TSA Reverses Ruling on Knives

A few months ago, the TSA announced they would begin to allow small knives and some sporting goods onto aircraft. The decision was made because they agency felt screeners should concentrate on more serious weapons such as bombs.

But the backlash by practically everyone—flight attendants, airlines, police officers, much of the traveling public—was unexpected.

So TSA kept postponing the date of implementation.

That is until today, Wednesday, when they announced that they would reverse their decision and keep these items prohibited.

How Safe is Your Carry-On Bag

I saw this article on CNN.com and thought I’d share it with you.

How Safe Is Your Carry-On Bag?

Do you give much thought to your bags while on the plane? Do anything in particular to protect your belongings?

Personally, I lock my bag before it goes in the overhead and I take anything of value that I keep by my seat with me I get up.

Bye Bye "Nude-o-scopes"

The TSA has announced they have met their mandated June 1 deadline of removing all 250 backscatter machines from airport checkpoints.

The backscatter machines, or “virtual strip searches”  as some liked to call them, showed a graphic image of the person being screened including, in many cases, their private parts. These machines also emitted a low level of radiation.

Congress wasn’t thrilled with all the complaints they were getting and ordered the TSA to find a way to increase privacy.

Realizing they wouldn’t meet the Congressionally imposed June 1 deadline, TSA  announced in February that all backscatter machines would be removed and replaced with full body scanners that show a less graphic image and use radio waves instead. Critics say these millimeter wave machines are much safer.

There are over 700 of the “approved” machines in use in the USA.

In case you were wondering, Rapiscan Systems, the manufacturer of the bodyscanners, paid for the removal of the machines since they announced they wouldn’t be able to convert their machines in time.

How Much Room Under The Airline Seat?

As the overhead bins on most flights seem to get filled faster and faster, those of us who carry soft-sided, non-wheeled bags are sometimes given the option of putting those same bags underneath the seat in front of us..

But just how much room is available? That depends on the type of aircraft and airline. On some, the middle seat has the most room with the aisle or window seat the least. On others, a video control box takes up most of the room.

Up until now, it’s been difficult to find this information. However, here’s an article that gives some information:

Dimensions Under Airline Seats.

Another way to possibly get this information is to seek out the airlines’ under seat pet kennel dimensions. If your bag isn’t bigger than the pet kennel, it will fit under your seat.

Here’s a website with some information about this:

Dogjaunt: Airline Under Seat Measurements

If you know of any more, let us know.

Airline Fee Fever

Don’t look for airlines to lower their ancillary fees anytime soon.

According to a recent U.S. Dept. of Transportation press release of preliminary data, U.S. airlines earned $3.5 billion in checked luggage fees and $2.6 billion in ticket change fees.

Delta was the big winner with revenues of $865.9 million and $778.4 million, respectively.

According to one industry analyst, all but the most expensive domestic fares are basically sold at break even prices. It’s the fees that help the airlines make money.

While I want to see the airlines make money, I’d rather carry-on my bag and spend the “checked bag fee” money on a nice meal.

Another Reason to Pack Noise Cancelling Headphones

It seems a woman on a recent LA-NY American Airlines flight decided to entertain her fellow passengers by singing a rendition of Whitney Houstons’ “I Will Always Love You” over and over again.

It got so irritating, a Federal Air Marshall on board placed her in restraints. But she kept on singing.

The pilot then made an unscheduled landing in Kansas City just so the woman could be escorted off. And the strange thing is, she kept singing even after being handcuffed and led off the plane

The woman was questioned and released without being charged. American Airlines, however, refused to fly her the rest of the way. Do you blame them?

Which brings up a question: What are your favorite noise cancelling headphones that aren’t so large they take up half a carry-on bag?

(Thanks to Paula Bag Less for alerting me to this story.)

Still Not Sure If You Should Carry-On?

Twenty nine baggage handlers for Alitalia were recently arrested in Italy when cameras caught them stealing from passengers’ luggage.

Hidden cameras were placed in the cargo hold of numerous Alitalia aircraft—the one place the baggage handlers felt they were safe from scrutiny. The arrests were made at seven different airports in Italy, including in Rome, and an additional 57 are being questioned.

Here’s a video of the thieves in action:

Still want to check your bag? If you do, at least carry your valuables with you on the plane.

Frontier Airlines To Start Charging Some Pax for Carry-On

Frontier Airlines becomes the third airline to charge for carry-on bags. But unlike Spirit and Allegient, the other two carriers who have this fee, Frontier’s will be limited to one type of customer.

