Masters of DeSkies February 17, 2015 Who's your airline employee working for?   The trend among the airlines is to outsource as much as possible to third-party vendors, from the pilots and flight attendants at the regional jets, to the baggage handlers and ramp agents.  Soon, 'virtual airlines' may be the norm, where the airlines will be mere ticket sellers, and someone else will be responsible for what happens up in the sky, or when something goes wrong. How do you feel about flying on aircraft with outsourced maintenance? The FAA has said they do not have enough people to sufficiently inspect many maintenance companies in foreign lands.    United was in the crosshairs of consumer advocate, Ralph Nader, on Friday. He penned a letter to CEO of United, Jeff Smisek, telling him that costs are not the issue -it's service that leads to revenues, and United is awful on that issue.   Dear Mr. Smisek,   Two stories have come to public attention about your airline, which invites some serious introspection by you and your fellow executives who make millions of dollars a year. The first appeared in the January 23, 2015 edition of the Wall Street Journal titled, "Suddenly Flush Airlines Debate How to Use Cash."  The article posed the choices: for increased services for consumers and reduced fares; for investors to cut debt and buy back stock. There was no indication of a cash dividend increase. Then this paragraph: "United returned $320 million to shareholders last year through share repurchases, and it said Thursday it could accelerate its buybacks with extra cash flow." Stock buybacks - really a poor use of productive capital - are favored by executive suites as a way to elevate executive compensation compared to cash dividends. Now comes the second story that was not so widely publicized. Your subordinates have been instructed to outsource 2,000 union jobs under a vendor bidding process that you will throw against your loyal skilled workers to match, or else. Twenty-eight stations at airports are affected in this round. You hope to save $2.7 million out of the pay of long-time United Airlines workers (many who make $15 per hour and benefits) on the tarmac at dawn or dusk, and rain, snow or shine. Do these two stories prod you to wonder what's going on in your monetized mind that excludes common decency and elemental labor management relations? Do you think that vendors' lower paid, inexperienced labor pool is not going to cause you problems down the road? And does a merged airline (with Continental) planning more unproductive stock buybacks to pile on the $320 million in 2014 have any qualms squeezing 2,000 already hard-pressed workers with families out of $2.7 million (not to mention other similar plans, past and future), astonishingly at a time of record profits?  Squeezing appears to be your corporate policy tool for your passengers as well - for example squeezing their leg room, squeezing them by innumerable fees and penalties and squeezing their time by delays on the phone in responding to their questions. Why is it that a far tighter oligopoly of domestic airlines than before deregulation mimics each other's race to the bottom in labor and consumer relations, instead of mimicking better practices by Southwest Airlines with a far more consistent record of profits and no layoffs? Does this perverse behavior also make you wonder? Mr. Smisek, you're pushing the envelopes in ways that reflect a power trip - that is if you can get away with it, you will. At this point I am reminded of the courteous UAL of the Sixties, Seventies and early Eighties with services and attentiveness, with a fine record of domestic maintenance standards. That history should provide you with some contemplation about the role of top management over the years. Consider this advice: drop the risky outsourcing; treat your employees as Southwest does; and stop ratcheting up the fees for baggage, changes of reservations, etc. Unless, that is, you believe that customer backlash, investigations by media and lawmakers and lower job gratification are not anywhere on your horizon. Your response is welcomed. Sincerely, Ralph Nader PO Box 19312 Washington, DC 20036 Yes, the airline industry has devolved into the customer-unfriendly entities. However, it's not just United (get the irony of that name?) -all of the airlines are laying off employees, outsourcing and charging extra fees. In January we wrote about the wisdom of United outsourcing baggage handling for all United Express flights in Denver to Simplicity right before the holiday rush to cut costs, leading to weeks of turmoil on the tarmac and baggage claims. The employees with Simplicity were working for $8 an hour.  This should not be acceptable to passengers. But we've been so drilled down to accept diminished service when it comes to commercial aviation. Soon there will be a generation that never knew how flying used to be, and what has been taken away. Read More: Bizjournals.com   Flyersrights.org Media Advisory WHAT: Media Briefing on Petitions to Reduce Airfares and End Airline exemptions from consumer protection & antitrust laws. It will hold a media briefing on its petitions and initiatives to reduce change fees on international flights, to reduce airfares generally due to lower jet fuel costs, to amend the Airline Deregulation Act to remedy numerous abuses, and to curtail airline exemptions from consumer protection and antitrust laws. WHO: Flyersrights.org, with legal experts on aviation consumer law and rights Including Paul Hudson, President of Flyersrights.org and Member, FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee WHEN: February 18, 2015 9:30 - 10:30 AM WHERE: 218 D Street SE, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20003 (Capitol Hill) CALL IN for audio access is 1-605-562-0020 Access Code 656-991-615 Skype access also available. For more information call 800-662-1859 FlyersRights.org, the largest airline passenger group with 50,000 members and the principal advocate for the 2010 tarmac confinement and truth in scheduling rules, has filed a formal rulemaking petition with the DOT. Video of the Week: (click on image)  Vintage Saturday Night Live, The "buh-bye" flight attendant.                                                    Sign our Petition                                       for a Passenger Bill of Rights                                                                                                             Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights                                    with Paul Hudson, President Consider making a secured donation to FlyersRights. The loudest advocates and largest organization representing airline passengers Getting on a Plane?  Put This Number in Your Phone: Send comments and tips to Kendallc@FlyersRights.org or on Twitter @KendallFlyers. Read past newsletters!

