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Saturday, June 20, 2015

Female flight attendants are protesting airline's demand to wear high heels

El Al airlines has directed its flight attendants to wear high heels during boarding.

IMAGE: MARTIN DIEBEL/FSTOP/CORBIS

Israel's El Al Airlines is facing criticism for a new policy that requires female flight attendants to wear high heels until all passengers have boarded.

Under a previous policy, female El Al flight attendants were required to wear high heels at the airport, but could change into flats on the plane before passenger boarding.

SEE ALSO: High heel-related injuries have spiked over the years

The airline has defended its directive to attendants to wear "presentable shoes."

“It should be noted that this practice is accepted in the airline industry worldwide,” an airline spokeswoman said. However, the workers union of El Al instructed its female flight attendants Tuesday to ignore the new set of rules.

“I am not convinced that high heels are an absolute condition for women’s presentability, and certainly not for a female flight attendant who is required as part of her job to be on her feet for extended periods,” Galia Wallach, CEO of women's group Na’amat, wrote in a letter to El Al CEO David Maimon, according to The Jerusalem Post.

The union said the policy would impact the flight attendants' safety and health

The union said the policy would impact the flight attendants' safety and health, calling El Al's stance "aggressive."

El Al is not the first airline to receive criticism for policies requiring female flight attendants to wear high heels. In 2008, UK watchdog Trades Union Council criticized British airlines with similar policies "blatantly sexist."

Several aviation professionals have also criticized the decision as unethical, unhealthy and possibly counter to safety, according to Haaretz.

"The company revises its service protocols regularly and it was decided in that framework to require female flight attendants to wear formal shoes while receiving the passengers to the flight," El Al's Vice President Customer Services Yehudit Grisaru said in a statement. "Immediately after the seating phase and throughout the flight itself, they wear work shoes."

A study released earlier this month in the U.S. found that the number of high-heel related injuries has spiked in recent years.

Female Israeli lawmakers and a women's group have called on El Al to dump the policy.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press

Airline carry-on size suggestions could mean you need new luggage

IMAGE: FLICKR, CANADIAN PACIFIC

BY JESSICA PLAUTZ

Airlines are fretting over how to fix a problem they created.

Since checked baggage fees have become common among U.S. carriers, the battle over overhead bin space in airplane cabins has become intense. Every boarding announcement is accompanied by a crowd of eager travelers, desperate to get their bags in the spaces above their heads.

SEE ALSO: Chinese budget airline mulls flights that are standing room only

On Tuesday, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced a new initiative "to optimize the accommodation of carry-on bags given differing carry-on bag sizes and airline policies."

IATA says it is solving the problem of carry-on bag sizes on behalf of passengers.

“The development of an agreed optimal cabin bag size will bring common sense and order to the problem of differing sizes for carry-on bags,” said Tom Windmuller, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Airport, Passenger, Cargo and Security. "We know the current situation can be frustrating for passengers. This work will help to iron out inconsistencies and lead to an improved passenger experience."

The new suggested carry-on size, at 21.5 x 13.5 x 7.5 inches, "means that theoretically everyone should have a chance to store their carry-on bags on board aircraft of 120 seats or larger," according to IATA.

Current carry-on baggage allowances average 22 x 14 x 9 inches.

There's at least one problem with IATA's baggage recommendations:

Shrinking the baggage size allowance means that trusty carry-on you've learned to pack a week's worth of clothing into may soon be too big.

Shrinking the baggage size allowance means that trusty carry-on you've learned to pack a week's worth of clothing into may soon be too big.

But a new luggage purchase is exciting, right? (Hint: No.)

It's also worth considering why everyone is trying to carry on their baggage, which is often an effort to save the $25 or $50 in checked bag fees.

"Once again, the airlines find a way to make their problem the passenger's problem — and an expensive problem at that," travel industry consultant Henry Harteveldt told the Associated Press.

However, IATA has framed the problem as an issue of convenience.

“What we’re trying to do is take away that uncertainty from the 120th passenger in line -– will I be able to bring my bag into the cabin?” Perry Flint, an IATA spokesman, told the Washington Post.

IATA is emphasizing that the suggestions are not set in stone, and that each carrier sets its own standards. However, an excuse to shrink baggage allowances — and potentially force travelers to pay to check their bag — is likely appealing to airlines. In 2014, U.S. airlines alone collected $3.5 billion in baggage fees.

Last year, many travelers were surprised to find their carry-on bags had suddenly become too big after major airlines reduced the maximum size allowances. It's safe to expect a repeat.

"A number of major international airlines have signaled their interest to join the initiative and will soon be introducing the guidelines into their operations," IATA announced in the statement.

Baggage in the new "optimum size" could be available in retail stores before the end of the year, according to IATA.

Friday, June 19, 2015

The best airlines in 2015 don't include any based in the U.S.

Interior view of the Business Class seats on the second floor deck of the Airbus A380 of Qatar Airways presented at the Paris Air Show, in Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

IMAGE: FRANCOIS MORI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

BY JESSICA PLAUTZ

The list of the world's best airlines for 2015 is out, and Qatar Airways took the top spot for the third time in five years.

Skytrax announced the winners of its World Airline Awards, which launched in 1999, at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday. The rankings were determined by reviews from 18.9 million passengers from around the world.

SEE ALSO: Airline carry-on size suggestions could mean you need new luggage

Qatar Airways previously took first place in 2011 and 2012. This year, the airline was also named best in the Middle East, and was given an award for having the best business-class seat.

"It's a very clear accolade on behalf of the staff," Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker told CNN. "They are the real recipients; I'm just their leader."

Third place airline Cathay Pacific took the top spot last year.

Here is the full list of winners:

Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
Cathay Pacific Airways
Turkish Airlines
Emirates
Etihad Airways
ANA All Nippon Airways
Garuda Indonesia
EVA Air
Qantas Airways

No U.S. carriers made the top 10.