm talking about soaps, lotion bottles, eyedrops and such? This is the reason why US bound passengers can only carry even toothpaste placed in a ziplock back and up to a very minimal amount? Just take that as an example.... Why wouldn't IFE ,pillows and blanket be a suspected device as a possible tool as well? Think about that... It doesn't really mean they think IT WAS really used but that is just part of looking carefully on all facet of possibilities and they can't do that without banning the use of all those which I think would just be temporarily and in time it they will ease out on all these again when they finally figured things out. We all know a terrorists wouldn't let the CIA know what he used outright for sure, so, the result? Misery on the every passengers flights.

As far as those people in their watch list, this is where there is a conflict, you just can't target or arrest those ones in their watch list because alot of those are just a suspect, that unless a crime has already been commited, these target can still be invicible without a valid proof and a valid proof is a concrete and even very visible proof, they can't be arrested, locked up or convicted.

FYI, it only took the Nigerian 20 minutes to "assemble" his bomb.

It would not take GPS to "guess" where a flight is, especially if it is an international flight with a final destination inland of the US.

Also, this man did not use an everyday item for his bomb. Not soap, not toothpaste, heck not even alcohol. But actually PETN!:ohno: This is the chemical used for detonators. And it got past security.:ohno::nuts:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/27/336624/fbi-identifies-explosive-petn-as-part-of-delta-a330.html

PETN. Google it. It isn't soap or toothpaste. Siguro pwede mukhang tawas. Pero bakit magtatawas ang isang Nigerian sa plane?:nuts:

PETN, a detonator chemical, got through security. And now we will be deprived of pillows and blankets for part of our flight.:ohno:

Seriously, thanks to this Nigerian man, if the TSA does not want us to know our exact point on the earth, they might as well let us travel blindfolded or better yet, force car drivers to drive blindfolded.

FYI, it only took the Nigerian 20 minutes to "assemble" his bomb.

It would not take GPS to "guess" where a flight is, especially if it is an international flight with a final destination inland of the US.

Also, this man did not use an everyday item for his bomb. Not soap, not toothpaste, heck not even alcohol. But actually PETN!:ohno: This is the chemical used for detonators. And it got past security.:ohno::nuts:
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/12/27/336624/fbi-identifies-explosive-petn-as-part-of-delta-a330.html

PETN. Google it. It isn't soap or toothpaste. Siguro pwede mukhang tawas. Pero bakit magtatawas ang isang Nigerian sa plane?:nuts:

PETN, a detonator chemical, got through security. And now we will be deprived of pillows and blankets for part of our flight.:ohno:


Yes, it takes only 20 mins but that was not the point, it's the right timing in executing it.

And yes, I know he used chemicals that is not out of any everyday use such as soap and such, you are missing the point that things you are not expecting a terrorists would use are the ones they are using. Like I said, the authorities are trying to rule out all of the possibilities and it doesn't mean they know for a fact that IFEs was used but it is worth looking into so they have to atleast say ban its use which more than likely is temporarily... AND SINCE PILLOWS AND BLANKETS ARE USED to conceal his activities while seated on his assigned seat, I don't blame them for using it as an extra precautions.

We knew very well that added security is just an added burden for passengers BUT? IF THAT WAS NOT IMPOSED ATLEAST TO A CERTAIN POINT, WE WOULD ALL BE SORRY that is if we can be sorry when we are dead.. same as pillows , blanket and if it has to take IFE, then be it.... IF YOU CAN'T GO WITHOUT IFE's , blanket and pillows,because it takes all your entertainment away from you. WHY NOT CHARTER YOUR OWN FLIGHT if you can afford it? Hirap sa mga pinoy konti mong mabigyan ng mga regulasyon na dapat sundin ayaw gustong sumunod, masyadong marireklamo akala mo sila ang hari sa mundo... CHE !!! he he, biro lang!!!!

Yes, it takes only 20 mins but that was not the point, it's the right timing in executing it.

And yes, I know he used chemicals that is not out of any everyday use such as soap and such, you are missing the point that things you are not expecting a terrorists would use are the ones they are using. Like I said, the authorities are trying to rule out all of the possibilities and it doesn't mean they know for a fact that IFEs was used but it is worth looking into so they have to atleast say ban its use which more than likely is temporarily... AND SINCE PILLOWS AND BLANKETS ARE USED to conceal his activities while seated on his assigned seat, I don't blame them for using it as an extra precautions.

We knew very well that added security is just an added burden for passengers BUT? IF THAT WAS NOT IMPOSED ATLEAST TO A CERTAIN POINT, WE WOULD ALL BE SORRY that is if we can be sorry when we are dead.. same as pillows , blanket and if it has to take IFE, then be it.... IF YOU CAN'T GO WITHOUT IFE's , blanket and pillows,because it takes all your entertainment away from you. WHY NOT CHARTER YOUR OWN FLIGHT if you can afford it? Hirap sa mga pinoy konti mong mabigyan ng mga regulasyon na dapat sundin ayaw gustong sumunod, masyadong marireklamo akala mo sila ang hari sa mundo... CHE !!! he he, biro lang!!!!

You are not getting my point either.

What they are doing is a simple knee-jerk reaction to the failed bombing. In the short run, it scares away possible other bombers. But in the long run, it achieves nothing. The thing is, there ARE security measures ALREADY IN PLACE THAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS FAILED BOMBING HAD THESE BEEN ENFORCED. And their solution is to add another layer of redundant screening that does not really make flying safer.

BASAHIN mo mga comments ng ibang tao sa ibang forum. We all follow the rules and regulations. Personally, I don't mind the full secondary search prior to boarding. I've been through that and I never challenged the TSA about it. It makes flying safer. That is a fact because they have foiled attempts in the past with a thorough seconday search! Would-be bombers were caught with harmless liquids that were to be used for onboard explosives. So why did they fail to enforce it this time? PETN pa naman pala ang dala nung Nigerian, not shampoo in a bottle. And so, when k@t@ng@han na ang ADDED regulations, medyo mahirap sundin. Stupidity #2 will not cancel out stupidity #1. Why not just make #1 less stupid.:lol: They failed in enforcing the full set of regulations that were already in place and now they are introducing a new seat? Simple logic.:cheers:

(edit: To add insult to injury, there are news reports in the Netherlands that AMS airport apparently outsourced security screening to US flights to a cheap security firm. No wonder they could NOT enforce existing rules!)

...We knew very well that added security is just an added burden for passengers BUT? IF THAT WAS NOT IMPOSED ATLEAST TO A CERTAIN POINT, WE WOULD ALL BE SORRY that is if we can be sorry when we are dead.. same as pillows , blanket and if it has to take IFE, then be it.... IF YOU CAN'T GO WITHOUT IFE's , blanket and pillows,because it takes all your entertainment away from you. WHY NOT CHARTER YOUR OWN FLIGHT if you can afford it? Hirap sa mga pinoy konti mong mabigyan ng mga regulasyon na dapat sundin ayaw gustong sumunod, masyadong marireklamo akala mo sila ang hari sa mundo... CHE !!! he he, biro lang!!!!

