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It is very concerning that a bomber was able to board a plane and almost ignite his bomb.  Unfortunately the new rules do very little to prevent future terrorists from setting off bombs.  All this will do is make for more uncomfortable flying.  There are other ways of detecting bombs before they board the plan that do not take away rights from passengers.

TSA Measures After Pants Bomber Defy Logic

Perhaps we should prevent passengers from sitting in window seats, because the man who attempted to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 sat in a window seat. Or at least keep people from sitting in window seats one hour before landing.

That silly notion seems to make as much sense as some of the “security” steps taken in response to the Christmas Day terrorism attempt. We all want air travel to be safe, no doubt. To ensure that, we need rules that are smart and effective. The Transportation Security Administration may be trying to reassure the public that it is on the job and thwarting terrorists, but turning off the route-tracking maps on airplanes and keeping people buckled up without blankets just seems ridiculous to most frequent fliers.

A review of some of the new rules, which, travelers should hope, are temporary:

• Everyone must stay seated one hour before landing on international flights. (This assumes, of course, that nothing happens at all while the plane is cruising.)
• No blankets or pillows or items in laps in the last hour of a flight. (Will baggy clothing, sweaters or hoodies be next?)    –more

Related TSA articles

• TSA Wants You To Keep Your Seat, and Your Hands In Sight (tech.slashdot.org)
• New Restrictions to Add to Air-Travel Headaches (abcnews.go.com)
• TSA: The Stupid Agency (professorbainbridge.com)

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Travel is getting tricky now.  Everyone is suffering from the economy and airlines are also trying to figure out how to make money.  They are learning how to get a few extra cents from you wherever they can.

Are Airlines Going Too Far?

We all know that the airline industry is in survival mode. Air carriers are struggling to stay afloat in the face of daunting fuel costs and plunging travel demand. In the last year, for example, domestic carriers alone lost $11 billion.

In response, airlines are piling on the surcharges, pulling the “free” perks, and packing in extra seats. Believe it or not, the airline industry even has a specific conference dedicated to “ancillary fees”—and how to collect them without inciting consumer revolt. (It seems that they have pulling pennies from consumers down to a science—in 2008 airlines extracted $10.25 billion in these surcharges worldwide, an increase of 346% over 2006).

Are they going too far? Below we highlight some of the ways that air carriers are pushing their luck with consumers, but we want to hear from you. Are you less likely to fly as airlines become more and more aggressive in their quest for efficiency?    –more

Leisure 101: Save Time and Money With Your Vacation Trips

by Dorthy Weatherbush

There are many money and time saving ideas that you can use
for any vacation plans you may have. Perhaps the biggest one
is using the power of the internet to help you out. You can
practically visit any place you want to go online, with
videos, photos, and reviews of places, things to see, etc.
You can also use the internet to find out what hotel rates
are, how much tours are going to cost what services and
amenities are available, and hotels and resorts will have
virtual tours so you can see what you are getting ahead of
time.

The first real big tip is to book everything ahead of time,
and if you can, pay for it right then as well. That way, no
matter what happens, you will get what you want when you
want it. Book any tours you are planning to take,
attractions you are going to see or do, all of that. If you
wait until the last minute, especially during the peak
touring season, you may find it all filled up.

Try other alternatives to conventional accommodations. There
are many different options in this area. A hotel is not
always the best option. The problem with most hotels is that
they are expensive, and even if they have a breakfast meal
provided by the hotel, what about the other meals? Some
alternatives to consider that are available in almost any
location you go are vacation apartments, or all inclusive
resorts.

With holiday vacation apartments you can have your own
separate room for privacy on family or group outings, a
fully stocked kitchen, and all you have to do is to purchase
food for your vacation. Shopping local markets is one way to
get to know the culture of the place you are visiting. These
apartments often have similar amenities of a hotel, only way
cheaper, especially for extended stay. Often, you can find
apartments with parking spaces provided, making it easy for
you to park a rental car.

All inclusive resorts are pies-in-the-sky for every family
vacations, and are available all over the world. These
resorts are perfect because of the fact that you don’t have
to worry about anything but to go on with the planned
activities. Meals, services, and activities are all usually
paid in the original price, and some may even include tips,
really! These resorts have activities prepared for the young
and old alike, fully supervised by experienced staff so
parents are able to enjoy a sauna, or a round of golf with
the feeling that the kids are in good hands.

Take the time to think things through. You may opt to take
one of the travel discount services found online, and this
may not be the best options to choose. Services like these,
often only offer discounts if you book a combination of
things at the same time, like airfare, hotel, and car
rental. You may be able to find cheaper rates on your own,
and the options that you have are not limited. They usually
charge a fee to for the use of their services as well, and
won’t tell you about the hidden fees like surcharges. Taxes
and gratuities.

Article kindly provided by http://beckoffice.com

Dorthy Weatherbush likes to travel and when she does she
tries to stay at Sandals.com
Resorts. The 5 star service and accommodations at Sandals.com
Resorts makes it well worth the money.
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Related Airline Travel articles

• Industry Begs Businesspeople to Travel (abcnews.go.com)
• No need to pay tips and taxes. (blogavenues.blogspot.com)
• British Airways Christmas strike: Willie Walsh threatens legal action (telegraph.co.uk)

Image by caribb via Flickr

When you travel by air, getting through the airport security in time to catch your flight is very important. here are some tips to help you get from drop off to the airplane gate as quickly as possible.

Stress Free Airline Travel

These are some simple tips to make airline travel more stress-free. By planning ahead, and following the airline rules and regulations, you should be able to have an enjoyable trip. While you cannot always be prepared for the unexpected delay, by following these suggestions you’ll be ready to enjoy your travel time and maybe even look forward to it. Call the airlines at least four hours prior to leaving to check on your flight. Print out your own boarding pass by going to the airline website before leaving for the airport. This will help to speed you along when you arrive at the departures area.

You can also check your lightweight luggage curbside at many airports. Have your luggage tags on the bags, and remove all old travel stickers. Be at the airport early enough to go through security and arrive at the gate with enough time to buy yourself a snack and some great reading material. There are often delays, so anticipate them and be early! Always add extra time during peak travel periods. The usual guideline is one hour on domestic flights and two hours on international flights. Factor in some extra time giving you enough leeway for all of the unexpected time consuming delays that are inevitable when you’re running behind.   –more

TSA Self-Selecting Security Lanes

TSA has self-selecting security lanes. If you don’t know what that is, it refers to black diamonds, blue squares and green circles. I know you may be thinking, “Huh?!” These are the color coded signs at TSA airport checkpoints designed to expedite you through the security process. According to the TSA, those lanes are working. Every time I’ve ever been to Atlanta, they don’t ever seem to have them going. As a matter of fact, not at any other airport I’ve been to since they’ve had them up.

In the last year or so, the U.S. Transportation Security Agency, the TSA, has implemented a plan that they hope will speed up the screening lines at U.S. airports.

Instead of having just one security line for everyone, there are three lanes. They are color coded, and the TSA has chosen to model them after signs on ski runs that tell skiers where the hill is difficult and for experts, or where it’s moderate, or easy.   –more

Related airline travel articles

• Fewer to travel by air this holiday season (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Save time at checkin with elite status (gadling.com)
• O’ Shoot! Irish Celebs May Face Travel Ban (abcnews.go.com)