Upstate big-box grocery chain Wegmans is none too pleased with native son Alec Baldwin's little Words With Friends-fueled airplane tantrum—due to customer complaints stemming from the outburst, they've dropped the commercials featuring Baldwin hawking the store. And oh, such great commercials they were! more ›

Alec Baldwin may have tried to apologize to his fellow American Airlines passengers delayed by his Tuesday tantrum, but now he's offended a 9/11 widow. Cheryl McGuinness Hutchins, whose husband Tom McGuinness was a pilot aboard AA 11, which hit the World Trade Center, told TMZ that Baldwin's reference to 9/11 was "inappropriate." more ›

December 6, 2011 is a day that Alec Baldwin will never forget. After being kicked off an American Airlines flight from LAX to JFK—and delaying things for the other travelers—Baldwin deactivated his Twitter account and allowed gleeful tabloids and American Airlines to explain that he basically had a tantrum over being asked to stop using his phone. But don't worry: Baldwin has used his soapbox at the Huffington Post to give his side of the story. more ›

In the midst of the most important story of our time, Alec Baldwin's spokesman wants us to know that getting the boot from an American Airlines flight was just Alec being Alec. "Alec loves Words With Friends so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it," flack Matthew Hilzik tells the Daily News. And fellow famous-person Oscar De La Hoya, who was on the flight from LAX to JFK, tweeted "I think the flight attendant over reacted…@AlecBaldwin was doing nothing wrong but playing 'words' on his phone." But couldn't this just be some celebrity Omertá? According to American Airlines, Baldwin was acting like a thoughtless little pig. more ›

This morning, AMR, the company that owns American Airlines, announced it would file for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. bankruptcy court in New York City, explaining, "We must address our cost structure, including labor costs, to enable us to capitalize on these foundational strengths and secure our future. Our very substantial cost disadvantage compared to our larger competitors, all of which restructured their costs and debt through Chapter 11, has become increasingly untenable given the accelerating impact of global economic uncertainty and resulting revenue instability, volatile and rising fuel prices, and intensifying competitive challenges." more ›

Oh, the saga of Jack the Cat just won't stop! Two months after going missing from a baggage center at JFK, Jack was discovered there Tuesday night and quickly whisked away to a vet, but now word is that the poor kitteh is in critical condition having contracted a nasty case of fatty liver disease at the airport. Fatty liver disease is a treatable but potentially fatal illness that sets in when a cat stops eating. At least one vets say Jack's chances are about 50-50 right now. more ›

Today is full of good news for fans of frisky felines! First there was that kitteh saved on the Verrazano and now comes news that Jack the Cat, the adorable longhaired cat that was lost by American Airlines back in August, has been found! According to his Facebook page Jack was found in the JFK customs room and had his identity verified with a chip scan at a Queens vet. He's now under 24-hour care and is "dehydrated and has lost a good amount of weight, though [the vet] said that all things considered, he wasn't in bad shape." Yay for microchips! more ›

A week after American Airlines lost Jack the Cat at JFK airport, the airline still has no promising leads in its search, and there have been no confirmed sightings. Jack's owner, Karen Pascoe, started the Facebook page "Jack The Cat is Lost in AA Baggage at JFK," after American Airlines baggage handlers didn't return her calls for three days. Now the Facebook page has 10,000 likes, and the airline suddenly finds itself grappling with a public relations debacle. So, uh, they're wondering if any other airlines would like to join the fun? more ›

Paying through the nose for airline tickets is for suckers. According to prosecutors, savvy travelers like Olajide Oluwaseun Noibi, 24, know that all you need to get from one side of the country to the other is an expired boarding pass. At least, it worked the first time when Noibi allegedly waltzed through security at JFK and managed to talk his way onto a flight to LAX—in a premium seat, no less! more ›

