Travel

Air traffic jams in NY likely to jump

By CNN on March 10, 2010

(CNN) — Flying in and out of New York — which is usually no picnic — is likely to get worse this spring and summer. A new nationwide rule on tarmac delays, possible exemptions to that rule and a runway closure may create a perfect storm for air travelers when bad weather is added to the mix.

A major overhaul that will close one of the nations longest runways at John F. Kennedy International Airport has prompted JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines to ask for a temporary exemption at JFK to a rule designed to keep planeloads of passengers from getting stranded on the tarmac.

American Airlines is reviewing the other carriers requests to decide whether it will take similar action, spokesman Tim Smith said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation regulation, set to go into effect April 29, would slap hefty fines on airlines with domestic flights that sit on the tarmac for more than three hours with passengers on board. Airlines could pay $27,500 per passenger for violations.

Airlines have voiced objections to the three-hour rule since it was announced in December, saying a strict time limit reduces carriers ability to mitigate delays as circumstances change. When a plane returns to the gate, the flight has to get in line again for takeoff.

Air passenger consumer protection advocate Kate Hanni this week urged the DOT to reject requests for exemptions to the three-hour rule at JFK.

"The fact that the airlines are already working actively to find loopholes and excuses to avoid compliance with new consumer protections before the regulations even go into effect demonstrates their continued hostility to consumers and new laws and policies designed to protect them," Hanni said in a statement Tuesday.

Hanni, founder of Flyers Rights, a nonprofit airline consumer group, said airlines were overscheduling in busy time slots at JFK before the runway closed on March 1.

Last year about 20 percent of JFKs flights were delayed, according to figures compiled by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Without an exemption to the rule at JFK, where carriers already are trimming schedules by about 10 percent to deal with the four-month shutdown of the airports Bay Runway, airlines are likely to cancel more flights to avoid fines when delays loom large.

"You cant get a fine if you dont fly the flight," said John Hansman, director of the International Center for Air Transportation at MIT.

Hansman said the requests for waivers at JFK make sense, considering airlines would be juggling operations modified by the runway closure with the threat of fines.

"I think its a reasonable request to say, Were willing to do one thing or another, but its hard to do both at the same time, " Hansman said.

JetBlue said the rule designed to protect consumers will do the opposite at JFK, causing "undue stress on customers."

In cases of delays of more than three hours "likely due to heavy winds impairing two of the available runways at JFK, airlines will be forced to return customers to the gate in great number and this will result in thousands of customers grounded with their flights canceled," said JetBlue spokesman Mateo Lleras via e-mail.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said even with the runway closure long tarmac delays on a day-to-day basis are unlikely at JFK, but bad weather adds an unpredictable layer of complication.

"Obviously, weather is the overwhelming factor with respect to when you have three-hour delays," Black said.

Continental Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek, speaking generally about the nationwide rule at an investor conference Tuesday, said Continental will cancel flights to avoid the stiff penalties, according to a webcast from the conference.

If Delta and JetBlue are granted a JFK waiver, delays may increase at other New York-area airports, including LaGuardia and Newarks Liberty International, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The groups spokesman, Doug Church, said Federal Aviation Administration controllers in New York could try to accommodate long-delayed flights by allowing more departures at JFK, where the planes would not have to return to gates to comply with the time limit.

"If theyre getting more airplanes off of JFK to try to accommodate those folks, that means somebody else has their spot sort of taken in the air," Church said.

The new time-limit rule, and the possible exemptions at JFK, will create many difficult air traffic decisions when "push comes to shove" about who gets priority, he said.

The workload for air traffic controllers will increase tremendously when the time limit goes into effect in April, Church said.

"When youre working at a major airport from the control tower and traffic is sequenced, it really is difficult to take an aircraft out of line as theyre waiting to taxi to the runway and return them to the gate."

Unruly passenger admits disrupting flight

By CNN on March 10, 2010

(CNN) — A Texas man who became enraged when a flight attendant refused to serve him alcohol and spent part of a flight locked in the lavatory has pleaded guilty to interfering with an airline flight crew.

Jesse Todd Thompson appeared in U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday, where a judge scheduled his sentencing for May 24.

Thompson, 34, was a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight from Kansas City, Missouri, to Portland last September when a flight attendant noticed he was drunk and refused to honor his drink vouchers, federal prosecutors said.

