Daily Roundup--May 30, 2012

Delta Airlines lost a champion pole vaulter’s poles enroute to an important qualifying match last week. The pole vaulter had to use borrowed poles and didn’t do well. The airline offered its usual “voucher” excuse. Would it really be so bad to just say, “We’re sorry?” Oh yeah, their lawyers won’t allow them.

A restaurant in Rome alerted the media that Facebook kazillionaire Mark Zuckerberg and his bride neglected to leave a tip after enjoying a honeymoon lunch. Shocking some said as tips are “expected” from Americans. Italians and other Europeans don’t tip in Italy where instead customers will leave small change since the tip is usually included and the staff is paid a living wage—unlike in the U.S. So, do you tip just because you’re worried what people will think of you? And as for the restaurant, they’re getting a lot of publicity for a lot of nonsense.I think it makes them look petty but I’m sure there will be a lot of people who’ll want to eat where Zuckerberg “stiffed the staff.” Will they put a plaque on the table and charge more to sit there?

Gadling has a good article on How To Avoid Looking Like A Tourist.

We, at times, tend to complain about airport security. While grandma was getting a “full” pat down, a newly released convict was able to sneak onto a flight at San Diego International Airport without a ticket. Unbelievable.

Daily Roundup--May 22, 2012

A married couple are in jail charged with stealing luggage from airport baggage carousels at numerous south Florida airports. This isn’t a problem if you’re a “onebagger.”

Delta Airlines will lease the entire Boeing 717 fleet  formerly owned by AirTran. Air Tran is now part of Southwest Airlines and they prefer to fly one type of plane only—the Boeing 737. The move will allow Delta to replace its smaller 50 seat regional jets and its ancient DC-9 fleet.

In their neverending quest for new fees, many airlines are now charging for better seats. That could anything next to a window or on the aisle.

The “Happiest Place on Earth” is making some people sad. Disneyland is raising its ticket prices. In some cases, as much as 30%.

Daily Roundup--May 16, 2012

Earlier we reported that the new Berlin airport, scheduled to open on June 3, would be delayed by at least three months. Today is was reported that the new airport won’t open until 2013. As to when in 2013, well, that’s still being decided.

It seems the TSA is failing to report and fix breaches to airport security says a new report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General. Congress held a hearing on the matter today.

Atlanta airport’s long awaited Maynard Jackson International terminal opens today. The good news is arriving passengers no longer have to go through security and check their bags if they are leaving the airport.

Delta Airlines admits it charged some of its frequent fliers more than other customers for nearly three weeks. The airline says it was due to a computer glitch and corrected the problem. I wonder what would have happened if they didn’t get caught.

Daily Roundup--May 15, 2012

I guess no one is immunce from TSA groping. Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State, Nobel Prize Winner, and 88 years old, received a full patdown recently at NY’s LaGuardia Airport.

Virgin Atlantic passengers will soon be able to use their cellphones at cruising altitude. There are some restriction including use within 250 miles of the U.S.

A Newark Airport security officer was arrested for using a fake ID to get his job and has used it ever since. By the way, that was 20 years ago. (Note, he worked for the airport and not TSA but was cleared by them)

Daily Roundup--May 9, 2012

American Airlines plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade its premium seats. They also announced, in a separate statement, that seats in economy class will get seatback entertainment systems. As an AA FF, let me just say….it’s about time.

According to Orbitz, Mac users prefer fancier hotels than PC users. I still use a Commodore 64. Does that mean I’m relegated to Motel 6?

The U.S. airline industry is expecting fuller flights this summer due to international travelers. Having less capacity doesn’t help either.

A Congressional report is slapping the TSA for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on equipment that’s sitting in warehouses.   They were purchased to take advantage of  bulk discounts and have never been deployed.

This Saturday is National Train Day. Party time!!!

Daily Roundup--May 8, 2012

Air Canada has begun flights between Toronto Pearson and NY’s JFK airport making it the only Canadian airline to fly to all three of NY’s major airports. Air Canada eventually plans to operate 38 flights a day between Canada and New York City.

Costa Cruises, the owner of the Costa Concordia that crashed and nearly sunk off the coast of Italy in January, has introduced new safety measures with the inauguration of its newest ship. No mention if the company will continue to order its captains to sail dangerously close to shore to “show off” its boats.

USAir is continuing its growth at Washington’s Reagan National Airport with new daily service to Cincinnati and Des Moines.

Air India pilots are calling in sick today over a dispute as to who should be trained to fly the new Boeing Dreamliner.

Berlin’s new airport, Berlin-Brandenburg, will not open as scheduled on June 3. There seems to be a problem with fire security, whatever that means. The delay will be until at least after the summer. Eventually, this new airport will become Berlin’s main, and only, airport. Lufthansa, which had planned major expansion out of Berlin, doesn’t want to wait until the new airport opens and has requested more slots at Berlin’s Tegel airport.

Daily Roundup--May 1, 2012

Canada’s Westjet  will soon start a regional airline flying Bombardier Q400’s. The move will help the airline expand into markets where its current 737’s are just too big. Westjet is Canada’s second largest airline.

