Airlines

Boredom and fatigue at 35,000 feet Boredom and fatigue at 35,000 feet

Do two distracted Northwest pilots portend a frightening breakdown in air safety? No. Plus: A personal note
By Patrick Smith Oct 29, 2009

  • Crash

    Already in 2009, 11 major accidents involving commercial jets. We're in trouble, right?
    By Patrick Smith July 24, 2009

  • Is the Airbus a lemon?

    Two Airbus crashes in two months: Should we worry? Plus: Welcome to the Six Continent Club!
    By Patrick Smith July 10, 2009

  • The Learjet repo man

    Business has never been better for the fearless pilot who takes back millionaires' expensive toys.
    By Marc Weingarten June 6, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    From swine flu to malaria, how jetliners can spread disease. Plus: Is the air on planes really as dirty as we think?
    By Patrick Smith May 8, 2009

  • Ask the Pilot

    How did a suicidal passenger get the door of a pressurized plane open? Plus: Can't any pilot fly most planes? And: The autopilot was on during landing?
    By Patrick Smith May 1, 2009

  • Big fat controversy

    Is it wrong for airlines to charge obese passengers more? Broadsheet writers debate United Airlines' new policy.
    By Sarah Hepola April 20, 2009

  • Giving the recession the finger

    My job prospects were diminishing, the economy was convulsing, but I said "screw it" -- and took a vacation I couldn't afford.
    By Robert Lanham April 13, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    Did a stupid, inexplicable mistake cause the crash near Buffalo, N.Y.? Plus: The weird hell of working for a regional airline.
    By Patrick Smith April 3, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    If you're a pilot, no matter how much skill you have, or how many lives you've heroically saved, the only thing that matters is seniority.
    By Patrick Smith March 20, 2009

  • Ask the Pilot

    Will the airlines' current financial troubles affect safety? "Sully" Sullenberger thinks so, but I'm not so sure.
    By Patrick Smith March 6, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    How to build the perfect airline terminal? Here are 15 steps in the right direction.
    By Patrick Smith February 13, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    JetBlue is touting its fancy new terminal, but it just makes me wonder: Why can't Americans build better airports?
    By Patrick Smith February 6, 2009

  • I'm losing it in public

    Airport foul-ups, traffic tie-ups, rude taxi drivers ... I've had it!
    By Cary Tennis January 20, 2009

  • Ask the pilot

    Bailout nation: Will the airlines follow Detroit to the government trough?
    By Patrick Smith December 19, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    Can commercial jets fly upside down? Has terrorism forced a change in transoceanic flight paths? And other probing questions for our expert.
    By Patrick Smith December 12, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    We're about to elect a new president. Will he have the will to take on the serious issues affecting air travel?
    By Patrick Smith October 31, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    The American non-traveler: What's the price of staying put? Plus: When airline pilots have the opportunity to roam widely, but choose not to.
    By Patrick Smith October 24, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    Around the world in 41 hours and 17,000 miles. Plus: I want to live in Emirates first-class.
    By Patrick Smith September 26, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    The gut-churning trials and tribulations of making the grade with an airline.
    By Patrick Smith September 5, 2008

  • Ask the pilot

    Who cares what planes look like? I do! Why do they have to look so ugly and boring?
    By Patrick Smith August 29, 2008
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