Yapta Yapta Blog

A video of a Transportation Security Administration worker patting down a 6-year-old girl at Armstrong International Airport in April has prompted changes to the TSA’s policy for screening children.  While no specific changes have been detailed by the TSA yet, here’s what we do know:  The changes will apply to kids 12 and younger are intended to ultimately reduce  - though not eliminate – pat-downs of children.  We’ll keep you posted as the new policy changes become a little clearer.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able allowed to fly Delta Air Lines flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta’s new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines.  Although Delta announced in January that the Saudi airline would join its SkyTeam network next year, the implications of the deal only came to light recently.  (Nice due diligence folks!)  Saudi Arabia bans anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passport from entering the country, even in transit.  Religious items such as Bibles that are not related to Islam may be confiscated at the airport.

• The International Air Transport Association recently unveiled a prototype for the “Airport Checkpoint of the Future” at a conference in Singapore.  After arriving at the airport, passengers would enter one of three security lanes and be checked according to risk.  Advances in screening technology could eliminate the need for passengers to remove clothes or unpack their belongings.

• Spirit Airlines says it will begin charging customers $5 to have their boarding pass printed by an airport agent.  Customers can avoid a fee by checking in online or – for a few months – by using a self-service airport kiosk.  Similar to other fee announcements the carrier has made in the past, Spirit justified the new fee by claiming it would lower its fares by the same amount to offset the charge.

Ever feel like you’re being watched?  Well, you are.  According to reports, the TSA plans to use your personal information and patterns of behavior to determine the level of screening you receive at airports.  (How “Arizona” is that?)  Experts note, however, that whether this system is successful depends on the ability to collect your relevant information from governments and airlines.  (Insert maniacal laughter and hand-wringing here.)  To date, the European community has made a big issue of releasing any personal data to the U.S., even from that collected from the airline passenger data.

The “inevitable” screening process will not focus on your race or religion.  Instead, the information will be coupled with characteristics that arise from patterns of behavior, such as your travel history and the manner in which you acquire your travel, particularly anything egregious that would “make for more careful scrutiny.”

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Developers are being sought for plans that would turn the vacant TWA terminal at New York’s Kennedy Airport into the centerpiece of a boutique hotel.  The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey envisions a 150-room hotel in the space between the old TWA terminal and the new JetBlue building.  Bet that will offer a good night’s sleep.

• A man who abandoned his dog on an airport curb in Texas has been arrested and charged with cruelty to animals.  A man was boarding a flight to Michigan from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Friday when he found out he did not have the proper documentation to fly with his dog – so he called a friend to come get the dog, but did not wait for the friend to show up and left the animal crated outside the airport in 21-degree temperatures.  Not a good idea.  He boarded his flight on Frontier Airlines, but was arrested before the plane took off.

According to a number of recent reports, simply erasing your cookies (the text that Web servers store on your computer, identifying you as a repeat visitor) before shopping for travel can lead to some big savings.

It may seem counterintuitive, but in the online shopping business, loyalty isn’t rewarded.  The best discounts are typically reserved for new customers.  And one of the easiest ways to make Web retailers think you’re a new customer is to delete the cookies they leave on your computer.

Don’t believe it?  Well, a blog from PC Magazine recently posted an item about a woman who was able to save at least $19 a night on a room at Bally’s casino in Las Vegas simply by deleting her cookies and hitting the site again to check for rooms.

Give this strategy a try the next time you’re shopping for travel and you could save some cookie dough.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Wanna know how to fly 35,000 miles, visit 4 continents, 9 countries, and 15 cities for $418?  Read this interesting article to find out.  (Caution, you may be venturing into travel nerd territory here.)

• At a special forum on child safety in Washington today, the federal government, flight attendants, and airlines all urged parents to buckle up their babies on airplanes – instead of holding them in their laps, even if it means shelling out money for an extra ticket.

• Ever wonder what the TSA does with the stuff they confiscate at security checkpoints?  This article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution offers a brief explanation.

Tis’ the season for travel gift guides.  Every year around this time, there’s a flood of them.  So many in fact, that we thought you might need a guide for all the travel gift guides.  So here you go – our top 10 travel gift guides for frequent flyers:

The AOL Travel News Holiday Gift Guide

The San Jose Mercury News Travel Gift Guide

FOXNews.com Travel Gift Guide

TimeOut Chicago Travel Gift Guide

Budget Travel Gift Guide

Portfolio.com Business Travel Gift Guide

WorldHum Travel Technology Gift Guide

The New York Times Frugal Traveler Gift Guide

The Columbus Dispatch Travel Gift Guide

New England Cable Network Travel Gift Guide

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Former Bay Watch star Donna D’Errico is calling foul on the TSA for pulling her aside at the airport for “extra” screening – simply because she’s attractive.  When she asked the agent why she was picked to go through the body scan, he only responded with, “because you caught my eye.”  She said that after the search, she noticed the male TSA agent who had pulled her out of line was smiling and whispering with two other TSA agents and glancing at her.  ”I was outraged,” she said.

