Have you ever wondered exactly why airlines dim the lights upon landing, making you grope to find the overhead light just as you were about to finish your Koduko? (Hint: It’s not to save electricity.) Or why it’s so important to put your own oxygen mask on before helping others? Or what’s it like jumping onto a 737’s inflatable emergency slide? And just how heavy are those over-wing exit doors?

If you’re a bit of an airline nerd like me, then you might have been curious. Or maybe you’re the cautious kind, the kind who wants to have every possible advantage the next time there’s a “Miracle on the Hudson” or if a lithium ion battery catches fire and you have to deplane in a hurry.

Well, British Airways has just the thing: the BA Flight Safety Awareness Course, a modified version of the same training that flight crews go through after they’re hired and then once a year thereafter. Even if you’re not the pessimistic or overly cautious type, it’s a fascinating way to spend a day in London.

You get to jump down an emergency slide! And if you’ve ever wanted to pull the inflation cord on one of those airplane life vests, this is your chance. You also get to evacuate a cabin filled with smoke (it’s the kind used in a theater or rock concert, but it does the trick). You’ll practice the fine points of the “brace position.” And best of all, you understand why some of those more obscure procedures and safety warnings are part of the flight experience.

Check those life vestsOne thing they don’t tell you in the typical safety demo: people take those life jackets, located under or between your seat, as souvenirs. It’s a vile and punishable offense, and while airlines do check each seat at the start of every day, a plane could make several trips in a day, during any of which a passenger could steal a life vest.

Not that it may much matter anyway. Only a small fraction of the passengers on US Airways Flight 1549 bothered to grab their life vests when Captain Sullenberger ditched his Airbus A320 into the Hudson River.

At the time, the TSA said that the decision was designed to speed up checkpoints at busier airports.

- What they don’t tell you in the plane safety demo...- Sail and Save Event...- Improvements to New York JFK Terminal 7..- Top 10 ways to make travel happier...- Why the old school travel agent isn’t going anywhere...

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February 2013 Newsletter

What they don’t tell you in the plane safety demo

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Continued...What they don’t tell you in the plane safety demo

Put yours on firstYou’ve heard it over and over: put on your own oxygen mask before helping those around you. But the safety demos never tell you why that’s so important. The reason? You might only have 15 or 20 seconds in the event of a cabin decompression, during which all oxygen would be sucked out of the plane (and your lungs), before you’d experience confusion and a euphoric stoned state, at which point you might forget everything you heard during the safety demo (if in fact you even listened, which you probably didn’t).

In 30 to 45 seconds you’d probably pass out. So it’s important to act quickly. (I think that if the standard safety announcement explained some of these fine points, people might put down their newspapers.) Andy and Diane, our instructors, also explained what else to expect during a sudden decompression: a burning smell from the oxygen canisters, severe vibration, a rapid descent (typically a drop of 20,000 feet in just 3 or 4 minutes), and an automated announcement telling you what to expect (because, obviously, the crew would have their own masks on and wouldn’t be able to communicate with passengers).

The proper brace positionSome of the finer points of flight safety may seem particularly arcane, but there’s a reason for every detail. If you’ve ever bothered, for example, to look at the safety card in the seat back pocket, you may have noticed that the correct brace position is to put your hands on your head, but not in just any slipshod fashion (and definitely not with the fingers locked together). See how the illustration shows one hand over the other? Is that just arbitrary? No as it turns out. Should something fall on you during a crash landing, you want to protect at least one hand (preferably the one you write with) because you’ll need it to unbuckle your seat belt when it’s safe to do so. Your other hand is in that position to provide some protection to your “strong” hand, which will be doing the unbuckling.

Why not fly backward?And speaking of the brace position, wouldn’t it be unnecessary, I asked Andy and Diane, if airlines oriented their seats so that everyone was flying backwards? After all, in the event of a crash landing or controlled emergency landing, there would be no need to assume the brace position if the seats didn’t face forward. Isn’t that why flight attendants face backward in their jump seats? People equate rear-facing seats with trains, Andy answered. “We’d be out of business in a week,” said Diane.

