Unusual Failure in American Airlines’ Jet Engine Prompts Investigation

A 19-year-old disc violently broke apart inside the engine of an American Airlines Group Inc. jetliner taking off from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Friday, sparking a fire and touching off a wide-ranging probe into certain General Electric Co. engines, according to investigators and others familiar with the matter.

The accident, which hurled one fragment of the disc onto the roof of a United Parcel Service Inc. facility more than half a mile away, started a fire in a pool of fuel under the Boeing Co. 767’s right wing, National Transportation Safety Board investigator Lorenda Ward said at a briefing over the weekend.

Of the 170 people on board, 21 received medical treatment for injuries sustained in using emergency slides to leave the plane, but all were released from hospitals by Saturday.

The accident was unusual because modern jet turbines are designed to prevent such high-energy parts from being spewed outside the engines. According to one person familiar with the details, the engine-turbine disc had no history of performance problems, failures or mandatory safety fixes.

However, at least four other planes powered by the same GE family of engines have experienced serious engine malfunctions since 2000, including a pair of single-engine failures while airborne.

The twin-aisle jetliner, American Flight 383, was bound for Miami when the pilots aborted takeoff before the plane lifted off the runway. It came to a stop about 6,000 feet down the strip and the Chicago Fire Department responded, as plumes of black smoke erupted and the right wing sagged down to the tarmac. There was no fire in the cabin, only smoke.

The safety board said a “stage 2 disc in a high-pressure turbine” inside a variant of the General Electric CF6 engine failed. The NTSB will investigate further, likely delving into both manufacturing issues and maintenance practices with the cooperation of the engine maker. Most of the disc had been recovered by Sunday, according to the person familiar with the details.

The plane was built in 2003 and is one of 45 American had in its fleet at the end of 2015. According to the FlightGlobal database, the aircraft had flown 49,000 hours and made more than 8,000 flights as of August.

Over the weekend, General Electric said its workhorse CF6 family of engines, with more than 4,000 currently in service, has powered seven wide-body commercial jet models and accumulated more than 400 million flight hours.

Portions of the CF6-80 engine family have been subject to voluntary service bulletins, stepped-up maintenance and various federal safety mandates over the years, which isn’t unusual for widely used engines types due to the scrutiny incidents, accidents and operating histories receive from regulators, airlines, government investigators and engine experts.

But violent disintegration of some internal parts leading to explosive failures have dogged certain older CF6-80 model engines since 2000. One engine of a US Airways Boeing 767 experienced what is called “an uncontained failure” during ground tests that year, with no passengers aboard.

In June 2006, the safety board looked into a similar ground-test accident at Los Angeles International Airport in which a disintegrating CF6-80 engine damaged an American Airlines 767. As mechanics repeatedly revved up the jet’s engines to maximum power, one of them failed and shot out chunks of metal that penetrated the fuselage and went inside the other engine, according to an NTSB report at the time.

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Virgin Australia shakes up international airport lounge access

Virgin Australia's business class travellers and Velocity Gold and Platinum frequent flyers are about to be faced with a confusing array of lounges at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane international airports.

In changes which take effect from November 1 2016, the international airport lounges available to passengers will depend on their destination.

For example, take a Virgin Australia flight from Sydney to Los Angeles and you’ll enjoy access to the Etihad Airways Business and First Class Lounge – complete with a la carte dining and waiter service.

But fly with Virgin Australia from Melbourne to Fiji and you’ll be sent to the Virgin Australia domestic lounge before your flight.

Other Virgin passengers will also be directed to lounges operated by Etihad Airways, Singapore Airlines, SkyTeam and even Plaza Premium.

However, Virgin Australia has confirmed that its business class travellers and Velocity Gold and Platinum members will still be able to use the Star Alliance Lounge at LAX.

A Virgin Australia spokesperson advised Australian Business Traveller that the shake-up follows an internal review of international lounge operations conducted by the airline, adding that “we are excited about the new arrangements and believe our guests will enjoy the new spaces prior to their flights.”

