Most Generous Airlines

The merge of Continental and United Airlines is likely to create the most "generous" airline in terms of frequent flier miles. Apparently, Continental awarded free tickets 71 percent of the time in response to requests, and United 69 percent of the time. The first place airline: Southwest Airlines with a whopping 99% of free tickets granted upon request. That being said, Continental is facing its own issues right now, with the FAA threatening to fine the carrier $325,000 after flying a B737 at least 12 times without repairing faulty landing gear, which was known about.

Continental actually came in second place last year in terms of customer service. United was at the bottom of the list. They were ranked based on in-flight services, costs and fees, reservations experience and other services. However, neither Continental nor United made the list of best domestic airlines. We'll see what happens with this merger in the near future. Flying with broken wheels is probably one way to not make the list.

Take a look at the new plane that United and Continental will have as a result of the merge. Personally, it is kind boring, but it's a decent looking design.

Afriqiyah Flight 8U771 Crash

Everyone has heard of Afriqiyah Flight 8U771, in which a plane flying from Johannesburg, South Africa crashed prior to landing at Tripoli airport in Libya on May 12, 2010.

The sole survivor of this accident was a 9-year old Dutch boy called Ruben van Assouw. The plane was an Airbus A330.

It is unclear what exactly caused the crash; however, the plane was banned to fly in Europe as it did not pass necessary safety regulations. This is one of the dangers of flying in Africa. According to reports, planes are frequently shot down by rebels, bombings and hijackings are common, and pilots drink alcohol in the cockpits. Surprisingly, the crew and pilots seem to expect disaster and react nonchalantly when incidents do occur. According to one article, when a window burst inwards, an attendant "sauntered over" and simply pulled it back in.

There are, however, African Airlines with a relatively safe record. Qatar Airways is of the best, with a decent sized fleet (83) Emirates, of course, and Tunisair. So stick with these carriers when flying in Africa!

There have been many incidents in which only one passenger has survived. One, in particular, struck me: Northwest Airlines Flight 255, in which a MD-82 (reg. N312RC) crashed due to the pilots forgetting to extend the flaps properly. This occurred in 1987. One 4-year old girl survived and has since graduated from the University of Alabama. A website was created in honor of those lost in the accident, and I direct you have a look at it: Flight 255 Memorial. The image to the right is the site of the crash, and came from the memorial site.