Absentminded travelers flummoxed by airport security leave 12,000 laptops in airports every single week. Only 30% are ever recovered.
airports
Dear American Airlines Employees: "I Hope That One Day You Find A Good Paying Job With An Employer That Cares About You"
By 6.24.08
AJ writes in to let us know that he too was lied to by American Airlines. They canceled his flight(s) from Pittsburgh to Austin (by way of Dallas). He called the 1-800 number but was met with a CSR who used “bad weather in Dallas” as an excuse, and told him there was no way to get him to Austin on time.
Woman Punches JetBlue Flight Attendant In The Face For Not Letting Her Smoke
By 6.19.08
Once again we remind you not to drink too much at the airport before getting on your flight. We know airports are boring and sad and they make you want to kill the pain with copious amounts of gin. Don’t do it — or you could end up punching a JetBlue flight attendant in the face.
Do You Have Any Naked Pictures Of Your Mother? The TSA Does
By 6.11.08
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…
America's Top 20 Time-Draining Airports
By 6.4.08
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…
By 5.23.08
../../../..//2008/05/23/airlines-arent-just-hiking-fees/
Airlines aren’t just hiking fees to cover fuel costs—they’re also reducing the number of places where they’ll fly. Nearly 30 cities across the country have lost their scheduled service over the last year, making it just a little harder to get to sparsely populated areas. [New York Times]
Will June 29th Be A Big Cluster#@$! For Airlines?
By 5.22.08
Matt writes in to warn us all not to fly on June 29th and 30th if we can help it, because the 29th is when flight plans for all domestic flights have to switch over to the international standard. Matt adds that it’s just his personal opinion, so we’re not sure how worried we should really be (remember the fake-out of the Y2K bug?). But then again, we’re talking about airlines, so at the very least you should pack some extra energy bars if you’re traveling on the day of the switchover.
Do Your Homework Before Going On Vacation Or Customs Will Seize Your Goat
By 5.3.08
Customs seizes 4,300 items each day from unsuspecting travelers, so read up on their regulations before jaunting off on vacation or they’ll seize your tasty goat when you return. Customs regulations aren’t as arbitrary as they seem, but they can’t be deciphered by common sense alone.
By 4.26.08
../../../..//2008/04/26/miami-police-are-having-a/
Miami police are having a fun chat with a 73-year-old guy who drove his Chevy Cobalt onto the main runway at Miami International Airport. For the moment, police do not believe the incident was “terrorism related,” saying, “It’s a possibility that this guy lost his way or was disoriented.” They quickly added, “But until they finish interviewing him, we won’t know for sure.” [The Miami Herald]
TSA Will Allow Women With Nipple Piercings To Fly If They Flash Officials
By 3.30.08
Your nipple piercings are still a threat to national security, but the TSA will let you fly if you “allow a visual inspection of [your] piercings.” The announcement came after TSA officials in Texas forced Mandi Hamlin to remove her nipple piercings with a pair of pliers before allowing her to board her flight. The TSA stopped short of apologizing to Ms. Hamlin, instead saying: “TSA acknowledges that our procedures caused difficulty for the passenger involved and regrets the situation in which she found herself.”
TSA Forces Woman To Remove Nipple Piercings
By 3.28.08
Woman Says TSA Forced Piercings Removal [AP] (Thanks to Benny!)
Delta Canceling 275 Flights Through Friday To Complete Wiring Inspections
By 3.27.08
It’s official—Delta has said they’re canceling a total of 275 flights, or about 3% of their worldwide schedule (we don’t know what the US percentage is), to complete inspections of wiring in 117 planes. To check whether your flight is impacted, visit this page on Delta’s site.
Delta Says It May Cancel More Flights Today Over Inspection Issues
By 3.27.08
Delta will announce sometime today whether or not it will ground more of its planes to perform additional inspections, reports CNN. Yesterday, while American Airlines was grounding 200 of its planes for safety inspections, Delta also canceled an unnamed number of flights.
The Final Word On Rule 240
By 3.23.08
Reader Laura was nearly stranded in Manchester when Continental canceled her flight two days before a major college test. She politely asked to be rebooked; she begged for another flight; when that failed, she invoked Rule 240. Laura’s experience presents the perfect opportunity to clarify once and for all what Rule 240 is and isn’t. First, her story.
What Does A "Clear" Membership Actually Get You At Airport Security?
By 3.20.08
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.
Passengers Watch With Disbelief As Their Allegiant Air Flight Leaves Without Them
By 3.16.08
Over 20 passengers watched in horror as their Allegiant Air flight from Huntsville to Fort Lauderdale took off without them. The passengers had lined up at the gate, tickets in hand, when the plane pushed back. Apparently, the single ticketing agent had struggled to handle everyone on time and didn’t tell the plane to wait. Passengers called the airline once they realized they were stranded as kids shouted, “We want to go to Disney World!”
“So, everybody calls Allegiant Air,” Rigas said. “Three people got hung up on.”
By 3.10.08
../../../..//2008/03/10/a-traveler-reports-that-the/
A traveler reports that the TSA freaked out over his new Macbook Air when he brought it through security. Apparently the guy manning the x-ray was alarmed at the alleged laptop’s lack of a hard-drive and ports on the back. [Engadget]
Sensing A Pattern: United Airlines Planes Clip Wings At Dulles International Airport
By 2.25.08
Pilots need to pay attention when they’re taxiing around the airport. Just a week after two US Airways planes clipped wings at Reagan Airport, two United Airlines planes decided to snuggle up at Dulles International Airport.
