Yapta Yapta Blog

For the second time this month, Southwest Airlines is warning people about a Facebook scheme claiming to offer two free tickets.  The scheme is still making its rounds – so be cautious. When people click on the link for the purported free ticket offer, it allows the schemers to essentially hijack their Facebook account. Their account then posts the offer, appearing in their friends’ Facebook feeds. In addition, following the instructions to get the free tickets also provides the schemers with their personal information.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Spirit Airlines has wasted no time in mocking the latest reports linking Alex Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs. The South Florida-based carrier debuted its new airfare sale Wednesday, promising that they’d “Improve your travel performance with their PEDs.” Of course, Spirit’s version of PEDs are explained as being Price Extravaganza Deals.

• The off-the-scale smog in Beijing has been so thick in recent days that airlines have been forced to canceled flights due to poor visibility.  Fear not travelers, they are now selling fresh air in a can for only $.80.

• If you happen to be in New Orleans for the Super Bowl, check out the $10,000 drink package from The Windsor Court hotel.  For ten large you’ll receive two nights stay on a future visit in the penthouse, dinner in the grill room, city tours, spa treatments, and – of course – a nice buzz.

Hate dealing with your travel bags?  Well, United Airlines has joined American Airlines in offering  travelers the option of having checked luggage delivered to a home, office or hotel for a fee.  The service will deliver luggage to locations in a 40-mile radius of an airport within four hours of a flight’s arrival. Delivery may be booked online or via phone up to an hour before a flight’s departure.

In addition to regular checked bags fees, delivery costs $29.95 for one bag, $39.95 for two bags and $49.95 for three to eight bags on United — and up to ten bags on American. Fees and delivery times are adjusted for destinations beyond 40 miles and up to 100 miles from an airport.  If bags arrive outside the delivery window, service fees are refunded.

If you’re worried that this service will only increase the chances that your luggage will be lost, take heart in the fact that lost luggage rates are on the decline.  The latest luggage data shows that 99.7 percent of all U.S. airline passengers have their bags properly handled.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• The Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre (JACDEC), which collects information about aviation accidents and safety, has published its annual Airline Safety Ranking.  Sixty (60) airlines were ranked, but if you’re interested in knowing the ten with the worst safety records, give this story a read.  And for the record, according to the Aviation Safety Network, 2012 was the safest year for air travel since the dawn of the jet age in 1945.

• The New York Times recently spotlighted “3 Tips for Finding Rental Car Deals.”  Rental cars can be pricey, so these simple tips could help you save a bundle on you next trip.

• SmarterTravel has created “The Ultimate Packing List” for your checked luggage – ensuring you’ll never forget your underwear or passport again.  The list even comes complete with suggestions of items to separate out into a carry-on.  Print it out, then customize it for your trip by crossing out list items that don’t apply to you and adding any new ones that do.

Looking to start a new company?  Well, you may want to talk to American Airlines – which is currently in bankruptcy.

Astonishingly, the airline announced that it has launched a new start-up investment fund called Blue Ocean.  In a recent panel at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Jason Oshiokpekhai, American’s manager of business development and strategic partnerships, said that AA is looking to invest in high-growth start-ups, entrepreneurs and incubators.  Oshiokpekhai said that American Airlines is interested in fostering the start-up community because small businesses make up the airlines fastest growing customer segment – and they want to “create a conversation with (their) next best customer.”

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• American Airlines unveiled a new look today with brighter colors, an “updated eagle” peeking out from a ribbon, a more contemporary font, and bold red-white-and-blue stripes for its fleet’s tails.  While it’s definitely patriotic, not everyone is breaking out the apple pie over the makeover.  In fact, some say that AA now looks like a Greyhound bus.

• Delta announced that for the first time, its SkyMiles members will have to spend a minimum number of Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQD) in 2014, on top of having a base number of miles and segments, to qualify for Medallion status in 2015.  SkyMiles members at the top SkyMiles Medallion Diamond tier would have to log 125,000 miles, wrack up 140 qualifying segments, and then spend $12,500 in 2014 to get into the program the following year.