Personalan na. So ganun na ang level ng forum na ito?:ohno::ohno::ohno: And you even resorted to generalizing Pinoys.

Well, what you gave me (the link) were also a reaction from people like us who are just talking about the incident based on the news and hearsay.. These are not as credible because none of us are experts on terror threats and the tactics they are enforcing. This is where I am getting at, some of those actions by US home security, FBI and such doing might be unrealistic to bloggers on the net or forummers of this and that chatsites but do we really have to follow what they are saying since they are all hearsay mostly and you don't really know who is behind those comments?


You've got to realize that the bomber came through a foreign land, the airports there might have a guideline requested by the US authorities but their policies are their policies and the US doesn't really have the authority to give directives in foreign lands such as Amsterdam and Tazmania or whatever country a terrorist would originate from. So, who failed to enforce or fell through with the guidelines? Was it the US authorities or the authorities in the airport of other countries? They may have strictly enforced these guidelines within the US territory but what about in Africa and Amsterdam??

I'm sorry about making it sound a bit personal but somehow from your previous comment, it was more of a personal reaction just because you feel you will be personally inconvinienced because you have to go through whatever policy they have to impose on you. And this is what I was saying, most of those forrumers who commented based their opinion on their emotions such as yourself... I know I'd be experiencing the same time if I travel especially that part where at 12 hours of airtravel, there would not be any inflight entertainment being shown. Now, was that directive really stupid? It might not make sense to passengers like you and me, but the way it is being done is how they were banning shampoos, lotions, contact lense cleaner inflight, this time it's IFE... the reaction of most people on all these are just their impulse and personal inconvinience which is not necessarily a sensible logic half of the time.

Well, what you gave me (the link) were also a reaction from people like us who are just talking about the incident based on the news and hearsay.. These are not as credible because none of us are experts on terror threats and the tactics they are enforcing. This is where I am getting at, some of those actions by US home security, FBI and such doing might be unrealistic to bloggers on the net or forummers of this and that chatsites but do we really have to follow what they are saying since they are all hearsay mostly and you don't really know who is behind those comments?


...

I'm sorry about making it sound a bit personal but somehow from your previous comment, it was more of a personal reaction just because you feel you will be personally inconvinienced because you have to go through whatever policy they have to impose on you. And this is what I was saying, most of those forrumers who commented based their opinion on their emotions such as yourself... I know I'd be experiencing the same time if I travel especially that part where at 12 hours of airtravel, there would not be any inflight entertainment being shown. Now, was that directive really stupid? It might not make sense to passengers like you and me, but the way it is being done is how they were banning shampoos, lotions, contact lense cleaner inflight, this time it's IFE... the reaction of most people on all these are just their impulse and personal inconvinience which is not necessarily a sensible logic half of the time.

It is not based on hearsay. It is based on newsreports (which are not hearsay - check the links on some of the comments on the various message boards) and on personal experience (myself, friends, family and those other people on the forum).


...
You've got to realize that the bomber came through a foreign land, the airports there might have a guideline requested by the US authorities but their policies are their policies and the US doesn't really have the authority to give directives in foreign lands such as Amsterdam and Tazmania or whatever country a terrorist would originate from. So, who failed to enforce or fell through with the guidelines? Was it the US authorities or the authorities in the airport of other countries? They may have strictly enforced these guidelines within the US territory but what about in Africa and Amsterdam??

...

So if the US has no say in what security measures are imposed on passengers from other countries, then why are ALL US flights (whether originating or terminating on US soil) have all these additional layers of security? They do secondary search for flights to the US from here in Asia, even though secondary search is an unheard of screening for flights to elsewhere even from the same airport!

The US authorities have no right in dictating how to screen passengers originating abroad. That is correct. But they can certainly deny those flights entry into US airspace if they originate from airports with security standards that do not meet their criteria. (Boeing negotiated for PK to get funding for 77Ls, but in the end US authorities denied them nonstops to US soil. They have to stop somewhere in EU for one layer of screening prior to entering US airspace.) The US authorities can impose sanctions and fines on airlines and foreign airport authorities that will in the end make them adhere to their guidelines. This is why an airline staff will check all your travel documents prior to boarding your flight to the US, because if you arrive there without the necessary papers, the airline will be fined. If you were successful in smuggling prohibited items, your airport of origin will suffer the same fate as all Pakistan airports. And all of these are facts. In the end, we all have to comply with their guidelines if we want to send flights there.

An airport authority skimped on funds and outsourced security screening and the result was a failed bombing attempt. Now everyone is suffering when what they really had to do was enforce the existing measures.

Here is another report:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091228/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airline_attack_passenger_tolerance

They are finally realizing the lack of logic behind all these measures. They are relaxing some of the new security measures, and hopefully they will just fully implement the EXISTING ONES.

^^

@hikouki That has been my point all this time. Without injecting much politics into this forum, the issue is simply the man was on a watchlist and it even took his father to warn the US embassy in Nigeria about potential activity from the former yet they didn't take further action.

hikouki, there are countries like the Philippines who would follow the US guidelines for safety, first of, there has been terrorist attacks in the Philippines as well and if we would recall again that very last PAL bombing whose video clip on documentary I posted here as well, was a staging point and a trial of their newly developed divice using kitchen or toilet ingridients as a detonating chemicals which was intended for attacking American interest in the US soil prior to WTC attack.

If you refer in tonights first hand interviews on fellow passengers of NW/Delta flight 253, Amsterdam according to the Mr and Mrs Kurt - Lori Haskel, together with another younger passenger they claimed that Amsterdam was very lack in security, that the usual banning of liquid into the aircrafts slipped through the Amsterdam security. This was just a few minutes ago tonight on CNN. And according to Haskel couple, the Amsterdam authorities even allowed the young bomber terrorist get into the flight without a passport. Meaning, inspite of the US government request to thighten security procedures on passengers bound for the US, Amsterdam remained lax which was left unnoticed by the US authorities until an incident like these happen. WHY???? BECAUSE THE US GOV doesn't have a direct representative in all different airports all over the world. It would be hard to employ an american employee or representative who works as a security in these airports due to protocols on all these countries and the US. That the US goverment could only hope that these countries would follow through since they have their own citizens entering the US who can be one of the victims.