Here’s a breakdown of the new lounge arrangements.
Virgin Australia international lounge access in Sydney

The lounge you’ll have access to at Sydney Airport now varies based on your destination and the airline operating your flight, with lounge access as follows for business class guests, Velocity Platinum and Velocity Gold members:

Los Angeles (Virgin Australia): Moves from Air NZ to the Etihad Airways Business and First Class Lounge (pictured).

Los Angeles (Delta): Switches to the SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge in place of the Air New Zealand lounge.

Apia (Samoa with Virgin Samoa): Another changing from the Air New Zealand lounge to SkyTeam.

Denpasar (Bali), Nadi (Fiji) and Nuku’alofa (Tonga): Virgin Australia guests will now have access to the Singapore Airlines SilverKris business class lounge in place of the Air NZ facility next door.

Honolulu (Hawaiian Airlines): Also moves from Air NZ to the SkyTeam Exclusive Lounge:

Other destinations: There’s no change when flying to Abu Dhabi with Virgin Australia or Etihad (Etihad lounge); for trans-Tasman travellers on Virgin or Air NZ (continue using the Air NZ lounge); or with Singapore Airlines to Jakarta and Singapore (SilverKris business class lounge).
Virgin Australia international lounge access in Melbourne

Nadi (Fiji): Access to the Air NZ lounge is withdrawn for Virgin Australia guests, who will now be directed to the Virgin Australia domestic lounge (pictured, prior to passport control).

Unlike most airports, Melbourne Airport connects its domestic and international terminals all under the same roof, with Virgin Australia’s domestic lounge found prior to domestic security screening and roughly a five-minute walk to the international departures area.

Los Angeles: It’s not yet known which lounge will be used for Virgin Australia’s Melbourne-Los Angeles flights which resume in April 2017, although Australian Business Traveller understands that Virgin is examining lounges in the international terminal – a shortlist which includes the slick new Etihad Airways lounge – to save that domestic trek.

Other destinations: As with Sydney, trans-Tasman flyers of Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand continue to have access to the Air NZ lounge; Singapore Airlines flyers continue to enjoy SQ SilverKris business class lounge access and Etihad passengers continue using the new Etihad lounge.
Virgin Australia international lounge access in Brisbane

Los Angeles: Unwind in the new Singapore Airlines Brisbane SilverKris lounge (below) before your Virgin Australia flight to LAX in place of the Air New Zealand lounge at present.

New Zealand: As in Sydney and Melbourne, travellers continue to have access to the Air New Zealand lounge whenever travelling to New Zealand with Virgin Australia or Air NZ.

All other Virgin Australia destinations: Passengers flying to Apia (Samoa), Denpasar (Bali, Indonesia), Honiara (Solomon Islands), Nadi (Fiji), Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) and Port Vila (Vanuatu) all move from the Air NZ lounge to the new Plaza Premium Lounge at Brisbane Airport.

Virgin Australia partner airlines: The Singapore Airlines lounge continues to welcome passengers on Singapore Airlines flights to Singapore, while Etihad Airways travellers bound for Abu Dhabi continue to use the Air New Zealand lounge in Brisbane, as Etihad doesn’t have its own Queensland lounge.

However, Velocity Gold and Platinum members travelling to Honolulu with Virgin Australia partner Hawaiian Airlines will not receive lounge access in Brisbane under these changes, as is already the case.
Virgin Australia international lounges: what’s not changing

Despite the exodus of passengers from Air New Zealand’s Australian lounges, a Virgin Australia spokesperson assured us that business class travellers and Velocity Gold members can continue to access the Air NZ-operated Star Alliance Lounge at LAX (below) prior to Virgin Australia flights.

Also retained: access to the separate first class zone of the Star Alliance LAX lounge for Velocity Platinum members booked to fly on Virgin Australia.

There’s also no change to benefits or lounge access for Velocity Gold and Platinum cardholders when travelling with Air New Zealand from any city – so if you’re jetting from Auckland to the USA with Air New Zealand in economy or premium economy, for example, you’re still clear to visit the Air NZ lounge.

Paid-up Virgin Australia lounge members aren’t affected at all by these revisions and can continue visiting Air New Zealand lounges in Australia and New Zealand prior to Virgin Australia trans-Tasman flights.