• Earlier today the folks at hotels.com issued some unique tips for families that are traveling this holiday season.  They explain how to take the entire yuletide season on the road, props included.  If you’re traveling with kids, you’ll want to give this one a read.

• A US Airways flight from Newark to Phoenix was diverted to Pittsburgh this morning after a passenger’s small dog got loose and bit a flight attendant and another passenger.  Flight 522 from Newark, an Airbus carrying 122 passengers, landed at Pittsburgh International Airport, where medical personnel treated the two people who were bitten.  US Airways said the passenger with the dog was supposed to keep it in its cage under her seat, which is the airline’s policy.  But she took it out and the animal ran loose.

In a press release  issued early today, Expedia, Kayak and Travelocity announced that they have formed FairSearch.org, a coalition of large online travel sites and travel technology companies, banded together in an effort to urge the Justice Department to challenge Google’s proposed $700 million purchase of ITA Software.

ITA powers some of the Web’s most popular airline-ticket search and booking sites, including Kayak.com and Hotwire.com.  Expedia (owner of Hotwire and Expedia.com) as well as Kayak and Microsoft, whose Bing search engine relies on ITA for airfare searches, argued to Justice Department antitrust lawyers that with ITA’s data and technology Google could gain an unfair competitive advantage because it would, “enable Google to manipulate and dominate the online air travel marketplace.  The end result could be higher travel prices, fewer travel choices for consumers and businesses, and less innovation in online travel search.”

It didn’t take Google long to respond from it’s blog, stating that the deal would not result in higher travel prices or fewer choices for consumers because ITA and Google aren’t competitors, and that ITA doesn’t set ticket prices for sell tickets and Google doesn’t plan to either.  Google also noted that the three most popular travel websites in the U.S. – Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity – all use data provided by ITAs competitors. (Doh!)

Google said that it won’t be “choosing winners and losers in online travel” because its goal is to build tools that drive more traffic to airline and online travel agency sites and that those tools will create more overall online sales for those sites.   And by combining ITA’s ability to analyze data on seat availability and pricing with Google’s search engine could end the “frustrating experience” today’s airfare search, where a “simple two-city itinerary involves literally thousands of different options.”

Sounds a lot like the plot to the popular TV mini-series “V”.  The one where aliens move in and say they come in peace, but actually have sinister motives.  They claim to only need a small amount of Earth’s resources, in exchange for which they will share their advanced technological and medical knowledge.  As a small number of humans begin to doubt the sincerity of the seemingly benevolent aliens, it’s discovered that the aliens have spent decades infiltrating human governments and businesses and are threatening to take over the Earth.

Awesome.  Can’t wait to see how the real-life version plays out.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Earlier today Southwest Airlines announced a winter airfare sale with some one-way tickets as low as $30.   The sale lasts until Thursday, and like any fare sale, there are restrictions.  With this sale, customers can buy one-way tickets for $30, $60, $90 or $120 based on length of travel.  Travel dates are good between December 1 and December 15 and January 4, 2011 and February 16, 2011.  Sundays are not included in this fare sale.

• Virgin America also announced a “No Tricks, Just Treats” fare sale today. Virgin America is now offering low one-day advance purchase fares to all of its destinations for travel between Oct. 26 through Oct. 31, 2010.  Tickets are on sale today and can be purchased via Virgin America’s Web site (www.virginamerica.com) and at 1.877.FLY.VIRGIN (1.877.359.8474). Restrictions, taxes and fees apply. Tickets must be purchased by Oct 30, 2010, and travel must occur between Oct. 26 and Oct. 31, 2010.

• Starting next month, federal regulators will start cracking down on a new rule that requires air passengers to submit personal identification data when booking for flights and show a recognized government ID at the airport that matches the information. The rule was introduced last year, but the Transportation Security Administration imposed a year-long grace period that ends at the end of the month.

Do you need to send a child alone on a trip by commercial airline? The Houston Chronicle recently published the following tips for sending your child solo on a flight:

1.) The airlines have procedures that must be followed, and most airlines have similar policies, but you should check with the specific airline you are using.

