This weekend we see iPad testing for decompression, take a look at rental car consolidation and what it means for consumers and businesses, and list the 10 airports most likely to spread disease.
Testing the iPad for cockpit use
It is not as simple as the FAA saying iPads can be used in the cockpit in place of the tried-and-trusted paper manuals. These iPads have to be tested in extreme conditions such as decompression. You’ll be happy to know your iPad, and the pilot’s, will withstand rapid decompression.
The video above, of interest mainly to airline geeks, shows the testing of an iPad by Jeppesen and Garwood Labs.
The Jeppesen division of Boeing, which creates digital flight charts and sells iPad-based electronic flight bags used by commercial and military pilots, said it recently completed a rapid decompression test of iPads, including the new mini. The test was conducted in an on-ground pressure chamber that simulated a quick drop in flight altitude from 51,000 feet to 8,000 feet, and the gizmos just plugged along.
Hertz takeover of Dollar-Thrifty approved, business travel managers wary or price increases
With the completion of Hertz’s buyout of Dollar-Thrifty, the car rental world has been reduced to three big players — Avis Budget, Enterprise and Hertz. Though there are smaller players operating at high-volume airports, the competitive landscape has been significantly reduced. Corporate travel managers are concerned with what the future will bring since the universe of rental=car companies with nationwide coverage is now down to three big players.
…rather than killing corporate competitors in search of pricing momentum, Hertz will adopt entirely different pricing and branding schemes for Dollar and Thrifty. Abrams contended that Hertz’s addition of Dollar Thrifty could benefit some corporate travel buyers, as Dollar “creates a new brand offering to the secondary corporate marketplace”—essentially another tier for Hertz corporate accounts. This is how other multi-brand companies are structured: Enterprise can supplement subsidiary National’s premium brand in corporate agreements, while Budget can fill out the Avis corporate portfolio.
The Top 10 Airports Most Likely to Spread Disease
“A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering focused on the influence of airports in the spread of pandemics. Although a global pandemic is incredibly unlikely, here are some airports to steer clear of if you plan for the absolute worst.”
Here is the list of airports to avoid during times of pandemics.
1. John F. Kennedy International Airport
2. Los Angeles International
3. Honolulu International Airport
4. San Francisco International Airport
5. Newark Liberty International Airport
6. O’Hare International Airport
7. Dulles International Airport
8. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
9. Miami International Airport
10. Dallas-Fort Worth Airport
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
