Yapta Yapta Blog

Those of us that travel must really love the TSA service.  You know, the pat-downs, the scans, and the sometimes glaring looks.  Judging by the tips we leave behind, they’re doing an excellent job and you really appreciate it.  What?  You’ve never tipped a TSA agent?  Think again.

You may have contributed to the $376,480.39 in loose change that the TSA collected from the bottoms of plastic bins at security checkpoints in 2010.  Did you leave a few pennies or a nickle behind during your last trip?  Then you’ve left a tip.

According to a report from MSNBC, all the unclaimed pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are turned over to the TSA  finance office.  After being documented and counted, the money ends up in the coffers of the TSA, which is authorized by law to spend that money as it sees fit.

Lawmakers are now claiming that it’s tax-payers’ money and that the TSA shouldn’t have carte blanche to spend it as they please.  In the meantime, if you feel strongly that you don’t want the TSA capture these funds, make sure you hang on to your change the next time you go through airport security.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Starting Jan. 26, a new U.S. Transportation Department rule will require airlines to include all taxes and fees in their advertised fares.  Other provisions of the rule – banning post-purchase price increases and allowing passengers to hold certain reservations without payment or to cancel them without penalty for 24 hours after booking – will take effect Jan. 24.  The DOT is also requiring airlines to disclose baggage fees when passengers buy a ticket, mandating that the same baggage allowances and fees apply throughout a journey, and stipulating that those fees be shown on electronic ticket confirmations.

• Two passengers of United Airlines were angry after the airline gave their seats to singer Wyclef Jean just before they were about to board their flight.  United’s flight agent told the passengers that “Political celebrities are treated differently.”  As far as we know, United is the only airline that has a political celebrity policy.

• Travelers are bombarded with offers, deals and price fluctuations on a day-to-day basis, so to help them navigate the maze and save money, Consumer Reports’ came up with some helpful tips to cut costs and lock in the best rates.  One piece of advice that Consumer Reports’ didn’t offer was to use Yapta to track the price of your fight even after you’ve booked.  If the price drops, you could be entitled to a refund from the airline.

Florida-based Spirit Airlines was roundly criticized in August 2010 when it announced that it was going to be the first – and so far only – airline to charge passengers up to $45 in fees to stow carry-on luggage in overhead compartments.  A pair of federal lawmakers even threatened to impose a tax on all airline revenue generated by such fees, a penalty that has yet to be adopted.

But the Los Angeles Times is reporting that an industry consultant on airline revenue has declared Spirit’s carry-on baggage fee a “major success”.  In the 12-month period after Spirit launched the fee, the airline flew 24.5% more passengers compared with the same period in 2009.  And it’s estimated that the airline will earn $50 million in revenue from carry-on bag fees this year.

No doubt such numbers look enticing to executives at other airlines – and while there’s rampant speculation that baggage fees will rise across the board – msnbc.com reports that there’d be an uproar in Washington, D.C.” if that happened.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Ever wonder what your luggage experiences after you hand it over to the airline?  Delta Airlines was curious too, so they drilled out a bunch of holes in a box, stuffed it full of video cameras, and sent it on a flight from Atlanta to New York after hitting all the record buttons.  Give it a watch.  It’s pretty cool.

• Here’s an interesting flight safety factoid that will ease your mind:  According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the number of deaths in airline accidents globally is at the lowest level since 2006, the first year for which the IATA reported data in that category.  Through November, 486 people had died in air crashes, compared with the previous low of 502 in 2008.  By these numbers, you’re far safer 30,000 feet above the ground than you are in your car.

• And yet another interesting factoid that will make you scratch your head:  According to SplatF, of the 355 million people who have flown on planes equipped with Gogo’s inflight Wi-Fi since 2008, only 15 million sessions have been logged, which means that only 4% of people are going online.  To put that in perspective, that’s about 2 – 10 people on average who pay for online access during each Wi-Fi enabled flight.  So why the low uptake?  Some think it’s the Wi-Fi quality.

