Things That Go Bump In the Flight

You might want to buckle up for this one. We’re used to hearing air travel woes related to flight delays, lost luggage, poor customer service, and that kid who won’t stop kicking your seat. We’re not used to feedback like this: “I saw people from across the aisle just going completely horizontal, hitting the ceiling and landing back down in really awkward positions.” There’s a reason that the Singapore Airlines flight that hit massive turbulence is making news. Passengers don’t often die because of a turbulent flight (as one did in this case) or get seriously injured (several travelers are still in the ICU). And turbulence, while often stressful, doesn’t often include a plane losing 6,000 feet of altitude. So, yes, Singapore Air’s flight SQ321 was unusual in many unfortunate ways. But extreme turbulence—which “can be invisible both to the eye and weather radar”—is becoming less and less unusual. “Recent research indicates that turbulence is rising and that this change is sparked by climate change, specifically elevated carbon dioxide emissions affecting air currents. Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, has studied turbulence for more than a decade. Dr. Williams’s research has found that clear air turbulence, which occurs most frequently at high altitudes and in winter, could triple by the end of the century. He said that this type of turbulence, of all categories, is increasing around the world at all flight altitudes.” NYT (Gift Article): Fasten Your Seatbelts: What You Need to Know About Turbulence. Maybe there’s a reason the safety videos always remind us how to operate a seat belt.

+ Let’s switch to a less stressful travel story—like one about stolen bags. Here’s one of the most amazing lost luggage stories you’re likely to see. Stolen suitcase sleuth fights back against car break-ins. “Donning heavy-duty yellow work gloves and wielding a flashlight, he drove over to the scene to begin sifting through the contents of the discarded bags. He was looking for any clue that might identify the rightful owners—a passport or driver’s license, a scribbled name on a business card, an address on a luggage tag, even a label on a prescription medicine bottle.”