2.) An unaccompanied minor may range from 5 to 17 years old. There usually is an additional fee. If the child is flying alone, let the airline know when making the reservation.

3.) The TSA will provide an escort pass, which will allow you to take your child right to the gate of the airline. You must stay at the gate until the plane takes off .

4.) A person you designate will be allowed to pick up the child upon arrival. When making the reservation, provide the name, address and phone number of the person who is picking up your child. Be sure that person has a government-issued identification and a current photo ID.

5.) Check the weather before heading out to the airport. The airlines book unaccompanied minors on early flights, in case there are weather-related or other delays.

6.) Before booking a flight, check the airline’s and airport’s websites, or call with any questions

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• The TSA at Boston’s Logan Airport is using a “new enhanced patdown,’’ for random screenings and on travelers who decline to go through a metal detector or full-body scanner.  The Boston Globe describes the patdown as, “palms-forward, over-the-clothing contact.” Any patdown is done by a TSA official of the same sex, and travelers can request that it be done in a separate area, and with an attendant present.

• The Associated Press reports that a baggage-handler at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was arrested yesterday on suspicion that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of items from the luggage of passengers in a case that could include hundreds of victims from around the world.  This is just another example of why you should always keep valuables in your carry-on luggage rather than in checked baggage.

• The Associated Press reports that an air passenger transporting a bag of 95 boa constrictor snakes burst open on a luggage conveyor belt at an airport in Malaysia.  The passenger, who also had some other types of snakes and a turtle in his luggage, was charged with wildlife smuggling.  And you thought the movie “Snakes on a Plane” was based on pure fiction.

Nearly every major airline – with the exception of JetBlue, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines – is treating each day this summer as a peak travel day, which means additional fees on the price of every ticket.  According to a report, the airlines will charge $10 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, $20 on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays and $30 on Sundays.  And these charges apply only to one-way tickets, so if you’re flying round trip, the surcharge is double.

Unlike baggage fees, which are charged separately, peak travel surcharges are added to the base airfare price and a 7.5% sales tax is applied.  It’s very similar to how fuel surcharges are added to the price of your ticket.  Essentially, they are a hidden cost.

The peak travel surcharges will drop off in the last week of August as the busy summer travel season winds down.  So, if you’re looking to take a trip but don’t want to pay top dollar, perhaps it’s better to travel late, than never.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• According to a recent report, in the not-too-distant future, travelers will have “digital personalities” that will identify them before an air fare search begins.  Carriers will be able to “see” shoppers and deliver their search results, intelligently and in real time.  For instance, let’s say you are executive platinum on American Airlines and you’re looking to book a flight at AA.com.  American’s site would know to waive your baggage fees.  Or maybe you’re not executive platinum, but the carrier has lost your bag twice in the last few months, so it would know to waive the bag fee for your next flight.

• Although the threat of a potential flight attendant strike is still months away, American Airlines is actively making its contingency plan for staffing flights.  The airline has sent letters to area managers asking for volunteers to complete flight attendant training, in case a resolution with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants is not finalized in time to prevent a strike.

• According to the USA Today, airline passengers who get frustrated and kick a wall, throw a suitcase or make a pithy comment to a screener could find themselves in a little-known Homeland Security database.  The TSA says it is keeping records of people who make its screeners feel threatened as part of an effort to prevent workplace violence.

The New York Post reports that over the next several months, air travelers can expect to wait longer — and pay more — to fly to and from JFK Airport after its main runway is shut down for extensive repairs.

The Queens air-traffic hub — already near the bottom of the barrel for on-time performance — is expected to face delays of what critics warn will be “multiple hours,” as planes are diverted to three smaller runways at the Queens facility.  And passengers will have to dig deeper to afford the higher ticket prices that the airlines will likely charge to make up for temporarily cutting about 10 percent of their flights into and out of JFK.  Adding insult to injury, the carriers are building in time to their schedules so that longer-than-normal trips won’t technically arrive “late.”

The shutdown will allow workers to tear up the 14,572-foot Bay Runway and replace its asphalt surface with more-durable concrete.  The runway — which normally handles a third of JFK’s traffic and half of all departures — will also be widened to accommodate new, extra-jumbo jets as part of the $376 million project.