How can the US goverment impose sanctions on all different foreign airlines as well as US air carriers when the security of all those country is employed by their own respective airport authorities. I don't know about their law but in the US, unless you are a US citizen, you can not be employed as a TSA employee SO WHY PUNISH AIRLINE COMPANIES WHEN SECURITY CHECKS ARE NOT PART OF AIRLINE COMPANIES OPERATIONS BUT THE AIRPORT EMPLOYED SECURITIES THEMSELVES WHO WOULD ADHERE TO WHATEVER DIRECTIVES IMPOSED BY THE AIRPORT AUTHORITIES UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF THAT COUNTRY'S LAW, RULES AND REGULATIONS ?

It is not based on hearsay. It is based on newsreports (which are not hearsay - check the links on some of the comments on the various message boards) and on personal experience (myself, friends, family and those other people on the forum).


This is where the problem is... it was comments based on comon people's opinion, yourself, your friends and family...most of it are just complaints mostly, not to be all rude and ugly about these, who are those people there?
Are there any professionals and experts for anti terror tactics with military background? Are you professional when it comes to terrorism? Please don't take this negatively nor I am trying to be condescending or rude towards you but you are giving me a weak arguement and sample for your debate.

Okay, this was from that link you have posted http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091228/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airline_attack_passenger_tolerance

Apparently, I am correct when I told you that banning those blankets, pillows and inflight entertainment are just part of the measures being taken TO WEED OUT ALL POSSIBILITIES.. so now inflight entertainment, blackets and such are now being allowed two days after the incident. This was the point I was making to you when I said banning ife's pillows and such might not make sense to you but to terror experts, little things like those matters so now that they ruled this two things out, they allowed IFEs and blankets again..

hikouki, there are countries like the Philippines who would follow the US guidelines for safety, first of, there has been terrorist attacks in the Philippines as well and if we would recall again that very last PAL bombing whose video clip on documentary I posted here as well, was a staging point and a trial of their newly developed divice using kitchen or toilet ingridients as a detonating chemicals which was intended for attacking American interest in the US soil prior to WTC attack.

If you refer in tonights first hand interviews on fellow passengers of NW/Delta flight 253, Amsterdam according to the Mr and Mrs Kurt - Lori Haskel, together with another younger passenger they claimed that Amsterdam was very lack in security, that the usual banning of liquid into the aircrafts slipped through the Amsterdam security. This was just a few minutes ago tonight on CNN. And according to Haskel couple, the Amsterdam authorities even allowed the young bomber terrorist get into the flight without a passport. Meaning, inspite of the US government request to thighten security procedures on passengers bound for the US, Amsterdam remained lax which was left unnoticed by the US authorities until an incident like these happen. WHY???? BECAUSE THE US GOV doesn't have a direct representative in all different airports all over the world. It would be hard to employ an american employee or representative who works as a security in these airports due to protocols on all these countries and the US. That the US goverment could only hope that these countries would follow through since they have their own citizens entering the US who can be one of the victims.

How can the US goverment impose sanctions on all different foreign airlines as well as US air carriers when the security of all those country is employed by their own respective airport authorities. I don't know about their law but in the US, unless you are a US citizen, you can not be employed as a TSA employee SO WHY PUNISH AIRLINE COMPANIES WHEN SECURITY CHECKS ARE NOT PART OF AIRLINE COMPANIES OPERATIONS BUT THE AIRPORT EMPLOYED SECURITIES THEMSELVES WHO WOULD ADHERE TO WHATEVER DIRECTIVES IMPOSED BY THE AIRPORT AUTHORITIES UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF THAT COUNTRY'S LAW, RULES AND REGULATIONS ?



...

Do not ask me how. Ask them. Becuase this protocol is already in place. I will not explain further as I have already elaborated on it on a previous post. I'm not making these up. (Simple logic - if you do business in the US, even if you are foreign, you are bound by local laws.)

...
This is where the problem is... it was comments based on comon people's opinion, yourself, your friends and family...most of it are just complaints mostly, not to be all rude and ugly about these, who are those people there?
Are there any professionals and experts for anti terror tactics with military background? Are you professional when it comes to terrorism? Please don't take this negatively nor I am trying to be condescending or rude towards you but you are giving me a weak arguement and sample for your debate.

All these that you have branded as 'opinions' taken together have been acknowledged just recently by the TSA/ Homeland Security. Janet Napolitano came on TV acknowledging "...lapses in (existing) security measures..."

Apparently, AMS airport has several of those BODY SCANNERS but they opted not to use it. Why? They claim US authorities won't let them (again, this discredits your previous opinion that US guidelines cannot be followed outside of US soil). The US authorities on the other hand refute this claim by the AMS authorities, saying the body scanners ought to have been used.

They found 76g of PETN on the Nigerian. That is twice the amount on the would-be shoe-bomber years ago, who was intercepted using existing security measures.

^^

@hikouki That has been my point all this time. Without injecting much politics into this forum, the issue is simply the man was on a watchlist and it even took his father to warn the US embassy in Nigeria about potential activity from the former yet they didn't take further action.

Reportedly, the US authorities missed TWO opportunities to cancel the visa.

Anyway, back to my point, I think we are having too much discussion on all these (where we are both starting to confuse one another cuz you can't see my point and I am not seing yours either) but the point of the matter is what I have already stated above which is at the bottom part of my last post. The part that i mentioned that it may not make sense to you and me to have the IFEs, blankets, pillows and I forgot movements inside the aircraft, be banned during the flight, is something worth looking into as well to examine the terrorist's activities which ofcourse would include interviews of the passengers onboard the same flight but it may well be something temporary and I have proven myself correct on this one because, the authorities eased out already on all those mentioned above.

As far as the reaction of the terrorists camp, it's hard to tell if FBI scared them off but I am sure they are monitoring the good guy's activities so they can plan another way to terrorize people. For all I care, I think this is part of their Psychological warfare towards the US goverment because, APPARENTLY, the bomber claimed that there are more like him to come, IMO, that was part of a terror scare, through mind, because the terrorists are having hard time to figure out more ways to execute their terrrorist acts, atleast up to the time, they managed to see another loophole where they can wage another physical war not just the mind game war they are doing now...

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PLACES FIRM ORDER FOR 4 A380-800
Expects Delivery by September 2010

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is jumping into the A380 bandwagon by placing 4 firm orders of the milspec A380 aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Our source from PAL confirmed the said news and added that, "PAL wants to reclaim its old glory." According to our source, PAL is expecting the first aircraft to be delivered middle of September and to be entered into service in time for the holidays of 2010. The new A380 will serve the Manila-Honolulu-Los Angeles route.

As of press time... our reliable source is being admitted at the Psychiatric ward of The National Mental Institution in Mandaluyong City.

:lol:

Nangagarap lang po.:rock:

^^:rofl:

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PLACES FIRM ORDER FOR 4 A380-800
Expects Delivery by September 2010

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is jumping into the A380 bandwagon by placing 4 firm orders of the milspec A380 aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Our source from PAL confirmed the said news and added that, "PAL wants to reclaim its old glory." According to our source, PAL is expecting the first aircraft to be delivered middle of September and to be entered into service in time for the holidays of 2010. The new A380 will serve the Manila-Honolulu-Los Angeles route.