And why not have three- or four-point harnesses rather than seatbelts, such as those worn by flight attendants, one of my classmates asked? Aren’t they safer? You’ve probably guessed the answer: airlines recommend keeping your seatbelt fastened whenever seated, and no one would want to wear such an uncomfortable contraption during the flight.

“Touch drills” and “muscle memory”While your pilots are waiting for takeoff, it may surprise you that they’re probably doing a safety drill -- what if this or that should go wrong on takeoff, which buttons would we push or steps would we take? So they go through the motions of various procedures, touching and even moving the controls. They call these touch drills, and Andy and Diane suggest that passengers do the same thing just before takeoff, perhaps buckling and unbuckling their seat belts three times. Sounds daft? “It’s muscle memory,” said Diane. “In an emergency, people panic. They think they’re in their cars, and try to release the seatbelt by pushing a button rather than lifting a flap.” Indeed, as the final report of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board noted following the crash of

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Continued...What they don’t tell you in the plane safety demoUS Airways flight 405, which landed in the water after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport, “Some passengers tried to move from their seats while their seatbelts were still buckled, and other passengers had difficulty locating and releasing their seatbelt buckles because of disorientation.”Why does red mean go? And what’s with that escape path lighting along the floor? Why would red lights indicate an exit? Shouldn’t they be green (as in go) instead? Like taillights along the motorway in a fog, Andy explained, they’re red because they show up better in a smoke-filled cabin. And indeed it’s true, as we learned when our “cabin” became a soupy fog.

Those doors are heavyWhat about those emergency over-wing exit doors? How heavy are they exactly, and how easy are they to open and toss? Well, we practiced on a Boeing 737. The answer? Even for me, a fairly strapping 6-footer who goes to the gym regularly, they’re pretty heavy (40 pounds to be exact). It’s not just the weight, but maneuvering them while sitting down that’s an awkward challenge. Tip: sit way back in your seat or you’ll hit yourself on the head when the door swings down. Another tip: use your knee to rest the door and then swing it out and throw it on the wing (don’t worry, you won’t be sued for damages). I was surprised that the actual latch mechanism is so easy to engage you can do it with one finger.The bad news is that half the people (probably more) who I see sitting in those exit rows wouldn’t have the strength to manage the door. Airlines should not sell these seats to anyone merely because they can pay the fee for the extra legroom. But don’t worry if some nut tries to open the doors in flight. They’re impossible to open owing to air pressure being much higher inside the plane than outside.

Perhaps the most macabre little tidbitNext time you get on a plane, take note of the handles by the door, just inside the plane. What on earth are those for? Well, in a panicked emergency evacuation, when the flight attendants are manning the exit door, passengers, in their mad rush to get off, have a tendency to push them out of the way, sometimes all the way down the slide. The handles are there to make sure that the flight attendants stay on the plane if that’s what they need to do.

Why don’t airlines tell us all this?I left the course thinking that more passengers would listen to the pre-flight safety demo if airlines shared some of this insider information before each flight, maybe mixing it up from time to time so that the demo doesn’t bore people. On one flight, the demo might include the finer points of opening the over-wing exits. On another flight, more information about why it’s so important to put your oxygen mask on first (and quickly) before helping others. More passengers would probably do what they’re told in an emergency if they knew the reasons behind these rules (and time and time again, in emergencies, passengers do not listen, do the wrong thing, and become victims). Speaking of the whys, just why do airlines dim the cabin lights during nighttime takeoffs and landings? You guessed it: to help adjust your eyes to the dark (either inside a smoke-filled cabin or on a darkened runway). And why do some airlines ask that you keep your shoes on (except high heels, which can tear the slide) when taking off and landing?

Because the runway might be burning hot after you jump down the slide. And while it’s doubtful that airlines will ever add these extra details to their pre-flight safety drills, the main thing I left the course with was a better respect for the thought that has gone into airline safety over the years, as each crash and emergency landing contributes to collective knowledge. And I have even more respect for flight attendants who, as we all know, are primarily there for no other reason than our safety.

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Improvements to New York JFK Airport Terminal 7From March 4 through March 25, 2013 the BA116 from JFK to LHR will depart from Terminal 8 (Ameri-can Airlines) instead of Terminal 7 (British Airways) due to jet bridge replacement at New York JFK Inter-national Airport Terminal 7.

