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Welcome to New York, Now Get in The Van

June 24, 2009 at 4:50 PM | 0 Comments

When the airports say avoid transportation solicitors in the terminal, they really mean it. Five French tourists had to find that out the hard way. They were approached by a "steerer" after arriving at JFK on their Air France flight who directed them towards a van that would take them to Manhattan. The NY Post reports:

PA cops recognized [Ian] McFarland as a longtime "steerer" and Officer Michael Bestany reached inside the van to try to grab the keys, the source said.

The driver floored it, knocking Bestany to the ground.

With cops right behind, the driver roared west along the Belt Parkway and onto Linden Boulevard, forcing other cars to get out of the way.

It then snaked through residential streets, went in circles and crashed through the mechanical gate arm of a US Postal Service facility on Forbell Street in East New York.

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The Trouble With 'Sober Lock-Up' Areas at Airports, Aside From The Obvious

June 24, 2009 at 4:05 PM | 0 Comments

Some more interesting news has come out of Jonathan Rhys Meyers latest arrest on Saturday at the Charles De Gaulle airport. People Magazine reports:

The incident began when a bartender at the café area "Le Quotidien" in the departure area of the airport at terminal 2F refused to serve the actor, who appeared drunk, according to the news service. A shouting match developed between Rhys Meyers and the bar manager. Then when another bar employee tried to separate the pair, Rhys Meyers swung and punched the intervening waiter.

The police then locked up Rhys Meyers in a sober lock-up area for three hours. Guess he didn't make his flight! But really, we could care less about Rhys Meyers being all drunk in public. This isn't the first time Johnny has gotten into an airport fight. Two years ago, he attempted to board a BMI flight completely wasted. (May we suggest just taking a Xanax instead of trying to drink the fear of flying away?) What we're really curious about is that "sober lock-up" area.

It turns out Durango has actually had a first-hand experience with these places as one of his friends was arrested for being drunk at the DFW Airport.

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Shanghai Airlines Snafu Prompts Second Passenger Sit-In This Month

June 15, 2009 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments

Airport sit-ins are the new asking for your money back, apparently, as the second one occurred within the span of days. While two separate, problem-plagued flights were affected by the passenger sit-ins, no doubt the most recent was influenced by the success of the first.

The first, occurring for a few days at the beginning of June, involved a triple-delayed China Eastern Airlines flights on its way from LAX to Shanghai. After the airline flew in a mechanic, the flight was finally able to leave, but not before the stranded folk staged a sit-in at LAX.

This weekend, the second occurred on the other end of the route back in Shanghai, when a Shanghai Airlines plane headed back to Shanghai, delaying the flight for 24 hours. When finally the plane landed in Taipei, Taiwan, the passengers refused to leave the jet until Taiwanese authorities "persuaded" them to do so, but not without the airline ponying up a 400RMB ($58) "we're sorry" bonus.

So it looks like sit-ins are here to stay; a viable option since airlines already have us on involuntary hunger strikes.

Related Stories:
· Shanghai Airlines Passengers Stage Sit-in in Taiwan [Shanghaiist]
· Shanghai-Bound Passengers Stranded For Three Days at LAX [Jaunted]

[Photo: teemus]

Shanghai-Bound Passengers Stranded for Three Days at LAX

June 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM | 0 Comments

We knew LAX has delays, but this has to be one of the worst we've ever heard of.

Dozens of travelers have been stranded at the airport for more than two days after their Shanghai-bound flight was delayed. The China Eastern Airlines flight was scheduled to depart 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, but passengers sat on the plan for several hours before being asked to deboard because the plane was experiencing mechanical trouble. A second attempt was made Monday, when passengers reboarded the plane, sat on the tarmac for another hour, traveled a whopping 100 feet and then were told to return to the terminal.

The airline is paying for hotels and food, but passengers are peeved that CEA has refused to book them on another airline or provide a more thorough explanation. After leaving the plane for the second time Monday, they even staged a mini sit-in, refusing to leave the airport terminal.

On Tuesday evening, the airline flew in a mechanic from China and finally got the plane ready for takeoff -- at 10:54pm -- a three-day ordeal overall. But by this time, we wouldn't be trusting the mechanics anymore than on the first day.

Related Stories:
· China-bound passengers stranded at LAX [LAT]
· Flight leaves LA after nearly 3-day delay [Mercury News]
· JAL Engine Incident Proves Airlines Do Eat Your Luggage [Jaunted]

[Photo: balajijegan]

JetBlue Sick of The Drama in the L-B-C

April 3, 2009 at 8:56 AM | 1 Comment

With service at LAX supposedly starting on June 17, it comes as no surprise that JetBlue is exploring the possibility of leaving the Long Beach Airport. In many ways, this news both saddens and excites us. We're excited because we live closer to Long Beach and driving to LA from the LBC could be a horrendous drive if you hit traffic.