Year-over-year fare increases can already be seen on some of the airport’s most popular routes, including flights to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• Speaking of JFK Airport, the AP reports that in February, a child apparently directed pilots from the air traffic control center. Audio clips from mid-February — during a week-long winter break for many New York schoolchildren — were posted online recently where a child can be heard on the tape making five transmissions to pilots preparing for takeoff.  In one exchange, the child can be heard saying, “JetBlue 171 contact departure.”  The pilot responds: “Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job.”  The child appears to be under an adult’s supervision, because a male voice then comes on and says with a laugh, “That’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.”  In another exchange, the youngster clears another plane for takeoff, and says, “Adios, amigo.”  The pilot responds in kind.

• Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who deftly landed a US Airways plane in the Hudson River last year, retired today after 30 years with the airline.  His last flight was scheduled to arrive in Charlotte, N.C., from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., shortly after 3 p.m. ET today.  Meanwhile, Doreen Welsh, a flight attendant on Capt. Sully’s historic splash-landing, also retired today from US Airways after four decades of service.  Congrats to both Capt. Sully and Doreen.

• The TSA is re-evaluating a technology that aims to take one of the biggest hassles out of airport security: removing your shoes at a checkpoint.  The USA Today reports that a dozen companies have designed shoe scanning machines, and the TSA says it plans to buy 100 of the devices by next year.  The machines, which find metal weapons and explosives in shoes, didn’t pass muster in tests three years ago.  The developers of the latest generation of the machines promise better results, and the TSA says the technology will improve security.

Shoes… er, hats off to this new technology!

JetBlue announced a sale today on winter fares to 55 destinations, from sunny to wintry.  The airline is offering fares as low as $39 on routes such as New York-Boston and San Francisco-Long Beach, Calif.  Blackout dates and other restrictions apply.  Sale fares will be available on JetBlue’s websitethrough Jan. 13th for travel through March 24th.  Fares may require an advance purchase of up to 10 days.

Here’s some more travel news you can use:

• American Airlines is in the dog-house with the Federal Aviation Administration.  Today the FAA announced that they are keeping a close eye on the airline after three landing mishaps within the last 30 days.  During two separate landing attempts in North Carolina and Texas, the planes wingtips touches the ground.  Also, one plane overshot the runway during heavy rain while trying to land in Jamaica.

• A power outage at Reagan National Airport today is causing delays for flights out of Washington.  The power reportedly went out shortly after noon today.  All flights were temporarily suspended, but some planes were able to land due to a backup power supply at the air control tower.  Security checks were also being halted due to the power outage.

• The head of the Los Angeles airport police union this morning urged the federal government to require full-body scanners for every passenger at airport security checkpoints, saying metal detectors are no longer enough.  Los Angeles is currently one of 19 airports nationwide that uses whole-body imagers, but only uses it on passengers selected for secondary screening.

• A security breach at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday evening forced the closure of a terminal for hours while authorities re-screened thousands of passengers.  The incident happened at about 5:20 p.m. at Terminal C, when a man walked through an exit on the public side to the secure “sterile” side for passengers who had cleared screening, according to the TSA.  All passengers had been re-screened by early Monday, according to the TSA. Flights from Terminal C were grounded until the process was completed.  Ah, travel sure is going to be fun in 2010 with the heightened security.

In an alarming security breach, a U.S. airport security manual has been posted on the internet.  The confidential airport passenger screening procedures offer insight into how to sidestep security. The 90-page Transportation Security Administration (TSA) manual was marked “sensitive security information”.  It had been sitting on the internet since March but the blunder has only just been made public by a blogger.

There is plenty of compromising information in the document.  It includes what size of electrical wire can go undetected by airport screening machines, which items that screeners can decide not to check, including wheelchairs, and what the identity cards for the CIA and Federal air marshals look like.

There is also information about the setting on x-ray machines and the devices to detect the presence of explosives.

Here’s some more travel news you can use: (Not that we’re encouraging you to “use” the above information.)

• To mark Southwest’s new nonstop service from Boston to St. Louis and Denver, the airline is offering discounted airfare for travel from Jan. 11 through March 12. One-way tickets start at $79 between Boston and St. Louis, and $89 between Boston and Denver.  A 14-day advance purchase is required. Book by Jan 10. Discounted fares are not available for Sunday travel.

• Are you into skiing?  Well listen up.  The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is offering a “2 for 2 Jackson Hole airfare deal“.  The offer includes two free plane tickets when customers purchase an additional two to Jackson Hole for travel during January.  The two free ticket airfare deal has a maximum travel credit of $500 each and must be booked in conjunction with a minimum five-night stay and lift tickets to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The promotion is valid for travel from January 3 – 31, 2010 and must be booked through Jackson Hole Central Reservations by January 1, 2010.