• Need a “braincation”?  Last month Marriott and Renaissance began testing “Braincation Zones” at eight hotels across the Caribbean and Mexico, providing guests with designated tech-free areas where they can “unplug”. The Braincation Zones are located in quiet areas with beverages, technology-free games and stress-free tips for guests to take home with them.

The Consumer Electronics Show was this week in Las Vegas and it spotlighted some new technology innovations that might appeal to frequent travelers.

Try the Re-Timer on for size.  Literally.  It’s a portable light device that mimics the benefits of sunlight – so you can re-time your body to new time zones.  Unlike the sun, however, the Retimer is 100% UV-free and able to be used on an overcast day or during long winters when the sun is not visible. Seattle-folk, you listening?

Or perhaps you’ll like the ChargeCard. You know how you never have a sync cable when you need one? The ChargeCard solves that problem: just stick it in your wallet. Made mostly of rubber and almost exactly the size of a credit card, the ChargeCard sports either a Micro-USB connector or a 30-pin iDevice connector and a USB plug on a bendable rubber arm. You can use it to charge or sync your device or both.

Lastly, check out the ChargeDr.  It’s a dongle that plugs into a laptop USB port and somehow boosts the amperage so you can charge your iPad (or other tablet). It will also speed up tablet charging when used with a wall or car charger. Works with phones, too.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Also at this year’s CES, The Federal Communications Commission announced that it plans on freeing up a large portion of the airwaves to bolster WiFi across the country, especially in airports and convention centers. Business travelers, can I get an Amen?

• If you suffer from jetlag, but can’t afford the Re-Timer, take a look a free online tool called Jet Lag Rooster.  You to plug in your trip itinerary, the times you usually go to sleep and awaken, and whether you’d like to start shifting your slumber schedule before you leave or when you arrive, and the free service calculates the optimal times – down to the hour – when you should seek light, and when you should avoid it.

• Just when you couldn’t get enough news about guns, the TSA reported today that it seized a record number of guns in 2012.  U.S. travelers attempted to bring more than 1,500 guns on board planes in 2012 – of which 85% were loaded.  Stunning.

Southwest Airlines, which has long bragged about having simple fare structures that don’t include fees for things like changing tickets or checking bags, recently announced plans to increase its dependence on fees.  The airline said it plans to increase annual revenues by $100 million by charging fees for early boarding positions, over-sized bags and penalties for no-shows on flights.

The airline said that the no-show fee will be levied on passengers who don’t cancel tickets before a flight. (Essentially, they want the opportunity to re-sell that empty seat.)  Meanwhile, the fee for overweight bags will rise to $100 from $50, and early check-in, which helps move passengers toward the front of the boarding line and assure space for their bag in the overhead bins, will go to $12.50 from $10.

You are now free fee to roam about the country.

Here’s some more news you can use:

• 2013 has ushered in a shake-up in the rankings of the world’s largest airlines.   United (thanks to its merger with Continental) officially takes over the top spot from Delta – which maintains only a narrow lead on the rapidly growing Emirates.

• JetBlue Airways is testing a new ancillary service called Even More Speed that will enable passengers to pay $10 for the privilege of using expedited security lanes at about 40 airports.

• It’s always important to keep in mind that airports are public places – and people can do the craziest things.  If you choose to partake in the craziness, choose to dance like nobody’s watching – instead of what the kid from the film Twilight recently did.

Good news for those seeking a cheap flight abroad.  Air Canada is entering the low-cost leisure travel market with the launch of its new Rouge airline.  The new airline will begin flying on July 1 from Toronto to Venice, Italy, and Edinburgh, Scotland, two destinations that currently aren’t served by Air Canada.  It will also serve Athens from Toronto and Montreal.  Air Canada’s existing flights to Cuba, the Dominican Republican, Jamaica and Costa Rica will be flown by the discount carrier from Toronto.