We're a little saddened because Long Beach is one of the coolest retro airports. Ironically, this is one of the reasons that JetBlue executive said they might be leaving town.

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TSA Says Maybe To Photos, Yes To Boring Us To Death

April 1, 2009 at 12:56 PM | 0 Comments

As they are so apt to do, the TSA took an opportunity to publicly obfuscate an issue on its Evolution of Security blog this week. The topic: Photography at airports -- can you do it? The answer: Well... On one hand, it's okay if you don't bother anyone or slow down the checkpoint line; on the other hand, you should not "be surprised if someone (TSA, airport police, or a curious passenger) asks you what you’re up to."

Also, the state, city or airport may have its own rules, which apparently TSA can't override despite being a national agency and the First Amendment and can't you just wait to take that profile picture till you get home, Ansel Badams?

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Five Ways To Speed Through Security

March 11, 2009 at 9:26 AM | 2 Comments

There are only three sure things in life: death, taxes, and the cluelessness of the guy in front of you at airport security. You can't do anything about that guy -- has he even flown since 9/11? -- but you can not be that guy with our tips to come through clean and quickly. Here are our Five Ways To Speed Through Security.

Know the roadblocks. Of course they're going to ask for your ID and boarding pass, so take it out of your wallet or purse and keep it in a death grip in your hand as you walk through. Thanks to the "shoe bomber", our shoes are going to have to come off, so if you're wearing lace-up boots, maybe start unlacing them while you're in line. And America, empty your freaking pockets before you set the X-ray off. You probably won't need your keys for the next six to eight hours anyway.

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More Near Misses At Newark

January 19, 2009 at 9:14 AM | 0 Comments

Months after we wrote about a near miss on the runway at Newark Liberty International Airport, they're still happening. Reader Jay Decker writes in with a spine-tingling tale the day before US Airways Flight 1549's near miss:

My wife, son, and I were on Continental flight 855 from West Palm Beach into EWR. We were running late, about an hour, and were supposed to land at about 4:10pm Jan. 14.

We were just touching down, the rear wheels were kissing the ground, when the pilot powered up and nosed up and we struggled our way back into the air. I guess this is commonly referred to as a "touch and go." The pilot apologized, even as the in cockpit alarm was still beeping, and said that Newark had a "space" issue and we would be landing shortly. I turned to my wife and translated: "There was something on our runway."

Needless to say, we were all happy when we finally landed some time later.

Senior Editor Juliana's mom experienced something similar on the same route in November, except, she noted, the pilot did not apologize. Hey Newark, it's 2009: Time to turn over a new leaf and figure out what's causing all these near misses! Controlling errant flocks of birds may be outside of ATC's reach, but adjusting traffic patterns isn't.

Got a near miss story at Newark or elsewhere? Tip us off!

Related Stories:
· Near Misses at EWR Keep on Keepin' On [Jaunted]
· Flight 1549 Coverage [Jaunted]
· Airport WiFi: Fuggheddaboudit at Newark Airport [Jaunted]

[Photo: skoobie99]

Finally, An ACLU Victory That's Not Annoying

January 6, 2009 at 10:05 AM | 0 Comments

The TSA and JetBlue have agreed to settle a court case alleging that they illegally discriminated against a passenger because of his race and what was printed on his shirt. Raed Jarrar is walking away with $240,000, an amount that's neither offensively large nor pointlessly small.

Way back in August 2006, Jarrar rolled through JFK to catch a flight to Oakland, wearing a shirt that said "We will not be silent." Except along with the phrase written in English was the same thing written in Arabic. After fielding complaints about the shirt from other passengers, TSA and JetBlue employees asked him to remove it or miss his flight. Despite reluctantly agreeing to cover up with a new T-shirt purchased by JetBlue, the airline still moved Jarrar's seat from the front of the plane to the very back.

Needless to say, Jarrar was never a security threat. (And silk screened shirts, last time we checked, are allowed in both carry-on and checked baggage!)

In a press release, the ACLU is sure to remind everyone that its work continues in light of last week's AirTran incident:

Transportation officials have the important responsibility of ensuring that all flights are safe, but there is no reason that safety can't be achieved while at the same time upholding the civil rights and liberties of all airline passengers.

Related Stories:
· AirTran: Too Dumb To Be Evil? [Jaunted]
· New ABC Show Sadly More "Cops" Than "Airline" [Jaunted]

[Photo: ACLU]

AirTran: Too Dumb To Be Evil?

January 5, 2009 at 9:15 AM | 2 Comments

AirTran has already done a lot of fancy footwork this year over a New Year's Day incident in which it yanked nine passengers off a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and, after they were questioned, refused to rebook them on another flight.