If you want to see New York on the cheap, now might be your chance.  Eight hotels are joining New York’s first-annual “Hotel Week” (Jan 6-15) – modeled after the city’s popular Restaurant Week concept – where you can book a Long Island City or Times Square hotel for as little as $100, or something more upscale for anywhere from $200 to $250.  Here’s a snapshot of the hotels that are participating during the week long event:

$100 rooms:

The Pod Hotel (Midtown East); Z NYC Hotel (Long Island City, Queens); The Hotel @ Times Square (Times Sq.); The New York Manhattan Hotel (Herald Square)

$200 rooms:

Andaz Wall Street (Wall St.); Hyatt 48 Lex (Midtown East)

$250 rooms:

Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC (Meatpacking District); Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC (29th & Park Ave.)

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• If you have a flight originating or connecting in Denver during this holiday week, you may want to consider making alternative travel plans now.  The national weather service has issued a winter storm warning for areas including the airport.  As of early this morning, 38 flights have already been cancelled.

• A recent Trip Advisor survey of more than 2,700 U.S. travelers revealed the people’s choice for the “top trip picks” in 2012.  Although 68 percent of respondents said they plan to travel outside of the U.S. this year, with destinations like Paris, Rome and London topping the list – there are plenty of people staying stateside.  The top 3 domestic hot-spots were New York, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.

• The FAA recently decided to reduce the maximum work day for commercial pilots from 16 hours to 14 hours per day in an effort to keep them more alert and reduce mistakes.  Pilots would get at least 30 consecutive hours free from duty on a weekly basis, a 25 percent increase over current policy.  The new rule also sets a 10-hour minimum rest period to flight duty, a 2-hour increase over the old rule.  Airlines have 2 years to comply with the new standard – which is estimated to cost them $297 million over 10 years.  Wonder what kind of fee they’ll dream up to cover that cost?  Or maybe they’ll just leave a tip jar as you exit the cabin.

Have you noticed that it’s more expensive to travel this holiday season, compared to last year?  Well, you’re right.  Not only does it cost more to fly to most destinations this holiday travel season, but the deals and the flights are extremely limited.

The cost of the average domestic flights between Dec. 16 and Jan. 1 is already 5% higher than last year, while international airfares are up 6%.  Over New Year’s Eve weekend, domestic airfares are up 6% and international airfares have jumped 12% from 2010.

Fares are so steep that some people have considered staying home this holiday season – or finding an alternate (more affordable) vacation than going to grandma’s house.  If you fall into the “anti-Christmas” camp, then you may want to look into a Mauiva AirCruise.  Mauiva has taken the “cruise” concept and put it in the air, instead of at sea.  They have a fleet of private airplanes that run 6- and 7-day itineraries just like a cruise or bus tour, with high-end accommodations, meals and visits to major attractions, but at an affordable price.  (And since they fly out of private airports, you don’t need to deal with the hassle of security lines.)  Could be a pretty cool way to travel during the holidays.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• This past Sunday a passenger’s gun went off in the security line at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.  TSA officers found a loaded .22-caliber Magnum revolver in a carry-on bag during an X-ray scan – and when they attempted to empty the gun, it went off.  Fortunately nobody was hurt.  The passenger told police, “he didn’t realize the pistol was in his messenger bag.”  That said, here’s our recommendation to all travelers:  Always check your carry on luggage for loaded hand guns before you go through security.

• Airfare buyers beware.  The number of fraudulent airline tickets ordered in the U.S. has surged recently, with more than $1 million in unauthorized tickets issued in the last few months.  The surge in fraudulent tickets is due to online scams targeting travel agents. The scammers send “phishing emails” to travel agents that appear to have been sent from the global distribution systems that provide travel agents the ability to book and issue airline tickets, according to ARC. The agents who open the email are directed to  log in to a fraudulent website and type in their credentials to order tickets.

• Traveling this holiday season?  Well, there’s certainly no shortage of holiday travel tips at your fingertips.  From kid travel tips to pet travel tips, everyone wants to give you some of their sage travel advice.  Soak it all in.  It could come in handy.

The Transportation Security Administration on Tuesday began testing a program at Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami airports that will allow expedited screening of some frequent fliers on Delta and American flights.  The program – called “PreCheck” – is a method of passenger screening that utilizes intelligence and a risk assessment of travelers.

