Travelated» Travel News

The Future of Airport Security

Alex — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:16:31 +0000

The recent attempted attack on an airplane has once again stirred the pot of airport security, and this time there are some funky ideas floating around.

As the discussion of how to best secure our airports heats up, there are plenty of people throwing out ideas for how to keep travelers safe. Some of the ideas involve tactics that sound like science fiction such as mind reading, advanced lie detection, and three dimensional body scanning. There are more traditional ideas in the mix as well, such as randomizing screening methods, or more intense one-on-one screenings.

It is unclear which proposals will stick in the long run and be added to our security routines, but the ideas are certainly fascinating to read about. Check out this AP article for a more in depth look at some of the security proposals that are currently being considered.

New Limit on Tarmac Delays

Alex — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:24:47 +0000

We have all heard the travel horror stories of planes being stranded on the tarmac for hours and hours. You can imagine just how terrible it would be to get stuck in such a situation, cramped into an airplane on the runway with no way out.

Today the government has taken action in attempt to prevent these situations from happening anymore. The Obama administration had imposed a three hour limit for airplane tarmac delays.

Under the new regulations, airlines operating domestic flights will be able only to keep passengers on board for three hours before they must be allowed to disembark a delayed flight. The regulation provides exceptions only for safety or security or if air traffic control advises the pilot in command that returning to the terminal would disrupt airport operations.

In addition to the disembarking regulations, airlines must also provide food and water to any passengers stranded for two hours or longer, and working lavatories must also be available.

The regulations will go into effect in 120 days.

Read the full AP article here.

The Decade in Travel

Alex — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:04:59 +0000

The first decade of the 21st century was tumultuous for the travel industry. Terrorist attacks at the beginning of the decade and internet technology that has evolved throughout the decade are undeniably the biggest factors in the changes of the travel industry worldwide.

Terrorist plots have radically changed airport security measures. Now, every checked bag is examined, liquids are not allowed on planes, and passengers must remove their shoes to pass security check points. This was not the case just ten years ago. Over the course of the decade though, travelers have just gotten used to these measures. It would be nearly unthinkable for any traveler to show up at the airport ten minutes before departure with a bottle of water in hand.

The internet has played just as significant a role in the evolution of the travel industry as the terror attacks did, but in a different way. Travel booking sites such as Orbitz.com and Travelocity allow travelers to book flights, hotels, and rental cars online. Travel review sites such as TripAdvisor.com allow travelers to read reviews of hotels to make sure they don’t get stuck somewhere they don’t want to be. The internet has truly empowered travelers in great ways over the last ten years.

Travel has changed in many other significant ways as well. To get a more in depth take on this topic, read the AP story at yahoo news.

2009 Best Travel Awards

Alex — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:39:49 +0000

The 2009 Conde Nast Treveler Readers’ Choice Awards have been unveiled, and many of the results are not surprising. The winners are comprised largely of winners from past years. Highlights from this year’s list are below.

Best US City	San Francisco, CA
Best US Hotel	21C Museum Hotel, Louisville
Best Car Rental Company	Hertz
Best Domestic Airline	Virgin America

These results are based on polling of Conde Nast Treveler Magazine. Complete results can be found here.

Hotel Rates Going Down (but Airfares Are On The Rise)

Mike — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:55:35 +0000

The good news is that hotel rates are expected to go down in 2010. The bad news, on the other hand, is that airfare is expected to be on the rise during the same time period.

Hotel rates are expected to fall by 1%-4% for mid-range rates, and 3%-6% for upper-range rates. According to the provided article, the hotels are being forced to cut rates to try and draw customers back into the travel fold.

Demand for air travel is expected to rise in 2010 and the airline industry is looking to capitalize. They are able to take advantage when demand improves because they were able to cut flights during the recession period. According to American Express Business Travel, overall airfare prices will increase by up to 5% for short, economy flights, and 1%-6% for longer, business class flights.