Terminal 7, British Airways’ home at New York JFK International Airport, is currently undergoing a rede-velopment project which will include a wide range of improvements and renovations designed to en-hance your clients’ travel experience.

The terminal upgrades include an additional security channel and modernized escalators to help speed your clients through the airport while new seating and carpeting, enhanced lighting and renovated rest-rooms will provide increased comfort before their flight.

We’re also replacing the jet bridges and public address system to help minimize the risk of delays and promote a more efficient operation.

While we have worked hard to keep any disruption at an absolute minimum, as a result of the jet bridge replacement program, one British Airways flight will depart from a different terminal for a short period of time.

Between March 4 and March 25, 2013, the BA116 (JFK - LHR) will move from its usual departure at JFK Terminal 7 (British Airways) and instead will depart from Terminal

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Top 10 ways to make travel happier

February 2013 Newsletter

1) Book flights intelligentlyWeigh up price over convenience – arriving in the middle of the night or at rush hour has its drawbacks, as do overlays and doglegs. Consider what time you will have to get up to catch that 6am flight. Don’t make life hard for yourself.

2) Don’t obsess over milesFocusing on how many points you earn can become addictive. Try flying a different airline, pay extra to stay in a hotel you really love – perhaps an unbranded boutique property – and remember that status isn’t everything.

3) Be organisedPoor planning can result in missed meetings and general confusion. Carry a detailed itinerary, keep docu-ments in one place, and sync your smartphone with your desktop calendar.

4) Decide your own black-out datesThere are certain days of the year – birthdays and anniversaries in particular – when you might not want to travel. Mark these off in your diary and don’t book a trip that clashes with them. Make sure you are getting your priorities right.

5) Dress for the airGet a made-to-measure crease-free suit (or wrap dress) so you still look sharp when you land. Visit nor-tonandsons.co.uk, ingenuelondon.com. Try brooksbrothers.com for non-iron, Supima cotton shirts.

6) Wear slip-on shoesDon’t fumble with laces at airport security – invest in some quality slip-on loafers, deck shoes or pumps. Bottega Veneta, Ludwig Reiter, Church’s and Quoddy are all good brands.

7) Invest in good underwearBe comfortable at all times. Pack Happy Socks (from £8, happysocks.com/uk) to brighten up your flight – they come in a range of colours and patterns and are nicer than the ones you get in business. Try Sunspel for quality cotton T-shirts (from £45) and boxers (from £26, sunspel.com).

8) Be punctualThere is little worse than rushing to an airport only to realise you have missed your flight. Build in enough time to get to meetings and departures on schedule. Set your alarm a bit earlier and don’t be over-optimis-tic about how many appointments you can squeeze into one day.

9) Use a mobile walletFor those with Apple’s iOS 6 iPhone software, the Passbook app stores all your 2D-barcode enabled mo-bile boarding passes, cinema tickets, coupons, loyalty and reward cards in one place, and will even alert you when your flight is leaving. Lemon (Android, iOS and Windows Phone) and Google Wallet are other options.

10) Wake up gentlyA blaring alarm clock or hotel wake-up call instantly puts you in a bad mood. Try downloading a piece of music, the sound of the sea or noises of the jungle to your phone and ease yourself into consciousness.

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Not dead yet: Why the old school travel agent isn’t going anywhere If you’ve spent any time looking to plan or purchase travel online you probably know what a noisy place it’s all become. Well-designed, angel-funded websites are popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, each clamoring to deliver travel in a way you’ve never seen done before, and mostly patently failing to live up to their own hype. What a dilemma.

Travel tech has dropped the ball Since the rise of the “Web 2.0” there has been a significant increase in travel planning tools on the Internet, from taxi fare calculators to itinerary sharing software to automated booking engines, and at the core of each business model is the friendliest user-experience you’ve ever seen. When you look at the sheer number of sites birthed in the last five years, and there are a lot, you begin to see an alarming trend: that the number is actually inversely proportionate to the ease in which we can get things done on the Web. It calls to question whether there is simply too much information, too many choices, a sense of overkill that throttles your browsing esprit de corps before you even get to task. I like to call it “click fatigue”. While the selection of resources online are numerous, hours spent in front of a computer screen does not always equal serious productivity for the end user. At least for me – the more time I spend researching the less likely I am to actually feel good about the time I’ve spent doing it. And while many sites have simplified (and beautified) the process, none have been genuinely effective in smoothing out a complicated trip’s vari-ous moving parts, and fewer still can grasp the trip as a whole, which to me is the goal. A few of these sites claim to take away the painful, old-fashioned methods of planning travel – phone calls, back and forth emails, waiting around while actual people do things – but my experience is that travel con-sumers are still perfectly content to have those conversations, provided they feel it serves a purpose in the end. A slick UI simply cannot provide the sense of guardianship a human travel agent historically brings to the table.