The passengers were apparently overheard discussing the safest place to sit on an airplane, which was reported as "suspicious activity," causing the pilot to contact the TSA and have them sweep the plane. And, oh yeah, and as every news story on this incident is required to point out, the nine passengers were Muslim, and all but one were American-born. This info is kind of relevant.

AirTran committed a colossal customer-service blunder in not allowing this party to rebook immediately once they'd been questioned and released, particularly considering their visibility as an inauguration carrier. And certainly, there is no love lost between us and the budgeteers, who once tossed a whole family off a flight because their 3-year-old was crying. But the way AirTran handled things was stupid, not completely racist or Islamophobic.

If anyone deserves a label, it's the supposedly hysterical passengers who, eavesdropping, heard something they didn't like, eyed its source and jumped to conclusions. But airlines make thousands of these judgment calls every day, and you can't fault them for being jittery.

What we can fault AirTran for is treating paying passengers as guilty until proven innocent. Instead of fixing its mistake quietly, with new tickets and free upgrades for all the inconvenienced passengers, top brass apparently lost its temper and let one of its gate agents decide to turn the family away after one of them became upset (and wouldn't you be?); the carrier only half-owned up to its mistake after all the press coverage. The sad truth is, you don't even have to be religious to get screwed by your airline--though it might help to pray for that refund.

Related Stories:
· 9 Muslims Are Pulled From Plane and Denied Re-entry; Airline Apologizes Next Day [NYT]
· AirTran Toddlergate Continues [Jaunted]
· Airline Spokesman Admits That AirTran Coach Seats Suck [Jaunted]
· AirTran coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of an AirTran flight at Hartsfield-Jackson International: technicolorcavalry]

Ranting and Raving: A Love-Hate Relationship with Curbside Check-in

January 3, 2009 at 3:36 PM | 2 Comments

Like most convenience-loving Americans, I welcomed the introduction of curbside check-in at airports around the world. There's nothing better than checking your bags and getting your boarding passes immediately upon stepping out of the taxi, and even though there's a fee for the service, it's worth it for that easy-breezy feeling of dumping your luggage and proceeding directly to the gate. But lately the curbside check-in guys have become more churlish. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like they used to be a lot more helpful than they are today, actually carrying your bags from the curb to the scale and cheerfully booking you on an earlier flight if one was available. But the past three times we've flown, we were lucky to get so much as a grunt from the curbside dudes, who watched lazily as we struggled with bags, stroller, and wiggly baby. A little help? Forget it.

They unfailingly tell us about the curbside check-in fee, though, making sure we know that the tip is not included in that fee. The last time I heard that, I was left thinking "a tip for what?" If you don't do anything more than the regular check-in people do inside the terminal - if I wrangled all my own bags while you stood idly, joking with your co-workers - why should I tip you?

Of course I keep my mouth shut and fork over a couple of bucks, lest my bags end up in Timbuktu. It doesn't seem like I've got much of an alternative. What do you think about curbside check-in? Jam it or slam it? Sound off in the comments.

[Photo: Associated Press]

Related Stories
· Airport Heaven Coverage [Jaunted]
· Airport Hell Coverage [Jaunted]

The Five Stages Of Flight Delays

December 22, 2008 at 9:50 AM | 2 Comments

Some of us are going to LaGuardia Airport again this morning to attempt to break through Airport Hell and make it home in time for Christmas. After our Friday travel nightmare we'd rather have taken a covered wagon home, but a weekend's perspective and all the wine in the house have allowed us to put things in perspective.

With apologies to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, we present our five stages:

Denial, before you've even gotten to the airport. Even though it snows every December, and airports always shut down when it happens, I'm totally fine. (Or: Since my flight home last year was a nightmare, this year's going to be great--just you watch!)

Depression. Compounded when gate agents warn you to stay in the gate area to inform you of delays--and the only news is "we're going to be delayed for a while."

Anger, at the gate agents. What do you mean, "They haven't even started plowing yet" at my destination? Who's running the show over there?

Depression, with actual crying by adults. If occurring around Christmas, may also include skipping songs on your iPod like "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" or "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." Stupid songs about holiday abandonment.

Seemingly irrepressible anger. Stupid person behind me in line at ticketing! If you run your Smarte-Carte into me one more time I'm going to punch you!

Swearing you're never going to fly again. Come on, who are you kidding? This is a travel website. If we could stop, we wouldn't be here.

Bargaining. How about you rebook me on the next flight and throw in a three-martini lunch for my troubles? No? Uh, how about just rebooking me then?

Resignation. Maybe the couch and the first season of "Weeds" are better than US Weekly and gate B18.

Returning to the airport. Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more!

Related Stories:
· Flying Can Have Its Indignities, But It's Still Awesome [Jaunted]
· Winter Storms in the US Leave Snarled Flights and Snarling Passengers [Jaunted]
· Delay Dispatch: Snug As A Bug In A Rug At JFK's Terminal 5 [Jaunted]

[Photo: sgvisuals]