He then became loud and boisterous, yelling "No one is going to tell me what to do; I will do whatever I want to," according to the complaint.

Thompson also gestured toward the flight attendant "in a threatening manner," which prompted her to move several male passengers to seats around him, prosecutors said.

His neighbors tried to calm Thompson down, but he then locked himself in a lavatory as the plane began to approach Portland.

Police arrested Thompson for disorderly conduct and harassment when the plane landed.

He has prior convictions for driving under the influence in Indiana and Wyoming, battery in Wyoming and bail jumping in Texas, prosecutors said.

Interfering with a flight crew is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and two to three years of supervised release.

\’Tuscan Sun\’ author on Italy\’s pleasures

By CNN on March 10, 2010

(CNN) — Many authors can move readers with their words, but Frances Mayes has the power to actually make readers move.

As in pack up and start a new life thousands of miles away in Tuscany — the enchanting northwest region of Italy known for its food, wine and scenic beauty — just as she did 20 years ago.

Mayes chronicled her decision to buy and restore a villa near the town of Cortona in "Under the Tuscan Sun," which became a best-selling book and the basis for the 2003 movie of the same name starring Diane Lane.

The story inspired some fans to do much more than go out for an Italian meal. About 20 expats have bought homes near Mayes beloved country house, Bramasole, after reading about her experiences, Mayes said.

"I heard from somebody yesterday who said, I just read your books and Ive never been to Tuscany, but Im now planning to move there. And I thought, oh no, please, dont blame me if it doesnt work out," Mayes said with a laugh.

Her new book might tempt some more would-be Tuscans.

In "Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life," Mayes describes enjoying the bounty of her garden, buying a new house, going on trips to the resort town of Portofino, seeing Castello Brown (the castle where "Enchanted April" was filmed), tasting wine and eating fabulous food — oh, the food. Everything from duck breast with caramelized spices and artichokes to steamed chocolate cake with vanilla sauce. The book contains 25 recipes of some of the dishes Mayes likes to cook.

Man whose kiss caused airport security scare pleads guilty

By CNN on March 9, 2010

New York (CNN) — A New Jersey man who breached airport security to give his girlfriend a kiss, causing scores of flight delays, pleaded guilty Tuesday to defiant trespass, his lawyer said.

Haisong Jiang, 28, pleaded guilty to a charge that is a "petty disorderly persons offense … its below a crime, its not even considered a crime in New Jersey," his lawyer, Eric B. Bruce said.

Jiang apologized. "I made big mistake, and I also learned a big lesson in my life," he told reporters after the court appearance.

Bruce said that Jiang, a Rutgers University Ph.D. candidate who is originally from China, ducked under a rope and entered a security area at Newark Liberty International Airport on January 3 to give his girlfriend a kiss. The security breach shut down Terminal C for hours and forced the rescreening of thousands of passengers. Scores of flights were delayed.

Jiang will have to pay a $500 fine and court fees and costs of $158, as part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors, Bruce said. He also will have to perform 100 hours of community service.

He is "very relieved," Bruce said. He said the nature of Jiangs community service has not yet been determined.

"We hope itll be at a hospital, soup kitchen, medical clinic, something like that," he said.

Jiang was arrested on January 8, several days after the security breach. Security video from the incident shows a Transportation Security Administration officer who left his post unattended a few minutes after he asked an unidentified man in a light-colored jacket to stay behind the rope line. Moments later, the man ducks under the rope and walks the wrong way through security to greet a woman.

The lawyer said Jiang and his girlfriend, who lives in California, are still together. "They are still together, and they are still very much in love," he said.

Bruce said the charge will appear on Jiangs record.

"It can be expunged after, I believe, five years. Its an arrest, its going to show on his record, but its a very minor infraction," he said.

The lawyer said that the incident will not affect Jiangs immigration status, CNN affiliate News 12 New Jersey reported.

He will likely finish his Ph.D. at Rutgers in May or June, Bruce said. Jiang is doing research on a cure for glaucoma, cataracts and other eye diseases.

After the security breach, TSA said it would use the incident as a "hard lesson" to reinforce a "sharp focus and tight discipline" at the agencys stations across the country.

The incident also prompted Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, to introduce legislation that would create a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for intentionally breaching airport security and a criminal penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

It would also mandate the use of security cameras at all airport terminal checkpoints and secure area exits at every U.S. airport. Although the cameras are now recommended for airports, Lautenberg said they are not mandated by law.