Any passenger purchasing the “Basic” fare, only available on third party websites, will be charged between $25 and $100 depending on where they check in. The cheaper cost is if they check in online. If they book their tickets on Frontier’s website, there will be no charge.

Personal items that fit under the seat will still be allowed and are free.

The airline says that space in the overhead bins is getter harder and harder to find and they want to make sure their loyal customers get that space.

How they’re going to enforce this is your guess.

Additionally, anyone booking in “Basic” or “Economy,” the lowest fare offered directly by Frontier, will also begin to be charged for beverages on board. On the plus side, if you order a soft drink, you’ll get the entire can and if you order coffee, refills are free. Wow, just like in first class.

Let the nickel and diming continue!!!!

United Increases Change Fee

If you want to change your tickets on United Airlines, it will start to cost you more.

The airline has increased its domestic and Canadian destination change fee to $200 from $150 on its cheapest tickets. On South American routes the fee goes from $250 to $300. For Asia and Europe, it stays at $250.

So far, all of the other major airlines have stayed at $150 but only time will tell if they too increase their fees. Southwest doesn’t charge a ticket change fee.

Addendum:  4/24/13—US Airways has raised their fees to match United.

Weighty Issues

Well, it’s finally happened. One airline has decided to start charging for seats based on your weight.

When you book a seat on Samoa Air you are asked to estimate the total weight of yourself and your luggage. You will then pay a certain rate per kilo. The less weight you bring on board, the less you pay. (Aren’t you glad you’re a onebagger!!!!). When you get to the airport, you and your bags are weighed. If you’re close to your estimate you’re good to go. If you are a lot more, you pay more. Don’t expect a refund if you paid too much.

And if that isn’t enough to get your diet started, Delta Airlines will begin unveiling  new, smaller lavatories  on the 737-900’s they plan to start flying later this. That’s right, smaller than the current ones.

While they won’t go into specifics, these new bathrooms will allow the airline to install four additional seats in coach.

Is it me or are airline flights getting to be on par with bad bus trips?

More Budget Airlines to Charge for Carry-On

A large group of budget airlines from all over the world have announced they will begin to charge for carry-on bags.

The International Budget Airline Association (IBAA) said the majority of their members voted to begin universal  carry-on bag charges. Beginning today, all carry-on bags will be measured and charged at a rate of $1/1 Pound/1Euro, and so on, per inch. So, a full size carry-on of 45 linear inches would cost $45. Additionally, any bag weighing over 10 lbs would get charged an additional dollar per pound.

The IBAA claims these additional costs are needed to help offset rising fuel prices and the increased demands for outrageous bonuses and golden parachutes by the airlines senior executives.

In a surprise move, Spirit Airlines, only one of two U.S. based carriers to already charge for carry-ons, said the would lower the free carry-on size to that of a one quart ziploc bag—similar to what is currently allowed for liquds through security. Anything larger would be charged at the new rate.

Other revenue producing programs being considered include:

“Auctions for Food”— Under this new policy, no food or drink would be allowed to be brought on board. The airline would only bring enough food for about half the passengers. Instead of charging a set fee, each food or drink item would be auctioned off.

“Lavatory by the Minute”—In this scenario, a passenger would swipe his or her credit card to get into the lavatory. There would be an initial charge of $2 to unlock the door, and then a meter would run charging 50 cents per minute. (The concept came to one of its members as he took a taxi to the airport.)

The IBAA said for the first time representatives from the world’s major air carriers attended their recent meeting in Cyprus to see if they could “borrow” some of these revenue enhancing schemes.

TSA Lightens Rules on Knives, Bats, Golf Clubs, Etc

By now, most of you have heard that the TSA is changing some of its rules to allow very small knives and some bats, golf clubs and hockey sticks in carry-ons so they can spend time looking for more serious weapons and explosives.

You can read about it, and see photos of what  you can and can’t take, on  The TSA Blog.

How did I learn about it? From our own Reader’s Forum. That’s right, one of our reader’s posted it before I even got a chance to see it on my news feed. So, I’ll give credit where credit is due and link to the lively discussion about this decision:

One Bag, One World Reader’s Forum

By the way, I realized that some of you who read this blog dont’ know we have a Reader’s Forum where anyone can start or take part in any number of interesting discussions related to one bag travel. If you haven’t visited, I hope you will.

AA and USAir to Merge

According to both the Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press, the boards of American Airlines and USAir voted today to merge the two companies into what would become the world’s largest airline. 

Initial reports say the airlines will keep the “American” name.

In recent years we’ve seen Delta and Northwest, United and Continental, and Southwest and Airtran merge. With this new merger, the big four mega airlines  would control 87% of the U.S. airline industry.

