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Cell Phone Dispute Boots “Unruly Passenger” from Flight

March 11, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,Passengers | 14 comments

cell phone unruly passenger flight

Sheer stupidity.

Police responded to reports of an “unruly passenger” aboard American Airlines Flight 683 yesterday, as it sat at the gate in Miami.

It seems one of the Dominican Republic-bound passengers would not turn off his cell phone. I think by now we all know that a crew member’s word is law on a plane, but not this individual – who also reportedly “traded words” with a crew member – another no-no.

What I thought interesting is that, according to news reports, after the fellow was kicked off the plane (and met by Miami-Dade’s finest) he was questioned and released. No charges were filed. And yet, his behavior delayed and inconvenienced a plane-load of people.

American spokesman Tim Smith wouldn’t comment on the law enforcement angle, or on what if anything American is going to do (they can ban passengers for a period of time up to and including “life”); Smith did note, however, that “We just know it is always better, and safer, to deal with such a problem on the ground rather than in-flight.”

I agree. But should Cell Phone Man have received further punishment? Or was getting kicked off his flight a fair exchange?

Keep Taking Your Shoes Off at Security – For Now, Anyway

March 10, 2010 | Posted in: Passengers,Security | 0 comments

shoes security

Darn. They’ve been teasing us for almost two years now, telling us about tests underway that could mean we get to keep our Jimmy Choo’s on – or your sneakers.

But it never quite happens.

And Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano threw more cold water on the idea of staying shod in the security line during an online chat with travelers Tuesday. She said current technology just isn’t good enough to allow screeners to see what might be in our shoes, while we’re wearing them.

My advice? Lace-less shoes – you know, something you can get-in-and-out-of quickly and easily.  

Ryanair Strands Passengers on Wrong Island, Wrong Airport

March 10, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,Passengers,Storms,Weather | 0 comments

ryanair wrong airport

This happened earlier this year, but has just now come to my attention:

Ryanair was flying vacationers to the Canary Islands – well, one Canary Island in particular – when a bad storm rolled in, so the plane diverted to another island. Then – it left. Stranding all 120 passengers.

One family had to fork over almost $600 for the hotel (apparently, lodgings are pretty pricey there), plus there was the cost of the ferry to get to the correct island.

Now, it’s true that if something like this occurs due to weather, the airline is not responsible for picking up the tab under European Union rules, but other airlines that ran into similar difficulty that day managed to put up their passengers.

What really burnt the toast of so many Ryanair passengers, though, was that there were no Ryanair personnel in sight at this strange airport, so there was no one to give them any sort of guidance at all.

Ryanair insists the passengers were given some sort of information on their options, but the passengers vehemently deny this. Well, as AirlineReporter blogger David Parker Brown says, flying on Ryanair is always a gamble, and adds, “The old saying ‘you get what you pay for,’ is quite accurate with Ryanair.”

Women in UK Refuse Body Scanning, are Denied Boarding

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: DOT,Passengers,Security | 3 comments

UK body scan

Two women at the airport in Manchester, England declined to undergo the full body scan – you know, the somewhat controversial security imaging machine – with the result that neither one was allowed to fly.

According to reports, one refused on religious grounds, the other “cited health grounds.”

In the U.S., you have the right to refuse the body scan – although if you do, you will be subjected to a full pat-down.  

A Solution to “Too Fat to Fly” Controversy: “Demo” Seats

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,Ask Rick,Passengers | 0 comments

too fat to fly seats

As I see it, the whole problem with this “too fat to fly” controversy is that it’s so subjective: sometimes an airline will allow a “passenger of size” fly without having to buy a second seat, and, sometimes that same airline will tell that same passenger that that he must buy two seats.

So a large passenger is left with two not-so-hot choices: 

A.) You can gamble that your airline will allow you to fly in a single seat 

  • Drawback: Possible public humiliation, added expense, and getting home late. Director Kevin Smith was allowed to board, but once seated was  ordered off the flight in front of a  planeload of people– and had to spend the money for an additional seat on a later flight

B.) You can proactively purchase two seats

  • Drawback: You’re spending extra money that might not be necessary, since who knows if the airline would flag you as “too fat to fly”

There is simply no way to be sure what will happen. But here’s an idea – and I can’t take credit for it, it comes from a reader of Slate: demo seats.

I am not being facetious, this really could work – after all, it’s the same principle behind sizing carryon bags, so keep reading…

A Solution to “Too Fat to Fly” Controversy: “Demo” Seats

Larry King Survives Airport Security, is Surprised at Changes

March 5, 2010 | Posted in: Passengers,Security | 4 comments

CNN talk show host Larry King supposedly hasn’t flown commercial in a decade – opting for private jets instead – but for some reason, he flew commercial earlier this week to D.C. to host a charity event, and – seemed somewhat shocked at the changes in security.

With apologies to Mr. King, we decided to turn the incident into a “Larry King Live” conversation as imagined by my editor, with an asterisk (*) denoting King’s actual comments, as reported by the Washington Examiner.

Larry King: “Artie in Peoria, hello!”

Artie: “Hi, Larry. Heard you had quite the time with security at the airport. You okay?”

King: “I don’t know, my friend. They made me take off my shoes. Unbelievable.” [King was reported to be "miffed" about this]

Artie: “Well, there was this guy…”

King: “And another thing – I set off an alarm.”

Artie: “Your suspenders, maybe?”

King: “So when you fail the test, which is what I did, I failed the security test, they had to give me the complete body search.”*

Artie: “Been there.”

King: “So I had to stand there with arms [out] and they are talking with me at the same time, ‘loved the show last night, turn over your belt,’ and then they grab you by the privates.”*

Artie: “Ouch.”

King: “They examined me pretty good.”*

*Statements by King as reported in the Washington Examiner.

Attn. World: Come Visit the U.S. (Travel Promotion Act Signed)

March 4, 2010 | Posted in: Destinations,Passengers,Travel Tips | 0 comments

visit u.s. travel promotion

The President signed the U.S. Travel Promotion Act into law today, which is designed to attract more international visitors to the U.S.

The nation hasn’t been doing so well on that score lately; in fact, over the past decade, the number of foreign tourists declined by 2.4 million since 2000. And, according to the U.S. Travel Association (a big proponent of the newly-signed act), this has cost our economy about $509 billion in total spending. Not good.

Anyway, the Travel Promotion Act will, well, promote the U.S. as a wonderful destination; it will also explain changing security policies to visitors, which can only be helpful.

Another thing visitors will learn is, if they come from a nation that does not require a visa to enter the U.S. – in other words, if they must participate in ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization – they will (at some point) pay a $10 fee to help cover the costs of promoting their presence.

Let me just say – please come. We’d love to see you.

Huge Waves Kill Two on Mediterranean Cruise Ship

March 3, 2010 | Posted in: Europe,News,Passengers,Weather | 0 comments

cruise ship waves kill mediterranean

Two passengers aboard the Louis Cruise Lines ship, the Louis Majesty, were killed today after three “abnormally high” waves hit the ship. The ship was traveling from Barcelona to Genoa.

The dead have been identified as a German and an Italian. We understand a half dozen other passengers have been injured.

The “rogue waves” that hit the ship were said to be as much as 26-feet high; they smashed through glass windshields in the forward section. Must have been incredibly scary.

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