Archive for December, 2008
Air Travel is Not Easy Since 9-11
Friday, December 26th, 2008Robert Buford asked:
If you think you have problems with air travel these days, here is part of a story from the POLITICO NEWS by DANIEL LIBIT & RICHARD T. CULLEN
Serving in Congress has its privileges, but avoiding the perils of modern air travel isn’t one of them.
Just ask the three senators who are running for president.
Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) have both missed campaign events because of flight delays; when a radar problem grounded flights in September, Clinton phoned in a planned appearance at a union convention in Chicago from the tarmac of the airport in Little Rock, Ark. Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s plane landed at the wrong Iowa airport in November and ran into another plane at Chicago’s Midway International Airport in January.
They aren’t alone. While the candidates spend more time on the road than most of their colleagues, members of Congress, especially those from the West, do a pretty good job of racking up the frequent flier miles themselves.
They’ve got the horror stories to prove it.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
The country’s busiest airport is named in honor of his brother, but neither that, nor the fact that he is a sitting U.S. senator, could save Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from existential airport torment in March 2004.According to a story in The Washington Post, the senator was stopped five times in airports that month because his name had been placed on a Homeland Security no-fly list after a terrorist suspect had been found to be using the alias “T. Kennedy.”
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in August 2004, Kennedy described the Kafkaesque scene as an airline ticket counter agent told him he wouldn’t be allowed to buy a ticket to Boston. “Well, why not?” Kennedy asked.
“We can’t tell you,” the agent replied.
Kennedy ultimately got on a flight, only to endure the same rigmarole when he tried to return to Washington. “I went up to the desk and said, ‘I’ve been getting on this plane for 42 years. Why can’t I get on the plane?’”
Kennedy got his name removed from the list and got an apology from then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, to boot.
It didn’t matter. Shortly thereafter, a different airline agent tried to stop him.
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.)
On a good day, when he flies back home to the tiny town of Gering in westernmost Nebraska, Rep. Adrian Smith can depart from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by as late as 6 p.m. Eastern time and still make it to his doorstep by 9:45 p.m. Mountain time. For living in a rural area, Smith says he feels quite fortunate for this.
But fortune often turns against Smith when he flies to the eastern part of his district, a journey that requires him to stop over at one of the vertices of the Heartland’s Bermuda Triangle: Minneapolis, Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. The worst came last February, when Smith was destined for some speaking engagements in Lincoln but wound up stuck at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for 12 hours. “The short weekends, when it looks like you’re going to miss the main event, you wonder whether you should even continue the trip or just go back to D.C.,” he said.
Because of his traveling travails, Smith has become both an admirer of Capitol Hill schedulers, whom he’s come to regard as “artists” and a proponent of the federally funded expansion of America’s second-busiest airport. “First opportunity I have to help expansion of O’Hare, I want to do it,” he said. “I think it’s a national issue.”
And a Nebraska issue, as well.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
Perhaps there was no better place to be in Alaska on March 27, 1964, than in the air. That’s where Sen. Ted Stevens was when the state was rocked by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.
Stevens, who was just getting started in electoral politics, was on an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks when the earthquake struck. Late that night, Stevens and a cadre of doctors flew back to Anchorage on a chartered F-27. He says everyone was “really worried about landing.”
“When we approached the regular field, it was blown out,” Stevens said. “It was a hairy night.”
The plane was forced to touch down at Elmendorf Air Force Base. With the roads fissured by the quake, the passengers had to get into town by foot. Stevens made it home at 2:30 a.m., only to discover that the part of town where he lived had suffered serious damage in the earthquake.
It wasn’t the senator’s only plane-related scare. He had a rough landing onto Mt. McKinley in a bush plane in 1969, and he remembers a trip out of Hawaii on a military transport plane that had to return to the airport because of mechanical complications.
When asked whether any of these experiences have made him hesitant to fly, the 85-year-old senator harrumphs. “Oh, hell no,” he said. “I flew in World War II. I’ve flown through all sorts of danger. I don’t have any problem with that.”
L O R E T T A
If you think you have problems with air travel these days, here is part of a story from the POLITICO NEWS by DANIEL LIBIT & RICHARD T. CULLEN
Serving in Congress has its privileges, but avoiding the perils of modern air travel isn’t one of them.