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The 5 Best Airport Bars in the US

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Just-canceled flights can be such a drag — especially when it means you’re suddenly facing several Netflix-free hours to fill gate-side. To make the best of this unwanted pause in your travels, nothing quite soothes the spirit like a stiff drink savored amid a lively atmosphere. While such appealing joints are certainly scarce at airports, luckily for travelers, there are several around the country that stand out from the rest. Maximize untimely connections by hunkering down at one of these five booze-fueled oases and watch your flight-delay woes immediately dissipate.

For Beer Lovers

While beautifully curated, the public art exhibitions on display at San Diego International Airport (SAN) can only hold the interest of restless passengers for so long. Instead, find reprieve at local craft-beer favorite Stone Brewing. The upbeat, rustic space has a dozen taps — although ordering a Moscow Mule wouldn’t induce a raised eyebrow either — so pass the grueling time by sampling, say, the smoked porter followed by the mocha IPA. BBQ duck tacos and chimichurri steak sandwiches promise fortification as well. stonebrewing.com, Terminal 2, near Gate 36.


For Wine Enthusiasts

Navigating the perennially congested Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is exhausting. One fine way to rejuvenate is by roosting at SeaLegs Wine Bar beside a hefty, burrata-topped meatball. At this outpost of the breezy Huntington Beach original, patrons pore over a menu that’s naturally heavy on California selections — from Conundrum to Justin. Big spenders who forgot their Ambien can ensure much-needed slumber arrives on that red-eye by springing for a bottle of Far Niente off the Captain’s List. sealegswinebar.com, Terminal 2, near gate 24.


For Cocktail Aficionados

One Flew South’s glorious pimento cheese-meatloaf sandwiches and dragon rolls served at the pine-and-marble sushi bar put fluorescent-lit food court fare to shame. But this upscale retreat in chaotic Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is most beloved for its roster of masterful libations — designed, as the list reads, for light, classic, innovative and determined travelers alike. With just a few sips of the Cab Calloway — made with Oloroso sherry, apricot, Angostura and dry vermouth — or a Jumping Jack Flight — featuring applejack, sorghum and cayenne cider — being stuck at the airport feels like a serendipitous luxury. oneflewsouthatl.com; Terminal E, center core.


For Eco-Minded Foodies

Denver residents love dining at Root Down, a sustainable-minded restaurant situated in a vintage gas station downtown. Thankfully, visitors who don’t have a chance to pop in have yet another opportunity to feast on harissa-spiked Colorado lamb sliders at the spin-off post in Denver International Airport (DEN). With a glam, mid-century aesthetic, it’s a calming place to unwind with a Coconut Gin Fizz or one of 24 locally-made brews like Left Hand’s Milk Stout Nitro. Bonus: morning flights lead to pulled pork and olive oil cornbread Benedicts. rootdowndia.com, Concourse C, center core.


For Country Music Lovers

Two-stepping at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, the one-time haunt of greats like Waylon Jennings and Patsy Cline, is one rousing way to spend an evening in Nashville. The offshoot of this legendary honky-tonk at Nashville International Airport (BNA) also provides salvation to frustrated folks with missed flights. Settle into this purple-hued dive bar with alluring kitsch on the walls and knock back Woodford Reserve while taking in an intimate live music performance. Nips of bourbon alongside a half slab of ribs make the waiting game far less painful. tootsies.net; Concourse C, near gate C7.

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A day in the life of LAX

Photographer travels around the world for two years to take stunning portraits of planes flying out of international airports

Every child is captivated by their first trip to the airport, where they can peer out the big glass windows and watch as planes take off from the tarmac and into the sky.

That joy for watching jets cut through the clouds never left Mike Kelley, who just spent two years photographing planes at more than a dozen different airports around the world.

But what makes Kelley's shots even more incredible is the final product: A sky littered with aircraft, each frozen in different moments of takeoff or landing, all in one photograph.

It all began with an experiment that instantly became viral, and suddenly landed Kelley's name in museums and bookstores across the globe.

Kelley's original image of an entire day's worth of planes taking off at LAX, a photo he dubbed Wake Sensation, captured the nation's attention and earned the title of one of the best images of 2014.