As of press time... our reliable source is being admitted at the Psychiatric ward of The National Mental Institution in Mandaluyong City.

:lol:

Nangagarap lang po.:rock:

You suck.:lol: I thought it was true. Not until i read the last part..:lol:

^^

Haha! You got me fooled there for a minute! How can you say that if they can't open new routes or use the 77W, let alone new aircraft!?!

^^^^

konting pahinga lang po sa mga masyadong seryosong mga isyu bago mag bagong taon... happy new year to all!!!

i am praying for a prosperous philippines in 2010!!!

:cheers1:

^^oo nga naman....:cheers::cheers:

With all the news about denying use of blanket or a pillow. I have a question for the FAA. Are you going to ban people wearing jackets. I can take off my jacket and do the same thing using a blanket or a jacket to cover up what I am doing on my lap.

sa susunod baka bawal na magsuot ng damit. bago magboard ng plane papahubad sayo damit mo at aabutan ka ng short na isusuot mo sa biyahe. saka na lang ibabalik ang damit mo pag nasa destination ka na.:lol::lol::lol::lol:

^^that would be nice...:lol:

Who knows if the live map may now be shown again on US-bound flights?

With 2 incidents involving the same flight number in a couple of days, NW is getting such a despedida as I understand it technically will cease to exist on new year's day.

In-flight security rules eased (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091228/ap_on_bi_ge/us_airline_attack_passenger_tolerance)

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer David Koenig, Ap Airlines Writer – Mon Dec 28, 6:19 pm ET

DALLAS – In-flight security rules have been eased after a two-day clampdown, airline officials familiar with the matter said Monday.

At the captain's discretion, passengers can once again have blankets and other items on their laps or move about the cabin during the tail end of flight. In-flight entertainment restrictions have also been lifted.

The airline officials spoke on condition of anonymity because federal safety officials had not publicly announced the changes.

Security rules were relaxed in the last 24 hours, one official said.

Tougher airline security measures were imposed Friday after a man flying from Nigeria to Amsterdam then to the U.S. on a Northwest Airlines flight tried to ignite an explosive as the plane prepared to land in Detroit. On Sunday, police met another Amsterdam-to-Detroit flight after the crew reported a "verbally disruptive passenger." A law enforcement official said the man posed no security risk to the plane.

Government officials have refused to discuss what restrictions had been put into place, but in many airports lines were longer and security personnel were extra diligent.

Travelers on incoming international flights said that during the final hour, attendants removed blankets, banned opening overhead bins, and told passengers to stay in their seats with their hands in plain sight.

In Philadelphia, sisters Leslie and Lilliam Bernal said security was much tighter as they returned from a wedding in the Dominican Republic than it had been in September, when they made the same trip.

Leslie, 26, of Keasby, N.J., said security screeners in Santo Domingo asked her to lift her long hair so they could look at her back.

"I don't mind at all," she said. "I'd rather them do what they have to do."

Authorities introduced a second layer of security at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. On Monday morning, every U.S.-bound passenger was subjected to a pat down and their luggage was inspected by hand. It took about three hours for travelers to get through the checks.

On one Air Canada flight from Toronto to New York's La Guardia Airport the crew told passengers before departure that in addition to remaining in their seats for the duration of one-hour flight, they were not allowed to use any electronic devices — even iPods — or their own headphones. The crew also told passengers that they would not be able to access their personal belongings because of the "enhanced security procedures."

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, television screens were tuned to the Atlanta Falcons football game, and some passengers were only faintly aware of Friday's incident in Detroit.

Jeff Fox, of Alpharetta, Ga., who was returning with his family from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. after a weeklong cruise, said he will tolerate new restrictions if officials think they will keep passengers safer.

"I'm one of those who trusts that they're trying to do the right thing, even if it is a pain," he said.

The incident Friday, however, continued to raise questions about security, said Jack Riepe, a spokesman for the Association of Corporate Travel Executives.

Riepe said corporate travel managers want to know how Friday's suspect reached Detroit even though he was on a watch list maintained by counterterrorism experts. A government official said the suspect's father raised concerns about him to U.S. officials several weeks ago, but the father's information about his son's possible ties to fundamentalist Islamic groups was too vague to act upon.

U.S. airlines have been appealing to federal officials to make restrictions effective but palatable to passengers.

They remember that passengers accepted tough new security measures immediately after the 2001 terror attacks, which grounded all flights for several days, but that support for the restrictions waned.

----

On another topic: GA is now a four-star airline. This means out of all major Southeast Asian airlines (SQ, TG, MH, GA, VN and PR), PAL now lies at the bottom of the barrel. :cry:

eh? Why is GA a four-star airline and PR isnt? Based on my experience with both airlines, PR's services are much better. Only flight I'd use GA is to Bali, even that makes me feel uneasy.

It depends on which criteria the rating agency used, theirs may not be the same as yours. Route network and alliances may also play a factor in the rating.

If it makes you feel better, almost if not all major US carriers are also rated 3-star, including the world's largest, DL. Even Canada's 2 largest carriers are 3-star. Most of the US carriers who went above 3-star are actually LCCs.

^^ Just so you know, it's Skytrax.

eh? Why is GA a four-star airline and PR isnt? Based on my experience with both airlines, PR's services are much better. Only flight I'd use GA is to Bali, even that makes me feel uneasy.

Same here. Though my last GA flight was 18 months ago, my experience with GA that time was not as good as PR, considering it was Jakarta - Singapore. Maybe, the changes were noticeable to warrant the upgrade? I am giving it the benefit of the doubt. We will see in the coming months.

bleh.. i dont consider skytrax as reliable.. i agree though PR is better than GA..

According to the Skytrax press release...

----

GARUDA INDONESIA IS OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED AS A 4-STAR AIRLINE IN THE LATEST SKYTRAX AIRLINE RANKING REVIEW FOR 2010 (http://www.airlinequality.com/news/garuda_291209.htm)

LONDON, UK - 29th December 2009

SKYTRAX Research today confirmed that Garuda Indonesia has been Certified as a world 4-Star Airline for the 2010 ranking period.

Commenting on the 4-Star Certification for Garuda Indonesia, Edward Plaisted (Skytrax CEO) said .... "this 4-Star Airline Certification is a coveted seal Quality Approval that an airline receives in recognition of its front-line Product and Service quality. Garuda Indonesia has undergone a major quality transformation and improvement during the past year, across both their product and front-line service standards. New aircraft with a high-end product are now joining their fleet, and the retrofitting of their A330-300 aircraft was the catalyst that really enabled us to upgrade their rating level to a 4-Star airline status."