Southern Vermont Regional Airport near Rutland needs to improve its instrument landing system. To do that, it must shut down operations for a week. Bad news for Cape Air which offers three flights a day to Boston.

Immigration lines at London’s Heathrow Airport have taken as long as 2-3 hours recently due to the cutbacks of border agents. Fearful of problems during the Olympics, the airport is raising landing fees to help pay for more personnel. Wanna bet that will mean higher ticket prices?

Daily Roundup--April 27, 2012

A Dutch court has upheld the upcoming law banning the sale of cannabis to foreign tourists at that country’s famed coffee houses. I guess now I’ll have to go to Amsterdam for the…..ugh…….ugh…….ugh…….I forget, why do people go to Amsterdam? (Just kidding, I like Amsterdam.)

If you travel internationally and use either an Ipad, Iphone or Ipod Touch,  you might consider downloading the new Smart Traveler app from the U.S. State Department. It’s free and gives lots of information on just about every country on the planet.

Here’s Pacsafe’s take on how to do laundry in a hotel sink.

Daily Roundup--April 20, 2012

Could a merger between bankrupt American Airlines and USAir be forthcoming?

Tomorrow begins National Park Week in the U.S. meaning admission to all National Parks is free through the 29th.

Coffee shop owners in the Netherlands have gone to court in attempt to block new goverment laws that would prevent the sale of marijuana to foreign visitors. The ban is scheduled to take place in southern Netherlands on May 1 and the rest of the country in January of next year.

Occasionally, we’ll print a story about a TSA officer gone bad or of one’s bad behavior. So, it is only fitting we post a story of one TSA officer who did well—like finding an envelope with $9500 in cash and getting it back to its rightful owner.

Daily Roundup--April 18, 2012

Airlines lost the least number of bags ever in 2011. Congratulations but I’m still going to carry-on.

The world’s tallest Holiday Inn, at 50 stories, is under construction in lower Manhattan.

Iberia Airlines has announced a new plan to cut pilot’s pay and increase their work hours. Iberia’s pilots are already striking every Monday and Friday until July over the airlines launch of a new discount carrier. I guess this will just add the rest of the days of the week.

Daily Roundup--Apirl 16, 2012

The TSA has begun testing an automated system to check boarding passes against ID’s. If it works, it might eliminate the need for a live person. Wanna bet?

EX-TSA head honcho, Kip Hawley, thinks the TSA is going about things the wrong way. Yes, he’s the same guy who gave us the 3-1-1 bag.

Add Jet Blue to the list of airlines joining the TSA’s PreCheck Trusted Traveler program sometime later this year.

MSNBC has an interesting article on new products that help keep your valuables safe while traveling.

Going to Vegas and planning on some libatious entertainment? But you remember the hangover from last time. No worries. Now you can get onsite relief from the Hangover Bus. All you need to do is wait for them  to arrive, pay for the treatment and you could be good to go for a few more rounds.

Frontier Airlines will move back to Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport this summer after a 20 month stint at Hobby.

I got an email today from a company called Gigi Hill, the maker of a line of handbags, totes and accessories. While these are not what we normally discuss in regards to One Bag travel, some of our female readers may be interested in one of these as a “personal item” or one of the accessories. I just didn’t see myself traveling with any of these even to test them. :) For a better look at the entire line, you can find their newest catalog here. (Anyone looking for a “smallish” one bag, might want to look at their “Weekender.” )

Daily Roundup--April 11, 2012

Boeing, a manufacturer of larger commercial airliners, and Embraer, a maker of regional jets, have agreed to work together to better run their individual companies as well as increase customer satisfaction. I hope that doesn’t mean long range “regional” sized aircraft.

Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire financier behind the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, Sands Properties in Macau, and Newt Gingrich, now wants to build  a $35 billion mini-Las Vegas in Spain.

Do you owe more than $50,000 to the IRS? If a new bill passes, you could be in big trouble when it comes to traveling overseas. The bill would deny a passport. to anyone who has that type of debt. You wouldn’t have to actually have been found guilty, just charged.

NerdWallet has a new service that allows you to compare airlines by their fees.

Motel 6 is celebrating its 50th birithday. I remember the good old days when you had to put money in the TV set to watch it.

Daily Roundup--April 5, 2012

Surf Air, which will begin flying this summer, will operate a unique air service. For a flat monthly fee, passengers can fly as often as they want, as long as seats are available. The airline will fly single engine eight-passenger turboprops on a loop of smaller regional airports around central California. And because it’s a private service, passengers don’t have to go through screening. They literally  drive to the airport, hand their keys to a valet, take their luggage to the pilots who store it, and go on board. No shoes off, no nude-o-scope, no smurfs.

Malaysia Airlines is upping its no-kids policy on their Airbus A380’s. First it was no babies in first class. Now it’s no kids under 12 in the upper level economy section.

