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Passport Alert! Temporary WHTI Accommodation
Ends Sept. 30
Airlines adapt to better serve customers
New machines get a better angle on baggage
screening
TSA says Secure Flight will reduce errors in
matching system
Airlines body bids farewell to paper tickets
Are ticket agents punishing passengers with
extra screening?
Majority of U.S. flights not on time; industry
caught in holding pattern
What's the
latest thing that airlines might start charging for?
Satellite technology will reduce delays
How to stop travel's sad customer service
slide
How
to hail a taxi in Manhattan
Passport Alert! Temporary WHTI Accommodation Ends Sept. 30
The U.S.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reminding air carriers and
the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel
Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by
air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State (DOS)
official proof of passport application receipt will end as scheduled
at midnight on Sept. 30, 2007. U.S. citizens who depart the country
under this travel accommodation prior to Oct. 1 with a Department of
State official proof of passport application receipt and
government-issued identification will be readmitted with these same
documents if returning to the United States after Sept. 30.
As a reminder,
through Sept. 30, 2007, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico,
the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for, but not yet
received, passports can temporarily enter and depart from the United
States by air with a government issued photo identification and DOS
official proof of application for a passport.
Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens
traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must
present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or
depart from the United States. For more information, visit
www.travel.state.gov.
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Airlines adapt to
better serve customers
Taking into account the likelihood that air-traffic congestion will
result in delays and cancellations, airlines are making plans to
accommodate stranded travelers. Among the changes: Precious minutes
are being added to flight schedules, rebooking procedures will be
streamlined and some seats will be held back for rerouted
passengers. (The Wall Street Journal)
Read the full story
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New
machines get a better angle on baggage screening
The TSA began testing new X-ray machines at three airports this
month and could buy as many as 500 to be used at major airports
beginning this fall. The machines take pictures of bags from two
angles at once, displaying the images side by side for screeners to
check.
(USA TODAY)
Read
the full story
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TSA says Secure Flight will reduce errors in matching system
The TSA this fall will launch Secure Flight, a new system for
matching the names of airline passengers against names on the
terrorist watch list. The TSA will take over screening passenger
lists from airlines and alert the carriers if there are any matches.
The TSA said the new system will reduce the number of false matches.
Security experts note, however, that circumventing a watch list is
fairly easy. (The Christian Science Monitor)
Read the full story
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Airlines body
bids farewell to paper tickets
The global airlines body IATA said on Monday it had placed its last
order for paper tickets, clearing the way for air travel to be based
entirely on electronic ticketing from June 1 next year. (MSNBC.com)
Read the full story
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Are ticket agents punishing passengers with extra screening?
No one wants to find a dreaded "SSSSSS" on their boarding pass,
because it means they'll be subjected to a once-over by TSA agents.
The "selectee" designation is usually randomly generated by the
airline, but a ticket agent can also add it manually. And they often
do -- especially if they don't like you. (Elliott.org)
Read
the full story
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Majority of U.S. flights not on time; industry caught in holding
pattern
Travelers to and within the U.S. have learned to expect delayed
flights and missed connections. Industry executives say that too
many flights are taking off at certain peak times during the day and
the air-traffic control system needs updating, but a decade may pass
before that happens. (International
Herald Tribune)
Read the full story
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What's the latest thing that
airlines might start charging for?
Courtesy of David M Rowell
aka The Travel Insider
We've seen most aspects of air travel either taken away or now made
chargeable, and perhaps the best glimpse of the possible future for
US airlines can be seen by looking at European discount carrier
Ryanair.
As
from 20 September, Ryanair will charge its passengers £2 ($4) each
to checkin for a flight - adding another $8 to a roundtrip fare for
people checking in the 'old fashioned way' by using a real person at
the checkin desk. If you have luggage to check in, you'll not
only be paying £10 to check a single bag, but potentially another £2
to hand it to the desk agent!
Another interesting charge by Ryanair is a £1 charge to call the
airline's help line, and if you have children with you wishing to
get early boarding, that will be £4 each.
Get
this : Ryanair says they do not plan to make money on the
charges. Oh no. They just want to encourage more people
to use their web check in, and to check fewer bags. A
spokesman said passengers have the choice between paying the fee or
not.
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Satellite
technology will reduce delays
Melissa Mollet reports from Denver International Airport, discussing
how GPS technology will one day increase airspace capacity and
dramatically reduce delays. In the meantime, travelers can check the
Web for information on flight delays. (FOXNews.com)
Read the full story
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How to stop
travel's sad customer service slide
Fed up with lousy customer service from your airline or hotel?
You're not alone. According to the University of Michigan's American
Customer Satisfaction Index, Americans think they get better service
from the IRS than from their airline. But what can you do about it?
Christopher Elliott has some suggestions. (Christopher
Elliott)
Read the full story
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How to hail a taxi in
Manhattan
Manhattanites will tell you that it's easy to find a great cup of
coffee, a fun neighborhood bar, or an authentic ethnic restaurant.
All you have to do is walk out the door. What's not so easy? Hailing
a cab. (Jaunted)
Read the full story
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