The sweet sound of silence may be departing the friendly skies now that Virgin Atlantic has announced that in-flight mobile calls will come to at least 10 of the airline's routes by the end of this year. Even though Virgin has multiple US destinations, American law dictates cell service must be turned off within 250 miles of US airspace. A company called AeroMobile will provide the in-flight Read more

When I heard of the case of a dog who bit two passengers on board a US Airways flight yesterday I immediately wondered how that was possible since pets must be kept in a carrier under the seat throughout the flight. And, naturally, the dog did not escape . . . but was taken out of a carrier by its 89-year-old owner. The 12-pound Manchester Terrier became agitated as its sedative began to wear Read more

As we approach the end of Summer, chances are you've spent some time these last few months traveling via airplane. Whenever I hit the skies, I treat myself to a ginger ale and cranberry juice mocktail. I try to avoid alcohol while flying (makes jet lag worse!), so this bubbly nonalcoholic drink is just the ticket. I feel a little high maintenance ordering the mixed refreshment, but it's become a Read more

Flying high with small children isn't always seamless. Despite careful planning by the parents, some kids still unravel in the air. While lots of moms book flights late at night so their tots are too tuckered to complain, others make the airplane ride the day's activity. What is optimum for your family, and do you take fellow passengers (morning flights are often business travelers, etc.) into Read more

Without fail, I find myself thumbing through the Sky Mall catalog on flights. Do I really need a portable wood burning hot tub? Um, no. (Note: If you do, here it is.) But there's still something about scanning even the more reasonably priced products amidst the outrageous. Then what about the other seatback pouch mainstay on international flights: the duty-free catalog? Though started inside an Read more