Yesterday morning, an American Airlines flight from Boston to St. Thomas made an emergency landing at JFK Airport after some sort of "pressurization problem in the cabin." The plane apparently dropped 27,000 feet in less than a minute, and one passenger said to the Post, "It was a roller-coaster ride. My stomach... dropped, and I was freaking out. I didn't know what was going on. My heart was pounding. I had sweaty palms." more ›

Last month, an American Airlines Boeing 777 from JFK was in a near-miss with two U.S. military C 17 cargo planes 80 miles south of NYC. The plans were within a mile of each other and National Transportation Safety Board announced it was investigating the incident today. A source told the Post, "Authorities suspect errors by Long Island-based air controllers and the jetliner’s pilot in the incident." more ›

A passenger from a flight from Rio de Janeiro to JFK Airport was taken to the hospital for a psych exam after allegedly attacking a flight attendant. The NY Post's sources say that Michael Isabelle "went berserk aboard a JFK-bound flight yesterday after he found his path to the bathroom blocked by a beverage cart -- kicking it over and punching a flight attendant in the stomach." more ›

Newark Liberty International's Terminal A is shut down now as authorities inspect a possible explosive. According to ABC News, "The possible device was discovered behind a counter, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told ABC News. Employees alerted Transportation Security Administration Bomb Appraisal Officers, who began their investigation." Vehicular traffic was halted before 8 a.m. and the bomb squad is investigating. Update: Now it turns out the package was just a computer monitor. The terminal has reopened. more ›

Seven years ago Monserrate Luna, 49, says she was eating her in-flight meal of chicken and vegetables on an American Airlines flight out of JFK when she unintentionally consumed "a chunk of lizard" that was mixed in with her food. Some people would call that a "bonus," but in January of this year Luna filed a lawsuit against the airline and its food supplier, LSG Sky Chefs. So why are we hearing about this now? more ›

Police say the phoned-in hijacking threat that grounded American Airlines Flight 24, which was headed to JFK Airport, at San Francisco International Airport was "non-credible." The SF Chronicle says the call was made to an Almeda hotel clerk. The passengers on the flight were taken off the plane, questioned by authorities, had their belongings re-screened, and were allowed to book other flights. But one passenger wondered if two fellow travelers were racially profiled. more ›

American Airlines Flight 24 from San Francisco International Airport headed to JFK Airport was grounded due to a bomb threat: "The airport police 'received a threatening phone call' just before the flight was about to takeoff." Fox News says, "A TSA official told Fox News that the phone threat was regarding a hijacking. The TSA said passengers were being taken off the plane on at least five buses to be interviewed and re-screened. American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith said the threat was phoned into local police. He said there were no hostages, but the TSA has moved the plane to a remote tarmac." more ›

Sigh. When will airline passengers with nicotine addictions realize that smoking on a plane causes problems? Yesterday, American Airlines Flight 117 from JFK Airport, bound for Los Angeles, was diverted to New Mexico allegedly because a passenger was smoking in a bathroom. more ›

The American Museum of Natural History is suing American Airlines over a delivery of African fish samples which were to be studied in the hall of artifacts. Part of the "Congo Project," the museum had sponsored students from the University of Kinsasha to collect rare fish samples from the river. However, when the barrels arrived in Brussels last October, officials found they were leaky and full of maggots, and had them destroyed. The museum is seeking $25,000 in damages for the missing fish and "loss of research." They are also investigating infestation claims because the "fish specimens had been preserved in a solution of formalin and then double-bagged, creating an environment in which no maggot or pest could survive." more ›

As part of its contract to become the official carrier for NYC tourism, American Airlines is throwing money at JFK and LaGuardia, with 23 new new flights and seven new destinations to be added by the end of the year. The airline will also partner with JetBlue to offer 12 international connections from cheap-o flights in New York, as well as in Boston, reports the AP. Thirty million in terminal improvements to the two airports is also part of the package. "We have a long history in New York, and we're going to grow those roots with new routes, new partnerships, even deeper local relationships," declares CEO Gerard Arpey. Promises, promises—when's he gonna put a ring on our finger? more ›

