Continental Airlines is testing a new self-boarding process in Houston that is based on the passenger “swiping” or “displaying” their boarding pass at a kiosk and which then allows access to the jetway via turnstile that “unlocks” if the boarding pass is OK.

This test is described as controversial in a time when airlines are decreasing more and more human contact with the passenger.  I actually don’t see it that way.  First, this isn’t something that passengers are going to have trouble with as we already are subject this kind of process elsewhere in our lives.  Second, I’m all for it if the turnstile won’t unlock if YOUR BOARDING GROUP HASN’T BEEN CALLED.  We don’t need a free-for-all at the gates with people attempting to board out of their sequence.

Finally, I”d rather access a live human at the reservations number to give me info I need.  I don’t need someone to smile at me as I enter the jetway.  That is superfluous and unnecessary to a good service experience.

Filed under: Airline News, Airline Service by ajax
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You’ve never heard of David Warren, have you?  Well, Mr. Warren was the inventor of the flight recorder.  The so called “black box” that is actually painted flourescent orange on most aircraft today.   Mr. Warren passed away last week in his native Australia.  You can see a photo of him HERE.

Mr. Warren, a radio and electronics nut, was invited to participate in a probe about one of the first jetliner crashes in the world and during that probe, he suggested that with a recording of what was going on in the cockpit, finding out what happened would be a lot easier and much more accurate.

His first prototype was capable of recording about 4 hours of voice and cockpit instrumentation.  After a few years, his invention was being installed on virtually every modern aircraft.  I would argue that this invention has contributed more to safety than any other single invention in the industry.  Flight voice and data recorders have made it possible to find out exactly what happened prior to a crash and attribute an accurate cause of a wreck instead of leaving  it up to speculation. 

And how many times have we found out something else entirely was happening during an event versus what popular speculation focused on?  All the time.  There is no doubt that the things we have learned from his invention have improved air safety by an order of magnitude.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Warren, and thank you very much.

Filed under: Trivia by ajax
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