Comments on: Upgrades and Downgrades — April 10, 2008 — Flight groundings, celeb upgrades, and pilot gunfire explained http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/ Living the first class life -- at coach prices Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:55:54 -0700 hourly 1 By: Oliver http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21468 Oliver Fri, 18 Apr 2008 05:10:57 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21468 El Al has never had a hijacking? Not quite correct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al#Hijacking As for the pilot shooting a hole into the US Airways aircraft, looks like he'll soon be looking for a new occupation. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/17/pilot.gun/index.html El Al has never had a hijacking? Not quite correct:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Al#Hijacking

As for the pilot shooting a hole into the US Airways aircraft, looks like he’ll soon be looking for a new occupation.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/17/pilot.gun/index.html

]]> By: craig http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21430 craig Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:01:49 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21430 I think each traveler should have to stand on the scale along with his luggage, and pay according to the total. I think each traveler should have to stand on the scale along with his luggage, and pay according to the total.

]]> By: S A http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21409 S A Sun, 13 Apr 2008 21:29:14 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21409 @ F.O. Mann -- Who is "blathering" about if the MD-80s are safe to fly? Mark's post suggests the planes were reasonably safe, since the FAA gave AA 18 months to fix things previously. So what's your beef? Or is your name really "Joe Brancatelli"? And like From the Mind of J says, show me the quote from the illustrious Joe. I'm not paying a subscription fee for the privilege of seeing what the hell you're talking about. @ F.O. Mann –
Who is “blathering” about if the MD-80s are safe to fly? Mark’s post suggests the planes were reasonably safe, since the FAA gave AA 18 months to fix things previously. So what’s your beef? Or is your name really “Joe Brancatelli”?

And like From the Mind of J says, show me the quote from the illustrious Joe. I’m not paying a subscription fee for the privilege of seeing what the hell you’re talking about.

]]> By: From the Mind of J http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21405 From the Mind of J Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:20:53 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21405 F.O. Mann, how about elaborating for us, because that guy's website won't let me view since I'm not a poster there. F.O. Mann, how about elaborating for us, because that guy’s website won’t let me view since I’m not a poster there.

]]> By: From the Mind of J http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21403 From the Mind of J Sun, 13 Apr 2008 03:01:42 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21403 "All El Al pilots are veterans of the Israeli air force and are trained in handling weapons and in hand-to-hand combat." http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/09/26/rec.el.al.security/ Grow a brain and google it if in doubt. :) From this quote, it's reasonable to infer that an Israeli airline would employ an Israeli martial art which wastes no time on the touchy-feely stuff and gets straight down to the pragmatics, e.g. defense against armed men, confronting multiple attackers. As for profiling, I've seen some real unintelligent ideas bounced around like this "micro-expressions" BS. Nobody has a right to try and read my mind. Better to intimidate would-be hijackers than piss off innocent passengers. “All El Al pilots are veterans of the Israeli air force and are trained in handling weapons and in hand-to-hand combat.”

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/09/26/rec.el.al.security/

Grow a brain and google it if in doubt. :)

From this quote, it’s reasonable to infer that an Israeli airline would employ an Israeli martial art which wastes no time on the touchy-feely stuff and gets straight down to the pragmatics, e.g. defense against armed men, confronting multiple attackers.

As for profiling, I’ve seen some real unintelligent ideas bounced around like this “micro-expressions” BS. Nobody has a right to try and read my mind. Better to intimidate would-be hijackers than piss off innocent passengers.

]]> By: F.O. Mann http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21402 F.O. Mann Sat, 12 Apr 2008 21:03:57 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21402 You can blather all you want about whether the MD-80s are safe to fly, but it was Joe Brancatelli, as usual, who got to the heart of the matter. He alone cuts through the poo on both sides: http://joe.biztravelife.com/joe.html You can blather all you want about whether the MD-80s are safe to fly, but it was Joe Brancatelli, as usual, who got to the heart of the matter. He alone cuts through the poo on both sides:
http://joe.biztravelife.com/joe.html

]]> By: Brian http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21401 Brian Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:39:58 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21401 Speaking of growing brains.... El Al has never had a hijacking not because its pilots study Krava Maga (and I'm not sure they do that), but because its passenger screening is incredibly effective. El Al is not afraid to be politically incorrect - they profile, they discriminate and as a result they have air tight secruity. The TSA is ineffective and mostly for show. Until the TSA gets its act together, US pilots will need to be able to defend their passengers with firearms. Speaking of growing brains….

El Al has never had a hijacking not because its pilots study Krava Maga (and I’m not sure they do that), but because its passenger screening is incredibly effective. El Al is not afraid to be politically incorrect – they profile, they discriminate and as a result they have air tight secruity.

The TSA is ineffective and mostly for show. Until the TSA gets its act together, US pilots will need to be able to defend their passengers with firearms.

]]> By: From the Mind of J http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21390 From the Mind of J Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:54:40 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21390 Seems like they'd grow brains and just start teaching their flight crew Krav Maga as on El Al. Oh, and as for the Anniston story, it just smacks of customer discrimination, which I do believe is illegal. It's not entirely unlike if the airline were to decide to pass over black people when offering water. Seems like they’d grow brains and just start teaching their flight crew Krav Maga as on El Al.

Oh, and as for the Anniston story, it just smacks of customer discrimination, which I do believe is illegal. It’s not entirely unlike if the airline were to decide to pass over black people when offering water.

]]> By: Oliver http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21388 Oliver Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:44:36 +0000 http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2008/04/10/upgrades-and-downgrades-april-10-2008-flight-groundings-celeb-upgrades-and-pilot-gunfire-explained/#comment-21388 So why haven't we seen an official explanation of what happened on that US Air flight? Can't be *that* hard to investigate this incident, now can it? So why haven’t we seen an official explanation of what happened on that US Air flight? Can’t be *that* hard to investigate this incident, now can it?

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