But the photographer, who was working by day taking pictures of houses, hotels and resorts in Los Angeles, had just meant for the picture to be a proof-of-concept to see if the idea had any merit to it, he told Daily Mail Online.

'One day I was just out there with a friend of mine and after an hour of taking pictures I looked at the back of the camera and I'd scroll through and see all the pictures flashing up and thought, this could be a really good idea.'

'I got horribly sunburned, didn't go to the bathroom - a stroke of inspiration hit me out there.' 

After a few months passed, Kelley came up with his master plan. He would go around the world, photographing planes at 15 airports, and make an entire series of 'airportraits', as he called them. 

It was the perfect change in routine for the photographer, who had been taking pictures of architecture in Los Angeles for five years straight.

'Honestly, I needed a break,' he told Daily Mail Online. 'I needed something that would give me a break from architecture but also take me out of my comfort zone and help my career.'

Kelley wrote down 15 airports he wanted to visit on the back of a napkin and booked his first ticket 'without really thinking'.

The Ipswich, Massachusetts native hit most of his spots in the summer of 2015, visiting Sao Paulo in Brazil, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand in the same successive trip.

Some were picked on the basis that Kelley knew they had big airports, while others were selected for more personal reasons.

Kelley had studied abroad in Auckland and wanted to go back, and had never been to Australia.

It was his girlfriend who made sure Kelley went to Heathrow International Airport, and he visited Dubai on a separate trip.

There were other airports he visited where Kelley just wasn't able to get the image he wanted, including Boston's Logan Airport - where the wind always blew in the wrong direction and the weather was never right.

And Kelley's first trip to Tokyo was a complete bust due to the fact he arrived at a time when the summer heat was so intense and the smog so thick one couldn't even seen their own hand in front of them.

Kelley had dreamed of photographing Mt Fuji in the background of Haneda airport, but after a week he still hadn't captured the right picture.

But the photographer was determined, and when Kelley saw that he had the perfect weather window in Japan one day in March 2016 he bought a $700 round-trip ticket 24 hours in advance to give the shot a second chance.

Kelley got into Tokyo at 11pm and was on a boat charter he had arranged through Google translate just four hours later.

There, rocking in the middle of the Tokyo Bay in nearly freezing temperatures at 6.30am, Kelley got his picture.

Kelley also needed to make a repeat trip to London after it nearly rained for 17 days straight during his first attempt in the spring of 2016.

The photographer returned to Heathrow in September 2016, where he happened to capture a perfect week of weather as he took pictures of the morning rush of international arrivals, the planes all bathed in golden sunlight.

As Tokyo and London proved, there were many factors that went into capturing the perfect shot, more than Kelley ever imagined when spent that first 'deceptively easy' day at LAX. 

Unlike California, most of the countries' weather was constantly changing throughout the day. This would change the 'exposure and shadow' on the planes, making it harder to paste them all together in one cohesive image.

Wind could also ruin nearly a day's worth of work. If it changed directions in the middle of the day, the planes would have to change runways.

This was all in addition to the fact that not every airport was as accessible as LAX.

There were some cities where Kelley had to spend days scouting for the perfect unobstructed spot to take his shots, and others where he needed to get help from employees - especially in Dubai, where planespotting is illegal.

Then came what Kelley is quick to admit was the worst part of the project, the post-production.

Kelley had loved sitting outside for hours to watch and photograph the planes, not to mention traveling the world, meeting all kinds of people and finding himself in crazy situations.

Now he had to narrow down 15,000 pictures of planes for each shot and create something beautiful. But the sheer mass of photos he had at his fingertips also allowed Kelley to be inventive. 

Unlike California, most of the countries' weather was constantly changing throughout the day. This would change the 'exposure and shadow' on the planes, making it harder to paste them all together in one cohesive image.

Wind could also ruin nearly a day's worth of work. If it changed directions in the middle of the day, the planes would have to change runways.

This was all in addition to the fact that not every airport was as accessible as LAX.

There were some cities where Kelley had to spend days scouting for the perfect unobstructed spot to take his shots, and others where he needed to get help from employees - especially in Dubai, where planespotting is illegal.

Then came what Kelley is quick to admit was the worst part of the project, the post-production.

