airplane seats

An auction of airline seats & drink carts – for Ukraine

Airlines, , , , ,

Austrian Airlines is auctioning off Economy Class airplane seats from its Boeing 767 fleet and 170 flight trolleys and donating the proceeds to the nonprofit Nachbar in Not (Neighbor in Need) to support people in Ukraine.

The seats saw service on transatlantic flights and were removed to make way for Premium Economy Class seats. The starting price for the double and triple rows varies between $250 and $380.

Austrian Airlines says that, like the seats, the drink trolleys (starting auction price $52) have “seen the world” and are now waiting for new purposes as, perhaps, “a nice piece of furniture, home bar trolleys, or sturdy toolboxes.”

“As the red-white-red flag-carrier, which has been connecting Austria with Europe and the world for more than 60 years, we are very pleased to share a piece of aviation history – and thereby help people in need,” said Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl in a statement. “With this charity project, we want to make at least a small contribution to ease the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

Bidding open now

Bidding on the auction items is open now, with the final acceptance of bids (notification to bid ‘winners’) on May 21.

You can see the seats and drink trolleys being auctioned online or in-person in Austria, where you’ll also need to go to pick your auction items.

“We thank Austrian Airlines and AURENA [the auction house} for this charitable project for the benefit of Nachbar in Not,” said Martina Schloffer, Dep. Head of International Cooperation at Austrian Red Cross. “Millions of people are currently suffering and depend on humanitarian aid. The donations will allow us to
facilitate needs-based assistance, like water, food supplies, hygiene products or medicines.”

Fun, free way to get a better airplane seat

Uncategorized,

Here’s a fun – and free way- to get an upgraded airplane seat:

To draw attention to airline seat comfort (or the lack of it) Vanema, a company that makes lightweight aircraft seats, is giving passengers free seat cushions.

The company recently handed out 2,000 of its Octasupport seat cushions at Ljubljana Airport in Slovenia. In exchange, the company is asking passengers to provide feedback on their priority comfort issues.

“Our goal is to start a discussion about how next generation materials (like Octaspring) can improve passengers’ journeys, while helping airlines achieve their goals of cutting CO2 emissions,” says Venema company chairman Sandi Cesko.

In the next few months, the company plans to hand out these seat cushions at airport in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and, possibly, Austria.

So keep an eye out for the booths and grab a cushion.

It may be the cheapest and fastest way to upgrade your airplane seat. And you can the cushion with you for your next flight.

(Thanks to Emil Atanasov, Guest Services agent on Viking Jarl for helping with Wi-Fi today. )

Cash in on that middle seat on the plane

Contests, , ,

 

Whether or not you end up a middle seat on an airplane this holiday season, or just live in fear of finding yourself there, Stella Artois has a contest for you.

The beer-maker will be granting “upgrades” in the form of gift card vouchers and free Lyft ride codes to frustrated travelers who post a photo and a message on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram about getting stuck in a middle seat. 

To be entered in the contest, be sure include a photo and include #StellaUpgrade, #Contest and @StellaArtois in your message. (More instructions here).

The contest runs through December 21. Social media posts will be judged during 29 posted entry periods, with prizes to include gift card vouchers worth up to $500 for upgrades on return flights, $500 e-card for adventures on the ground, and codes for free rides on Lyft. 

Judging criteria includes creativity, originality and relevance to the contest theme of  showing the woes of travel.

Let the grimacing begin…

Playing musical chairs on an airplane

Air Travel, Seating,

Each Friday on msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin I tackle a reader’s question. This week the topic was:

Is your airplane seat assignment sacred?

That’s what Dennis Palkoner wanted to know.

Palkoner and his wife are both elite frequent fliers and often receive first-class upgrades for their flights.

Lucky them, right? The only problem: often the upgraded seats are not together.

Palkoner said that when this happens his strategy is to “politely ask the person in the seat next to our upgraded seat if they will switch seats so my wife and I can sit together.”

He said this works “100% of the time” but wants to know: First class or not, “Do airlines mind if I change seats with another passenger?

“I can’t speak for all airlines,” said Heather Poole, a long-time flight attendant and author of “Cruising Attitude” (due out March, 2012). “But at mine it is OK for passengers to swap seats in the same cabin they purchased their ticket in.”

Sara Keagle, a flight attendant who blogs at The FlyingPinto.com, said the same policy exists at the airline she works for. “My airline does charge for premium seats such as exit rows and bulkheads, so as long as [an economy cabin passenger] doesn’t choose those seats, it’s fine.”

Passengers within the premium zones can trade amongst themselves, said Keagle. “And we do let passengers trade seats from coach to first class, but that is done on the ground and there is no switching back once the door closes for departure.”

How — or why — would someone swap a first-class seat for one in coach? “Sometimes one person in a couple will get an upgrade but they’ll want to sit together, so they will offer their seat in first class to their neighbor in coach,” said Keagle.

“We want our customers to have a safe and comfortable travel experience, so changing seats or moving to an empty seat within the customer’s respective cabin is fine,” said Delta Air Lines spokesperson Anthony Black. “But it is always a good idea to ask the flight attendants if it’s OK to move and the best — and safest — time to do so.”

When swapping or moving to an open seat, there are some things to keep in mind.

Another passenger may have purchased two seats to insure that no one is seated next to them. “Smaller planes may have weight and balance issues, and there are certain requirements passengers must meet in order to sit in an exit row,” said Poole.

Even Southwest Airlines, well-known for its open-seating policy, has given seat-swapping some thought.

“Our policy allows customers to choose seats that fulfill their personal preferences,” said Southwest spokesperson Michelle Agnew. “But it’s not uncommon for our flight attendants to ask customers if they are willing to switch seats to accommodate a family who would like to sit together.”

Agnew says customers are usually very accommodating and flexible in those situations. Perhaps it’s because flight attendants often thank those customers “with a complimentary adult beverage if they are of age.”