There’s been a bit of blogosphere buzz about whether or not airplane food is actually getting better. On a recent flight to Amsterdam, I noticed that while the food wasn’t much different from past years, there were definitely some enhancements to the drink menu, courtesy of Delta. So I decided to try the Rande Gerber (a.k.a. Mr. Cindy Crawford) Margarita signature cocktail. The flight attendant had never served one before (we were flying on a Northwest plane), but she gamely tracked one down and mixed it into a very cute plastic cocktail shaker.

The verdict? Better than what I’ve had at Applebee’s, but certainly not what you would find at Barrio. Still, given the length of the flight, it was a nice alternative. It also relaxed me to the point where I fell asleep before the opening credits of “I Love You, Man” were finished.

What have you noticed about airplane food and beverages recently? Have you seen any improvements?

We love Southwest Airlines, but yesterday’s announcement that they are offering “Early Bird Check In” for “only” $10 each way has us scratching our heads.  What do you get for this privilege? Possibly nothing. Because Southwest doesn’t offer seat assignments, the time you are allowed to board the plane makes the difference between an aisle seat over the wing and a middle seat by the bathroom. But here’s what Southwest has to say about the new fee: “While EarlyBird Check-in doesn’t guarantee an A boarding position, it improves your seat selection options to help you get your favorite seat.” Southwest also is touting the ability to potentially snag space in the overhead bin. To which we say, “Wow!!! We get to pay for something that should just come with the price of a ticket.”  For an airline that has prided itself on not pandering to these kinds of gimmicks, this is disappointing.   

After one of Sun Country’s planes was stuck on the tarmac in New York for six hours, the airline announced Sunday that it will allow passengers to deplane after a maximum of four hours (click here for full story). Sun Country will also offer free food on planes delayed longer than one hour. The subject of delayed flights — long the battle cry of proponents of a passenger’s bill of rights — is heating up because the Sun Country delay followed the grueling six-hour, overnight delay of a Continental Express Jet flight at the Rochester airport. Unbelievably, the pilot was unable to persuade a worker at the airport during that long, late night to open up the terminal for the passengers, though passengers from a Delta flight did deplane. More than 600 flights were delayed for three hours or more during the first six months of this year, 278 in June alone.  Sun Country is the first airline to impose such rules on itself (though the Continental problem suggests they won’t always be the ones in control.) Still, I am hoping the bold move will help shake up the debate on the passenger’s bill of rights. The rest of the airline industry has long opposed such firm rules, arguing that deplaning could actually prolong delays (never mind that it would make them more bearable for passengers). Airlines have been restricting our experience onboard: no blankets or pillows, no free food, less space. Isn’t it high time they lay some rules out for themselves in the service of passenger’s benefit? I salute Sun Country for leading the way.

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), domestic flyers are seldom spending more than ten minutes at checkpoints. That’s a drastic difference from two years ago, when passengers often waited an hour or longer to take off their shoes and squeeze their toiletries into a baggie.  In part, industry experts say we have the recession to thank–fewer people are flying, afterall.   But TSA officials also say that new procedures and technology are making the difference.

Have you noticed shorter wait times in the security line? What’s your experience been?

I just read on the great travel blog Jaunted that Scandinavia’s SAS Airlines may try to save on fuel costs by trying gliding landings. Obviously a major airline isn’t going to shut the engines down without running the concept through the normal series of tests, but they may be on to something. SAS has already found that by flying slower–and increasing flight times by a measly few minutes–they save both fuel costs and CO2 emmissions. Maybe Sully–the pilot who successfully landed the plane in the Hudson River–has a future training SAS pilots.

The news that a plane flying from Rio to Texas experienced such bad turbulence–in clear weather, no less–that 26 people were injured, was not an upper for those of us who are nervous fliers. I say us, because even though I’m a travel writer, I get panicky during mid-air turbulence. Sure, I’ve read that a plane can basically lose a wing and still land safely. I know that I’m safer flying above the Atlantic than driving down Lake Street. And I can even appreciate that the Rio to Texas flight is actually a positive story–no one died; the plane remained intact despite its impromptu roller coaster ride. But those facts mean almost nothing to me when a plane starts rocking.

How about you? Does flying make you nervous? If you’ve overcome a fear of flying, how did you do it?