British air traffic control is warning pilots of a vulture that can apparently fly at heights of 30,000 feet or more.  This bird has a 10 foot wing span and supposedly one was encountered by a commercial aircraft at 37,000 feet back in 1974.  The bird is an escapee from a breeding program in Britain. 

Airtran has decided to be another kind of vulture and raise their bag fees.  The increase is $5 more and while it’s cheaper than their home airport rival (or just about any other airline with a bag fee), boo to them.  This just strikes me as greedy more than anything else.

Still another kind of vulture has been operating in the airline world as well.  The Thief Vulture.  Last week, an American Airlines employee was arrested for stealing personal items on aircraft as well as for stealing AA property too.  The man was tracked down when police decided to track a stolen cell phone (Palm Pre) which lead them to his house.  They then discovered so many stolen items, they filled 3 pallets. 

In addition, a TSA screener from Seattle has pled guilty to stealing more than $20,000 worth of items from luggage he was supposed to be screening. 

The irritant about these last two vultures is this is exactly what airlines and the TSA deny happening all the time.  It does happen and it happens, I think, far more frequently than is ever admitted.  I’ve had my own bad encounter with TSA screeners trying to get me to hand over my wallet and then turn away from them.  Another friend recently had a few items stolen from his bag without response from the TSA despite the fact that the suitcase in question HAD A TSA APPROVED LOCK ON IT!  

These are some of the worst vultures around.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax