Look, if you're an airport and you want to have the superjumbo Airbus A380 flying in and out, you can't just be like "hey, airlines, bring that big thang on over." Nope. Instead certain preparations must be made to accommodate an airliner of the A380's size and heft. To effectively manage each plane's 500+ passenger load, more jetways are needed, plus support vehicles to reach the upper deck. In some cases, airport runway indicator lights may need to be moved and the tarmac reinforced.

In other words, A380s can't just fly anywhere and, although the massive planes have been in the air since Singapore Airlines took delivery of the very first in 2007, not all that many airports around the world are treated to them. At least some of those are the United States...

US airports where you'll find A380s: ]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-11T09:28:00-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/19/132826/98

The French, suffice it to say, are not a nation renowned for their devotion to industry. Retirement ages are low, work weeks are short, and benefits are plentiful. The stereotype is that French workers will erect barricades in the streets for a month before they agree to increase the retirement age by a day.

And that, boys and girls, is how stereotypes can sometimes be misleading. It turns out that some Frenchmen are very industrious indeed. Take for example the main character in this simply insane story. A French thief managed to steal $13,000 worth of goods—"airline napkins, glasses, plates, blankets"—from the first class cabins of Air France flights. He was at it for a full three years apparently. Just imagine all the hard work and dedication that took.

When he was finally caught it was red-handed with a carry-on full of trinkets from the Air France flight, which landed in the tiny Indian Ocean island of Réunion.]]> Omri 2011-12-19T15:25:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/2/143614/653

As the airline industry settles in for a winter of labor turmoil, we here at Jaunted are becoming resigned to what will be an endless series of airline strike stories. And while we could just update you with lines like "were you thinking of going to [destination X that's totally hosed] some time soon? If so, don't"—that seems just a little bit flippant. Although if you were thinking of going to Canada, France, Australia, or India some time soon, there's a good chance you're going to want to consider travelers' insurance.

A few days ago we told you that the Qantas and Air France strikes were winding down, which was technically true. As of yesterday Qantas had resumed all flights and Air France was operating at 90%. But—because this is how things are going to go now, apparently—none of the issues have been resolved. So everything could kick up again before the month is over.]]> Omri 2011-11-02T17:57:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/31/9152/5553

Wow. This last weekend was not commercial aviation's finest hour whatsoever. In fact, one could say it was a farce! Three events contributed to the stranding of thousands of travelers and the cancellations of flights originating from places as wide-ranging as Australia and Hartford, CT.

Today, air traffic should be running more smoothly, and here's the latest updates on each situation:

· The Qantas shutdown: Confrontations between the Australian airline and its labor unions reached such a level that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce shut down all Qantas mainline flight operations on Saturday, shutting out employees. Passengers boarding onto Qantas planes at the time were told to return to the terminal, and other airlines (mainly V Australia, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and Air New Zealand) mobilized to run extra planes, special routes and limited pricing to essentially rescue the stranded.]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-31T09:01:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/27/224036/71

Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of all the new route announcements that come our way, so we’ve complied a little bit of a rundown below. As long as you can afford the fares, this should definitely help add to your passport stamp collection.

· Air France:
For those planning a trip to Paris next summer things just got little easier thanks to the pilots and crew over at Air France. Sure the carrier already flies from Los Angeles to Paris, but now they’re switching things up and using the A380 to link LAX with CDG.

Your winter plans won’t be getting the upgrade, as the plane swap is supposed to start beginning next May. Obviously a lot of stuff can change between now and early next year, but if you’re already looking to pick a flight try your best to score a ride with the big bird—it'll be number four at LAX in case you’re counting.

· Japan Airlines:
Apparently checking out the northern lights can cause quite a boost in tourism, so Japan Airlines is adding some more flights to and from Alaska this winter. They'redesigned for those looking to head into Alaska, but the planes also head back to Japan—just in case you need a little Tokyo. The airline is bumping up service between Japan and the United States from cities like Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Tokyo, and it’s all in hopes of checking out that elusive Aurora Borealis. We’re sure the souvenir shops are already ordering extra goodies in advance of the tourist invasion. ]]> kjb 2011-10-28T09:08:19-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/20/22419/505
Looking up the nose of a Lufthansa A380

It never fails. We'll be at an airport, chilling at a gate awaiting a flight boarding announcement, and every time an Airbus A380 rolls up nearby, other travelers around us will stand and head to the windows for a better look.

There's just something about the double-decker jet, maybe that it's easy to spot or maybe because it's simply so massive that makes people pay attention. Flyers who wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 737 and a 777 will point and reverently whisper, "that's that new superjumbo. Cooool."

Even we still get crazy excited when we spot so much as an A380 tail peeking up from behind a terminal, and luckily New York-JFK Airport is one of the best places to get a good look. Of the 7 airlines currently flying A380s, 4 have routes to JFK, with a fifth arriving next year. Here's who to look for: ]]> JetSetCD 2011-10-20T09:35:03-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/7/11/85623/7229

Alright we admit it—sometimes we’re guilty of not taking all our trash off the airplane. Sure we try not to treat the plane like a stadium or movie theatre, but once in a while we might leave some a wrapper, bottle, or one of those annoying magazine subscription cards behind.

We definitely need to clean up our act before our next flight on Air France, as the airline is now pushing passengers to clean up their seats before deplaning. The head honcho at Air France wants his crews to quit cleaning up after everyone, as the airline attempts to cut costs to compete with all those pesky low cost carriers flying everywhere and anywhere across Europe. ]]> kjb 2011-07-11T11:06:16-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/