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Name, Date of Birth, and Gender Please

Do you know exactly how your name is spelled on your driver’s license and/or passport? You might want to double check. The next time you book a flight, you just might be asked for this information. And that won’t be a temporary request. Not only will you be asked to give your full name as it is written on the government issued ID you plan to travel with, but you will also be asked your date of birth and gender. Why?

 

The Transportation Security Administration has implemented a newly formed program called Secure Flight, and ALL airlines are required to participate! If you are not asked for this additional info the next time you book an air ticket, it is because the particular airline  you are flying on is still integrating this new data collecting into their  system.

 

According to the TSA, passengers will not be delayed in travel if this info is not recorded, as the program is being phased in gradually with each airline based on their capacity to record this extra info.

This additional data collection is supposed to be able to clear more people from the government's No –Fly list, (terrorist watch program) and should be appreciated by people who have been misidentified on this list in the past. For more details about this new TSA program, and the privacy policies behind, log on to the TSA website.

 

Baggage Bungling for a song!

You need to check out and see the video entitled United Breaks Guitars, if you haven't viewed it on You Tube.

A musician who claims United Airlines busted his guitar, wrote a song about his experience. It would be nice if the airlines "paid up" when they break personal items, but I know their documentation states that they are not liable for items above a certain price. Travelers beware!!! The song is great, though - check it out!!!

Flying U.S. Airways with Luggage? Better have Computer Access

And we thought it was bad enough to hear that the airlines would start charging for checked luggage. Now U.S. Airways has come up with a new scheme to make even more money off of wary travelers.

In small print, under News, listed on their website, U.S. Air describes their new policy. As of July 9th, 2009, they will start charging $5 more for travelers who check their bags at the airport, as opposed to claiming they have a bag to check when they check in online. In other words, those who do not have access to computers beforehand, or are returning home from a vacation and do not have time to go online before arriving at the airport, will be charged extra for not paying for those luggage fees during online check-in! Now instead of paying $15 for your first checked bag and $25 for your second, you will be penalized an extra $5 at the airport by not checking and paying for them online beforehand.

It is a shame the airlines have resorted to this sort of revenue-generating tactics. Cutting costs is essential to the airline industry today, as is the case in many industries. Eliminating paper menus in first class, and reducing the number of flights available, to name a few examples, makes economic sense, but charging customers for luggage in general, and penalizing them for lack of computer access is going too far. The airlines have stooped to new lows. Some statistics indicate that less people are flying, and are making other choices when it comes to where and how people get to their destinations. Could the distasteful practices the airlines are incorporating on their 'valued' customers be a result of this?

Hey! Don't I get my Money back?

On June 22nd, at 11:00 P.M., Identity Pass ceased operations.  This is the company that used to offer a quicker pass through airport security checkpoints for passengers who paid an annual fee.  Evidently, they were unable to negotiate an agreement with their creditors, and the company abruptly stopped operations.They claim that all personal data they have in their records is now "currently secured in accordance with the TSA's security, privacy and compliance standards." Gee, I sure hope so. :- ) The website also indicates that they will "continue to secure such information, and will take approriate steps to delete the information".  OK, that sounds good. Now tell us this - will you return money to travelers that bought your services since they have lost there "go to the front of the line" security access? According to their website, they won't be able to. Now that's a cause for "air rage". For this news announcement in full, click here.

Luggage fees Rake in Dollars for the airlines

AA takes off from St Martin
Originally uploaded by Picture Perfect Vacations

Oh my! According to the Dept. of Transportation Bureau's  latest statistics, the airlines took in $498.6 million in excess baggage fees in the fourth quarter of 2008, which is a 301 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2007. It looks like the airlines have found a lucrative way to make money off of the traveling public, since we all need to take luggage with us when we fly.

I know the airlines are having trouble making ends meet, but charging for luggage (especially the FIRST bag) isn't the best way to promote customer satisfaction in my opinion. Since the precedent has been set, I doubt if we will ever be able to check our luggage for free again (I'm not talking about the exceptions,
of which, thankfully, there are still a few)... so I still recommend that travelers do whatever they can to prevent themselves from having to pay the airlines for these new charges.