The PreCheck program will rely on new machines that match a traveler’s boarding pass with his or her government-issued ID, while verifying that both documents are authentic.  The machines will assist the TSA agents that currently check identifications by hand using ultraviolet flashlights.

Travelers participating in the program provide the government with personal information that’s used to issue a boarding pass with a special bar code.  The new technology would authenticate government issued IDs by comparing written information on the card with information encoded in the ID’s bar codes, magnetic strip or computer chip.  It would also match the ID to the boarding pass.

PreCheck passengers will be routed to a security checkpoint lane where they may be allowed to keep their shoes, belt and jacket on and leave their toiletry and laptop bags in the luggage.  However, the TSA also said that some passengers will continue to be pulled aside for random screening.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• A company specializing in air transport communications released the findings of a new survey on Monday that revealed that more and more air passengers expect airlines and airports to communicate with them via mobile devices. The survey also found that passengers are increasing their use of self-service options like self-service gates and bag-tracking apps. Alternatives to airport check-in kiosks are being used more as well. This includes mobile check-in and off-airport check-in at places like hotels, train stations and convention centers.

• This week, NASA selected the winner of its CAFE Green Flight Challenge, intended to promote more efficient aircraft design, as well as the growth of an electric aircraft industry.  Fourteen teams signed up for the challenge, but only two aircraft met the competition’s efficiency requirements: the aircraft had to travel at least 200 miles at 100 miles per hour, using less than the energy equivalent of one gallon of fuel per occupant.  Pretty amazing stuff.

• The European Union is on the verge of imposing emission limits on the aviation industry under the Kyoto Protocol, meaning U.S. and other foreign airlines will be asked to pay for their contribution to climate change, and threatening a trade war in the skies.  The effort is currently being challenged by three U.S. airlines, including United, Continental and American, as well as the Air Transport Association.  The European Court of Justice will issue an initial opinion on the case on October 6.  A final decision is expected early next year.

Last week the Obama administration proposed banning the use of electronic cigarettes on airline flights, saying there is concern the smokeless cigarettes may be harmful.  Puffing on e-cigarettes is already a no-no on flights, but the government wants there to be no doubt.  The proposal would apply to all domestic airline flights, as well as scheduled flights of U.S. and foreign carriers to and from the U.S.  E-cigarettes are powered by small lithium ion-batteries and are designed to deliver nicotine to the smoker in the form of a vapor.  Experts say there is no possible harm to the public from smoking them, so this will likely be passionately debated as part of passenger rights.  (Although, it seems highly unlikely to be adopted.)  And for those of you wondering if the smoke detectors in airplane lavatories will sense e-cigarettes, I’m betting the answer is yes.  After watching this video, it seems they smell pretty bad too.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• If you’re going to be flying during the holidays this year, here’s my advice to you:  book early, then track your price on Yapta.  Delta, American, and United-Continental are all eliminating flights on some routes this fall – and into next year.  With fewer flights in the air, demand for seats will increase – and so will prices.  Airlines say they must be careful not to fly with more seats than they can fill at a time when fuel costs are high and fretful travelers could postpone trips because of a still struggling economy.

• Airports aren’t just for flying anymore.  Many are re-branding themselves as havens of customer service, picking up the slack from the airlines which pretty much abandoned perks and comforts.  Here’s an article that highlights some of the “best oddball airport surprises and services.”

• United Airlines is taking another step in combining its frequent flier program with Continental’s – but the changes may get a mixed reception from travelers. United is boosting rewards only for people who buy some of the most expensive tickets, instead of just those who fly the most miles. The airline says it’s trying to make those expensive tickets more attractive. Also, miles in the combined program will expire after a year and a half. That will not be a change for United travelers. Continental had no expiration date, although accounts could go inactive after a year and a half if no new miles were earned.

