We're thinking of starting an ongoing series about bad travel "studies." Last time it was the report about how cell phones can bring down airplanes, a conclusion that the authors reached after copying down several anecdotes describing things that made no sense. A few flight attendants insisted that one time there were problems on their flight, and then they made someone turn off an iPhone, and then the problems totally went away—and then someone published a report about it. Because why not?

Today's entry comes from the International Headache Congress, which sounds like something out of The Onion but is actually an academic (?) conference co-sponsored by the International Headache Society and the American Headache Society. Researchers announced that they've discovered "distinct form of headache" that you can only get during the last few minutes of a flight before your airplane lands.]]> Omri 2011-08-02T15:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/22/13466/1739

Okay, this is really starting to get ridiculous. Spirit Airlines has officially become like those little kids at European markets who flash a magazine or a piece of cardboard in your fact to distract, while they go about picking your pockets. How so? Well, Spirit loves to do garish ad campaigns that take cheap shots at news headlines (ah hem Weiner Sale), and then introduce jaw-grindingly frustrating new fees.

Spirit's formula hasn't changed and so, just after they sent Strippermobiles out into the streets, they've today announced a $5 fee to print your boarding pass at the airport. You will be charged the $5 per boarding pass if you've booked Spirit flights after yesterday, for travel beginning after November 1, 2011. Just in time for families traveling over the holidays!

It gets worse...]]> JetSetCD 2011-06-22T13:46:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/10/9421/77577

A new confidential report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), meant to evaluate whether in-flight cell phones and other electronic devices can really interfere with airplanes, has been obtained by ABC News. The report is based on surveys returned by employees of 125 airlines covering flights from the years 2003 to 2009. Out of that sample, 75 incidents were identified as examples of possible electronic interference. On the basis of those incidents, ABC News—and just about everybody else who has picked up the story—concludes that "there really could be serious safety issues related to cellphones and other PEDs."

Before you get worried though, yes of course this is idiotic. Social scientists have a word for the kind of "incidents" documented in this report. They call them "anecdotes." The rest of us also have a word for that kind of data—which seems to be compiled from flight attendants who think that coincidences are proof and that cell phones are powered by crystals that transmit magical waves through the ether—but this is a family blog. Kind of.]]> Omri 2011-06-10T11:01:59-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/6/7/133448/0160

How old is Spirit Airlines' marketing team? We're going to guess pre-pubescent, based on their love of throwing MILF sale and making light of the Gulf oil spill. These days, they've been laying it on pretty think though, focusing on sex scandals as material for their punny sales.

First is was Charlie Sheen (the "Living the Dream" sale), then Arnold Schwarzenegger ("Sexy Maid Acquired" sale), and now—naturally—Spirit Air is all about the Rep. Anthony Weiner scandal. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-06-07T13:34:48-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/3/4/133420/3007

Well here's a surprise! Spirit Air is having one of their "sales," and they've borrowed a few of Charlie Sheen's recent catchphrases to boost the sale's meme cache. That's right—"Tiger Blood,""Adonis DNA" and "Winning" all appear in a flash ad on Spirit's website, advertising fares as low as $27*

It's the "Living the Dream" sale, and we're starting the countdown egg timer until Sheen has his people drafting the papers to sue Spirit's people. Sure, the catchphrases Charlie has been slinging on Twitter are now copied over and over for a variety of uses, but this one seems particularly egregious. Exploiting a celeb's mental health in order to convince budget-seekers to hope onboard your flights? Not cool—especially considering this isn't a real sale.

The $27 price is each way, based on roundtrip purchase, and does not include taxes, fees and the mandatory checked and carry-on baggage fees levied by Spirit. Remember they are currently the only US airline to charge for both types of luggage! Sheen only travels by private jet lately, so at he's smart enough to avoid Spirit.

[Photo: screenshot from Spirit Air website]]]> JetSetCD 2011-03-04T13:34:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/12/13/121429/66

Chalk one up for the TSA today as they've gone and actually caught something dangerous in someone's luggage. That something was ammunition and that someone was promoter Don King, who was attempting to fly out of Cleveland's Hopkins Airport several hours ago, while packing heat for both .38 caliber and .357-caliber firearms, while the actual guns were not present.

Although it sounds like King stopped by Cleveland for a little "shopping," he was actually in town for the funeral of his wife, who recently died due to complications from stomach cancer. It's been a sad week for Don King, and even more so now that the TSA took all his ammunition. He was, however, allowed to continue with his flight to Florida once they'd taken all of the dangerous items from his luggage. Go here to see a short video report on the incident, from the AP.

[Photo: BBC/Getty]]]> JetSetCD 2010-12-13T12:17:44-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/10/31/22556/786

The quickest way to go from the airport to jail is...by claiming that you put a bomb on a plane. Heck, any mention of a bomb onboard a plane can get you pulled to the airport jail faster than you can say "body cavity search," so then why did a Utah traveler decide that claiming there was a bomb in his checked luggage was the easiest way to stop the plane he was too late to catch? Mystifying.

The man, who was late to the gate to board his plane at Denver International Airport for a short Skywest flight to Salt Lake City, "grew angry and made the comment about a bomb in his luggage already on the plane." This is according to Denver Post, who explain what delightful formal charges and jail time now await this business traveler: ]]> JetSetCD 2010-11-01T11:34:40-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/