Middle Seat on the Plane? I'd Rather ...

He reportedly screamed about bombs and al-Qaeda

(NEWSER) - A pilot tore through the cabin of a JetBlue plane yelling about terror threats, warning passengers about al-Qaeda and bombs on board, passengers tell the Amarillo Globe-News . The captain started "shouting, ‘Iraq, al-Qaeda, terrorism, we’re all going down,'" witnesses said. Passengers tackled him and held him down, and the flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas. The pilot was hospitalized. "It seemed like he went crazy," a passenger said. The airline's official statement says the captain had a "medical situation" that forced the flight to be diverted, notes AP . More»

Airlines ramp up discounts in promotional offers

(NEWSER) - The latest airfare deals aren't online or at travel agencies—they're targeted promotional fares, being emailed and tweeted to customers who sign up to receive them or who enroll in frequent-flier programs. These under-the-radar offers, an inexpensive form of advertising increasingly popular with recession-battered airlines, range from 10% discounts to buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»

Trips to Thailand net vintage headphones and the like for cabin mockup

(NEWSER) - To Anthony Toth, Pan Am was the epitome of airline class, with its top-notch, martini-pouring first-class service and in-flight music so excellent that the United Airlines employee brought along a tape recorder to record it on trips as a boy. Now that he’s 42 and owns a home, he’s built a full-size mockup of a Pan Am 747 first-class cabin in his garage—complete with headphones in their original packaging, Pan Am china, and a red-carpeted staircase. More»

(NEWSER) - Airlines offer more than you know—and would rather you didn't know about it. The Chicago Tribune runs down a list of ways to benefit from airline secrets:

• Complain early and often: Whatever the problem, "airlines tend to buy grouchy passengers off with frequent-flier miles."
• Travel agents work magic: Want a first-class seat for coach fare, or a code on your ticket that automatically upgrades your seat? Call an agency.

(NEWSER) - The hijacker of a Canadian jet demanding to fly from Jamaica to Cuba has freed the six crewmembers he was holding and surrendered, reports the BBC. The man, whom authorities described as "mentally challenged," appeared to check in normally last night, then forced his way aboard the CanJet charter flight brandishing a weapon. No one was injured. More»