A Haitian evacuee has been arrested for shirking security protocol at JFK, causing hours-long delay in terminal 8. Yesterday afternoon 57-year-old Jules Bouloute walked through a door that led to a restricted area, setting off an alarm. The terminal was evacuated and passengers waited for hours to be re-screened. Bouloute, who narrowly escaped Haiti after Tuesday’s earthquake, is now facing threats of a legal nature. more ›

After a photo emerged yesterday of an overweight man on an American Airlines flight, flooding the aisle with flab, Federal aviation authorities investigated the image. Apparently before being airborne, flight attendants gave the man two extra seats, which is in line with safety rules, according to the NY Post. This was accomplished by offering another passenger a ticket for a later flight, so the overweight man could have an entire aisle to himself. more ›

There's been much debate about how to handle overweight passengers on flights. While some airlines may charge for an extra seat, not all do — and now a flight attendant allegedly snapped a photo on an American Airlines flight (destination and take-off point unknown), which of course has been leaked to the press. more ›

American Airlines has added a creature comfort outside its terminal at JFK International Airport. According to the press release, the new "Pet Relief Area at the terminal's departure level" is for "passengers with pets [to] give their canine or feline friends a final chance to relieve themselves before packing them away in their kennels for the flight." American's Facilities Maintenance Manager at JFK, Joseph Daly, explained, "American Airlines is sensitive to the needs of passengers who travel with their pets. Pets that travel have comfort needs, too, so we wanted to provide a way for them to be comfortable before boarding their flight, just like the rest of us." Here's AA's traveling with pets policy. more ›

There were no opportunities for aerial derring-do during yesterday's bird strike at LaGuardia airport, and no panic among the passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 1256, which hit a bird during its final approach at 10:54 a.m. The plane, en route from Miami, was at 900 feet when it hit the bird, and FAA spokesman Jim Peters tells Newsday, "The plane landed without incident, under power." Unlike the spectacular double-engine bird strike that brought down Flight 1549 in January, yesterday's bird was apparently not ingested by the engines. Passengers were unaware of the incident, and were told after the landing, when the plane had to be towed to the gate. According to the Daily News, there were 96 bird strikes at LaGuardia last year alone, and the tabloid gets some expert analysis from one Kalya Brizo, a 22-year-old "frustrated flier" from Bayside. Informed about the incident, she declares, "Again? I think the whole bird thing is a big problem. They really should do something about it." Beyond killing all birds on sight, anyone have any other suggestions? more ›

We're getting preliminary reports about an "aircraft emergency" this morning at LaGuardia airport, where an incoming American Airlines flight was hit by a bird strike when coming in for a landing. No injuries are being reported, but paramedics were called to meet the plane at gate 10, apparently as a precaution. The pilot also reported a "hydraulic leak in the nose gear." The incident comes as the city moves to euthanize 2,000 geese within 5 miles of airports during their molting season, in an effort to prevent another crash like the one that befell Flight 1549. more ›

As it faces criticism over engine maintenance, American Airlines says the engine of a Chicago-bound plane that failed because of an object that was sucked in. However, in this post-Flight 1549 world, American doesn't think it was a bird; "early speculation" is that the object may be from an earlier flight (the engine was sent to Tulsa for inspection). The flight had taken off from Laguardia on Tuesday morning and, about 20 minutes in, something caused dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces of sharp metal to fall over a warehouse in College Point, Queens. The flight made an emergency landing at JFK and no one was hurt from the plane or on the ground. Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the plane had a recent history of engine issues and was overdue for inspection; American disputed that and said, "There was nothing in our previous maintenance checks to indicate any issue that could be related or connected to the failure of this engine." more ›

Yesterday morning, a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight took off from LaGuardia Airport, only to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport after one of its engines (engine #2) failed. Dozens of pieces of metal from the engine fell over a warehouse in College Point, Queens, alarming people in the area who heard a loud noise that wasn't the usual whirring of airplanes in the air. And it's suggested the engine was overdue for its required maintenance. more ›