air travel

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Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation
 Cheap Deals 
 Bring Back 
 the Vacation 

TRAVEL
May 19, 2009 11:53 AM CDT

Cheap Deals Bring Back the Vacation

Flights, hotels drop prices in economic slump

(Newser) - When it comes to vacationing this summer, “the power is with the consumer,” says a consultant: The troubled economy has airlines, hotels, and cruises dropping prices dramatically. International airfares are down 14%, domestic fares 17%, Travelocity says; and for the first time since 2005, AAA predicts an uptick...

Airline Pitches the Really Friendly Skies

Let-it-all-hang-out Air New Zealand won't nickel-and-dime you

(Newser) - To tout its distaste for hidden fees, Air New Zealand is mounting a tasteful display—of nudity. The airline's new commercial features employees wearing nothing but body paint, the Boston Globe reports. The campaign, called “Nothing to Hide,” touts the now-antiquated practice of providing meals and not charging...

Hackers Expose Holes in Air Traffic Safety

Vulnerabilities abound ahead of planned $20B FAA upgrade

(Newser) - Civilian air traffic computer networks are riddled with security holes, and hackers have breached them several times in the past few years, the Wall Street Journal reports. Intruders could gain access to operational systems by first hacking into administrative areas using 763 separate “high risk” holes in those systems,...

Iris Cards Let Travelers Skip Customs

US signs deal with Holland, and more are on the way

(Newser) - A new digital card will allow Americans to skip customs lines at a foreign airport for the first time, reports USA Today. In a deal between Homeland Security officials and the Netherlands, US travelers approved for the ID card will be able to speed through Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, while...

From Cargo to First Class: Pet-Only Airline Nears Takeoff

Seat-free plane offers a different way to travel with pets

(Newser) - With Pet Airways’ summer launch, cats and dogs will get a first-class alternative to flying cargo. Passengers at major US airports will be able to drop their pets off for travel on a seat-free plane staffed with attendants, Zootoo reports. Spots on the first pets-only flight—scheduled for July 14...

United Forces 'Seatmates of Size' to Buy Extra Ticket

(Newser) - United Airlines is coming down hard on its chubbier passengers with a new rule requiring those who can’t fit into one seat to buy another ticket, MSNBC reports. “Seatmates of size” are defined as the unlucky passengers who can’t buckle their seatbelts—even with an extension—or...

DJ AM Swears Off Flying After Cheating Death—Again

Had booked ticket on doomed Buffalo flight

(Newser) - Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, is finished with planes, TMZ reports. Not only was he badly burned in a plane crash last year, but the DJ had a ticket for the Continental commuter flight that crashed near Buffalo last month, killing everyone on board. Goldstein didn’t board...

Airlines Panic as Recession Grounds Passengers

Falling price of oil fails to make up for slump in demand

(Newser) - A steep slide in passengers has airline execs reaching for the panic button, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines had banked on the drastic drop in oil prices more than making up for falling demand caused by the recession, but the decline—especially in first and business class—has been...

Struggling Airlines Pitch Clean(er) Planes

As customers become more valued, so does customer service

(Newser) - United Airlines used to give its planes’ interiors a thorough cleaning only every 6 months to save cash. But with carriers now fighting for every passenger, cleanliness has become a crucial weapon, the Chicago Tribune reports. Some United planes now get “heavy” cleans every two weeks. “People don’...

'Sir Richard, What Is That White Stuff?'

Airline chief Branson gets complaint about food

(Newser) - Sir Richard Branson personally responded to a “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” complaint letter from a Virgin Atlantic passenger, reprinted in the Telegraph. The beleaguered (and unnamed) flyer likened the dining experience to an awful Christmas morning. “You open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your...

Emma Thompson, Others Try to Foil Heathrow Plans

Group opposed to plan aims to drag project into legal quicksand

(Newser) - A high-profile coalition led by Greenpeace has purchased a soccer field-sized piece of land intended to become part of a new runway for London’s Heathrow airport, the Times reports. The group intends to parcel out the land to thousands of individual owners, dragging out any attempt to buy it...

More Trouble Looms for Holiday Travelers

Snow, rain will continue through weekend

(Newser) - Holiday travelers may be in for more trouble this weekend, USA Today reports. Snow is expected from Montana to New Mexico, rain in the Midwest could cause flooding, and the South can expect heavy thunderstorms and possibly a few tornadoes. "It's going to be a wild ride," said...

Fliers Ease Carbon Guilt Via Donations

San Fran airport to offer pollution offsets at new kiosks

(Newser) - Guilty about the carbon footprint of your frequent flights? Have a few bucks to spare and time to kill at San Francisco's airport? The firm 3Degrees is banking on such a combination as it prepares to roll out the nation's first fleet of kiosks offering carbon offsets. No one is...

Holiday Travel a Nightmare Thanks to Snow, Ice

Flight cancellations ripple across US; roads not great, either

(Newser) - Hundreds of holiday travelers spent the night in the nation's second-busiest airport and others faced delayed or canceled flights and highways choked by snow and ice as storms kept up their assault on northern states. More snow fell today in the Midwest, while the Northwest faced more snow and sleet,...

Wall Street Execs Still Fly Private Jets

Costly travel rationalized as time saver

(Newser) - Six ailing Wall Street firms that eagerly took bailout funds still spend thousands to operate fleets of private jets that whisk their executives to company—and personal—events, AP reports. AIG, which scooped up $150 billion from the government, beats its peers with a seven-jet fleet. Fuel alone for a...

Jet Lag Pill Can Reboot Biological Clock

New drug could replace addictive sedatives as travel cure

(Newser) - A new drug could allow travelers to fly past jet lag without the lingering drowsiness of addictive sedatives, the BBC reports. The drug resets natural sleep rhythms by adjusting the body’s sleep hormone, melatonin, allowing sleep to come sooner and last longer. If approved, Tasimelteon could provide welcome relief...

3K Stranded in Bangkok as PM Refuses to Step Down

Army pressures government as violence grows between factions

(Newser) - Thailand’s government today rejected a top general’s demand it dissolve parliament and hold elections, the Guardian reports, as protesters demand that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat step down entirely. Wongsawat snuck back into Thailand today and plans to meet with the king, whom protesters support; a pro-government gang killed...

Early On, Holiday Travel Going Smoothly

Few delays reported on roads, airports at start of Thanksgiving rush

(Newser) - Travelers breezed through airport terminals and drivers cruised open roads today, the effects of a sour economy blamed for keeping people closer to home at the start of the annual Thanksgiving rush. Even though gas prices fell and airlines offered last-minute deals, many Americans appeared to be skipping trips this...

Airfares Dip on Last-Minute Holiday Trips

Ugly economy pushes demand down, along with price of fuel

(Newser) - With many consumers too concerned about their wallets to make pricey trips, airlines are, for the first time in memory, lowering prices before the holidays, the Chicago Tribune reports. The reversal of convention is allowing late buyers to scrounge tickets for as much as $200 less than travelers who locked...

Stewardess Helps Land Flight After Co-Pilot Cracks

Licensed pilot jumps in on London-bound plane after man suffers breakdown

(Newser) - After an Air Canada captain had his co-pilot handcuffed and dragged from his seat during a January flight, a female flight attendant helped steer the London-bound passenger jet to safety in Ireland, the Guardian reports. The original co-pilot was “quite harried” when he entered the cockpit, a report released...

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