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With respect to the long-term travel niche, a pastime for which there is growing interest, the process of choosing the right place to plan and purchase is typically connected to a deep sense of soul-searching. It’s a process that gravitates toward a knowledgeable expert, as opposed to a team of bearded twenty-some-thing developers that may or may not have any industry experience whatsoever. Travel is an incredibly personal experience, right down to the act of buying it, and while our overly tech-saturated culture begs us to place our intimacy into the stewardship of a computer algorithm, the idea hasn’t been as quick to be adopted as some of these startups had hoped. Human-to-computer interaction just hasn’t replaced the desire for contextual human guidance, the divine spark so to speak, as part of the planning and booking process, and that doesn’t seem to want to change any time soon. perhaps due to the fact that they know every extra minute is one more where their needs are being con-sidered. A recent NYT article stated that “in a recent test of agents versus online search engines, agents won nearly every time…on both price (the objective part of the test) and service (what you might call the essay question). In other words, the agents suggested alternate routes, gave advice on visas and just generally acted, well, more human than their computer counterparts.” I’m calling it The Matrix Quotient: the overriding mistrust of a computer’s ability to fulfill our needs as trav-elers. Perhaps once we’ve been shown that there can be no disruptions in the process, no glitches, bugs, crash-es, or 503 errors, once everything works correctly 100% of the time, once the chaff has been separated, the automated booking process will begin to grow on us. Until then the travel agent will remain uniquely relevant. Travel tech doesn’t quite get it As much as the social travel web is varied and diverse, there’s still an obvious disconnect between the media and the person using it. It doesn’t help that the greater majority of web-based travel startups are simply tech companies dressed up at travel services, Johnny-come-latelys created with the idea that if you build it, they will come, pawning off a shiny user-interface as a bona fide travel service. Do we really have faith that an “if/then” JavaScript statement can provide an experience with our best interests in mind? I feel it’s why travel consumers aren’t quite ready to go all in and embrace startups as their primary source for planning and purchasing travel. Perhaps it’s because the information is unsatisfactory. Perhaps people are inherently dubious of the choices from a Google SERP. Maybe people just don’t trust themselves to know what to look for, or that a clear automated front-runner has yet to surface, but one thing is apparent: as enticing as it is to have automatically generated results spread out before you, their reliability remains suspect, and until the typical travel startup recognizes this, success will prove elusive.

Continued...Not dead yet: Why the old school travel agent isn’t going anywhere

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The case for non-automation and the longevity of the human equation Travel is a many-headed beast, something every traveler knows, and every human travel agent never fails to take into account. There’s a deeper complexity to grasp and it requires a 30,000 foot view to see it, a con-cept that’s extremely difficult to program into a piece of software. But even as programmers get more adept at building tools to do the heavy lifting, they’re still missing the point. People don’t necessarily want faster, they don’t want prettier, they want better. They want personaliza-tion, as opposed to gaily accepting regurgitated lists of results produced by a dense block of source code.

To get their “better,” people will remain incredibly tolerant of the time a travel agent needs to do his work, Gary Belsky from Time.com sums it up perfectly: “For all the benefits and opportunities of online commerce and engagement, there is great comfort to be found in actual one-on-one encounters… particularly those that offer guidance in the face of a wide open field filled with countless options.” Hey, I’m as much of a tech lover as the next guy, and for every new site that emerges on the scene I get excited because it means we’ve taken another step toward our Eureka moment, that day when someone actually brings to the table a service that can finally and unequivocally connect all the dots.

Continued...Not dead yet: Why the old school travel agent isn’t going anywhere