Just ask the three senators who are running for president.
Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) have both missed campaign events because of flight delays; when a radar problem grounded flights in September, Clinton phoned in a planned appearance at a union convention in Chicago from the tarmac of the airport in Little Rock, Ark. Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama’s plane landed at the wrong Iowa airport in November and ran into another plane at Chicago’s Midway International Airport in January.
They aren’t alone. While the candidates spend more time on the road than most of their colleagues, members of Congress, especially those from the West, do a pretty good job of racking up the frequent flier miles themselves.
They’ve got the horror stories to prove it.
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
The country’s busiest airport is named in honor of his brother, but neither that, nor the fact that he is a sitting U.S. senator, could save Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from existential airport torment in March 2004.According to a story in The Washington Post, the senator was stopped five times in airports that month because his name had been placed on a Homeland Security no-fly list after a terrorist suspect had been found to be using the alias “T. Kennedy.”
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in August 2004, Kennedy described the Kafkaesque scene as an airline ticket counter agent told him he wouldn’t be allowed to buy a ticket to Boston. “Well, why not?” Kennedy asked.
“We can’t tell you,” the agent replied.
Kennedy ultimately got on a flight, only to endure the same rigmarole when he tried to return to Washington. “I went up to the desk and said, ‘I’ve been getting on this plane for 42 years. Why can’t I get on the plane?’”
Kennedy got his name removed from the list and got an apology from then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, to boot.
It didn’t matter. Shortly thereafter, a different airline agent tried to stop him.
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.)
On a good day, when he flies back home to the tiny town of Gering in westernmost Nebraska, Rep. Adrian Smith can depart from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by as late as 6 p.m. Eastern time and still make it to his doorstep by 9:45 p.m. Mountain time. For living in a rural area, Smith says he feels quite fortunate for this.
But fortune often turns against Smith when he flies to the eastern part of his district, a journey that requires him to stop over at one of the vertices of the Heartland’s Bermuda Triangle: Minneapolis, Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. The worst came last February, when Smith was destined for some speaking engagements in Lincoln but wound up stuck at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for 12 hours. “The short weekends, when it looks like you’re going to miss the main event, you wonder whether you should even continue the trip or just go back to D.C.,” he said.
Because of his traveling travails, Smith has become both an admirer of Capitol Hill schedulers, whom he’s come to regard as “artists” and a proponent of the federally funded expansion of America’s second-busiest airport. “First opportunity I have to help expansion of O’Hare, I want to do it,” he said. “I think it’s a national issue.”
And a Nebraska issue, as well.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
Perhaps there was no better place to be in Alaska on March 27, 1964, than in the air. That’s where Sen. Ted Stevens was when the state was rocked by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.
Stevens, who was just getting started in electoral politics, was on an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks when the earthquake struck. Late that night, Stevens and a cadre of doctors flew back to Anchorage on a chartered F-27. He says everyone was “really worried about landing.”
“When we approached the regular field, it was blown out,” Stevens said. “It was a hairy night.”
The plane was forced to touch down at Elmendorf Air Force Base. With the roads fissured by the quake, the passengers had to get into town by foot. Stevens made it home at 2:30 a.m., only to discover that the part of town where he lived had suffered serious damage in the earthquake.
It wasn’t the senator’s only plane-related scare. He had a rough landing onto Mt. McKinley in a bush plane in 1969, and he remembers a trip out of Hawaii on a military transport plane that had to return to the airport because of mechanical complications.
When asked whether any of these experiences have made him hesitant to fly, the 85-year-old senator harrumphs. “Oh, hell no,” he said. “I flew in World War II. I’ve flown through all sorts of danger. I don’t have any problem with that.”
L O R E T T A
Air Traveling Safety Tips
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008Somya Aggarwal asked:
Air traveling can be an exciting experience for many but it does have its own challenges and risks. Moreover, the aircraft ambience and different factors associated with air traveling can cause anxiety among the passengers. The article throws a light on a number of safety issues thereby helping you to make your trip safer.