Travel Massive is coming to Seattle, a city rich with travel innovators and aviation history.  Taking place on Weds., Oct. 5th at Elysian Fields (542 1st Ave. S., Seattle) from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, Travel Massive Seattle is a open-invite cocktail gathering for travel start-ups, established travel companies, press and social media junkies who are passionate about travel and the travel business.  It’s part of a global Travel Massive initiative to connect people in the travel industry locally, bringing together players from established travel brands, startups, press (print and digital) and socially engaged travelers.  This loosely organized group of travel enthusiasts has quickly grown in cities including Sydney, London, New York, Toronto, San Francisco, Berlin, Marseille, Melbourne and more.

If you’re interested in attending Travel Massive Seattle, please RSVP so that there’s a couple of drinks budgeted for you.  And if you have questions or want to be involved on an ongoing basis, contact either Bruce Rosard, vp sales and marketing, PhoCusWright (@phocuswright), Jeff Pecor, vp communications, Yapta (@yapta), Susie Richards, head of industry, travel, Google (@googletravel).

Come on out and talk travel for a couple hours.  It should be a good time and an excellent networking opportunity.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Google launched a new flight search service on Tuesday, putting it in direct competition with travel search players including Orbitz and Kayak.  when a user searches for flight information — like “flights from New York to Chicago” — a “Flights” link will appear on the left side of Google’s search page. Google Flight Search can also be accessed directly at google.com/flights.

• Good news for gamers – and everyone else who is bored to death on trans-continental flights.  At the 2011 Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Expo in Seattle on Tuesday, Virgin America announced that next year it will be the first domestic airline to adopt a hybrid platform that offers passengers extensive entertainment plus Wi-Fi connectivity both through their seatback and their own personal devices.  The new “Red platform”, which will include larger, high-definition seatback screens, is now undergoing back-end testing on Virgin America’s new Airbus A320, dubbed the #nerdbird for the high number of passengers that log onto the Wi-Fi system on flights between San Francisco and Boston. The system should be available to everyone in late 2012.

• AirTran, Frontier, Southwest and JetBlue have all launched fare sales on flights to Florida (among other destinations).  Some of these offers are expiring soon – JetBlue’s expires today – so if you want an airfare that will put you in a “sunshine state” both literally and figuratively, then give these sales a look.

Jason Steffen, an astrophysicist from the Fermi National Laboratory in Illinois, has designed an algorithmic approach to plane boarding — and unsurprisingly, given the sorry, haphazard state of plane boarding today, his algorithm actually works rather well.  Basically, instead of grouping passengers or assigning blocks, Steffen simply fills the plane by seating a handful of individuals at a time.  The algorithm starts with alternate-row window seats, and then fills in the gaps with another round of window seats.  Then the process is repeated for the middle seats, and finally the aisle seats.  As a result, there is not a single iota of aisle, overhead locker, or seat congestion.  The end result is is a boarding method that is twice as fast as conventional block seating, and apparently a saving of up to $110 million per year per carrier.  Watch the boarding video if you need to see it to believe it.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Here’s another instance of life imitating art.  Last week on a United flight from Denver to New York, I watched Rio, an animated story about bird smuggling.  Turns out the movie’s plot is not a far departure from real-life occurrences. U.S. Fish and Wildlife officers recently arrested a LAX passenger attempting to board a flight to China on suspicion of smuggling rare birds.

• A Virginia college student who stripped to a pair of running shorts to protest intrusive search procedures will be allowed to sue two airport screeners.  The student was arrested at Richmond International Airport in December 2010 after stripping down to reveal a portion of the Fourth Amendment written in black marker on his chest.   The lawsuit charges security officials had arrested the student in response to his protest and not because he failed to follow instructions.  His attorneys claimed he has a right to peacefully object to the government’s treatment of airline passengers provided his actions are not disruptive.

• Airport dining,  which once conjured up images of heat lamps, stale pizza, overpriced coffee, and terrible service is undergoing something of a renaissance.  And there is a good chance it’s coming to a concourse near you.  This means great barbeque at DFW in Dallas, Southern comfort food at Hartsfield in Atlanta, or a raw seafood bar at Boston’s Logan airport.  Look out Chick-fil-a and Panda Express, better options are moving in.

The Department of Transportation is postponing some of the airline passenger protections scheduled to take effect this month after airlines and travel agents said they needed more time to implement the changes.

