Explosion on Northwest Airlines Flight

A 23-year-old Nigerian man named Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, apparently tried to light a powdery substance aboard a Northwest Airlines flight before landing in Detroit this afternoon. Initial reports said that a man had tried to light either firecrackers or fireworks but it now appears that it could have been much worse.

There are rumors circulating on CNN and other news networks that he could have terrorist ties.

From CNN:

A passenger ignited fireworks Friday at the end of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit, Michigan, a Delta Air Lines spokeswoman said.

The passenger was immediately subdued, according to Susan Elliott, spokeswoman for Delta, Northwest’s parent company. The incident resulted in some minor injuries, Elliott said.

A passenger was later placed in custody, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.

President Obama, who is spending the holidays in his home state of Hawaii, was briefed on the incident during a secure phone call with aides and “instructed that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel,” White House spokesman Bill Burton said. The president made no changes to his schedule, Burton said.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Friday saying that air passengers “may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights.”

Passenger Held in Los Angeles After Bomb Threat on Flight

A Los Angeles airport spokesman says a man who made a threat aboard a flight as it was landing was subdued by passengers and is currently being questioned by authorities.

From the Associated Press:

Los Angeles International Airport spokesman Albert Rodriguez says the man was taken for questioning after Delta Air Lines Flight 110 from Atlanta landed Wednesday morning.

Rodriguez says the man reportedly made the threat as the plane was touching down in Los Angeles. About 230 passengers were aboard and they were not injured.

The nature of the threat wasn’t immediately disclosed but Rodriguez says airport police and the FBI are investigating.

From the Los Angeles Times:

FBI agents and Los Angeles airport police detained a man who claimed he had a bomb and assaulted at least one crew member of a Delta Airlines flight bound for LAX from Atlanta, authorities said.

The unidentified man was aboard Delta Airlines Flight 110, which was approaching Los Angeles, when he got up and stated he had a bomb,  FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

There was an altercation with multiple passengers, who ultimately subdued the man with plastic ties. At one point he tried to exit through one of the aircraft doors after the flight landed at LAX.

There was no immediate word on injuries. Authorities are currently interviewing the man, whose motive and mental state were not immediately clear, Eimiller said. The plane is being swept for any possible explosive device.

Airline Fees and Prices Keep Going Up

Well, the airline industry is once again trying to bleed every last penny out of their customers. I know that the major carriers are struggling to make money right now but come on.

On my recent flight home from Portland, Oregon, I was charged $25 for a second checked bag and found out that an additional bag would be over $100!!! Talk about bringing in extra revenue.

Check out this Los Angeles Times article:

United Airlines will begin charging $15 for the first piece of checked luggage, becoming the second major U.S. airline to impose a fee for a service that has long been included in the fare.

The luggage charge for coach-class passengers on the nation’s second-largest carrier was quickly matched by US Airways, raising the prospect that the other two big carriers, Delta Air Lines and Continental Airlines, would follow suit.

No. 1 carrier American Airlines initiated the controversial charge last month, citing the need to generate extra revenue to help offset the fast-rising cost of fuel.

Thank god we still have Southwest Airlines!!! This is the airline of choice of the common man and a personal favorite of mine.

From the article:

Southwest Airlines is the only carrier that has publicly balked at — and ridiculed — the fee.

Other airlines are raising base fares dramatically and some will soon begin charging for drinks and snacks on flights. Even Jet Blue is now charging $7 for a pillow and blanket (although you do get to keep them after the flight). I saw the CEO on Larry King Live last night and he defended the extra charges by stating that being able to keep the pillow and blanket is a bonus as well as not having to use a “used” pillow and blanket when you fly. Hmmmm…

Anyways, I’ll have to admit that there’s no way I’m dishing out $3-4 for a cup of orange juice and a bag of peanuts. Anybody else want to?