Soon after the security breach occurred, Lautenberg had called on the person who had caused the breach to turn himself in, saying "Youve committed what essentially is a crime."

Delta, JetBlue request exemption to tarmac delay rule

By CNN on March 9, 2010

(CNN) — A runway closure at John F. Kennedy International Airport has prompted JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines to ask for a temporary exemption at JFK to a rule designed to keep planeloads of passengers from getting stranded on the tarmac.

American Airlines is reviewing the requests of the other carriers to decide whether it will take similar action, spokesman Tim Smith said.

The Department of Transportation regulation, set to go into effect on April 29, would slap hefty fines on airlines with flights that sit on the tarmac for more than three hours with passengers on board on domestic routes. Airlines could pay $27,500 per passenger for violations.

JFKs Bay Runway, one of the nations longest, will be closed until July for major reconstruction. The runway wont return to full service until November, Delta spokesman Anthony Black said.

Delta and JetBlue have reduced their operations by 10 percent during the busy spring and summer travel season to alleviate congestion caused by the runway closure.

"Due to the unforeseen nature and unpredictable operating environment this closure could potentially create, the DOT three-hour rule could have unintended consequences and result in harming consumers rather than protecting their interests," JetBlue said in a statement.

Poor weather conditions resulting in delays of more than three hours would force airlines "to return customers to the gate in great number and this will result in thousands of customers grounded with their flights cancelled," said JetBlue spokesman Mateo Lleras.

"Since the intention of the rule is, as its name states it, enhancing passenger protection, this would result in the opposite and cause undue stress on customers," Lleras said.

Payment stopped on my compensation

By CNN on March 9, 2010

(Tribune Media Services) — Alaska Airlines pays Ashley Cates $239 when shes bumped from her flight. Then it stops payment on the check. Why? And is there anything she can do to get the money back?

Q: I was recently denied boarding on an Alaska Airlines flight from Boise, Idaho to Sacramento. I was unable to check in early online, making me one of the last to check in at the airport.

I had to cancel an appointment and was rerouted through Portland. What should have been a half-hour stopover turned into a half day, and I arrived in Sacramento late in the evening.

Alaska Airlines wrote me a check at the airport for 200 percent of the amount of the original one-way ticket as compensation for the major inconvenience. Nice, right?

Not really. Ive just found out that Alaska Airlines stopped payment on the check. My bank is charging me $7 for depositing it, too.

Needless to say, Im absolutely furious with Alaska Airlines. Overbooking is a horrible practice. I cant support a company that allows me to purchase something they dont have to give. Is there anything you can do to get Alaska Airlines to make good on its promise?

– Ashley Cates, Boise, Idaho

A: Yes, overbooking is a horrible practice. And once Alaska Airlines cut you a check, it should have honored it.

But should it have paid you for the denied boarding in the first place? According to Alaska Airlines contract of carriage — the legal agreement between you and the carrier — the answer is "yes". It says that if youre bumped from a flight, youre owed 200 percent of the sum of the value of your remaining flight coupon to your next stopover, to a maximum of $800, or half that if the airline can arrange comparable air transportation.

(You can read the whole contract online: )

But hang on. Were you really denied boarding? You say you tried to check in online, and couldnt, so you were one of the last passengers to check in at the airport. The cut-off time for domestic flights is 30 minutes before departure, meaning that you would lose your confirmed seats if you show up with less than half an hour before your flight leaves.

Is it possible that the airline stopped payment on its check because you missed your flight?

It doesnt really matter. There are more appropriate ways of withdrawing a compensation offer. Alaska should have notified you and explained why it needed to stop payment on a check — not left it up to your bank to give you the bad news, along with a $7 penalty.

One way you might have avoided all of this is by showing up to the airport with plenty of time. After the airline stopped its payment, I would have sent a brief, polite e-mail to the airline, asking it to fix the problem.

I contacted Alaska Airlines on your behalf. A representative called you and explained that payments had inadvertently been stopped on an entire batch of checks. In other words, your compensation was legit, as far as the airline was concerned.

Alaska Airlines issued another check for $239 and a $50 voucher for a future ticket. It also offered to refund your bank fee.

(Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at celliott@ngs.org).

copyright 2010 CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

What to do if disaster hits your trip

By CNN on March 8, 2010

(CNN) — Earthquakes. Rogue waves. Tsunamis. Flooding. Landslides. From Machu Picchu, Peru, to Madeira, Portugal, travelers have been socked with one natural disaster after another in recent weeks.

