air travel

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8 Years On, Critics Call Airport Security 'Theater'

Critics see cockeyed focus on 'pointy objects,' none on real threats

(Newser) - Billions of dollars in spending since 9/11 has given airport security officers plenty of ways to catch terrorists—but are critics right in calling it "security theater"? Take the “millimeter wave whole body imager,” which pinpoint “anomalies” on your person: Sure, it will spot a...

3 Brits Guilty in '06 Plot to Bomb Transatlantic Flights

Planned use of liquid explosives sparked restrictions still in effect

(Newser) - Three British Muslims were convicted today of conspiracy to blow up airplanes with liquid explosives in a failed 2006 plot that led to restrictions on drinks and toiletries on flights, the Times of London reports. Ringleader Abdulla Ahmed Ali, Assad Sarwar, and Tanvir Hussain were retried after a jury last...

Southwest Adds $10 Fee to Board Early

Airline with no assigned seats starts charging for first dibs

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines doesn’t assign seats, but now it will start charging for the privilege of finding the best one, the Dallas Morning News reports. For an extra $10, the new “EarlyBird Check-in” allows passengers to board first, or at least right after the Business Select and Rapid Rewards...

US Airways Raising Bag Fees
 US Airways Raising Bag Fees 
Aug 26, 2009 4:16 PM CDT

US Airways Raising Bag Fees

Domestic checked-bag fee increases by $5

(Newser) - US Airways is following the lead of its competitors and raising bag fees, reports the East Bay Business Times. On domestic flights, the first checked bag will cost $25 and the second will cost $30, a $5 bump for both. If the bags are checked at the airport instead of...

Pissed Airline Passenger Back on YouTube

Glossier United Breaks Guitars: Song 2 is follow-up to viral hit

(Newser) - Dave Carroll, who so memorably commemorated his terrible experience with United Airlines in the YouTube sensation United Breaks Guitars is at it again, Consumerist reports. The singer/songwriter/guitar-rights activist has released a more ambitious video cleverly titled United Breaks Guitars: Song 2, with a slightly more conciliatory tone. And don’t...

Booking a Flight? Get Ready to State Sex and Age

(Newser) - Air passengers booking flights in the US can expect some extra questions starting this weekend, the Washington Post reports. Travelers will be asked for their sex and birth date, which will be forwarded along with other information to federal officials checking watch lists. The move comes as the Transportation Security...

JetBlue Offers All-You-Can-Fly Monthly Pass for $599

(Newser) - This could set off an interesting price war: JetBlue today began selling a $599 pass for all the flights you can handle between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8, reports Bloomberg. The idea is to try to keep their planes full once the peak summer season winds down. The offer's good...

Sanford on Planes: 'I've Got a Busy Life'

SC gov defends use of official aircraft

(Newser) - Mark Sanford defended his personal use of state-owned planes today, arguing that the competing demands of fatherhood and the governor’s office required that he mix business and family travel, the AP reports. "I've got a busy life, and I've tried as best I can to be a reasonable...

Congress Plans $550M Upgrade to Its Jet Fleet

(Newser) - Congress plans to spend $550 million to upgrade and expand the fleet of jets used to ferry federal officials around the country and abroad, the Wall Street Journal reports. Funds approved by the House for the military-run fleet call for two 737s and two Gulfstream jets on top of the...

Autopilot Safety Under Scrutiny

(Newser) - One minute Qantas Flight 72 was cruising at a level altitude, autopilot humming. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, the Airbus A320 went into a nosedive, as the pilots helplessly watched. Eventually, they righted the plane, but not before 115 passengers were injured. Nor was this an isolated incident. Automated...

Doomed United Is Textbook of Biz Don'ts

(Newser) - United Airlines’ dismal service and financial stature may soon send it to Chapter 11, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a “teachable moment,” Shaun Rein writes in Forbes. Herewith, three lessons:
  • Loyal customers return: "Consumers are more price sensitive in this economy, and they are
...

Salt Lake Tops Best Airports List
 Salt Lake Tops 
 Best Airports List 



TRAVEL
Jul 25, 2009 8:24 AM CDT

Salt Lake Tops Best Airports List

(Newser) - Some airports just seem to be charmed when it comes to on-time departures. Travel + Leisure ranks the 10 best in America based on percentage of flights delayed:
  1. Salt Lake City: Last year's winner continues its reign, cutting delays by 2% from 2008, to just 12%.
  2. Portland, Ore.: At 15%,
...

Brit Flights Will Bar 'Flu-ish' Passengers

Docs blast 'nonsense' plan to keep ill off airplanes

(Newser) - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will refuse to check in passengers with symptoms of swine flu unless they have doctors' notes saying they're healthy, reports the Times of London. Passengers with runny noses, headaches, or sore throats will be told not to board their flights. The new policy has outraged...

10 Ways to Game the Airlines

(Newser) - Airlines offer more than you know—and would rather you didn't know about it. The Chicago Tribune runs down a list of ways to benefit from airline secrets:
  • Complain early and often: Whatever the problem, "airlines tend to buy grouchy passengers off with frequent-flier miles."
  • Travel agents work
...

Middle Seat on the Plane? I'd Rather ...

(Newser) - Nobody likes the middle seat on an airplane, and a recent study shows fliers would rather endure some novel discomforts than sit squeezed between two seatmates. BlackBook runs down a few—as well as what's particularly unpleasant about the middle seat.
  • 56% of respondents would rather have their teeth drilled
...

Flying-Phobic Comic Takes to the Air

AirTran is using him to pump wi-fi service

(Newser) - The best way to get over fear of flying? If you’re comedian Mark Malkoff, living on a plane for 30 days. Malkoff—who once lived in an Ikea store for a week—embarked upon his journey this month, but it wasn’t all for the sake of therapy. He’...

Buckle Up for Higher Airfares





  Buckle Up for Higher Airfares 
Jun 25, 2009 10:24 AM CDT

Buckle Up for Higher Airfares

(Newser) - If you’re planning on flying this summer, book your tickets now. After a long period of dropping fares and constant sales, prices went up earlier this month and appear likely to keep rising throughout the summer, the Wall Street Journal reports. “I think for the consumer, it’s...

Seoul's Airport Is World's No. 1

None in North America makes top 10

(Newser) - Incheon International airport in Seoul, South Korea, is the world's best, according to a British survey that took into account passengers' experiences with check-in, departures, transfers, and arrivals. Two other Asian airports, in Hong Kong and Singapore, finished second and third, the BBC reports.

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation
 Cheap Deals 
 Bring Back 
 the Vacation 

TRAVEL
May 19, 2009 11:53 AM CDT

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation

Flights, hotels drop prices in economic slump

(Newser) - When it comes to vacationing this summer, “the power is with the consumer,” says a consultant: The troubled economy has airlines, hotels, and cruises dropping prices dramatically. International airfares are down 14%, domestic fares 17%, Travelocity says; and for the first time since 2005, AAA predicts an uptick...

Airline Pitches the Really Friendly Skies

Let-it-all-hang-out Air New Zealand won't nickel-and-dime you

(Newser) - To tout its distaste for hidden fees, Air New Zealand is mounting a tasteful display—of nudity. The airline's new commercial features employees wearing nothing but body paint, the Boston Globe reports. The campaign, called “Nothing to Hide,” touts the now-antiquated practice of providing meals and not charging...

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