Now, airlines won’t have to list extra fees until January. Some new rules will go into effect this month for airlines in attempt to make traveling a little more pleasant on passengers. Others you’ll have to wait for. The Department of Transportation has granted airlines an extension to get together the rules to take effect later this month.  Here is a list of some of the new regulations that will be implemented:

1.) Passengers bumped from flights will get greater compensation.  $650 if the airline can get you there with in 1 to 2 hours of your originally scheduled flight, or up to $1300 if you delay is lengthy.

2.) Foreign flights on a tarmac for longer than 4 hours must deplane.

3.) Airlines must refund any baggage fee for lost luggage and post any change to those fees on their website for three months.

However, as part of the extension, airlines won’t have to post extra fees on website until January. In January, airlines will be banned from raising fees after the purchase and must provide timely notice of delays and cancellations.  And they will be required to disclose the full ticket price so you can finally separate fees from taxes.

Some airlines are suing over the changes. Allegiant, Spirit and Southwest have filed suit saying the changes violate their rights.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Southwest Airlines and other major carriers have rolled back fare increases they imposed in late July. The increases went into effect on July 22nd when the FAA’s taxing authority lapsed amid a Congressional stalemate.  The increases were roughly equal to taxes on most routes, so consumer may not have not have noticed the changes, but it wasn’t until August 8th, it wasn’t clear that airlines would rescind the increases once FAA taxes resumed.  Southwest led the rollbacks the evening of August 7th, and was joined by Delta and American Airlines early on the 8th.

• The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) and the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) today began operating the first test site for the Known Crewmember program at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.  Known Crewmember, a new enhanced security-screening program for airline crew members, positively verifies a pilot’s identity and employment status, strengthening aviation security and shortening screening lines for passengers. The TSA is also working toward launching a “trusted traveler” program that will offer reduced security screening for airline passengers who register and agree to release some personal information and undergo a background check. The passenger program will start this fall at two airports, with more sites and airlines phased in over time.

• Lengthy delays for passengers on airport tarmacs are on the increase. According to the latest data from the Transportation Department, fourteen flights sat on tarmacs for more than three hours in June compared with only three in June 2010.  It was the second month in a row that the number of three-hour delays reached double-digits since a new Transportation Department rule took effect in April 2010. The rule can lead to fines of up to $27,500 per passenger for tarmac delays that last more than three hours.

Travelers who paid all federal airline taxes when they bought tickets on or before July 22, 2011, for travel beginning on or after July 23, 2011, now might get a refund since the taxes have expired.  The refunds are due after Congress failed to pass legislation funding the Federal Aviation Administration and stopped collecting taxes that expired at midnight Friday. Until things are resolved, airlines can’t collect the taxes on tickets sold after July 23, and the government isn’t authorized to collect the taxes on tickets sold before that time if people who bought those tickets travel during the shutdown period.

The IRS is asking airlines to handle the refund process, but they aren’t required to, and most are directing customers directly to the IRS, which says it is still working on a procedure for handling refunds.  Jetblue is the only major airline accepting requests for ticket tax refunds.

In the meantime, CBS News reported that instead of passing the tax savings (on new ticket purchases) onto the consumer in the form of lower ticket prices, most airlines have raised their fees to make up the difference.  Only Alaska, Hawaiian, and Spirit Airlines seem to be sticking to their normal pricing.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• JetBlue is selling a three-month pass for unlimited flights to help win business passengers after the peak season ends for U.S. vacation travel.  The so-called BluePass covers trips from Boston or Long Beach, CA to certain markets from Aug. 22 through Nov. 22 with no blackout dates.  Prices range from $1,299 to $1,999 for three service options based on origination and destination airports.

• If you’ve ever been interested in traveling to destinations outside of the U.S., now may be your opportunity to do it without breaking the bank. Air New Zealand is currently offering incredible rates on round-trip flights originating from Los Angeles and San Francisco. There’s also stellar deals on round-trip flights to destinations across Europe that will be expiring very soon. Or if you’re interested in Hong Kong or Beijing, there’s discounts available if you book by August 1st.