Welcome | SIGN OUT
Find a Flight
  1. Click to reset this suggestion
    Click to reset this suggestion
    Click to view the calendar
    Click to view the calendar
0 sites selected
Hint:Pick3
Please select at least 3 sites above to compare

If you search more sites, you might find better deals

Ok, I will pick moreNo thanks

About Rick Seaney, CEO FareCompare

Rick Seaney

Rick Seaney, co-founder of FareCompare.com - is a world-class air travel expert.

FareCompare.com presides over a kingdom of sophisticated software that searches out fares and destinations at a billion combinations per query - while keeping track of 500 airlines serving more than 270,000 markets around the globe.

And all of Rick's data is updated continuously - in real-time.

No wonder he's the media's go-to guy for all things air travel. He's got the answers. And he loves to share his knowledge.

That's why Rick and the team created FareCompare.com - to help everyone become an air travel expert, and get the best deals first -- every time they fly.

Subscribe to Rick's Daily Note

* indicates required field

Quick links

Facebook Connect

Login using Facebook:

Guns & Airports: Know TSA Security Rules (Football Star Didn’t)

April 2, 2010 | Posted in: Airfare News,Security,Sports,Travel Safety | 2 comments

guns airport tsa security

Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shaun Rogers told police he “forgot” he had a loaded .45-caliber handgun in his carryon bag – kind of an “oops!” moment, I guess you could say – but TSA security takes a dim view of such things, and he was arrested anyway.

According to WTTG, no charges have been filed yet.

Mr. Rogers could have easily avoided this situation, if only he’d read the TSA’s detailed list of prohibited items. 

So what to avoid when packing for your next trip?

Glad you asked. The following are items that cannot go in a carryon bag – but are allowed in a checked-bag:

  • box cutters
  • ice picks
  • knives
  • meat cleavers
  • swords
  • scissors (with blades longer than four inches)

Note that these items must be “sheathed or securely wrapped”.

And, yes, you can travel with a gun – but only in a checked-bag, and only if it is unloaded, and only if it is in a hard-sided case, and only if you declare it at the ticket counter.

Share|

Airline Passengers: Our Unsung Security Heroes

March 31, 2010 | Posted in: Airfare News,Airline News,Passengers,Security,Travel Safety,United | 3 comments

passenger airline security heroes

This “heroism” idea occurred to me after reading yet another tale of a passenger creating a disturbance aboard a plane.

In this case, a United Airlines flight was heading from San Francisco to Washington Monday – until the captain detoured to Omaha after a woman allegedly screaming about terrorists pushed her way to the front of the plane.

She was quickly subdued by two passengers.

Everything changed for travelers after 9/11 – passivity, it seems, is no longer an option for many who bravely act as a sort of “last line of defense” for their aircraft’s security – and their own – without being asked, without any drama, and without any expectation of thanks.

We saw it with the alleged Christmas Day bombing attempt when a handful of passengers literally helped to save the day – we saw it on this week’s United flight – and I’m sure we’ll see it again and again.

In the meantime, to all those selfless passengers – thank you.

Share|

New TSA Nominee Out; Favored Israeli Airport Security Model

March 27, 2010 | Posted in: Airfare News,DOT,Security,Travel Safety,Travel Tips | 9 comments

TSA Israel airport security

The president’s second nominee for the head of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) suddenly withdrew his nomination last night – because of questions about his background as a defense contractor.

The retired army major general, Robert Harding, said in a statement that questions about his past work as a defense contractor – including concerns about finances regarding one government contract – would be a distraction. The first nominee for the post withdrew early this year after acknowledging he gave inconsistent answers to questions about his work with the Los Angeles police.

Now, it’s back to square one – which I know will disappoint some of my readers, who liked nominee Harding’s ideas on moving closer to the “Israeli model” for airline and airport security.

Share|

New TSA Nominee Says, Use “Israeli Model” for Airport Security

March 24, 2010 | Posted in: DOT,Security,Travel Safety | 15 comments

tsa israel airport security

Retired Army major general Robert Harding – the president’s choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – says he’d like American airport security to be more like Israel’s.

As reported in CNN, he what he means is, “More engagement with passengers.”

Harding said he’d like to see to it that the training of the 48,000 TSA screeners – which already includes “engagement” or talking to passengers, goes further, adding “I think you would see a change very fast.”

Here’s how CNN describes it: “The Israeli system, marked by its aggressive questioning of passengers, is praised by many security experts as one of the most secure in the world. But it also is criticized by some rights and privacy advocates because Israeli officials profile passengers, ask intrusive questions and sometimes prevent people from flying.”