Garuda Indonesia is now one of just 27 airlines worldwide that currently meet the rigorous quality criteria which Skytrax set for this 4-Star airline ranking.

The official 4-Star airlines ranking is due recognition for those airlines providing a good standard of Product across all travel categories, combining with a good standard of Staff Service delivery.

The airline Star ranking assesses Quality levels across both the Onboard and Airport environments - for Garuda Indonesia the airport ranking reflects their home base of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.

"This is an outstanding achievement for Garuda Indonesia, and they have demonstrated real commitment to achieving Quality improvement across their customer facing product items and staff service. The airline has adopted the marketing slogan of the new "Garuda Indonesia Experience", based around warm Indonesian Hospitality with quality service that emphasises safety and comfort, and this is certainly something that we now see being delivered to Garuda Indonesia customers" added Mr Plaisted.

^^ btw, Sky when are you planning to post your TR (i'm assuming you did one)??:D

garuda had a rebranding. the logo was changed even. i was talking to someone from PAL earlier and was hoping for a rebranding too.

^^ They better not mess with PR's livery, that's a classic.

^^ btw, Sky when are you planning to post your TR (i'm assuming you did one)??:D

I have four TRs backlogged, with three in various stages of writing.

I have four TRs backlogged, with three in various stages of writing.

take your time...:D

:cheers:

^^ They better not mess with PR's livery, that's a classic.

agreed thats a classic...if there is something i would change it would be to slight make the Philippine slighter Bolder, SQ did that and it looks nice.(9V-SPQ) 744


-------------------------------------------------------------------

IMO PR is better than GA and MH does not deserve 5 star but 4 star.

SQ then CX and maybe even OZ is superior to them.

anyone with pics of the newly renovated jolo airport?....

MO PR is better than GA and MH does not deserve 5 star but 4 star.

I flew with PR and GA, on the business class PR, the food didnt even served properly...checked in was chaotic, my name wasnt listed twice. I flew with PR twice on SIN-CGK sector.

Garuda has a new rebranding, try GA now, trust me, its wayyy different than last previous GA. At first i was kinda pessimistic with GA, but then its turn out they rebranding all the services, the executive class has aigner and gianfranco ferre amenities, not to mention the new business class seat and first class seats in order.

They got the program of Garuda's experience for the services and installing AVOD system in all fleet....but i agree with you MH is supposed to be in 4 star.

cheers

^^ PR is embarking on roughly the same program as GA (sans the corporate rebranding) but it's still a three-star airline. Though I've never flown GA, it makes me wonder how long has it been since you last flew PR.

(Not being a sourgrape here. I just want to know.)

the 1st one was in october 2008 then the last one was in november 2009.

I rated 5J better than PR, in term of check in and in flight services (im not talking about the AVOD or entertainment)

Btw, i just found out, one of the reason why GA awarded four star, is also because the safety upgrades by EU and US FAA from cat 2 to cat 1

cheers

Eyy. That's epic. US airlines are more dangerous than PR. hahaha. Screw the FAA.

^^^^ Can't guarantee, PAL flies to the US and was subjected to bombing incident before by terrorists and that Abu Sayaaf is being sponsored by Al Queada, they are also part of the terrorists cell. We all knew that the Philippine government has a strong diplomatic relationship and one of the strongest ally of the US.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PLACES FIRM ORDER FOR 4 A380-800
Expects Delivery by September 2010

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is jumping into the A380 bandwagon by placing 4 firm orders of the milspec A380 aircraft manufactured by Airbus. Our source from PAL confirmed the said news and added that, "PAL wants to reclaim its old glory." According to our source, PAL is expecting the first aircraft to be delivered middle of September and to be entered into service in time for the holidays of 2010. The new A380 will serve the Manila-Honolulu-Los Angeles route.

As of press time... our reliable source is being admitted at the Psychiatric ward of The National Mental Institution in Mandaluyong City.

:lol:

Nangagarap lang po.:rock:

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Buggar, I was all excited and already imagining how they would look.

Bit disappointed - but got a real good laugh out of it :lol:

You're probably referring to east-bound transpacific flights which depart after 22.00. ?

North and south-bound from Sydney to Manila.
12.15 ex Sydney and day flight back from Manila.

Brad

the 1st one was in october 2008 then the last one was in november 2009.

I rated 5J better than PR, in term of check in and in flight services (im not talking about the AVOD or entertainment)

Btw, i just found out, one of the reason why GA awarded four star, is also because the safety upgrades by EU and US FAA from cat 2 to cat 1

cheers

Take a look at the MNL mabuhay lounge. That in itself is already crowded, which frankly defeats the whole point of a lounge. Plus, unlike the other carriers, you don't get the benefit of a shower and consistently working internet access.

Plus, GA is perhaps more international-centric than PR is where the latter focuses mainly on the pinoy market. Look, the pinoy market may have different standards of high quality service than what foreigners look for.

With Cat1 now in GA's place, we can say it has a much larger route network which could also be a contributing factor to GA's 4-star status.

^^ Huh? Indonesia is not a Cat I country. It's also Cat II. Besides, politics has nothing to do with how Skytrax rates airlines: the FAA, an American institution, would have no impact on Skytrax, a British company.

^^ Huh? Indonesia is not a Cat I country. It's also Cat II. Besides, politics has nothing to do with how Skytrax rates airlines: the FAA, an American institution, would have no impact on Skytrax, a British company.

according to this http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=873174&page=6

Indonesia is upgraded to CAT 1, but im not so sure about that

actually politics does play a bit role, in this case, MH.

cheers

Take a look at the MNL mabuhay lounge. That in itself is already crowded, which frankly defeats the whole point of a lounge. Plus, unlike the other carriers, you don't get the benefit of a shower and consistently working internet access.

...

Precisely! You can't just judge an airline based on services and amenities inflight but also on the ground. It's the WHOLE experience, not just in the air.

T2 may be ten times better than T1 in terms of appearance, etc., but it is also getting very very crowded, both for economy and business passengers.

...

Plus, GA is perhaps more international-centric than PR is where the latter focuses mainly on the pinoy market. Look, the pinoy market may have different standards of high quality service than what foreigners look for.

With Cat1 now in GA's place, we can say it has a much larger route network which could also be a contributing factor to GA's 4-star status.

If PAL is happy serving the Pinoy market, then by all means, it does not need this rating. Aiming for it will only add cost (upgrading systems, publicity, etc.) Right now, the Pinoy public already sees PAL as the top-quality Filipino carrier, more or less. PAL has to make up its mind first if it wants to emulate the global icon that is SQ, or just be a 'favored' Pinoy carrier.

^^ PR is embarking on roughly the same program as GA (sans the corporate rebranding) but it's still a three-star airline. Though I've never flown GA, it makes me wonder how long has it been since you last flew PR.

(Not being a sourgrape here. I just want to know.)

