Yesterday, Reuters reported that Congress voted to repeal the Wright Amendment which limits flights from Dallas Love Field. Assuming the President signs it into law…and he has no reason not to, the first benefits will be available as soon as the airlines update their reservations systems…through ticketing out of Love Field. Through-ticketing will allow...
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Life Has No Complimentary Baggage Allowance
Monthly Archives: September 2006
Congress approves amendment to Wright Amendment
Flights to the US Might Be Halted
Reuters reported today that transatlantic air travel could be halted if European and U.S. Officials fail to replace a deal on sharing passenger information. The current deal is set to expire, and needs to be replaced by tomorrow. The United States will deny landing authorization to airlines that refuse to send that data. Without...
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And You Thought You Couldn’t Fly Anywhere with your Frequent Flyer Miles
USAToday reports that a British businessman, Alan Watts, has traded in millions of frequent flyer miles on Virgin Atlantic to travel on the world’s first commercial flight into space with Virgin Galactic, scheduled to launch service in 2009. Test flights are planned for later this year. The Flights will cost $200,000 and require three...
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Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment
We commented on the Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment in a post not long ago. The Travel Security blog had some interesting things to add in their post on the subject earlier this week. The most important thing the article they referenced had to say is this: “Our concern is that...
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Flight Restrictions at Washington National and New York LaGuardia Airports
The Crankyflier, one of the blogs we check in on regularly, had this great article with visuals on the perimeter rules at National Airport and LaGuardia Airport. These are the only two airports with perimeter regulations, limiting the distance a flight can travel to/from there. Love Field, which has its Wright Amendment, is not...
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Ryanair Continues to De-Frill their Aircraft
Ryanair reported earlier this week in a press release that they have signed an exclusive five year deal with InviseoMedia to install seatback advertising across their entire fleet of 737s. This advertising will take the form of the “Inviseo Table,” a custom-made airline tray table with an advertising panel for printed advertisements. In the...
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Free Speech Ends at the TSA Checkpoint
In addition to issues of liquid and gel bans, free speech apparently ends at the security checkpoint. As Upgradetravel reports, an individual seeking to make a statement wrote an inflammatory statement, “Kip Hawley is an idiot” on his clear plastic ziploc bag that he placed his toiletries in. The statement led to questioning by...
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UK Soon to Follow US in Travel-Sized Liquids…is World Far Behind?
Upgradetravel reported in a post that according to the British press, the UK is poised to follow the US in allowing travel-sized toiletries to be brought through security…just proving that where the US goes, the world will follow. These regulations would limit containers to less than 100ml, carried in a transparent bag and presented...
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Mass Transit to the Airport
Mass transit to airports is a hot-button issue, removing congestion from airport roads, as USAToday reminded us in their article yesterday. The most basic element of this has passengers taking a shuttle bus or train from the airport terminal to the nearest mass transit stop. Airports around the country have invested large amounts of...
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Panasonic May Relaunch Connexion
We reported not long ago on the shutdown of Boeing Connexion, Boeing’s in-flight internet service, and further mentioned Aircell and LiveTV’s bidding on Verizon Airfone’s vacated bandwidth to work on implementations of their own. As WiFiNetNews reported on September 19th, Panasonic Avionics Corporation, may step in, using Boeing’s general approach to allow airlines who...
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Airline Pricing
Another blogger, Tom Kyte, commented on his blog recently that he will never understand airline pricing. We can honestly say we don’t either. But we can shed some light on it to some degree. It is consistent in some ways, but ultimately inconsistent. Ralph Hood, an AirportBusiness columnist, commented that he was shocked that...
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Airports Trying to Boost Reputation
As USAToday reports as part of its Airport: Special Report, under a three year old program…Daytona Beach spends between three hundred and four hundred dollars a month for envelopes and postage to mail items confiscated by the TSA back to their owners. Other programs involve complementary clear plastic bags. Dallas-Fort Worth Airport recently launched...