    * Pack light
    * Pack light enough that you can carry on your luggage, rather than check it
    * Buy a luggage weight device so you can stay underneath the limit

For more enlightening information on how well or how badly the airlines are doing, check out the Dept. of Transportation reports here.

What do you think of this issue? Have you had to pay for checked luggage? Would love to hear your comments.

Air Turbulence and a lot of Hot Air in Coach!

Have you ever flown and experienced "air turbulence." I'm not  talking about bumpy air currents, I am talking about bumpy rides in coach, as in people getting upset with others because they kept getting kicked in the seat by youngsters sitting behind them, or being pinned in their seat because the guy in front has put his seat down as far as he could so YOU don't have any room! Eeeks! The horrors of riding in coach!

I can still recall my flight to Fiji... it was uncomfortable off and on. I was a little shocked when I was told by a flight attendant to move my chair up so the guy in back of me could put his tray down to eat! Don't people who want to sleep get any priority over eaters? Apparently not. While the guy ate his meal behind me, I tried to sleep in an upright position. Next time I need to try that  travel cushion that is supposed to give you more "incline" room, even in coach.

Then there was the girl that got on late. All the overhead bins were filled and she had one large carry-on that she said had to go in by her seat. This woman started asking people in the seats nearby if the carry-on bags in the overhead bins nearest to her seat belonged to them, and that if they did, someone would have to remove their bag so she could put hers there instead! Everyone was shocked that she thought she had ownership to the bin over her seat. Finally, a woman already seated spoke up and told her it wasn't anyone else's fault that the bins had already been taken and that she would just have to find another place for her bag. The woman glared at her for a minute, then begged a flight attendant to help her. As expected, the flight attendant took the woman's bag and walked to another area of the plane with it.

Confiscating laptops - are you at risk when you travel?

According to an article written by Jayson Ahern, the Deputy Commisisoner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection it should come as  no surprise that the government has a right to confiscate our laptops, cell phones, or Ipods, when we arrive at U.S. ports of entry.

If you read the article mentioned above, it states that although the law is nothing new, the authority to take possession of small personal electronic devices is now prominently displayed for anyone to see. Perhaps that is the reason for all the recent controversy.

Is our government actually confiscating a lot of innocent citizens personal devices with no rationality? According to the article, the number of people who's devices are chosen for inspection are "a tiny percentage."  I ask - how many people is that exactly?

I must admit I have heard much more reporting about the fact the government can confiscate, rather than, reports from people who say their personal devices actually were confiscated. I would like to see more statistics on this issue. Is this a media hype that is blown out of proportion, or is the chance that a normal looking, innocent American-born citizen will be chosen for confiscation a real threat that we should all be concerned about?

I guess the answer is none of us are immune to "unreasonable" (from our perspective) search and seizure. If government officials think they have a reason to choose you, you won't stand much of a chance of getting out of it. Deep down I think the chances of my particular laptop or cell phone getting confiscated by border officials on one of my trips is really slim - but as we all know, you should always expect the unexpected. If you don't want to take any chances of it happening to you, you should keep your laptops and cell phones at home, eliminate information on them that you would not want to be shared, and/or at least have the info backed-up before travelling.

Whether or not the government has the right to take our personal electronics is another story. I won't bring up that issue here. If that interests you, go to (the Electronic Frontier Foundation) for more information. As for travelling with your laptops... travellers beware! Don't become paranoid, but don't expect that it can't happen to you - it can.

What do Snowglobes, Perfume and Maple syrup have in common?

They are all sweet.. and they are all liquid. That means do NOT take them on the plane in your carry-on bags. For a complete list of what you can, and cannot carry on=board, go to our website and click on
"Travel Resources" and then "Airport and Travel Security".  Make your trek through the security lines as easy as possible.

Free Internet access at the airport?

I've noticed that sometimes when you sit near an airline club lounge while at the airport, you can pick up their free Wi-Fi. But sometimes, that isn't feasible .... the other method isn't free, but it has been a lifesaver to me whether I've been in my car, hotel room, or at an airport that I can't find Wi-Fi.... an air card. Call your cell phone provider for more details.