Your Aviation Weekend Reads for May 20, 2016

It was another bad week for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), after a glitch in one of its automated luggage screening systems caused a pile of 3,000 bags at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to be left behind, reports NBC News. The bags were left sitting in an airport parking lot, where they were screened then sent to airports in Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.

And the week continued with media reports of record-long security lines in airports including Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago O’Hare.  Things got so bad at Dallas-Fort Worth that American Airlines is spending $4 million to hire a company that will help travelers move more quickly through its security checkpoints, reports the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The workers will help with everything from taking laptops and liquids out of customers’ bags to moving away checkpoint bins.

A security line at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on May 15 at 7:30 p.m. Photo by Brett Ryden

A Bloomberg reporter who was stuck in a security line at O’Hare found herself questioning the real reason why the lines are so long. “It's pretty much inevitable that the TSA, having flunked its audit, is going to choose to impose huge burdens on airline passengers, rather than admit that it's not actually doing all that much to keep us safe,” she wrote.

Twenty U.S. airports use private screeners for their security checkpoints under the TSA’s Screening Partnership Program, including San Francisco International, Kansas City International and Sarasota-Bradenton International. And now because of the record long lines, airports in New York City, Chicago and Phoenix are threatening to join the program, reports Mashable. In a statement, City Assistant Aviation Director Deborah Ostreicher cited long wait times as a factor and called the current level of service from the TSA "unacceptable."

With airlines making record profits driven by low fuel costs and high capacity, you’d think they would look to buy new planes. But the hottest market now is for used aircraft, reports Mashable. Southwest Airlines is acquiring 83 used Boeing 737-700s from around the world, including some returned from Russian carrier Transaero. United is taking up to two dozen used Airbus A319s from China, while Delta Air Lines considers buying 737s from Brazil’s Gol.

Qatar Airways’ Premium Check-In Terminal at Doha International Airport. Photo by Benét J. Wilson

The Big Three Middle East carriers -- Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways -- have gone all out to ensure that those paying for premium class have the very best passenger experience. Etihad and Emirates each offer private suites with showers, while Qatar boasts that it offers a five-star experience. But losing in the premium travel battle is Singapore Airlines, which helped set the original standard of luxury, reports the Financial Review.  The airline has ordered more than $10 billion of new aircraft and begun discounting its best seats to compete.

For those of us who can’t afford business or first class but still want a little extra in air travel, airlines have been adding premium economy sections to their aircraft. Travelers get options such as more seat pitch, early boarding and upgraded food and beverages. But Dubai-based Emirates had been reluctant to add a premium economy cabin -- until maybe now, reports the Runway Girl Network.

In announcing Emirates’ 2015-16 financial results, President and CEO Tim Clark signaled that the airline may install a premium economy cabin. “We’re looking at all sorts of opportunities in terms of product development but clearly there’s a business case for looking seriously at premium economy,” he said, hedging slightly with “that’s not to say we are definitely going to do it, but we are looking at it.”

I’ve covered business aviation on and off since 1994. There’s been a slew of start-ups looking to be the Uber of the skies. I wrote in About.com Air Travel about companies including Ubair and PrivateFly.com. Business Insider writes about why BlackJet -- dubbed Uber for private jets -- failed despite support from people including Ashton Kutcher, Will Smith, Jay Z's company Roc Nation, Salesforce's Mark Benioff and Uber cofounder Garrett Camp. “Rather than allowing flyers to charter jets on-demand like Victor, BlackJet required an annual fee, giving members access to a network of jets on which they could book seats on pre-determined routes.”

British Airways’ Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport. Photo by Benét J. Wilson

The discussion on the future of London Heathrow Airport continues. The airport has asked four architects to create their version of a world-class sustainable facility that would deliver innovations in passenger service, integrate local communities and showcase the best of British design. Heathrow is expected to choose one -- Grimshaw, Zaha Hadid, HOK and Benoy -- as the final concept designer in July, reports the Future Travel Experience.

For the past year or so, the industry has been watching a battle between the Big Three U.S. carriers -- American, Delta and United -- versus the Big Three Middle East carriers -- Emirates, Etihad and Qatar. This battle has drawn in other parties, including airports, airline unions, manufacturers and cities. And now we can add two more to the list.

First, Atlanta’s historic Fox Theater played host this week to a Jennifer Lopez concert sponsored by Qatar Airways as the carrier celebrated its new flight out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. But that didn’t sit well with hometown airline and benefactor Delta, which said it will not renew its support of the theater when the current deal ends in 2017, reports the Wandr Me blog.

“Apparently Delta believes that sponsoring a venue means the airline gets veto rights over every event that venue hosts. And when it didn’t get what it wanted Delta staged a very public – and, quite frankly, pathetic – tantrum over the issue, ultimately choosing to take its proverbial ball away and go home,” writes blogger Seth Miller.

Delta jets at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Photo by Benét J. Wilson

Second, in the latest shot fired in the Battle in Seattle, Delta inked a three-year deal to sponsor the city’s gay Pride Parade, which is good news for the popular event. But as the exclusive airline partner, it precludes showing the logos of other carriers -- including hometown carrier Alaska Air -- in the parade. Alaska’s employees were upset, because while they can march, they were told they couldn't wear any logoed clothing or carry logoed signs, reports the Seattle Times. One day after the story broke, the nonprofit that runs the parade reversed course and apologized, saying Alaska’s gay employee group could march in the parade wearing clothing representing Alaska after it “misinterpreted the contractual obligations” of its deal with Delta.

Last week, I wrote about what appears to be more cases of flying while ethnic. This week man on a Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Albuquerque has pleaded guilty to pulling off the hijab of a female passenger, reports Time. According to his written statement, he said “Take it off! This is America!” and when the woman didn’t remove the hijab, he pulled it off her head. He’s facing a year in jail and a $100,000 fine for obstruction of a person’s free exercise of religious beliefs. Here’s hoping he gets the full sentence.

And here’s another case of flying while ethnic. Two men on a Monarch Airlines flight to Rome decided to get off the plane after their fellow passengers claimed they looked like terrorists, reports Huffington Post.  Marsha De Salvatore, an American living in Rome who witnessed the incident, called it the “sad reality of racism.”

But we must end the week on a happy note. I took my daughter on her first flight when she was 10 days old. Fortunately for me, she was a great traveler and it was always amazing how many people were kind to a traveling mother. And it didn’t hurt that my kid had a dimpled smile that could disarm even the most disgruntled traveler. So my heart was warmed over this story in Stomp about how a Singapore Airlines flight attendant took a toddler and fed it so the mother could enjoy a meal during the five-hour flight.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I’m the Air Travel Expert for About.com. You can follow my travel-related magazines on Flipboard: Best of About Travel, a joint curation venture with my fellow About Travel Experts; and Travel-Go! There's Nothing Stopping You, all about the passenger experience on the ground and in the air. Click here to subscribe to my weekly aviation newsletter. Finally, you can see my travel-related boards on Pinterest and follow me on Twitter at @AvQueenBenet, on Instagram at aviationqueen and on Snapchat at AvQueenBenet.