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Flyersrights.org  Media Advisory

WHAT:  Media Briefing on Petitions to Reduce Airfares and End Airline exemptions from consumer protection & antitrust laws.

WHO:  Flyersrights.org, with legal experts on aviation consumer law and rights

Including Paul Hudson, President of Flyersrights.org and Member, FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee

WHEN:  February 18, 2015 9:30 – 10:30 AM

WHERE:  218 D Street SE, 2^nd Floor, Washington, DC 20003 (Capitol Hill) 

CALL IN for audio access is 1-605-562-0020  Access Code 656-991-615  

Skype access also available.

For more information call 800-662-1859

FlyersRights.org, the largest airline passenger group with 50,000 members and the principal advocate for the 2010 tarmac confinement and truth in scheduling rules, has filed a formal rulemaking petition with the DOT.

 It will hold a media briefing on its petitions and initiatives to reduce change fees on international flights, to reduce airfares generally due to lower jet fuel costs, to amend the Airline Deregulation Act to remedy numerous abuses, and to curtail airline exemptions from consumer protection and antitrust laws.

TheGame February 10, 2015 FlyersRights received a reply last week from the major airlines, via their trade group, Airlines For America (A4A), as to why ticket prices haven't come down with the price of oil.  (AP Photo/Ric Francis) An A4A spokesperson refuted our concerns and relied on a slipery game of slight of hand and distraction from the issue. They wrote, "Given your reputations as consumer advocates, I am sure you are aware that we are in the safest period of U.S. commercial aviation history, that inflation-adjusted fares are well below the levels experienced by passengers at the outset of deregulated domestic air service and that service options to customers are expanding." Now, we weren't challenging safety records, and saying that today's deregulated fares are the lowest since 1978 is dodging the the subject of fees. Over the past five years alone, the base price of flying has climbed 12% BIG SQUEEZE: Economy seats can be a tight fit for all but the most vertically challenged. (stuff.co.nz) not counting extra fees. Today, just bag fees alone can add hundreds of dollars to a family of four's ticket prices. The A4A letter proceeds, "However, your letter indicates that you are not aware that airlines are adding seats to the marketplace to accommodate demand for travel". What a clever way to say sardining passengers. And more seats at the same price does not mean lower prices for consumers. They continue, "In addition, U.S. airlines have been investing $1.1 billion per month of capital expenditures aimed at improving the product, customer experience and environmental footprint. Another outcome of our improving financial condition is that airline workers are enjoying greater job security as well as increases in wages and benefits". The flight attendants fired last month for pointing out a possible security threat may dispute this. So, the airline CEO gentlemen's club relies on a slippery game of sleight of hand and false pretences to conceal their real intentions.   Excluding ownership, fuel makes up the largest percentage of an airline's direct operating costs. As an aircraft ages, its fuel efficiency declines.(ascendforairlines.com) Then, again, A4A trotted out the line, "When the price of coffee beans falls, no one asks Starbucks why his or her latte does not cost less," they told The Washington Post. "You want Starbucks to expand its stores and products, give back to its baristas, and reward investors. Airlines are no different," they declared. That's fine if Starbucks was serving hot oil in their cups. Otherwise, there's no comparison. Fuel represents an inordinately large percentage of airline costs, 30-40%, far more than Starbucks. Let's take a walk down memory lane, back to 2008, when the airlines first added fuel surcharges -which were portrayed as temporary. When the price of oil fell, the surcharges would come off. United's chief operating officer, John P. Tague said back then, "With record-breaking fuel prices, we must pursue new revenue opportunities, while continuing to offer competitive fares, by tailoring our products and services around what our customers value most and are willing to pay for". Let's see if we've got this right. Rising fuel prices were given as the reason for an increase in airline tickets. Supply and demand is the reason for maintaining current prices -via service cuts and flight reductions.  The profit derived from these factors will be reinvested in the airlines, providing more money for contracts, better service, more leg room, etc. Sounds like a win-win situation - if you believe it!  Your Letters Dear FlyersRights: We used to pay for the space. Then it was taken away and sold back to us as extra. I would have rather ticket prices just steadily increased with rising costs and inflation than to have my flight parted out and sold back to me a la carte.  