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Posts Tagged “
Airport
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laptops
payphone ripoff
NCIC Airport Payphones Are A Ripoff
Reader Victor wrote to alert us to NCIC payphones which are charging outrageous rates and fees in various airports across the country. At first, Victor used some spare change in an NCIC payphone and received a reasonable long distance rate of about $1 for 4 minutes. But Victor ran out of change and used his credit card to make 3 more quick calls. When Victor received his bill he discovered that he'd been charged $11 per call. He directed us over to ripoffreports.com and as far as we can tell, he got off easy. We read numerous reports of customers being charged exorbitant rates for local and long distance calls. The amounts that their customers are being charged vary so wildly that we're not even sure what NCIC's rates are supposed to be. Victor's letter, inside... More »
tsa
Do You Have Any Naked Pictures Of Your Mother? The TSA Does
The TSA recently announced that airport security scanners which can see under clothing are being installed at 10 U.S. airports, according to the AFP. Travelers will enter glass booths while a 3-dimensional full-body image is rendered using "millimeter waves." Because the image gives a clear representation of travelers' bodies and genitalia, it has some people concerned about their privacy. More, inside... More »
airport delays
America's Top 20 Time-Draining Airports
There are many things that drive travelers crazy but airport delays have to rank among the most frustrating. Forbes has put together their list of the 20 top time-draining airports based on categories such as late aircraft related delays, cancellations, weather related delays and the percentage of on-time arrivals and departures. Check out which airports you should avoid if possible and see how your local favorite stacks up. The list, inside... More »
tsa
New "Checkpoint Friendly" Laptop Cases Will Help Travelers Breeze Through Security
According to the USA Today, the Transportation Security Administration is likely to approve new "checkpoint friendly" laptop cases which would allow passengers to put their laptops through x-ray machines without removing them from the case. The new policy, designed to streamline airport security, is likely to be enacted within a few months. Details, inside... More »
airport security
What Does A "Clear" Membership Actually Get You At Airport Security?
A PR hack sent us a stupidly long press release a few hours ago about Clear, the company that—for an annual $100 fee—will pre-authorize you with TSA to speed up your passage through security. Clear started operating in select airports over a year ago, and this month will add Reagan National and Dulles International airports to its list. So, is the service worth it? We guess that depends on how much you're willing to spend to be able to jump ahead of all the poor people waiting in line like the common criminals they surely are. We wanted a slightly more objective way to evaluate it, though, so we started looking around online for first-hand experiences of what exactly happens when you flash your Clear card. More »
Snow in Cleveland is affecting air travel. The FAA says:Due to WEATHER / SNOW-ICE, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland, OH (CLE). This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 3 hours and 12 minutes.Continental, which uses Cleveland as a hub, is canceling lots of flights. [Ohio.com]
tsa
Man With Loaded Gun Slips Past Ronald Reagan Airport Security
A man carrying a loaded gun passed through the security checkpoint at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport without incident this past Sunday, apparently because the gun wasn't floating in a shampoo bottle or hidden in a shoe. He then remembered he was carrying it and brought it back to the TSA authorities, who promptly charged him with "possessing or transporting a firearm into an air carrier terminal where prohibited, a misdemeanor, and released him." More »
security
New TSA Screening: Empty Out All Your Electronics
The TSA is testing a new level of security screening at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and it requires you to take every electronic component out of your carry-on luggage and put it in a separate bin, reader John tells us. He writes:
"According to the TSA this is a new test program designed to speed up the screening of carry on-baggage..."
More »
travel
Denver International Airport Reassures Passengers That There Have Been "Major Changes"
Last year Denver International airport closed for 45 hours when a blizzard descended on our nation's 6th largest airport. Now the airport and the airlines that operate there would like you to know that they've made a lot of changes. More »
as god is my witness
Delta Airlines Cargo Door Falls Open, Raining Luggage Down On Chicagoland
The dufflebags were hitting the ground like sacks of wet cement near Midway airport on Sunday, according to the Chicago Tribune. Officials are still trying to figure out what caused the cargo door of a Delta (Atlantic Southeast, to be precise) airliner to come open, spilling bags out of the airplane thousands of feet above Chicagoland.Delta Flight No. 4718 took off about 9:40 a.m. and was forced to circle back to Midway shortly after takeoff when a pressure problem in the cabin was detected and instruments showed a cargo door had opened during flight, FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said.More »
pizza placates
JetBlue Buys You Pizza While You're Fogged In At Portland International Airport
Reader Karolyn was fogged in at Portland International Airport last night. She writes:Hey. Flying to JFK from Portland tonight. The flight keeps getting pushed back and the flight tracker on the website is getting updated before the gate agents are. It's so foggy that it's difficult to see the ground below the terminal windows, so the situation is obviously out of the agents' hands. To compensate, they've set out several pizzas and bottled water for the waiting passengers. People seem pretty stoked. Might this be a new addition to their customer bill of rights?Hey, that's nice! Good job, JetBlue. More »
tragic
First Autopsy Of Deceased US Airways Passenger Inconclusive
The first autopsy of Carol Ann Gotbaum, the woman who died in a Phoenix airport holding cell after being arrested for causing a disturbance, was inconclusive and a second will be performed. More »
security theater
TSA Confiscates Pudding, Misses Knife
Ah, the dangerous liquids ban. We're all so much safer because of it. More »
videos
Following a hidden camera investigation appearing on Good Morning America, the TSA pledged to screen Phoenix Sky Harbor around the clock. Previously, the airport turned over airport screenings at night to security guards who let anyone with an employee badge walk through without scanning any of their carry-on. The TSA is a joke, but come on, at least keep up appearances.
TSA Will Screen Sky Harbor Airport 24/7, Instead Of Just 19.5/7
PREVIOUSLY: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: Secured for Only 19.5 Hours Per Day
airport security
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport: Secured for Only 19.5 Hours Per Day
Investigative reporters, using hidden camera footage, found that security at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport essentially shuts down for four and half hours a day. During that time, the TSA goes home, and airport security guards take over. Anyone with an employee badge walks through to the secure side of the airport. They could be carrying backpacks, duffel bags, or maybe even a shopping cart. It doesn't get inspected. More »
airport
Phoenix Aiport Uses X-ray Strip Search
An X-ray strip search device is being tested starting today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Passengers selected for secondary screening are given an option of the X-ray, which uses low-dose radiation to see through clothes (with great detail) but not skin, or a pat-down. From CBS4:Men will view male images and women will view female images, but privacy advocates are concerned that those more detailed, embarrassing images will be stored inside the machine and can be viewed at a later time.More »