The airline said flights to Venice, Edinburgh and Athens will start at special introductory fares of $963 round-trip, including all taxes, fees, charges and surcharges.  Flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica will start at $272, one-way, while Cuba is offered starting at $545 round-trip.  All the introductory fares, which are available until Dec. 25, are based on Toronto departures.

If you live near either Toronto or Montreal, perhaps Rouge airlines can help you save some serious de l’argent.  (My high school French is suddenly paying huge dividends.)

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• In an effort to attract price-conscious booze-cruisers, Royal Caribbean announced that it will begin selling all-you-can-drink beverage packages on its 22 ships early in 2013.  Packages are priced between $42 and $55 per guest, per day (depending on the cruise line).  Stay thirsty my friends.

• Following months of congressional pressure, the TSA has agreed to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study the health effects of the agency’s X-ray body scanners.  The TSA maintains that the scanners are safe and that they emit only a low dose of X-rays equivalent to the radiation a passenger would receive in two minutes of flying at typical cruising altitude.  Regardless, don’t you typically seek a second opinion on the safety of these machines before you radiate hundreds of thousands of people with them?  This has class action lawsuit written all over it.

• In the period between New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, travel drops off sharply, and cruise lines, airlines, hotels, and rental car agencies offer discounts that can make even the most jaded traveler giggle with glee.  Be on the lookout for these post-holiday deals – particularly on Twitter and Facebook.

If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of frustrating flight delays and cancellations.  And you’ve probably had fleeting moments when you’ve wondered if the airline was run by a bunch of monkeys.  But did you ever think you could do a better job?  Well, if you’re nerdy enough mathematically inclined, here’s your chance.

General Electric wants the public to help solve the mathematical processes applied to flight scheduling. Offering $500,000 in total prize money — $100,000 for the winner — the company has launched a competition called the “GE Flight Quest Challenge” for you to develop a usable and scalable algorithm that delivers a real-time flight profile to the pilot, helping them make flights more efficient and reliably on time.

Contest submissions will be judged based on algorithm predictions for plane arrivals at the runway and the gate. Using practice data sets, entrants have to submit a final model in February next year. The winner’s model will be released as a test-bed on airline systems in March 2013.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• American Airlines rolled out new airfare “upgrade” packages this week available on all round-trip flights.  For an extra $68, you can now get a checked bag, priority boarding and no fee if you need to change your flight reservation.

• Hotels chains are upgrading their toiletry lines, believing that a shampoo brand can make a difference to travelers who already stock their homes with high-end products.  Apparently, by upgrading to a fancier toiletry line, a hotel can boost its appeal to travelers – and, in turn, justify higher rates from those who truly appreciate the products.

• Have you ever wondered what happens to your scissors, knives, snowglobes, or your kid’s Play-Doh after they are confiscated at airport security checkpoints?  It ends up in state-run auctions or stores, where thrifty customers can rummage through bins of objects from the TSA’s no-fly list. Yuuuuuup! Some states are making hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling your stuff.

According to a new study, gravity waves, mysterious waves that ripple unseen throughout the atmosphere, may be a major source of airplane turbulence.  Yep, gravity, the source of all my weight and aging problems, is now found to be hitting airplanes in waves (like water).  Gravity waves in the atmosphere can amplify and break , and it’s been determined that’s it’s a major contributor to turbulence in the atmosphere that affects aircraft.

Gravity waves form when air traveling up and down in the atmosphere meets resistance.  For instance, clouds rising in the troposphere, the lower level of the atmosphere where air mixes freely, will bump up against the boundary of the much more stable stratosphere, forming ripples in the process.  Big mountains like the Colorado Rockies often form gravity waves as air flows over the mountains and then overshoots as it reaches the other side.

