Even with 40 percent more seating, the two tons shed by removing in-flight entertainment systems helped the airline cut the total weight of each plane by about seven percent. Fuel costs account for nearly 40 percent of all expenses, and with prices up 36 percent in the last two years, Scoot hopes the savings will allow the airline to continue to offer ultra-low rates. Parent company Singapore Airlines Ltd hopes that the cuts will allow Scoot to take back a portion of the 26% market share lost to fellow budget airlines Jetstar and AirAsia Bhd.
(Photo via John Karakatsanis, hat tip to The Verge)
falconieri asks: I would also imagine that airlines WANT you to buy your stuff. Your movies and entertainment. Last plane I was on headphones from 1949 were still $8.
» SFB says: To some degree this is true, but on the other hand, it’s not like they’re without options. (Plus, the FAA arguably doesn’t have jurisdiction over business motives like this.) Do you know how much they charge for wi-fi on some flights? That certainly makes up for the headphones. And on top of this, they could totally run a Starbucks-style closed network with free Netflix or something, and sell ads against it. They have options. — Ernie @ SFB
» That doesn’t seem like many, right? Yeah, you’re right … while there were another 105 delayed flights worldwide, the fact of the matter is, it happened on a Friday night – the best possible time for a total system shutdown. While travelers were understandably angry, it was the difference between thousands of angry people and hundreds of thousands of angry people.
David Renwick, a former Denverite, who now lives in Oregon, has been stranded at the airport in Portland for three hours on his way to San Fransico.
“When I got here they were already making an announcement,” Renwick said. “They said they were having systemwide computer problems affecting everything from reservations to weather reports for pilots, so they said all planes worldwide were grounded.”
At a United gate in Portland, Renwick is stranded with about 80 other people, he said.
A near-repeat of a week ago with US Airways. Airlines with computer problems left and right.
U.S. Airways having kind of a rough night: ABC News Correspondent Jim Sciutto, above, was one of many folks trying to fly, only to have some major issues at the hands of U.S. Airways’ struggling computer systems. Word is that a power outage knocked out the airline’s computer systems, grounding flights around the country. Things are improving, according to the company’s Twitter feed, but the situation is as of this moment unstable. ProducerMatthew has more details.
Speaking of Ryanair: The ultra-cheap airline congratulated its Irish competitor, Aer Lingus, on its 75th anniversary with this wonderfully evil newspaper ad. (via Twitter user @simonog)
veto on the horizon: Remember that anti-union stuff House Republicans wanted in the FAA reauthorization bill? It survived the amendment process, and the House is now set to pass the legislation. After being merged with the already-passed Senate bill and then voted on again by both chambers, it’ll end up on the President’s desk. At that point, Obama will have to decide whether or not to bust out his veto pen. The White House issued a veto threat earlier this week, as the bill would roll back reforms that ease the ability of rail and aviation employees to unionize. While we suspect Obama may be bluffing here, given the rather milquetoast nature of the threat, we’ll only find out if the amended bill passes the Senate. And it’s never particularly wise to assume that the Senate will pass something. source
» What’s being proposed: The provision, which comes in the form of an amendment to the FAA reauthorization bill, would affect the way votes are tallied when rail or aviation workers decide whether or not to unionize. Under the proposed amendment, no-shows and abstentions would count as “no” votes (that is, votes against unionization; if anyone can explain the intellectual justification behind such a policy, we’re all ears). But not only does the bill face a possible presidential veto; there’s also doubt as to whether House leadership even has the votes to pass it. We’ll keep you posted as to how this plays out after tomorrow’s vote.
The video shows a door with a card swipe and suggests that access is gained to the airfield area through this door. In fact, the door shown in the video provides access only to an employee lunchroom.A statement from SFO’s airport • Suggesting that the anonymous pilot who taped some videos showing the airport’s lack of security was being dishonest. The airport defends its security, saying it’s “an innovator and a trendsetter in aviation security.” So, wait … question. Why would a lunch room need security? And why, rather than simply releasing a statement, doesn’t the airport shoot video proving this? Because they could be lying, too. Some people are “truthers,” others are “birthers,” but we’re “lunchers.” source (via • follow)
In this week’s Newsweek, a little...
Tumblr this morning. [h/t anne]
#@#$%!.tumblr.com
Here’s a hidden feature that shipped in...
Watch: PCB gets a visual shout out on GMA’s Yahoo/Tumblr...
Wrote a thing.
Hat tip to this headline writer.
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