If disaster strikes when you are traveling, preparation before departure could be what keeps you safe and gets you home, experts say.

"The first step in this is making contingency plans any time you travel so that you are prepared as much as you can be for a situation," said Dan McGinnity, vice president of Travel Guard, a provider of travel insurance and assistance, based in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

That preparation includes bringing along the phone numbers of your travel agent, travel insurance provider, relatives and others who may be able to mobilize help for you and who care about your welfare.

It also pays to know ahead of time how to make an international call, McGinnity said. "You cant just dial 1 and the area code and then the number," he said.

The State Department also urges Americans to register their itineraries before leaving. This can be done for free at https://travelregistration.state.gov. Its also a good idea to write down local phone numbers and addresses for U.S. embassies and consulates in the places where you will be traveling.

The State Department also says you should:

• Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

• Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends.

• Ask your health insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.

• Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws. For example, satellite phones are illegal in some countries.

JetBlue offers $10 last-minute fares

By CNN on March 8, 2010

(CNN) — Looking for an affordable last-minute getaway? JetBlue Airways is celebrating its 10th birthday with a $10 one-day fare sale Monday on flights from New York to the airlines original 10 destinations.

Travel must be booked on JetBlues Web site by 11:59 p.m. CST Monday for travel on Tuesday or Wednesday, March 9 or 10.

Flights included in JetBlues "Thank You fare" promotion go from the airlines home base at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International airport to Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers, Florida; Buffalo and Rochester, New York; Oakland, California; Burlington, Vermont; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

The airline plans to roll out a series of monthly deals to mark the beginning of its second decade, a JetBlue announcement said.

On Wednesday, JetBlue will announce giveaways for New York-based customers on Twitter, the announcement said.

"We are excited to kick things off in our own backyard with these $10 fares and Wednesdays giveaway in New York," said Robin Hayes, the airlines chief commercial officer, in a statement.

Obama nominates ex-Army general to head TSA

By CNN on March 8, 2010

Washington (CNN) — President Obama tapped a former Army general Monday to lead the Transportation Security Administration.

Obama nominated Robert A. Harding, a retired major general with 33 years in the Army, to become the TSA administrator. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the nomination with Harding by her side.

"The TSA administrator is among the most important, unfilled posts in the Obama administration," Napolitano said. "The president and I both believe that Gen. Harding has the experience and perspective to make a real difference in carrying out the mission of this agency."

"If there were ever a nominee that warranted expedited, and detailed, consideration in the Senate, this is it," she said.

Obama announced the nomination in a White House news release.

"I am confident that Bobs talent and expertise will make him a tremendous asset in our ongoing efforts to bolster security and screening measures at our airports," Obama said. "I can think of no one more qualified than Bob to take on this important job, and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead."

The TSA has been under the leadership of an acting administrator since Edmund "Kip" Hawley resigned at the end of the Bush administration.

In September, Obama nominated Erroll Southers, a Los Angeles airport police department official, to the head the agency. But Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, spearheaded GOP efforts to block the nomination based on concerns Southers would unionize airport screeners.

Southers withdrew his nomination in January after lawmakers questioned his changing explanation about a personnel action taken against him decades ago.

Harding would be the TSAs first African-American administrator. Southers is also black.

US Airways fined for price advertising violation

By CNN on March 8, 2010

(CNN) — The Department of Transportation slapped US Airways with a $40,000 civil penalty Monday for violating price advertising rules.

"When consumers shop for air travel, they have a right to know how much they will have to pay," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a statement. "We will continue to ensure that airlines comply with our price advertising rules."

The carrier posted one-way fares on its Web site for a short time without indicating that additional fees and taxes would apply, violating a rule that requires clear disclosure of the existence of those charges on the first screen where fares are quoted, according to the Department of Transportation.

US Airways declined to make a statement, referring instead to the DOTs legal document, which reads "US Airways states that it is strongly committed to promoting its fares and services in a clear and readily comprehensible manner, and that it has cooperated fully with the Department in this matter."

The document also states that US Airways said the omission of the pricing information was "wholly unintentional and the result of an inadvertent programming error."

Earlier this year, United Airlines was fined $30,000 for violating the same full-fare advertisement requirement.

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