Source: MSNBC

Airlines Making A ‘Killing’ Off Of Fees

Mike — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:01:09 +0000

Even though the number of people flying is down, the revenue of U.S. airlines is going up. During the first six months of 2009, the U.S. airlines have collected $3.8 billion (with a ‘B’) for fees and surcharges such as, pet carrying fees, cancellation fees, baggage check fees, etc. Checked baggage fees are doing especially well for the airlines. Revenue from baggage fees alone was $1.24 billion dollars. The supposed reason for the increase in fees, or addition of new fees, is to offset the current downturn in air travel since 9/11/01. I would not expect the fees to go away, even if air travel picks back up in the future. The airlines are making too much money off of these fees to quit charging them, even if business does pick up. But it seems to reason, that if ticket revenue increased, and the fees were meant to offset the previously low ticket revenue, the fees should drop off. Perhaps that is just too logical for the airlines to pick up on that.

Source: www.usatoday.com

In-Flight Internet Access is Quickly Expanding

Alex — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:56:29 +0000

For busy business travelers, time spent in the air can be a waste. Stuck 30,000 feet above ground in a communication blackout is not ideal considering the old adage “time is money”. That may be changing soon however, since most airlines in the continental United States are testing and rolling out in-flight internet access.

Many major airlines in the US, including American Airlines, Airtran, JetBlue, and Southwest just to name a few, are either quickly rolling out the service, or starting to test the service on a limited number of planes. Airline industry experts seem to agree that offering internet access during flights could be a win-win situation for passengers and airlines.

For passengers, high speed internet access would allow email checking, video streaming, and everything the internet offers. This would allow business travelers to do work, and leisure travelers to relax with streaming music or internet surfing.

For airlines, high speed internet offers a new stream of potential income in a tough economic time. Fees are expected to be around $10 for internet access during a single flight. If widely adopted, high speed internet could make a significant impact on struggling airlines’ profits.

Source: CNN.com

Passenger Bill of Rights to Limit Time on Tarmac

Alex — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:09 +0000

New legislation being debated in the US Senate seeks to limit the amount of time that passengers are forced to wait in cramped planes on a tramac waiting to take off. The bill is being referred to as a “passenger’s bill of rights,” and one provision in the bill would allow passengers to have the option to leave their planes after three hours of being stuck in a take-off queue.

Most travelers have heard the horror stories of planes sitting on runways for six hours or more waiting to take off. This can be unbelievably uncomfortable, not to mention all of the connecting flights that will be missed when flights are delayed this long. Needless to say, advocates of the flying public are pushing hard for new laws to prevent this from happening in the future.

Stiff resistance from airline lobbies exists to this legislation, so there is sure to be a long fight before anything comes to a vote or gets signed by the president.

Source: Associate Press

Unruly Passengers Face Harsher Punishment

Mike — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:56:16 +0000

Next time you fly, you can feel safer knowing that the punishment for unruly passengers is becoming more and more severe. The FAA reports an average of 80 unruly passenger aircraft incidents annually, with a total of over 900 over the past five years. These number don’t even reflect the all of the incidents, only the major ones. Many more less severe confrontations take place over delays, missing baggage, etc.

Confrontations can happen in many ways:

the most popular confrontation occurs when the flight attendant refuses to serve an already intoxicated passenger another beverage
failing to comply with airline policies, such as staying seated when the seat-belt light is on or turning off personal electronics when the plane is taking off or landing
fewer meals, snacks, and drinks, smaller seating space, more delays, more fees, and less fresh oxygen on board the aircraft are also triggers for confrontation

Interfering with a crew member can result in a civil penalty fine of up to $25,000. If criminal laws are also broken, the fine will be higher and jail time will most certainly be involved.

Source: www.cnn.com

No More Lemons for Southwest Airlines

Alex — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:48:06 +0000

Southwest is finding creative ways to cut costs in the current difficult economic environment that airlines are currently operating in.

Earlier this week, Southwest announced that it will no longer offer lemons with the beverages served on flights. They expect this move to save the airline approximately $100,000 per year.

Limes will still be offered.

Southwest remains as one of the minority of airlines not charging for checked bags. I think most passengers will sacrifice their lemon wedges in order to save $20 checking a bag. Another smart move by Southwest Airlines.

Source: USA Today