Theories Abound In Amsterdam Crash

Investigators are looking most closely at engine failure in the crash of a Turkish Airlines 737 into a field near Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Wednesday.

That has not prevented many other theories from arising. The Turkey Airline Pilots’ Association is suggesting that wake turbulence from a Northwest 757 contributed to the crash.

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Real Air Marshals Boot Fake Air Marshal Off Flight

Here’s a tip: If you manage to get on a flight by flashing a fake police badge and claiming to be a federal air marshal but the real air marshals on the plane throw you off and, amazingly, don’t have you arrested, don’t go to an airport bar and start complaining about it. Apparently, it’s not a good strategy.

Financing Sought For Massive New Cruise Ships

The world’s biggest cruise ship is almost finished at a cost of $1.24 billion. Now who’s going to pay for it? Royal Caribbean has raised the possibility that it will not be able to raise the money due on delivery Dec. 1.

Bloomberg, USA Today’s Cruise Log and CruiseCritic have more on this.

The current state of the economy calls into question the wisdom of commissioning two massive, expensive ships. (A sister ship is under construction.) Will passengers be willing and able to pay the high fares required to make these ships pay off?

Still, it would benefit nobody to let the ships languish without earning income. Somebody is going to have to think of something, and I’m pretty sure they will.

Ryanair To Charge For Toilets? I Don’t Think So …

The joke has been around for years as airlines have piled on fees: When are they going to start charging to use the bathroom?

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s combative CEO, told the BBC this morning that the ultra-no-frills airline was looking into charging £1 for using the lavatories. “One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door,” he said.

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Costa Romantica Cruise Ship Evacuated After Fire

The Costa Romantica, an Italian cruise ship carrying about 1,400 passengers and 600 crew, is anchored off the cost of Uruguay after a fire in the generator room, MercoPress reports.

Nobody was injured, but the ship is having electrical problems.

The Spanish-language news site INFOBAE reports that plans are being made to evacuate the ship. The Web site of the Observa newspaper in Montevideo reports that it may take many more hours to repair the ship’s electrical system, and that the captain is working with the Uruguayan navy to arrange an evacuation.

The ship was sailing between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, and had not planned to stop in Uruguay, a factor that is delaying arrangements to evacuate the ship, Observa reports.

UPDATE: The ship was repaired enough to sail to Punta del Este in Uruguay, where the passengers disembarked. They will continue to Buenos Aires by land and by ferry. 

Airfare Deals: $170 To Vegas, $464 To Honolulu And More

I just had a look at airfarewatchdog.com‘s list for bargain airfares from Bradley International and was knocked over by what I found. These are round trips:

* to Las Vegas, $145 base fare, totaling $170 with taxes and fees

* to several cities in California, $205, with taxes and fees totaling about $240

* to Honolulu, $425, with taxes and fees $464

* to Chicago, $109, with taxes and fees $139

* to Detroit, $114, with taxes and fees $156

Many of these fares are available through the middle of August. Some are available seven days a week.

They’re all great deals.

Turkish Airlines 737 Crashes Near Amsterdam

It’s not at all clear why a Turkish Airlines 737 crashed into a field this morning on approach to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

An Associated Press photo:

The plane was fairly new, the airline has a good safety record, the weather was clear and the pilot was experienced.

At least nine people are dead, and dozens are injured. The fact that the aircraft hit a plowed field may have mitigated the impact and saved lives, the AP reports.

Update: OK, maybe Turkish Airlines’ safety record isn’t all that good, according to Bloomberg.

Sullenberger: Pay Cuts Driving Pilots From Job

All the applause and hero worship aside, I think what we really owe Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger for his amazing “splash landing” in the Hudson is the courtesy of listening to him. Here’s what he told the Subcommittee on Aviation of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this morning:

… while I love my profession, I do not like what has happened to it. I would not be doing my duty if I did not report to you that I’m deeply troubled about its future. Americans have been experiencing huge economic difficulties in recent months, but airline employees have been experiencing those challenges and more for eight years. We’ve been hit by an economic tsunami. September 11th, bankrupcties, fluctuating fuel prices, mergers, loss of pensions and revolving-door management teams who have used airlines employees as an ATM have left the people who work for the airlines in the United States with extreme economic difficulties. It is an incredible testament to the collective character, professionalism and dedication of my colleagues in the industry that they are still able to function at such a high level.

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Airfare Deal: $367 Round Trip To Europe

Thanks to Arthur Frommer for this tip: U.S. Airways is offering round trips to 17 cities in western Europe, including Paris, Rome and London, from New York or Philadelphia for $367. That includes taxes and fees.

These fares are going fast. There are lots of restrictions and you must buy by Thursday for travel ending by May 20.

I’d recommend that you read the terms closely and then use the “low fare finder” search option on the U.S. Airways reservation page to see if you can find these fares. Use LaGuardia (LGA) as your departure point from New York and page through the dates using the “3 days earlier” and “3 days later” buttons for departures and arrivals.

If you see fares of $149 each way, the total will come out around $367, with taxes and fees included, for the round trip.

Using this method, I seem to to be finding these fares for most routings, though on just a few dates in some cases. It was harder to find between LaGuardia and Barcelona, for example, than between Philadelphia and Madrid.

UPDATE: Arthur Frommer reports that Continental is matching this fare.

AAA: Watch The Speedometer In Arizona

Last week the AAA designated the entire state of Arizona a “strict enforcement area” because the state is using cameras to identify speeding vehicles for ticketing.

This doesn’t mean the entire state is a speed trap, where drivers are deliberately tricked or speed limits are enforced only against strangers. It simply means the enforcement of the speed limits is particularly rigorous.

There seems to be some disagreement over whether an entire state has ever had this designation before. The Associated Press says that it’s a first, according to AAA Arizona. But The New York Times reported in 1988 that Mississippi had been so designated, following Virginia and Mexico.

(I’m not saying I know anyone who opened up on a deserted Arizona highway to see how fast a rented Chevy Blazer would go. I’m just saying he probably shouldn’t do it again.)