If it really cost $600 to fly me to NY comfortably tell me that. I'll pay it and if I feel great about the flight and service, I'll fly the airline again. Don't advertise a ticket for $400 then charge me for my bags, carry on, leg room in the federally mandated exit row, and a stale sandwich while continually pestering me with the opportunity to upgrade myself out of artificially induced discomfort.    -ES Dear FlyersRights, (in response to: All Mine) So let me get this straight. They can track which stores I visit in the airport, but they may or may not have any clue where the plane I board is once we take off!? -AM Dear FlyersRights, I've been reading Flyersrights for a number of years and generally agree with what you have to say and hope you are successful with Congress.  HOWEVER.......you continue to criticize Southwest Airlines in your Newsletter for various issues, the latest involves possible safety issues.  At the same time, SW is the ONLY major airline that continues to offer free checked bags and no fees for cancellations/changes.  Those two items are quite expensive with other airlines.  WHY DON'T YOU DO A GOOD story every once in a while rather than continually criticize?!!!  I was once a supporter of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).  However, it got to the point that it didn't matter to them if a food company or FDA or USDA tried to do the right thing.  All they could do was criticize.  I'm basically tired of hearing groups like FlyersRights and CSPI do nothing but criticize.  Do your stuff with respect to what rights we should have by lobbying Congress, but for heaven's sake stop killing the GOOSE!!! -RS Dear RS, You are right, Southwest still has free bags, for now, and that is commendable. However they're losing some LUV due to their high cost structure in recent years, and the devaulating their frequent flyer program that awards miles based on the cost of your ticket, not the distance of your flight.   Also, Southwest is not the family-friendly airline it once was. It stopped letting families board early, or you pay for Southwest's early-bird boarding at $12.50 a pop each way, and that adds $100 to the round-trip tab for a family of four.)    Kendall Creighton FlyersRights Dear FlyersRights,   I want to thank you for pointing out the problems with the airline industry, especially the story about the mechanics who were trying to alert their bosses about problems with the structural integrity of the aircraft on which they were working. I have resolved never to fly again until I feel it is not only comfortable as well as affordable, but even more importantly, safe. Just as Ralph Nader wrote about "unsafe at any speed" about the automotive industry, you have alerted us, the potential flying public, to a serious problem that needs immediate attention before a serious accident occurs where there is loss of life. It would seem to me that the airlines have a death wish and really want to go out of business by treating customers shabbily with not only too many fees, etc., that make flying too expensive for anyone other than the most wealthy, but also stuffing people into airplanes that are possibly not airworthy.  Logically, when a business does a bad job of serving its customers, whether providing a service or manufacturing a product, and the customers go away, that business usually winds up going out of business and closing its doors.  It is time to start a boycott of the airlines that pack people like sardines into the aircraft and force them to either change or declare bankruptcy. People can either stay home or use other means of transportation like driving or taking the train. Business can be done by video hookup and electronic transfer without the expense of having to send people in person. Of course, ancillary industries like hotels, cruise lines, etc. (would also suffer), but pressure from them might force the airlines to look at their practices and make changes. I signed your petition and hope that, if enough people follow through, the airline industry will change if they want to stay in business. A person who remembers when flying was a fun adventure,     -MM  Dear FlyersRights, I believe somebody is going to have to die, or be seriously hurt, during an emergency evacuation before minimum seat size and pitch standards are established.  I hope I am wrong, though.  -JJ Dear FlyersRights, It's incomprehensible to me that aisle width on aircraft is non-mandated. As a previous space planner, you must follow state code that requires a standard office aisle width to be 36", and if the aisle way is the main egress to an emergency exit, it must be at least 42". And a typical aisle on planes are 17"! -TG Dear FlyersRights, I just flew steerage iad-den in an older (thick pad seat) UA 737 w/ a full recline knucklehead slob in front of me and a kicking child behind. Is there a web site that compares seat pitches? I bet there is. At least I had the window-not middle! -EM Yes there is!: http://www.seatguru.com/charts/longhaul_economy.php Dear FlyersRights, I am sure you know this already,  but I just received a message from Delta airlines, telling me all about their new wonderful first class and other high-cost options: http://www.deltafirstlook.com And the bottom of the page links me to the new "basic economy" (e.g. only class affordable for most people) class:  http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/in-flight-services/flying-economy-with-delta/basic-economy.html Yikes.     