All i know is that PR has changed the business class in some sectors. What else is PR doing?

Precisely! You can't just judge an airline based on services and amenities inflight but also on the ground. It's the WHOLE experience, not just in the air.

T2 may be ten times better than T1 in terms of appearance, etc., but it is also getting very very crowded, both for economy and business passengers.



If PAL is happy serving the Pinoy market, then by all means, it does not need this rating. Aiming for it will only add cost (upgrading systems, publicity, etc.) Right now, the Pinoy public already sees PAL as the top-quality Filipino carrier, more or less. PAL has to make up its mind first if it wants to emulate the global icon that is SQ, or just be a 'favored' Pinoy carrier.

True. Read it somewhere in a paper that the goal is to be the best Philippine airline and it will not compete with the likes of SQ and CX.

^^^^ Can't guarantee, PAL flies to the US and was subjected to bombing incident before by terrorists and that Abu Sayaaf is being sponsored by Al Queada, they are also part of the terrorists cell. We all knew that the Philippine government has a strong diplomatic relationship and one of the strongest ally of the US.

Well, that's not what I meant, but also the fact that US airline planes are pretty old and are therefore a safety hazard.

There's also that one instance when I was served soda on board Southwest, which if I could recall, was not free, and the cup of ice had all sorts of unknown particles among it. I obviously didn't drink it...

demand would always fuel improvements (pero wag nyo na isali mga carriers from middle-east kasi parang anomaly mga yan dahil kahit walang sumakay sa eroplano nila ok lang DAHIL SA LANGIS). another factor is politics. isama mo na rin ang attitude ng mga negosyanteng maging sakim sa kinikita ng negosyo.:nuts:

^^ Most ME carriers are subsidized by their own governments, plus the fact that they do have access to cheap aviation fuel for their aircrafts; those are just some of the reasons why their region's aviation industry is bucking the trend of massive losses in earnings incurred in other parts of the world.

I wonder if the scenario worsens to the point that will unite countries to ban any ME carriers in their countries... ano kaya epekto?

^^^^
paano kung iban din nila deployment ng ofw sa mga bansa nila? give and take lang yan. di pedeng puro kabig. mayaman sila sa langis kaya yun ang ginagamit nilang leverage sa anumang larangan lalo na sa ekonomiya. kung tayo ang nasa lugar nila baka ganun din ang gawin natin.

^^

It only means higher prices for passengers who want to go to Europe or Africa. I know I want PR or a european carrier to take us but low prices are also important as far as the passenger is concerned.

Will JL be a domestic carrier? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/1027880/1/.html . If JL turns over its international operations to NH, I hope it does not remove MNL. MNL is lacking from the NH network and I wonder why despite the heavy traffic between RP and JP.

^^ the news looks ironic to what NH was back in the days...:D

Will JL be a domestic carrier? http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/1027880/1/.html . If JL turns over its international operations to NH, I hope it does not remove MNL. MNL is lacking from the NH network and I wonder why despite the heavy traffic between RP and JP.

It will be good for PR, and other Philippine carriers.

^^

good unless they collude with one another to raise the ticket prices... it will also be good for DL who I believe will be a single airline effective 1 Jan since its OC is consolidated with that of NW.

I flew with PR and GA, on the business class PR, the food didnt even served properly...checked in was chaotic, my name wasnt listed twice. I flew with PR twice on SIN-CGK sector.

Garuda has a new rebranding, try GA now, trust me, its wayyy different than last previous GA. At first i was kinda pessimistic with GA, but then its turn out they rebranding all the services, the executive class has aigner and gianfranco ferre amenities, not to mention the new business class seat and first class seats in order.
They got the program of Garuda's experience for the services and installing AVOD system in all fleet....but i agree with you MH is supposed to be in 4 star.

cheers

Thanks David. Considering my previous experiences with Garuda, it would be interesting to try and experience it first hand. Indonesia's business and tourist traffic is good and GA being its national airline, it is but just logical to target a share of that market. I am amazed how they were able to roll out the improvements in a span of 18 months. But seeing how the country's infrastructure improved non-stop even during the crisis years (from Suharto up to Yudhoyono's 1st few years), i am not surprised. Congratulations are in order.

Pal business lounge is a joke at Manila. It feels like it was a added afterthought. Like they just took the area from the seating area. On a flight back to the USA it is jammed with two 747 flights going out. Two computers.

It is the type of lounge I would expect from a vip on a commuter airlines. The only good thing I can say about it are the employees are very nice and do their job okay.

^^
the food served sa lounge is the same year round:ohno:

Pal business lounge is a joke at Manila. It feels like it was a added afterthought. Like they just took the area from the seating area. On a flight back to the USA it is jammed with two 747 flights going out. Two computers.

It is the type of lounge I would expect from a vip on a commuter airlines. The only good thing I can say about it are the employees are very nice and do their job okay.

Wasn't it?:nuts:

IIRC, T2 was to be a domestic terminal then PAL got exclusive rights. I doubt all these amenities were in the original plan. I even read somewhere they had to change the distance between gates at the North wing because that area wasn't originally intended to handle all-widebodies.

[QUOTE=Sky Harbor;49261315] PR is embarking on roughly the same program as GA (sans the corporate rebranding) but it's still a three-star airline. Though I've never flown GA, it makes me wonder how long has it been since you last flew PR.


I'm a little irked here too, why PR is still a 3 star and GA has all of a sudden been awarded 4 star. PR has improved tremendously over the past years. Just compare the safety records over this past decade and look at PR's new and refurbished fleet. I personally have flown PR many times and have enjoyed the service every time. To me it seems Skytrax has some bias against PR and refuses to acknowledge its accomplishments. Soon Vietnam Airlines will be a 4 star before PR. Congratulations to GA for achieving its status in such a short time when it was even banned from the U.S. and Europe because of its safety record and PR wasn't.
Come on! Give Philippine Airlines credit where its due!!

^^ Kung bibili ng A380 ang PR... tapos balik nila ulit ang First Class, baka ma 4-star pa sila... :lol:

Seriously, Iba lang ata criteria ng Skytrax... If indeed mag rebranding ang PR... they should change much of their 1980's corporate identity.. (including logo)
I want to see PR showcase their old glory days...

Congratulations to GA for achieving its status in such a short time when it was even banned from the U.S.

GA wasnt banned to fly into the US. In my opinion, you need to reconsider the whole aspect of airline business. GA renovate the business class lounge, a total overhaul, the management boss is an ex-banking chief, yes to run an airline, you need to think like a banker. He scraps all the unnecessary and doing best to improve safety. I dont know how to say about him, but here, we consider GA boss as a miracle.

cheers

I thought Indonesia was Cat 2? Therefore, it was banned.

I thought Indonesia was Cat 2? Therefore, it was banned.