If you think about it, the theory behind gravity waves make a lot of sense.  For example, have you every asked yourself why it’s harder to get out of bed in the morning on some days than others.  Or why your weight fluctuates 5-10 pounds?  It’s not the extra piece of holiday cake.  It’s because you’re being hit with a gravity wave.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• US Airways has become one of the world’s first airlines to accept MasterCard PayPass-enabled cards and devices to make contactless payments for in-flight purchases. Passengers can tap their PayPass-enabled MasterCard or device on a US Airways’ PayPass-accepting reader to complete a transaction without use of a PIN or signature because of the low-value transactions.

• Those who want to see the TSA go away may have their day.  The agency has been so widely criticized for its procedures that it didn’t even bother to show up for a House aviation subcommittee hearing last week, as officials seemed fearful of having to answer hard questions and wanted to avoid getting publicly lambasted (again).  But the TSA’s absence may have spoke louder than words.

• YouTube has reached a new agreement with commercial airline Virgin America that brings web video content to passengers during flights. Beginning Dec. 15, passengers can watch videos from five YouTube channel partners on the small screen that’s in the back of each seat’s head rest. The content includes Warner Brothers’ H+ The Digital Series, WIGS’ Blue, Geek & Sundry’s Written By a Kid, Crash Course, and Barely Political’s The Key of Awesome.

In the past, the TSA has said that if medical marijuana patients’ paperwork checks out, they can board a flight with meds in tow as long as they are headed to a medical marijuana state that honors such laws.  With the recent vote legalizing medical marijuana in both Washington and Colorado, people are now beginning to question the TSA about the rule.  Does that mean you can now fly between those states with your stash?

TSA spokesperson David Castelveter gave some vague answers this question – but ultimately made it clear that the TSA is a federal agency and therefore doesn’t consider marijuana legal under any circumstances.  That said, the TSA still has the power to ruin your day, regardless of what state laws may say.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• JetBlue is offering a 50% airfare savings with the purchase of a vacation package using this offer.  Book by December 9th and travel through December 19th.

• Emirates, which flies nonstop from L.A. and San Francisco to Dubai, is offering a discount on travel this winter and spring on long-haul routes to the Middle East and beyond.

• For those of you looking to “dry out” a little this winter, there’s some hotel bargains in Arizona that you can warm up to.  The W Scottsdale is offering fourth nights free, while at the Hyatt Regency, you’ll get either your third or fourth night free plus a $100 (all prices U.S.) dining credit.  The Royal Palms has third nights free and at the Montelucia, it’s fourth nights free plus $50 for the spa, and $50 for dining.  Deals expire Jan. 12, 2013.  For a list of participating resorts see scottsdaleholidayexperience.com.

Want to take that trip, but don’t want to fully commit?  Well, a number of companies are starting to sell (or are planning to sell) options on airline tickets.

An airfare option works similarly to a stock option.  The seller of the option charges a fee to hold your flight reservation at a certain fare, but you’re not obligated to buy a ticket.  If your travel plans change, you let the option expire, and you’ve lost only the fee, not the full cost of the plane ticket.

Here’s an example:  You pay $9 to lock in a ticket at a set fare for three days while you get your spouse or friends to commit to a getaway — or wait for your boss to approve vacation time.

Typically, the longer you hold the fare, the more the option costs. You don’t get your fee back, regardless of whether you make the purchase or let the option expire.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Monday is Veterans Day, and Red Roof Inn is offering veterans and active duty military a 15 percent discount at select properties in November.  Proof of military service is required.  Blackout dates may apply. Visit RedRoof.com or call 1-800-Red-Roof.  Use promotional  code 608455 for the discount.

• A United Airlines flight from Denver landed safely in Washington DC after its crew reported an emergency because a passenger began praying in an aisle shortly before landing.  (Been there.)  According to United, the male passenger wasn’t following flight attendant instructions for landing – so they alerted authorities.  The plane was then escorted to Dulles airport by military jets.  (I can see the new PSAs now:  ”Hi, this is Tim Tebow of the Jets, reminding you to Tebow responsibly by keeping it out of the aisle.”)

• I just lost all faith and trust in any poll conducted by Harris Interactive.  I find it extremely hard to believe that nearly a third of Americans with comply with a body cavity search by the TSA.