It looks like things are getting worse again. Thank you so much for all that you are doing. -SQ Dear FlyersRights, Sometimes they make it right. On Thursday 5 Feb. we flew Delta Economy Munich to Atlanta and DL Atlanta to Phoenix with four checked bags including skis. In Atlanta we went through the bag pick up, drop off customs Kabuki Theatre. (Returning US citizens no longer have to fill out an itemized customs form!) While in the air, before arriving in Phoenix Delta messaged and emailed that one of our bags did not make the flight in Atlanta. Before the bags arrived on the carousel in Phoenix, Delta baggage office identified the missing tag (not the item) and told me what flight it was on and when it would arrive in Phoenix. Friday morning I received an early phone call from baggage delivery and repeated messages and emails from Delta with regular updates reporting bag status. Bag was delivered to our door in Peoria, AZ about 10 a.m. On another note, food on Delta 130 Atlanta to Munich Economy was inedible but probably typical. Food on DL Economy OUT of Munich was so good I could have eaten another. That was followed by an unexpected excellent mid-flight snack of hummus, crackers, and basil and olive oil olives - go figure. Now the new Delta Comfort+ seats on domestic flights are something else - waay too narrow. I'm 160 lbs and could not get a hand between me and either seat side to retrieve the seat belts. -WF Dear FlyersRights, Insurance companies have to pay out money when a plane crashes, poor aircraft maintenance increases risk of a crash, thus I expect insurance companies will be interested in linking premiums to maintenance. In view of your recent "Race To The Bottom" newsletter, I suggest you instigate insurance companies against airlines that don't do proper aircraft maintenance. -P   Dear FlyersRights, I may have already told you all the new Spirit Airlines planes that have been ordered, AirBus, have seating arrangements from 160 to 200 seats - depending on the configuration.  Spirit has orders all 37 planes with 196  (4 less than maximum) those are the Big Front Seats so they can charge an extra fee that could be more than the basic fee to fly. One of the most profitable changes that Spirit instituted years ago was to change the weight limit from 50 pounds per suitcase to only 40.  therefore it is better to have a carryon and pay an extra $5 and load it with 60 pounds (if you can) then to pay the extra $50 to $100 for the overweight 'checked suitcase'.    Newest 'screw the passenger' method by Spirit:    If you go online to potentially buy a ticket you MUST put in your email address.  (no one else does that).  If you find a fare/price that seems ok and leave the Spirit web site to check orbitz or another airline and later come back to Spirit - guess what?  The price of that seat that you saw 2 minutes ago is now gone and the price has gone up.  Proof: I did that from one computer using one email address and the fare indeed went up.  Yet at the same time frm another computer and email address the fare was $10 lower or the same as I originally saw.  spirit has now figured the way to get even more revenue if you don't book the moment you see the fare.    they have calculated every which way to squeeze money from their passengers.  AND the seats do not RECLINE!    Finally: if you don't pay for any seat Spirit will assign one.  that seat is always in a middle seat in the back to "TEACH you a lesson".  Pay even an extra $9 to sit in the back rows but in an aisle row -OM Dear FlyersRights, Another "cute" thing that AA is doing: Award flights to Europe with fewer points are being booked on BA which has a higher fuel tax. The AA flights (which are usually the same (especially when going to London) require more points. The mile-saver awards cannot be found on AA; they are on BA and costs more in tax.!! -JD Just that I recently read about the ridiculously high fuel surcharge on BA, especially since fuel prices have fallen.  As far as how AA books their FF awards to Europe, I have no info. Joel Joel J Smiler DVM Hotline Director www.flyersrights.org Dear FlyersRights, I'm wondering if anyone has studied the benefits, if there are any, of shipping your baggage by FedEx or UPS, even the USPS. Any comparisons? -TR Yes: http://www.seatguru.com/articles/luggage_shipping_services.php From The Onion Airlines Offering Complimentary In-Flight College Courses In addition to movies, TV shows, and other in-flight entertainment, JetBlue and Virgin America have begun offering passengers complimentary streaming video lectures from classes at top universities. What do you think? Sign our Petition  for a Passenger Bill of Rights Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights with Paul Hudson, President Consider making a secured donation to FlyersRights. The loudest advocates and largest organization representing airline passengers Getting on a Plane?  Put This Number in Your Phone: Send comments and tips to Kendallc@FlyersRights.org or on Twitter@KendallFlyers. Read past newsletters!