No, GA can still fly to the US

This is June edition news from Indonesian embassy in Canada.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration in 2007 also downgraded Indonesia's airline oversight rating, saying it fell short of international safety standards. The U.S. rating, which remains in place, didn't amount to a formal ban.

http://www.indonesia-ottawa.org/information/details.php?type=news_copy&id=5512

Cheers

GA wasnt banned to fly into the US. In my opinion, you need to reconsider the whole aspect of airline business. GA renovate the business class lounge, a total overhaul, the management boss is an ex-banking chief, yes to run an airline, you need to think like a banker. He scraps all the unnecessary and doing best to improve safety. I dont know how to say about him, but here, we consider GA boss as a miracle.

cheers

Ok, but you can say the same for Lucio Tan, who nearly took a bankrupt PR, and turned it around, made it profitable and exited receivership in 2007. 2009 was a bad year for all airlines, but GA received financial losses far greater than PR. As far as Business class facilites, ok, they have an new lounge, but does GA have amenities superior to PR's 747-400's new Recaro fitted seats? PR now has the 777-300ER, I believe GA's is still on order?

2009 was a bad year for all airlines, but GA received financial losses far greater than PR

huh? Source? GA making more money this year than PR.

maybe you should see this thread

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=873174&page=5

but does GA have amenities superior to PR's 747-400's new Recaro fitted seats? PR now has the 777-300ER, I believe GA's is still on order?

Garuda ameneties are Aigner and Gianfranco ferre, while for the Business class and economy class are the newer version of horizontal lie flat from B/E Aerospace. GA's new seats are the same as KE's New Prestige Class seats. GA also ordering a diamond pearl seats for their 1-2-1 first class configuration, only 4 seats on the 1st class....

yes, Garuda's 773ER will coming in 2011, but for the time being, GA orders 10 A332. five already in operation. and 50 738NG which 2 already on deliveries.

I dont want to go airline vs airline, my point is, don't always judge the airline from one aspect, because airlines has so many aspect. whether its service, entertainment, efficiency or anything

And I do believe, if GA can do it, then PAL can do it too.

cheers

Happy new year everyone! Now that I understand today is the effectivity date of the single operating certificate (SOC) for NW and DL into DL, I've checked delta.com and nwa.com and it appears nothing has changed (i.e. not even an announcement on their respective websites). After the SOC was granted by the FAA, isn't it supposed to mean DL is the sole operator? Also, when I tried making a mock booking on either website from MNL to NRT, it is still NW flight number and no "operated by DL" notation.

No, GA can still fly to the US

This is June edition news from Indonesian embassy in Canada.

http://www.indonesia-ottawa.org/information/details.php?type=news_copy&id=5512

Cheers

Hmm. Why is that? Are you saying that GA, though it does not have any flights to the US, can mount even under Cat 2? That's impossible, mate.

huh? Source? GA making more money this year than PR.

Oops, meant 2008.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=160060&page=783

Hmm. Why is that? Are you saying that GA, though it does not have any flights to the US, can mount even under Cat 2? That's impossible, mate.

i told you the difference between FAA cat 2 and EU ban list

1. Commercial services
FAA: We cannot launch new services to US (since we have none) unless we fly the route with wet leased aircraft from an FAA Category I country.

EU: We cannot continue or launch new services to US, but, we can request launch routes to EU with aircraft from a non-banned country, and get an exemption

basically, GA or PAL can launch a new service to the US using wet lease aircraft from CAT1 country

And airline can get an exemption from FAA from being outlisted from CAT 2, as long as the airline company meet the FAA requirement, of course using accredited auditors.

cheers

1. Commercial services
FAA: We cannot launch new services to US (since we have none) unless we fly the route with wet leased aircraft from an FAA Category I country.

There you go. That's all I needed. You kept implying otherwise from my impression. Bottom line, GA couldn't. But now it can so it doesn't really matter anymore. :lol:

No bro I think u missed my point, all airlines in cat 2 can fly to the US if they wet lease aircraft, so you can launch a new route even if youre in cat 2. But you need to use aircraft with cat 1 registration or wet leased from cat1 country

Cheers

So far, I can't find any DL-coded flights landing at/departing from MNL. How can they say they have an SOC if flights involving MNL are still NW-coded? I can't find any indicator saying "operated by DL?"

^^ The reservation system flash-cut took place on January 1, but the transition of flight numbers to the DL system will take a while. The first mixed crews though should take place next month or in March.

Someone mentioned that if one's flight is NW280, it will eventually be identified as DL280. However, when I checked the NGO-DTW segment which is NW318, it was identified as DL6824.

No bro I think u missed my point, all airlines in cat 2 can fly to the US if they wet lease aircraft, so you can launch a new route even if youre in cat 2. But you need to use aircraft with cat 1 registration or wet leased from cat1 country

Cheers

I know. You sound like a broken record.

If an airline wet leases an aircraft to fly to a banned country, I do not consider the airline actually flying to that country.

I know. You sound like a broken record.

If an airline wet leases an aircraft to fly to a banned country, I do not consider the airline actually flying to that country.

Bro, Most airline leased aircraft, for example, GA is waiting their B738 on deliveries, so in the time being, to fill the route they leased an aircraft. Its actually the same, the different they leased not buying it.

Mind you, CAT 2 doesnt mean banned an airline to enter the airspace.

But if you consider that, then be it. As for me, Any airline still can fly to The US even they're downgraded in CAT2.

cheers

Oh, I get what you mean now.

That's interesting.

my news bout sa jal na gawing domestic airline nlng... and its international service will be absorb by ana... panu un ana doest fly here in manila... so pal and cebu pac nlng mag service sa japan manila if ever...????

^^ If ANA will absorb JAL's international network, I doubt they will drop MNL.

^^

Those are my same fears with DL especially since there are no DL flight numbers yet serving MNL and there is barely any mention of non-stop service between MNL and a DL city. HKG, PEK and PVG already get DL's non-stop service and maybe SIN might in the future to give SQ competition.

Someone even mentioned if DL gives JL a lifeline, MNL might be axed from the DL network.

As for their merger, they are finishing it in record time. As at 2008, I can still see hints of HP after its merger with US.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens if JL is forced to turn-over its international operations to NH especially since I think JL is the national carrier of Japan.

Going back to the wet lease concept, a wild thought: maybe PR should wet-lease a 77L from DL to try occasional non-stop services to JFK and ORD. If it wet leases in this case, does it mean PR will heave to borrow DL's staff? Their services are quite similar to each other.

^^

Those are my same fears with DL especially since there are no DL flight numbers yet serving MNL and there is barely any mention of non-stop service between MNL and a DL city. HKG, PEK and PVG already get DL's non-stop service and maybe SIN might in the future to give SQ competition.

Someone even mentioned if DL gives JL a lifeline, MNL might be axed from the DL network.

