Shiftinga Plane News Today

Sometimes fly a plane back and forth, back and forth for hours on end, like a dozen hours and drop little weather balloons. but they get a better feel for whats going on on every different level. is the wind going that way? is the level going that way? is it cold? is it warm? thats where all these different models come from. thats why theyre scattered all the way from way down here all the way back up here. there are a couple up toward -- >> great background. youre doing this to tell us in all t...

But it is pretty much everything else. from this room, senior staff in virtually every department oversee uniteds operations at five u.s. hubs -- chicago, denver, los angeles, san francisco and washington dulles and thousands of domestic and international flights. >> for the most part, it all comes through this immediate area. >> reporter: shifting a planes route ever so slightly to make up for a late departure, preparing a flight crew for a possible holding pattern or diversion to another airpo...

Destination. but theres a lot going on behind the scenes to keep your flight as smooth as possible along the way. our own frequent flier ali velshi got some exclusive access right here. >> reporter: for most of us, traveling by plane means buying a ticket, getting to the airport, getting on board, sitting down, relaxing and enjoying the flight. but there are actually hundreds of people involved behind the scenes that make sure all of this goes smoothly. >> good morning, everyone. this is sergio ...

Afghan police were absent without leave. these are the issues that were debated during the confirmation hearing of general david petraeus earlier today which just ended hours ago. afghanistan at the top of the mind of senators today. airline travel, get your ticket, board the plane and youre off. but hang on a second, not so fast. theres a lot going on that you dont get to see until now. our own frequent flier, ali velshi, takes us on a behind-the-scenes look next.