We can expect an official announcement and more details on Thursday.

Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide

Our friends at Airfare Watch Dog , who have compiled guides to individual airlines fees in the past, have now published a downloadable Comprehensive Airlines Fees Guide. It  covers booking fees, change fees and luggage fees. Only the major North American airlines are listed right now, but I have a feeling they’ll expand this in the near future. You’ll need pdf to read it.

Comprehensive Airline Fees Guide

Bye Bye to Nude-O-Scope

The TSA has announced that all body imaging machines, that show nude pictures of the people going through them, will be removed by June of this year.

That’s when the Congressionall rule goes into effect mandating all scanners be the non-imaging Automated Target Recognition software that only shows a generic outline of the body.

Rapiscan, the makers of the body imaging machines to be removed said they would not be able to convert theirs by this June. In response, the TSA has cancelled its contract with the company.

TSA believes that using the newer technology machines will speed up security lines.

Air France Offers Discounts to Carry-On Only Fliers

Air France has seen much of its short and medium haul business lost to competitors such as budget airlines and high-speed trains. To win these customers back, they are doing something unheard of in the airline business.

Anyone traveling with carry-on bags only, which is about 40% of their customers, can opt for new “Mini” fares that are about 20 Euros less than the cheapest economy fares. You won’t get frequent flier mileage, but you will get the same service as everyone else.

In an age where add on fees are keeping the airlines afloat, this seems to go in the opposite direction. I guess having any type or revenue from a seat is better than flying an empty seat.

I’m not complaining. I’m happy any time we onebaggers are rewarded for traveling the way we do.

Are you listening Spirit?

Electronic Devices on Planes: On or Off

Like many people these days, I travel with electronic devices to make my life easier and my load lighter. And also like many, it can be frustrating to  have to turn these devices off during takeoff and landing, and not be able to use some, like those with bluetooth, at all.

Why? Because the FAA “believes” they might cause harm to the aircraft. They have no real proof but continue to perpetuate their beliefs. Yet at the same time, the pilots can use them as much as they want.

Nick Bilton of the New York Times has an article on this matter in today’s paper.

Have a look at it and let us know what you think.

Airline News

In case you hadn’t heard, Delta Airlines is buying a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic Airways. The shares are currently owned by Singapore Airlines. Delta is hoping to eventually start a relationship where frequent flyers can use mileage on both airlines as well as open up valuable slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. Sort of something similar to what American Airlines and British Airways have.

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Air Canada announce a new low cost carrier to operate leisure flights to Europe and the Caribbean. It’s called “Rouge” and will begin operations on July 1. Air Canada says “Rouge” will make money by paying new airline hires less than current Air Canada employees and add seats to their aircraft—as many as 50 on a 767.

Some “Rouge” destinations, such as Edinburgh and Venice, are not currently served by Air Canada.

Let’s hope “Rouge” is profitable and stays out of the rouge, eh?

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Southwest Airlines, which has so far ceased to weigh passengers down with incessant extra fees, announced it will start charging no show passengers. If you’re scheduled to fly on Southwest and don’t cancel your flight prior to its departure, and then want to reuse the ticket, you’ll be charged a fee. No word yet on when this will all take place or how much it will cost.

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During the third quarter of this year, the ten largest U.S. airlines each made an operating profit.  Much of that profit is due to all the extra fees charged by the airlines—check bag fees, meal fees, premium seating fees, etc. How much? Collectively, the airlines took in $924 million during that three month period. Don’t expect these to go away anytime soon.

Japan Airlines To Serve KFC

I have been flying long enough to have see just about everything the airlines have to offer. From cheerful service and lots of perks to sullenness and extra fees for everything.

Food has always been a contentious area. Sure, we’ve made fun of it, but it was something we could rely on. Granted, we’ve gone from china and real silverware to plastic utensils on paper plates to well, individually wrapped sandwiches and salads at a la carte (ridiculous) pricing. 

But one thing that has remained constant is the knowledge that almost all airlines serve a chef created meal on international flights. Well, at least until now.

For a limited time, Japan Airlines will be serving Kentucky Fried Chicken on select flights.

I kid you not.

Spirit's $100 Carry-On Fee Starts Today

If you’re planning to fly Spirit Airlines and, like a good one-bagger, are only taking a carry-on bag, make sure you pre-pay for the privilege. If you decide to do so at the gate, it will not cost you $100 instead of the $35 advance fee.

Spirit claims they hope flyer’s never have to pay the fee by getting passengers to pre-pay it.

Yea…..right.