As for their merger, they are finishing it in record time. As at 2008, I can still see hints of HP after its merger with US.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens if JL is forced to turn-over its international operations to NH especially since I think JL is the national carrier of Japan.

Going back to the wet lease concept, a wild thought: maybe PR should wet-lease a 77L from DL to try occasional non-stop services to JFK and ORD. If it wet leases in this case, does it mean PR will heave to borrow DL's staff? Their services are quite similar to each other.

They floated the scenario of wet-leasing aircraft some years ago so they could push ahead with the US expansion, but I guess the economic crisis and the fact that they could not defer the first two 77Ws both killed this plan.

I'm not sure if the rules of the FAA are very specific when it comes to wet-lease, but I've read that the term is quite broad. It could be anything from a flight fully operated by airline A on behalf of airline B (like what you mentioned), or something short of a dry lease like both airlines will have crew aboard.

Turkish and Gulf wet-leased Jet's 77Ws for six months and with their arrangement, there were one or two Jet cabin crews but most were from the other carrier. (not sure about cockpit crew, but perhaps it was also a mix). What was interesting was the Jet crews wore their own uniforms, and the Turkish planes had 'Jet airways' painted somewhere at the nose, I think.

Wet lease isn't new to PR, it had MD-11s leased from World Airways. Assuming there is a wet lease agreement between airline A and B with B being the one who leases, does airline B call the shots as to where to fly the plane to?

Wet lease isn't new to PR, it had MD-11s leased from World Airways. Assuming there is a wet lease agreement between airline A and B with B being the one who leases, does airline B call the shots as to where to fly the plane to?

Yes. The wet lease agreement only covers the plane and perhaps some staff. It does not give airline A authority over where airline B may fly the plane to.

Wet lease isn't new to PR, it had MD-11s leased from World Airways. Assuming there is a wet lease agreement between airline A and B with B being the one who leases, does airline B call the shots as to where to fly the plane to?

I think so. PAL leased the MD-11s from World Airways for the purpose of increasing its US flights. But you see photos of them elsewhere - BKK, Australia, HKG, etc.

guys, i tried to compare the PAL econolight and economy fiesta. one difference I read (accdng to PAL website) is in econolight, it says "Standby at Airport - Not allowed"... what does that mean? thanks

^^ I guess if taken literally, you can't wait around on airport premises while waiting for a standby ticket should a spot open up on a certain flight.

^^ It means you cannot avail of an Econolight fare on standby, and you will need to pay the available Y fare at the time should you choose to do so.

CALBAYOG CITY AIRPORT (Dec.29,'09)

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1306.jpg

Departure area
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1311.jpg

Arrival Area
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1313.jpg

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1314.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1316.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1317.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1318.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/alfinsky/IMG_1320.jpg

Transaero to fly Cebu
Announced daily flight starting November!

January 3, 2009

Moscow- Transaero Airlines has announced over the weekend that they will be introducing daily flights to Cebu, in the Philippines starting on the second week of November 2010. Flights will be flying out from Moscow Domodedovo airport.

The route will be service daily by a Boeing 747-400 direct to the Philippine island of Cebu, the airline statement said. Transaero has been flying chartered flights to the Philippines since 2006 ferrying Russian tourist destined for holiday resorts in Bohol, Aklan and Cebu, the airline said.

The Moscow-based airline has recently been granted the rights to fly regular service to the Philippines by Russia's Transport Ministry after the government amended its Air Services Agreement with the Philippines in December 1 last year granting three entry/exit points between the two countries in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Vladivostok in Russia for destinations in Manila, Cebu and Clark in the Philippines.

Russia's Civil Aviation Ministry Ministerstvo Grazhdahnskoy Aviahtsii, said that Transaero is the second biggest international airline in Russia and the third largest in terms of passengers carried, next to Aeroflot and Siberian Airlines (S7) having carried close to 4.85 million passengers, which is an increase of 50% on the previous year. Aeroflot carried 9.3 million passengers while S7 transported 5.9 million in 2008.

Transaero transported more international passengers where it carried 4.23 million ranking it second behind Aeroflo as compared to its domestic operation where it transported just 626,000 passengers in 2008 ranking it 10th among Russian domestic airlines.

The airline operates a modern fleet of 55 planes with 15 more on orders, mostly comprising aircraft built outside Russia and the CIS such as Boeing 747, 777, 767 and 737 sub-types.

Aeroflot, which owned the right to fly the Philippines capital, is mulling a code-share deal with Philippine Airlines as its code-share partner in a bid to re-introduce the Moscow-Manila run this year , while Vladivostok Air, Russia's largest far east-based airline aims to establish regular flights between Vladivostok and Manila. Currently, the airline flies charter flights to Manila and Cebu.

^^ Is this scheduled, or just a scheduled charter?

It's a good thing Russia finally sees the need to serve the Philippines. SU's return and the entry of XF (Vladivostok Air) to MNL, at least in my books, will be a feat to watch for, while UN (Transaero) will make for a nice addition for CEB, as it will finally have solid European service if the flight is scheduled. :D

Is it even profitable to have it daily with a 747?

guys, i tried to compare the PAL econolight and economy fiesta. one difference I read (accdng to PAL website) is in econolight, it says "Standby at Airport - Not allowed"... what does that mean? thanks

That means you cannot go to the airport as a standby passenger should you choose to catch an earlier flight than the one you're booked on. Essentially, your ticket is non-refundable, non-rebookable and non-reroutable so you either fly it or you lose it. In addition, if you're a Mabuhay Miles member, you cannot earn miles when using an econolight fare nor you can get an advance seat assignment. At least, you now get the same meals as regular Y class passengers and you're not stuck at the rear area of the aircraft anymore.

Is it even profitable to have it daily with a 747?

A jumbo jet on the route sounds like overkill.

^^ I'm presuming UN is using a 744 because it's the only aircraft in its fleet which has the range to fly DME-CEB without taking on any weight penalties or taking unnecessary tech stops or stopovers. That or there is a lot of demand from Russians to fly to Cebu.

Transaero to fly Cebu

Aeroflot, which owned the right to fly the Philippines capital, is mulling a code-share deal with Philippine Airlines as its code-share partner in a bid to re-introduce the Moscow-Manila run this year , while Vladivostok Air, Russia's largest far east-based airline aims to establish regular flights between Vladivostok and Manila. Currently, the airline flies charter flights to Manila and Cebu.

So who is going to be the lead carrier in the code-share agreement if it will push through?

Going back to our airline management software on FB, how can I get to use 1 of my aircraft on a 2nd route? MNL-HKG is less than 4 hours including turnaround and return, enough time to mount a 2nd route. Just let me know if you know of an absolutely free airline management simulator (preferably those where you can dictate how much resources, e.g. money, fuel you can be challenged to work with).