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Race To The Bottom February 3, 2015 The fight for passengers has now moved to the cabin interior.  luggage tags mean big dollar signs to the airlines (Image: RunwayGirlNetwork) This is what a 10-abreast 777 cattle car looks like.  One of the world's biggest selling models, the 777 was designed for nine seats per row, rather than 10.  In 2010, just 15% of 777s delivered to airlines could seat 10 abreast. In 2012, that leapt to 69%.   Time for government to legislate minimum comfort standards for civilian passengers. It should not become an option or profit issue.  JetBlue broke many hearts last fall when it announced it would cut legroom and charge for bags. Last week Skift.com focused on JetBlue's race to the bottom with the big three: Delta, United and American.     The article said the airlines have figured out there's no money in providing passengers with honest, easy-to-follow pricing and free checked bags. "Leaving money on the table"- probably the most overused catchphrase today -is the bane of Wall Street which admonishes airlines not to pass up easy money-making fees for luggage and legroom. Ironically, JetBlue's motto used to be, "bringing humanity back to air travel". The move makes JetBlue the latest airline to succumb to Wall Street's pressure to boost profits (only $401 million last year) with fees for checked baggage, food, and drinks, that used to be included in the base fare.     "The base fare has been stripped down steadily toward just being a butt in the seat and access to the bathroom and a glass of water," said Vinay Bhaskara, senior business analyst for Airways News to YahooTravel.     And with airlines making unprecedented riches - last year $12.7 billion in net profits, up from $98 million in 2012 - JetBlue has decided it can no longer leave that kind of "money on the table".     But baggage fees are so 2014. So JetBlue is adding new layers of complexity with pricing tiers and seating classes in a way that can make it even more expensive for you to fly.    A Blitzkrieg of Fees Pelting Consumers You begin to wonder after awhile if there's any new or ingenious way the airlines won't find to increase their profits. 'Consumer obfuscation' is the new black for airlines, using these complicated 'fare family' schemes.  Soon JetBlue will unveil a three-tiered pricing scheme that will take effect in the second quarter of this year, just in time for Spring Break.    Under the first tier, fliers will be charged for any and all checked bags. Fliers who pay extra for the middle level will get one free checked bag. And those who get the most expensive fare will get two free checked bags.    Airways News' Bhaskara says, "That's just another way for the airlines to extract even more money out of their customers."     SmarterTravel recaps everything we know about JetBlue's new fees: New fee amounts and fare types will be unveiled in the second quarter of 2015 There will be three "fare families" so flyers choose 'which services they would like and which they don't need' The new fare structure is already being tested, but it's unclear in which markets or how JetBlue expects to make $200 million in fees annually by 2017. That's $200 million per year. Prices for the airline's Even More Space seats, expedited security, and priority boarding will also be changing Say farewell to legroom, with thinner cushions and 15 more seats planned on its A320s And here's what we don't know: The actual bag fees The new fare families' pricing An official start date for both (although again, sounds like Q2-just in time for your spring break getaway!) Whether base prices on the cheapest tickets are expected to rise If there are any more plans to reduce legroom on other aircraft Airbus' patented saddle seats Just remember, its not about you, your comfort or your opinion. Its about profit. You can expect the industry to trend toward higher prices, less service, more upcharges and less legroom. One airline patented restraints to allow passengers to basically stand, so that they could pack more fare payers into the cabin. If there has ever been and industry in need of government oversight, it is aviation. FlyersRights' president, Paul Hudson, says "This why we need a moratorium on seat space reductions now."  Southwest Airlines:   Profit Before Safety?  (Exerpted from ETN Global News, Wall St. Journal) Does Southwest Airlines care so much about on-time performance and having the reputation of a profitable carrier that it would overlook cracks in the fuselage? Would the airline go so far to punish its own mechanics if they reported this or other safety issues? The January 21, 2015 "settlement" of this recent law suit is scary evidence that could suggest a "maybe" answer to that question, and indicates an industry-wide problem. There is a history of questionable incidents on Southwest Airlines that eTN has been reporting about for some time. In March of 2008, the FAA accused Southwest Airlines of falsifying safety reports. In June of 2009, mechanics raised alarm for outsourcing major maintenance work to El Salvador. In August 2009, the airline grounded 46 planes. In April 2011, Southwest Airlines grounded 81 planes for inspection following an incident in which one of its flights was forced to make an emergency landing at a military base in Yuma, Arizona, after a 3-foot hole tore open in the fuselage of the plane. No one got hurt so far, but apparently Southwest Airlines did not learn anything from this incident. On July 2, 2014, Southwest Airlines mechanic Charles Hall performed maintenance on a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 aircraft and discovered two cracks in the aircraft fuselage and documented them. Discovery of these cracks resulted in the aircraft being removed from service to be repaired. Instead of commending the mechanic, Southwest Airlines issued a "Letter of Instruction" advising Charles Hall that he had acted outside the scope of his work. This letter said: "Please be aware that any further violation may result in further disciplinary action." In addition to the lawsuit, seven American mechanics - six from Chicago and one from Dallas - filed two federal whistleblower complaints against their airline alleging that managers pressured the employees to breach federal rules on aircraft maintenance related to wing cracks and inspections for suspected lightning strikes. The whistleblower complaints claim the company and managers intimidated union representatives from aiding the FAA investigations into the matter claiming it could complicate the company's merger integration with U.S. Airways. The judge in the Southwest case stated that the warning letter had the effect of intimidating the mechanic and dissuading other Southwest Airlines mechanics from reporting the discovery of cracks, abnormalities, or defects out of fear of reprisal discipline.  The case was ultimately settled in a January 16 agreement. Southwest Airlines agreed to pay Mr. Hall compensation for reasonable attorney fees and expenses, and pay US$35,000 within 10 days of final approval of the agreement. A Dark Reflection - movie trailer Last week, Captain Tristan Loraine, former British Airways pilot received the British Citizen Award in recognition of his 14 years of global work on the issue of contaminated air on aircraft. He and fellow medically-retired air crew spent years trying to expose what they believed was one of the great ­global scandals of our times: that the air on passenger jets is not always safe. On 27th February 2015, Tristan Loraine's film 'A Dark Reflection'; an investigative feature film on the issue of contaminated air will be released into UK cinemas.   Laugh of the Week: So Instead Of Cleaning The Air... Airlines Use "Fragrances" By Susan Carey, Wall Street Journal Eau de Airline Beyoncé's latest perfume is called Rise, "the scent of empowerment." Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and Jennifer Aniston have signature scents, too. So does Delta Air Lines.    Delta's offering is Calm, an eau d'aeroport that it sprays in airplane cabins and infuses in the hot towels it gives out in premium classes. It has been spreading Calm for about two years, joining a handful of other carriers vying for olfactory distinction by developing their own individualized odors.      The fragrant fliers include United Continental Holdings , Turkish Airlines and Air Canada's low-cost rouge operation. Spain's Iberia is close to launching its own aroma, and Alaska Airlines is working on one. Given the grind that air travel has become for millions of people, with ever smaller seats and endless fees, the moves by airlines could be likened to putting perfume on a flying pig. (Read more: WSJ). (thanks to Ed Mierzwinski, USPIRG for the tip!)                                Sign the FlyersRights Petition                            for a Passenger Bill of Rights                                                                                                             Kate Hanni, founder                                         with Paul Hudson, President Thank you Please consider making a secured donation to FlyersRights. The loudest advocates and largest organization representing airline passengers Getting on a Plane?  Put This Number in Your Phone: Send comments and tips to kendallc@FlyersRights.org or on Twitter @KendallFlyers. Read past newsletters! Forward this email! This email was sent to kendallc@flyersrights.org by kendallc@flyersrights.org |   Update Profile/Email Address | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. FlyersRights.org | 4411 Bee Ridge Road | Sarasota | FL | 34233