I’d like to hear your take on this. Is it the way to go, or no?

Share|

So You Haven’t Flown in Awhile – What to Expect at the Airport

March 23, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,Delays,Security,Tips and Tricks | 0 comments

flown airport

The airports are hoping for more fliers this summer – at least more compared to the doldrums of last year – and if you’ll be joining the anticipated crowds, you’ll notice some changes (as USA Today did).

Some of you might feel the need for a refresher course in airline and security procedures. And naturally, I’m here to help.

Haven’t flown since Christmas? Since 2007? Since 9/11? I’ve got you covered – with the basics - so please keep reading…

So You Haven’t Flown in Awhile – What to Expect at the Airport

Share|

Complaints about TSA Bag Theft Way Down

March 18, 2010 | Posted in: DOT,Security | 10 comments

tsa bag theft

Complaints that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items in passengers’ bags are way down, according to USA Today.

In 2004, there were 26,500 such claims – but last year the figure dropped below 12,000.

I’m sure that makes the folks over at the TSA blog feel a little better, since they hear a lot of complaints about missing stuff.

So many, in fact, that one blog commenter actually started feeling sorry for the TSO’s (Transportation Security Officers):

“I know I wouldn’t last a day as a TSO without strangling somebody. There are some rude people out there. How about we all work on being a little more civil and polite out there?” – comment on TSA Blog

In the meantime, kudos to the TSA at least for moving in the right direction.

Share|

Blast from the Past: Man Admits Hijacking Plane 41 Years Ago

March 18, 2010 | Posted in: Airline News,News,Security,Travel Safety | 0 comments

hijacking plane

About time. 67-year old Luis Armando Pena Soltren appeared in a Manhattan court today to plead guilty to hijacking a Pan Am plane heading to Puerto Rico back in November of 1968.

According to reporters present, he admitted holding a knife to a flight attendant’s throat. At least one of his fellow hijackers had a gun.

At the direction of the hijackers, the pilot flew the plane to Cuba – the then fashionable destination of the day.

In fact, the frequency of hijackings to Cuba and elsewhere is why airports began using metal detectors. In 1968 and 1969 alone, there were 120 hijackings around the world; U.S. airports began installing metal detectors in 1973.  

Anyway, this fellow returned from Cuba voluntarily, apparently, hoping for leniency, or at least a sentence below the guidelines that call for roughly 22 to 30 years. Perhaps he should have returned before 9/11. Sentencing is set for June.

I’ve got some questions:

Why did he want to go to Cuba? How was he treated there? Why come back now? And most of all – was it worth it, Mr. Pena Soltren?

Share|

Two Words: Why TSA Security Doesn’t Focus on “Profiling”

March 12, 2010 | Posted in: DOT,News,Security,Travel Safety | 10 comments

security profiling jihad jane

I know that the Transportation Security Administration – especially the TSA’s blog – gets plenty of comments from people who are outraged that airport security doesn’t do more “profiling”. Here is one of those comments:

“The reason why the blue-eyed great-grandmother from Minneapolis is given a hard time while four young Middle-Eastern men sail through, is not because of her knitting needles (“She might knift an Afghan!” *rimshot*). It’s because the government is terrified of ‘racial profiling’.” –comment left on TSA Blog, 5-2-09

So what are the two words referred to in the title of this post? Jihad Jane.

As numerous news organizations pointed out this week, the woman who allegedly called herself “Jihad Jane” – and who is due in federal court next week to be arraigned on terrorism-related charges – is a middle-aged, blue-eyed blond from the suburbs.

Share|
Page 2 of 20123451020...Last »
  1. Atlanta
  2. Boston
  3. Charlotte
  4. Chicago
  5. Dallas-Fort Worth
  6. Denver
  7. Dubai
  8. Hong Kong
  9. Honolulu
  10. Las Vegas
  11. London
  12. Los Angeles
  13. Manila
  14. Miami
  15. New York
  16. Orlando
  17. Philadelphia
  18. San Francisco
  19. Seattle
  20. Seoul
  21. Singapore
  22. Tokyo
  23. Toronto
  24. Vancouver
  25. Washington
  1. About FareCompare
  2. Customer Service
  3. Contact Us
  4. Flight Deals
  5. Media Inquiries
  6. Privacy Policy
  7. Terms and Conditions

© Copyright 2006-2012 FareCompare.com. All rights reserved.

updated: 2010-03-12T18:30:13+00:00