Kelley had loved sitting outside for hours to watch and photograph the planes, not to mention traveling the world, meeting all kinds of people and finding himself in crazy situations.

Now he had to narrow down 15,000 pictures of planes for each shot and create something beautiful. But the sheer mass of photos he had at his fingertips also allowed Kelley to be inventive. 


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Delta loyalty reward points can get you on a private jet

Collect enough loyalty reward points on Delta Air Lines and you can book a flight in your own private jet.

Under a change in Delta’s SkyMiles loyalty reward program, members can accumulate miles toward a flight on Delta Private Jets, a subsidiary of the Atlanta-based airline that operates more than 70 Wi-Fi equipped jets. The change took effect Oct. 25.

For example, Delta SkyMiles members who earn 2.5 million miles can get $25,000 on a cash card to book a flight on Delta Private Jets, which is based in Kentucky but flies throughout the country on an on-demand basis.

Delta is not the only airline to partner with a charter jet company.

New York-based JetBlue Airways said last week that it made a minority equity investment in the private charter company JetSuiteX, based in Irvine.

Under its partnership, fliers on JetSuiteX earn points on JetBlue’s loyalty reward program, TrueBlue, to fly on JetBlue flights.

The investment comes a few months after JetBlue lost a bidding war with Alaska Airlines to acquire Virgin America.

By losing the bidding war, JetBlue lost access to several lucrative routes along the West Coast. But under the deal with JetSuiteX, JetBlue has added a partner that flies out of a handful of popular West Coast cities, including Burbank, Las Vegas, San Jose and Concord, Calif.


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GM's car-sharing service arrives in Los Angeles

Maven, General Motors' car-sharing service, is finally coming to the City of Angels.

Though Maven has been around in other cities for awhile now -- Ann, Arbor, Mich., Boston, New York City and San Francisco to name a few -- its move to Los Angeles is a pretty interesting one due to the city's car-centric culture. Essentially GM's answer to services like CityCarShare and ZipCar, Maven makes it possible for residents of Los Angeles to live a car-free life, but still have the convenience of a car if they want it.

To start, you'll need to register and then use the app to reserve a vehicle of your choice. At first, Maven will only have 60 vehicles available at more than 24 locations in the city, but there's always a chance it'll roll out more if the service gets popular enough. Those locations include downtown Los Angeles, Little Tokyo, South Park and areas near the University of Southern California.

You can rent cars for $8 an hour -- that cost includes both fuel and insurance. As you might expect from a GM service, all of the available cars are part of the GM family. They include the Chevrolet Cruze, Malibu, Tahoe and Volt, the GMC Acadia and Yukon, plus Cadillacs like the ATS, CTS, CT6, XT5 and Escalade. And, of course, they'll all come with the OnStar service built right in.
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American Airlines’ Premium Economy Seating Is Coming Soon

Passengers on American Airlines will soon be able to book Premium Economy seats as a separate class service.

Don Casey, senior vice president of revenue management for the airline, told USA Today that the airline will begin selling Premium Economy as a fourth cabin category, starting with flights in April of next year.

The new adjustable leather seats are currently available aboard the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on routes between Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, though the full cabin experience—including free amenity kits, complimentary drinks, and an enhanced meal experience—will arrive aboard international flights starting next month.

The full Premium Economy cabin experience will be available on routes from Dallas to São Paolo starting November 3, to Madrid starting November 4, to Paris starting January 9, and to Seoul starting February 16.

At the moment, they will continue to sell as part of the “Main Cabin Extra” seats, and elite customers can reserve the seats without an additional fee. The airline could not provide further information on what the price will look like for customers who want to make the upgrade at this time.

They also have not confirmed an official date in April for the service, however The Points Guy suggests April 2 after searching seat maps on ExpertFlyer and noticing that is the first date the premium economy seats are blocked out.

“The Premium Economy rows are being blocked prior to its first departure as its own class of service; therefore when the class of service goes on sale, the seats will be unblocked and sold as Premium Economy,” a spokesperson from the airline told The Points Guy.

The airline did not confirm this will be the starting date, but customers can expect sales for the service to start early next year.


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