Daily Roundup--April 2, 2012

Pinnacle Airlines, which operates regional flights for Delta, United and USAir, under the brands Pinnacle and Colgan Airways, has filed for bankruptcy protection. As part of its reorganization, the airline will drop its services for United and USAir and attempt to eliminate additional flights under the Essential Air Service program. The vast majority of Pinnacle’s flights are for Delta.

Airtran was voted the best U.S. airline for for customer service and reliability. Too bad it no longer exists. I’m sure you’re aware it was purchased and incorporated into Southwest Airlines which was rated somewhere in the middle of the survey.

Starting Wednesday, Allegiant Air will be the second U.S. carrier to charge for carry-on luggage.  One small personal item will beallowed but if you want to use the overhead, it will cost you. Allegiant says all details will be on its website sometime Tuesday.

Daily Roundup--March 27, 2012

Spain’s Iberia Airlines has launched a new discount airline, Iberia Express. And because of that, Iberia’s Pilots will strike every Monday and Friday between April 9 and July 20. They claim the new airline is a threat to their jobs and current work conditions.

And speaking of strikes, ground handlers at Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Cologne, walked off their jobs today for a few hours forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. They have an ongoing pay dispute with their employers. These wildcat strikes have been going on for awhile and the union promises more in the near future.

More national parks are banning the sale of disposable water bottles.

It’s not just the passengers who sometimes have a bad day at 30,000 feet.

Daily Roundup--March 26, 2012

TSA is being taken to the carpet by Congress in hearings underway in Washington, D.C.

Delta is offering a new economy fare class. Once ticketed there are no changes, refunds or pre-selected seats.

Delta is expanding and renovating its hub at New York’s Laguardia Airport.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has trained a number of dogs to sniff out contraband food  from arriving international passengers. These “passive alert dogs” sit when they smell something they’re trained to react to. Why can’t TSA do the same thing with dogs only teach them to alert to explosives? Then, we wouldn’t be forced to go through advanced radiation emitting machines or groped. 

Daily Roundup--March 23, 2012

A wildcat strike by Air Canada ground workers in Toronto and Montreal is over although dozens of flights have been affected. The strike is part of the ongoing tension between the airline, its workers and the Canadian government.

Israel and the EU have entered into an Open Skies agreement that will be phased in gradually through 2017. The agreement allows any EU carrier that wishes to may fly to Israel and Israeli carriers to fly anywhere in the EU. Israel will also adopt the EU’s regulatory requirements and standards.

United Airlines is pulling out of Oakland in early June. Currently, the airline only flies one route from that Bay area airport:  OAK-DEN. United will  continue operating a hub at nearby SFO.

Last October, Italy’s famed Cinque Terre, located on the northwest coastline, and one of the most beautiful and crowded areas of the country, was hit by terrible rains and flooding. Two of the five towns, Vernazza and Monterosso, were devastated by flooding. Many homes and business were either severely damaged or destroyed. Through hard work and diligence, the area has been cleaned up and is ready for tourists.

Daily Roundup--March 22, 2012

More people visited the United States last year  than any other year in history. And they spent more.  62 million people and $130 billion in case you were interested. Considering we make foreigners practically jump through hoops to get here, that’s an impressive number. Can you guess where most of the people are from?  Canada, Mexico and Britain.

The Czech government announced they will rename Prague’s airport in honor of former President and playwright Vaclev Havel.  Now if the Yotel people ever decide to open one of their micro-hotels at that airport, they could call it Havel’s Hovel. (Do I hear groaning?)

The Portugeuse are the latest to strike shutting down trains, ports and most public transit.

Have you ever flown on a plane with a broken toilet? I have, and it is something of an inconvenience. But that’s nothing compared to the ordeal the passengers of a recent United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Shanghai had to endure. What was supposed to be a 13 hour flight turned into an additional two day layover in Alaska.

Daily Roundup--March 20, 2012

Pending FAA approval, Little Rock is renaming its airport the “Bill and Hilary Clinton National Airport.”The three letter airport code, LIT, will not change.

The National Park Service is increasing noise restrictions on sightseeing flights over the Grand Canyon. The new rules would limit the number of flights, hours and routes allowed. The air tour operaters say it will hurt their business and the environmentalists say the new rules are not strict enough.

TSA Pre, the expedited airport screening program, has started at Washington’s Reagan National and Chicago’s O’hare airports.

The future doesn’t look good for India’s Kingfisher Airlines. Not only is India threatening to take away their operating license, but the airline itself announced it will stop all international flights next month.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C. If you’ve never visited the naiton’s capital during this time of year, and walked the Tidal Basin, put it on your bucket list. It’s beautiful. And give yourself time. You’ll not only want to enjoy the stroll but visit the Memorials dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King. 

Daily Roundup--March 14, 2012

U.S. Airways is gobbling up internet domain names that might be useful should they merge with American Airlines.

TSA will start testing a new program that will allow travelers over the age of 75 to leave their shoes and light jackets on while going through airport security. The test will be at four airports: Chicago O’hare, Denver, Orlando and Portland  (Oregon).

Orlando’s Sanford Airport, a secondary airport north of the city, wants to get rid of the TSA and hire private screeners. There are 16 other airports that want to do the same and are waiting for TSA approval.