Swim! Or Sink: First it was the flab-blankets, pillows, magazines-that desperate airlines eliminated as they tried to save fuel by cutting weight. Now they're cutting muscle, like the life vests being eliminated by Air Canada's Jazz. Because none of its routes ventures more than 50mi (80km) from land, said the airline, both US and Canadian regulations permit 'your seat cushion (to) be used as a flotation device'. Of course, a 50mi swim, fully clothed and clinging to a seat cushion, would be a bit tough even for Olympics star swimmer Mark Phelps. Far, Far Away: New Zealanders are accustomed to their fair share of insults (mostly involving sheep, but let's not go there). Now, an industry analyst for CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation), speaking to Aviation Week & Space Technology about the fuel crisis, has 'dissed' Kiwis even worse. He called Air New Zealand 'a small carrier at the end of the world' for which things can only become tougher.
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