I didn’t really take the idea of car emergency kits seriously until I bought a neighbor’s old car, and discovered the wealth of supplies for various emergencies that he had left in the trunk and console. Gloves for changing the tire? Check. Can of Fix-A-Flat for Urgent tire emergencies? Check. Disposable camera in case of an accident? Check. (This was before camera phones were popular.) What else should emergency kits for the discerning and slightly paranoid motorist contain? [More]
travel
Officials: Spirit Airlines Flight Returned To Airport After Takeoff Due To Bomb Threat Onboard
By 11.20.15
UPDATE: The Broward County Sheriff’s Office is now calling the incident a misunderstanding by a passenger who overheard a phone conversation. [More]
If Your Passport Is Full, Request Those Extra Pages Now: State Dept. Eliminating Page Inserts Jan. 1
By 11.19.15
Are you one of those jetsetters who revels in the feel of your overstuffed passport, brimming with extra pages you’ve added that are stamped with all the far-flung destinations you’ve visited? If you’re a U.S. citizen and and don’t have any more room in that thing, you’ll have to get a new passport, because the government isn’t going to sell extra page inserts anymore in the new year. [More]
Workers At Seven U.S. Airports Set To Strike Wednesday Night
By 11.18.15
Travelers at seven of the country’s busiest airports may experience delays or other issues tomorrow as thousands of airport workers plan to strike Wednesday night protesting poor working conditions and threats related to their efforts to unionize. [More]
Authorities Clear Two Paris-Bound Air France Flights Diverted Over Anonymous Threats
By 11.18.15
Two Air France flights bound for Paris from the U.S. that received anonymous threats phoned in while they were in the air have been cleared by authorities and declared safe. [More]
Jury Awards $21.5M To Cruise Passenger Struck In The Head By Ship’s Sliding-Glass Doors
By 11.11.15
While automatic doors can be very useful — especially on a cruise ship where maybe you don’t want to go around touching too many door handles — they’re not only useless when they don’t work right, but they can hurt: a federal jury has ordered cruise line Holland America to fork over $21.5 million in damages to an Illinois man who suffered a minor brain injury when he was struck in the head by a ship’s sliding-glass door. [More]
Report: Airbnb Gearing Up To Offer Prepaid “Experience” Credit Card For International Travelers
By 11.11.15
Traveling to a foreign country can be expensive: flights, lodging, and fees associated with currency exchanges. Airbnb is reportedly attempting to make the experience a little less costly for its customers by piloting a program that offers lodgers a prepaid reward credit card to use on their trip. [More]
DOJ Sues To Stop United And Delta From Swapping Slots At NYC-Area Airports
By 11.10.15
When two major companies decide to get along, it’s not quite so simple as exchanging friendship bracelets — each side usually sees some benefit. For example, airlines United and Delta want to get friendly, so they’ve agreed to swap slots at two New York City-area airports. One hitch, however, is that the United States Department of Justice isn’t a fan of the plan. [More]
Survey Says: Seat Kickers Are The Most Annoying Of All The Annoying Airline Passengers
By 11.10.15
As long as airlines continue to squeeze more seats on planes with less room per passenger, and as long as there are people out there who believe everyone in the cabin wants to smell their tuna fish sandwich, air travel is going to be annoying. Someone has to be the most annoying of all however, and according to a new survey, that person could be sitting behind you on your next flight. [More]
More Than 25M Travelers Expected To Hit The Skies This Thanksgiving
By 11.5.15
If you’re planning to fly the friendly skies in order to visit family and friends this upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, you’ll have plenty of company in the form of nearly 25.3 million other travelers. [More]
American Airlines Flight Diverted After Passenger Allegedly Made “Alarming Statements,” Refused To Sit
By 10.30.15
Every day, millions of people manage to board airplanes, sit quietly for the duration of the flight and make it to their destination with relative ease. We don’t usually hear about those folks, however. Instead, unruly, disruptive passengers — whether they act that way on purpose or not — are the ones who keep making it into our news cycle. To wit: an American Airlines flight had to be diverted recently when a passenger allegedly made “alarming statements” and refused to take his seat. [More]
Police: United Airlines Passenger Walked Onto Plane, Claimed He Had A Bomb In His Bag
By 10.29.15
Whether you’re lying or telling the truth, the thing about saying you have a bomb in your bag on an airplane is you’ll get in trouble either way: a Massachusetts man has a court date this morning after walking onto a United Airlines flight last night out of Boston and allegedly announcing that he was carrying an explosive device. [More]
Feds Once Again Increase Scrutiny Of Allegiant Airlines After Repairs For Unsecured Bolts
By 10.28.15
When an Allegiant Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Peoria was speeding down the runway and the nose lifted too soon, pilots aborted the takeoff. That August incident – in which a bolt was found to be insecure – led the budget carrier to inspect all of its aircraft. While the company deemed its planes were in working order, a new report suggests that might not be the case. [More]
New Rule Bans E-Cigarettes From Checked Baggage
By 10.27.15
After more than 26 incidents in six years in which e-cigarettes have caused fires or explosions on planes, a new federal rule is set to go into effect banning the devices from being left in checked baggage. [More]
United Airlines Apologizes To Disabled Passenger Who Crawled Off Flight
By 10.26.15
United Airlines has issued an apology to a disabled passenger who ended up crawling off the plane after he was told he’d have to wait another 15 to 20 minutes for a wheelchair, on top of the 15 minutes he waited for the other passengers to deplane and 15 minutes he’d already spent expecting his wheels. [More]
Flight Diversions For Unruly Passengers Can Cost Airlines A Hefty Chunk Of Change
By 10.22.15
As we were reminded just yesterday, unruly, aggressive passengers leading to plane diversions has become an unwelcome trend in the air. While those situations are no doubt scary and disruptive for fellow travelers and crew members, they’re also costly. [More]
Expedia Launches “Upgrade Options” Tool To Show Airlines’ Hidden Fees
By 10.20.15
While most consumers know that airlines tack on fees for checked baggage, more leg room, and reservation changes, among other things, it can be difficult to gauge how much those “extras” will add up to when booking your trip on a third-party site. In an effort to be more upfront with customers, Expedia says it will now disclose airline fees right on its website. [More]
United Names Interim CEO While Oscar Munoz Recovers From Heart Attack
By 10.20.15
For the second time in just over two months, the United Airlines board of directors has announced a new leader as its recently appointed CEO, Oscar Munoz recovers from a heart attack. [More]