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Airport: Special Report
We follow USAToday regularly, as they tend to cover airline issues daily. Today, for example, they had an Airport: Special Report we recommend you have a look it. We’ve linked to the various articles of interest below on the airport experience. In U.S. Airports by the Numbers, Dan Reed reports on intriguing airport numbers…For...
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Reponses to New Liquid Rules
In a press release earlier today, Walmart announced that starting tomorrow, they will provide quart-sized Ziploc storage bags to passengers throughout the week at USAirways check-in counters in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Boston, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Charlotte. We tend to admire companies who find simple and nice ways to help the...
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Frugal Travel Tips
We got these tips for travelling for less from SeekingAlpha and thought them worthy of comment. Eat the local food – Now this applies more to international travel..but for domestic travellers wishing to save money…try getting a hotel room with a kitchen, or at least a microwave and a fridge. You can buy food...
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The Right to Bear Arms Never Covered This
On several occasions in the past, we’ve referenced Schneier on Security, Bruce Schneier’s blog. In a recent post, Schneier referred to an interesting social engineering hack to ensure extra care is given to your expensive electronic equipment. One person puts a starter pistol into all of his expensive camera cases. A starter pistol is...
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Be Our Guest
We are always looking for new blogs to link to for new perspectives and thoughts on travel. We recently discovered Churn, which periodically posts interesting airline industry news. We noticed this post from last week. Apparently, Etihad Airways, does not refer to passengers…they refer to the travelling public as guests. We like that concept....
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Registered Traveller Fee
We reported in a post last month, on a Registered Travel Program. USAToday reported yesterday that the TSA has reversed its plan to charge $100 a year per passenger to use the Registered security lines. Their portion will now be only $30. Travellers would have to pay $80 or more to the companies that...
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Competition for China Route
American, Continental, Northwest, and United Airlines submitted briefs today to the U.S. Department of Transportation as part of their bid for the one China route to be awarded this year. The DOT, charged with choosing the best route to serve the public interest, has to decide which of the four cities: Dallas-Fort Worth, Newark,...
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Airports Try to Make a Profit Through Non-Aviation Sources
USAToday reported on Houston Intercontinental Airport’s effort to increase non-aviation revenue by cutting and bailing grass on airport land and selling it as hay to cattle ranchers. Sales generated $30,000 and the airport will be sowing 2,000 acres of a more popular grass later this year. Airports across the US are investing this way....
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Blame the Airline – Why Don’t You?
The Daily Telegraph reports that last weekend, supermodel Naomi Campbell, already infamous for her temper tantrums around the world, was heard to say, “I am never flying Qantas again,” after her arrival in Sydney. There is no evidence that the airline mistreated her or did anything improper. In fact, from Miss Campbell’s track record,...
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Security Restrictions Eased
On Friday, the United Kingdom relaxed their restrictive baggage rules that limited the size of carry-on luggage. The new policy brings them back in line with the standard policy, a standard-sized roller bag. The dimensions as per the BAA Hearthrow website are 56cm by 45cm by 25cm(9.85 by 17.85 by 22 inches). Musical instruments...
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cFares
A travel company to have a look at is cFares, which offers some services that are rather unique to the online travel market. We found a review of it on GigaOM. We have in the past commented about our issues with online travel agents because we believe that there is a lack of good...
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Scare at BWI
TSA Screeners at Baltimore-Washington International Airport discovered a gun in a carry-on bag Friday morning. While officials held onto the carryon, the owner continued through the checkpoint and disappeared. He could not be located. Concourses A and B were closed for ninety minutes and all passengers were required to be rescreened. It makes us...
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The Replacement for the 737
Reuters reported the other day that aircraft manufacturer Boeing is weighing options for replacing the best-selling 737. Seating on the 737 is anywhere from 110 to 220 seats and is the most popular commercial plane ever. More than 5000 have been produced in the last forty years. Boeing is studying how to meet expectations...
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