Tag: Air France

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Six US Airports for Stalking the Airbus A380

January 11, 2012 at 9:28 AM | by | Comments (0)


Korean Air and Lufthansa A380s snuggle up at JFK Terminal 1

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:

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Thief Steals $13,000 of Air France First Class Swag, Gets Caught on Tiny Island

December 19, 2011 at 3:25 PM | by | Comments (0)

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.

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Winter Airline Strike News Getting Better and Better

November 2, 2011 at 5:57 PM | by | Comment (1)

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.

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What a Weekend! Updates on Qantas, Air France and the Freak Thundersnowstorm

October 31, 2011 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

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.

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More Seats, More Planes, More Routes from Air France, Hawaiian and Others

October 28, 2011 at 9:08 AM | by | Comments (0)

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.

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The Four Airbus A380s to Look For at New York's JFK Airport

Where: JFK International Airport [map], New York, NY, United States
October 20, 2011 at 9:35 AM | by | Comments (0)


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:

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Air France Asks You to Take Your Trash With You, S'il Vous Plait

July 11, 2011 at 11:06 AM | by | Comments (0)

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.

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This Week is All About Bermuda, China, and Liberia Thanks to New Routes

April 29, 2011 at 7:26 AM | by | Comments (0)

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 China:
After a few days in Milan you might just get sick of being in Italy—we’re kidding—but if you do there’s always Air China to help you escape Europe and head into Asia. Beginning on June 15, the carrier will be sending Airbus A330s back and forth between Milan and Beijing just in time for the summer tourism season. The flights will run three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. They’re the only airline flying nonstop on this route, so expect to pay a little bit of a premium if you decide to hop between continents anytime soon.

· Air France:
If you’re looking to impress your friends with a unique trip, you might just want to consider some of Air France’s new options to West Africa. Earlier this month they started up flights to Freetown—that’s in Sierra Leone—as well as flights to Monrovia, Liberia. They’re even heading to the capital of Guinea; that’s Conakry of course! All the flights will depart from Paris—not surprising—and will be operated thanks to a little assistance from those trusty Airbus A330s.

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New Routes News This Week from Air France, Singapore and Pet Airways

April 15, 2011 at 9:00 AM | by | Comments (0)

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:
Apparently Air France wasn’t too embarrassed about playing airline bumper cars on the tarmac at JFK earlier this week, as now they’re sending the big bird to San Francisco. It’s a limited run, so you better book your tickets soon if you’re thinking about heading to Paris this summer. The CDG to SFO options will begin on June 6 and will run through September 4. Lufthansa already announced that they will be sending one of their A380s to the west coast this summer too, so expect a very crowded airport—and line for US Customs!

· Pet Airways:
If you need a way to bring Fido on vacation with you this summer, look no further than Pet Airways. The airline that only transports puppies and kitties has been doing its thing for quite some time, but business must be pretty good, as they’re starting up service to three new cities. Texas is the big winner, as Houston, Austin, and Dallas will now all be available for those looking to fly across the country. The flights will begin this summer, and the airline is planning to take reservations at some point this spring.

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Massive Air France A380 Strikes a Little Delta Plane at JFK: The VIDEO

April 12, 2011 at 9:49 AM | by | Comments (0)

Okay, so everyone and their moms are posting this video, but we can't get enough of it and we want to make sure you're seeing it too. Here's the deal: last night, a Delta jet, operated by Comair (a little Bombardier CRJ700), was taxiing to its gate at New York-JFK Airport, having just arrived after a short flight down from Boston. There were 62 passengers and four crew onboard.

Meanwhile, an Air France superjumbo double-decker A380, with 495 passengers and 25 crew onboard, was taxiing to a runway to begin a flight to Paris, when its left wing totally smacked the rear fin (ah hem vertical stabilizer) of the Delta jet. No one was hurt, but as you can see in the video above, the A380 sure gave the regional jet a heck of a slap.

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Awesome Video Alert: 5,500 Miles to Paris in Two Minutes

April 7, 2011 at 1:44 PM | by | Comments (0)

What's with the recent trend of travelers taking really great HD videos of their flights and making them into pseudo-dream sequences? We love it, really we do, and we're thrilled that our friend AirlineReporter has pointed out yet another amazing mini-film today: a two-minute trip from San Francisco to Paris onboard an Air France A340.

The video is recent—uploaded to YouTube on April 1—but there's no April Fool's joking about it. Watch above for breaktaking glimpses of the Northern Lights and snow-covered tundra. Passenger Nate Bolt captured 2,459 photos during the 5,576-mile trip, with the permission of Air France.

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Two Years Later and Two Miles Down, Air France Flight 447 is Found

April 4, 2011 at 4:40 PM | by | Comments (0)

This is not the happiest day, nor is it the saddest for the families of those who were killed in the crash of Air France Flight 447 two years ago. The correct term is "bittersweet," as finally deep-diving submarines have located a large portion of the airliner two-and-a-half miles underwater, well off the coast of Brazil. With the discovery of the engines, pieces of the fuselage and the landing gear comes the recovery of more bodies and—hoping against hope—perhaps the black box.

The AP video above explains why locating the flight recorder ("black box") is so important, even though two years of seawater may have taken its toll. If any information can be pulled from it, then there is a chance that the world may finally learn what happened to cause the sudden disappearance of the plane from the skies. The current theory is heavy turbulence and issues stemming from "high-altitude storm" it hit between Rio de Janeiro and Paris.

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