Last fall, it was reported that the Transportation Security Administration was moving its controversial backscatter full-body scanners out of busier airports and moving them to smaller ones. Now, the agency says it is getting rid of these scanners altogether. [More]
airports
18 Heads Found In Airport Duffel Bag; May Be Completely Legal
By 1.15.13
There are all sorts of restrictions on things you can carry on to a plane; don’t dare try to bring that bottle of Poland Spring through the checkpoint. But 18 heads in a duffel bag? That might actually be okay, say customs officials. [More]
Don’t Fall For The ‘Buy Puppies From The Airport’ Scam
By 12.7.12
So you’re thinking of getting a dog and then you see an ad using the local airport’s logo, images and letterhead saying you can get a pooch from the airport’s kennels; you just have to pay hundreds of dollars in advance before you pick the puppy up. It might seem like an obvious scam to you, but plenty of people are falling for it. [More]
Airlines Take A Dip In Consumers’ Eyes, Car Rental Companies Make Customers Happy
By 11.12.12
It’s been a rough couple of months for airlines in this country, what with seats coming loose during flights and the rash of cancellations due to Mother Nature and things like contract disputes. All of that is likely part of the reason new numbers measuring the travel industry show that American travelers are feeling pretty fed up with airlines, while car rental companies are appearing a bit shinier in our eyes. [More]
Relief In Sight For Sandy’s Stranded Passengers As JFK & Newark Reopen For Some Flights
By 10.31.12
Call her a hurricane or call her a superstorm, but weather phenomenon Sandy is responsible for either stranding a lot of passengers away from home or keeping them from their destinations elsewhere. There’s some relief in sight after three days of flight cancellations, as two New York-area airports, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty, have reopened for some flights. [More]
Some East Coast Airports Open But Long Waits Likely For Passengers Of 16K Canceled Flights
By 10.30.12
While New York City’s major airports are still shut down for an indefinite amount of time, some airports on the East Coast are starting to send planes out after canceling almost 16,000 flights over the last few days. The bad news? Passengers from those canceled flights are likely going to be stuck for a while longer, as airlines honor tickets for passengers with existing reservations first. [More]
Even If You’re In A Hurry At The Airport It’s Still Not Cool To Fake The Need For A Wheelchair
By 10.5.12
Just the other day I crankily asked a friend why there aren’t strollers for adults (it had been a long day and I just wanted someone to push me around, darn it). Apparently some travelers are all about making that an actual thing, as airport employees say some passengers who don’t need wheelchairs ask for them anyway in order to get through the whole security process faster. Fakers! We call shenanigans. [More]
Men Claim Those Are Not Slender Lorises In Their Pants, They're Just Happy To See Airport Security
By 9.10.12
It must be tricky to be a loris. On one hand, you’re an impossibly cute primate. On the other, people might want to put you down their pants to smuggle you through the airport. Three men were arrested at Indira Ghandi International Airport in Delhi, India for trying to sneak slender lorises from Bangkok to Dubai. Two of the men had the little guys concealed in pouches in their underwear. [More]
Don’t Blame The Coughing Guy Next To You: Study Lists The Airports Most Likely To Spread Germs
By 7.26.12
Some are big, some are small, some are busy and some may be quiet — none of those factors seem to matter much when it comes to how likely an airport is to spread disease. In a new study, researchers checked out the nation’s 40 largest airports to determine where you might want to make extra sure to wash your hands. [More]
Kid Pulls Real ‘Home Alone 2’ Stunt By Flying From UK To Rome All By Himself Sans Ticket
By 7.25.12
Ticket? One 11-year-old didn’t need no stinking ticket, or even a passport for that matter, to fly from Manchester, U.K. to Rome recently. He simply pulled a Home Alone 2 by boarding the flight with another family. Five staff members of Jet2.com who work at the airport have reportedly been suspended as a result of the snafu. [More]
Airport Finds Bag Of Lost Jewels & Just Decides To Sell Them
By 6.20.12
It’s not every day that duchesses go around losing diamond tiaras (at least, not that we know of), so when the Duchess of Argyll lost a bag with the tiara and three other precious jewelry items at the Glasgow Airport, she was a bit distraught. She went for years without the items, until one of them turned up for sale. [More]
U.S. Border Officials Now Screening Some Travelers At Foreign Airports
By 6.14.12
Why wait to get screened to cross the U.S. border at the actual border or even at an airport in America when you can just stretch that security arm across an ocean? The Department of Homeland Security is setting up shop at some foreign airports now, clearing passengers to cross the border before they even get on a plane. [More]
Appear In Ad Demanding Living-Wage Jobs, Lose Yours
By 6.1.12
A longtime skycap for Delta Airlines at Seattle-Tacoma Airport appeared in an ad pushing for living-wage jobs for airport workers. The ad was produced by Working Washington, a coalition pushing for fair wages and benefits, and highlighted the low pay that workers tasked with keeping air travel clean and pleasant receive. Contract workers at that airport receive an average of $9.70 an hour. In a move that we’re sure is entirely coincidental, only three workers weren’t hired by the new contractor when Delta switched to a new one recently. The man who appeared in the ad is one of them. [More]
What Are The Worst Airports In The U.S.?
By 5.2.12
Though La Guardia Airport is by far the least-busy of the three major airports in the NYC area, it managed to put a bad taste into enough travelers’ mouths to end up on the top of a new survey of the worst airports in the nation. [More]
TSA Allows Airports To Hire People Without Finishing Background Check
By 4.26.12
While the TSA dare not let a hug-friendly 4-year-old go by without a pat-down, the agency is apparently just fine with allowing airports to hire new employees who haven’t gone through a complete background check yet. [More]
Four Airports That Were Terrible For Flight Connections In 2011
By 4.5.12
The Holy Grail for many travelers is that winning combination of a great price on a plane ticket and no stopovers. Flying direct can save you the hassle and stress of missing a connection, but sometimes, you can save cold hard cash by booking your trip in legs. And it seems that some airports were better at helping passengers make those flights than others last year. [More]
Would Undercover Agents Prevent Baggage Theft At The Airport?
By 3.28.12
After yesterday’s report that airport and airline staff are allegedly stealing more than 200 bags each day at JFK International, Senator Chuck Schumer has come up with a possible solution: Put undercover FAA agents in the bellies of those jets. [More]
Boston Airport Workers Hospitalized After Bag Emits Strange Odor
By 3.26.12
Just a reminder, folks¬†– don’t pack potentially hazardous materials in your bags when catching a flight. Four workers at Logan International Airport in Boston were sent the hospital when a bag reportedly started emitting a strange odor. [More]
