Roundup--July 9, 2012

I should call this European Roundup as all the stories pertain to that continent  or its vicinity.

All U.S. based carriers that fly nonstop from the New York area to Rome will not offer this service during the winter months. They will resume next spring. Alitalia will continue to fly that route all year.

The EU has a new smartphone app  explaining all your passenger rights while traveling by air or rail. It will be extended to bus/coach and marine travel next year. (Caveat—the app continually crashes on my Ipod Touch but there is a website with the exact same information. I just bookmarked it:)

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passenger-rights/en/index.html

Anyone who has flown through Heathrow the last few months knows the queue at passport control is ridiculous. The wait can be hours. However, the airport will  open new lanes for non-European travelers it deems “low risk.” That includes Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and Japanese—basically those who don’t need a visa.

Roundup--June 28, 2012

Lookout Boeing, Airbus may start building planes in Alabama. The factory would construct A-320’s, a direct competitor to the popular Boeing 737.

Some new frequent flier alliances:  Jet Blue and Emirates & American Airlines and Westjet.

Speaking of Emirates, the airline will  launch a second daily Airbus A380 service between Dubai and New York’s JFK. This second flight is scheduled to start in January of 2013. 

Delta will begin to offer wifi on its international flights beginning next year.

As most people know, Greece is having some serious economic problems. Later this week, the EU will hold hearings in Brussels on this issue as well as the future of the Euro. Greek President Karolos Papoullas will attend. To show he’s serious about cutting costs, he’ll fly to the Belgian capital on a regularly scheduled Aegean Airlines flight rather than fly on a private jet. And he’ll be traveling in economy class.

The New York Times technology reporter, David Pogue, has an interesting article in Scientific American on how the TSA rules are not based on science.

Conde Naste Traveler has an article on tips for keeping your suitcase safe. After reading the list, I’m glad I’m a onebagger. Much less to worry about.

Roundup--June 22, 2012

Are you addicted to travel? Not sure? Independent Traveler has come up with 16 Ways You Know You’re Addicted to Travel. I’ll currently admit to about half. In my tour days, the number would have been 10.

As someone who enjoys solo travel, I get asked by many a would-be solo traveler on how not to get lonely. Simple. Make friends along the way.

Question of the day: Can you name the western democracy that planned to eavesdrop on its travelers—especially those in controlled areas of airports? In fact, they went so far as to install equipment in one airport before privacy groups got them to change their policy. I’ll give you a hint: It’s in North America. So, did you guess? Well, you’ll have to read this story to find the answer.

Roundup--June 13, 2012

Hi all. As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve changed the name of these columns to “Roundup” rather than “Daily Roundup” because they haven’t been very “daily.” Either there wasn’t much to report on or I just didn’t have the time to get to it. So, instead, I’ll post “Roundup” columns  when I have a few items to discuss where none merits a posting unto itself.

As many of you know, some airlines are beginning to charge for premium seats. This can mean either a separate section, and exit row, or simply an aisle or window seat. Our friends at AirFareWatchdog have put together a chart of what it costs to select your seat location.

United Airlines has upped the fee for a second checked bag to Europe. It’s now $100 each way. Save even more by being a onebagger.

While wi-fi is fairly common for overland flights, more and more airlines are offering satellite wi-fi on transoceanic flights.

Financial problems in much of southern Europe aren’t just affecting banks and investors. Money earmarked to preserve national landmarks is drying up and many older statues and buildings are crumbling. One particular landmark that has seen recent problems is the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Natural disasters in Italy have recently destroyed so much. Too bad lack of money may destroy even more.