Most accidents generally take place during the take off and landing phase of flight. For that reason, it is always suggested to fly nonstop routings on larger aircraft. It can bring a great drop in exposure to the major accident-prone phases of flight.
Seatbelts are the best protection against a crash or collision. They hold you in place in so preventing your body and head from being thrown away if the plane encounters unexpected turbulences. Therefore, always keep your seat belts fastened for that extra protection.
Ensuring the safety of passengers and aiding them in an hour of emergency is undeniably the chief responsibility of the flight attendants. Thus, always listen to your flight attendants. Avoid handling the hot drinks by yourself. You may ask your flight attendant to help you with the servings. They are fully trained in handling drinks like tea and coffee in a busy aisle on a moving plane. And of course, you are required to follow the instructions outlined by your flight crew especially in an emergency situation like precautionary emergency evacuation.
The atmosphere within the aircraft cabins is generally pressurized. Since, the air is thin at altitude, it results in lack of oxygen and the gas present in our body cavities begins to expand. At such times, excess drinking can be quite dangerous on flight. Further, it can encourage you to act in ways that are considered as out of character and may lead to significant stress. Use rules of moderations when planning to consume alcohol.
Traveling along with the kids puts extra demands on guardians to ensure their security. Always have those things on hand that are necessitating meeting special needs of your child. You may use a child restraint system for your precious one. Suggested by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, these designed systems are apt for children less than 40 pounds. Finally yet importantly, never allow your child to wander way into the restricted areas like galleys. It is always recommendable to keep supervising your child all the time on flight.
Paying thought to baggage restrictions will be helpful regarding to your safety. No passenger is allowed to bring any kind of hazardous material into the flight unless allowed by the airline authority. When traveling by air, wear the clothes that allow freedom of movement. Nearly all the airlines are pretty good in taking care of the passengers’ standard dietary preferences. But, if you have any food allergies, you are perhaps the safest carrying your own food.
Be cautious of the kinds of electronic devices you are and are not allowed to use during the flight. In case, you are not certain about the rules, consult either your crew member or flight attendants. Although, there are several attendants present on the aircraft that could do to remedy a situation but you have to help them out. After all, your safety is in your hands!!!
Author: Somya Aggarwal
For more information on this article please visit www.CheapoAir.com
M A R Y A N N E
Air traveling can be an exciting experience for many but it does have its own challenges and risks. Moreover, the aircraft ambience and different factors associated with air traveling can cause anxiety among the passengers. The article throws a light on a number of safety issues thereby helping you to make your trip safer.
Most accidents generally take place during the take off and landing phase of flight. For that reason, it is always suggested to fly nonstop routings on larger aircraft. It can bring a great drop in exposure to the major accident-prone phases of flight.
Seatbelts are the best protection against a crash or collision. They hold you in place in so preventing your body and head from being thrown away if the plane encounters unexpected turbulences. Therefore, always keep your seat belts fastened for that extra protection.
Ensuring the safety of passengers and aiding them in an hour of emergency is undeniably the chief responsibility of the flight attendants. Thus, always listen to your flight attendants. Avoid handling the hot drinks by yourself. You may ask your flight attendant to help you with the servings. They are fully trained in handling drinks like tea and coffee in a busy aisle on a moving plane. And of course, you are required to follow the instructions outlined by your flight crew especially in an emergency situation like precautionary emergency evacuation.
The atmosphere within the aircraft cabins is generally pressurized. Since, the air is thin at altitude, it results in lack of oxygen and the gas present in our body cavities begins to expand. At such times, excess drinking can be quite dangerous on flight. Further, it can encourage you to act in ways that are considered as out of character and may lead to significant stress. Use rules of moderations when planning to consume alcohol.
Traveling along with the kids puts extra demands on guardians to ensure their security. Always have those things on hand that are necessitating meeting special needs of your child. You may use a child restraint system for your precious one. Suggested by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, these designed systems are apt for children less than 40 pounds. Finally yet importantly, never allow your child to wander way into the restricted areas like galleys. It is always recommendable to keep supervising your child all the time on flight.
Paying thought to baggage restrictions will be helpful regarding to your safety. No passenger is allowed to bring any kind of hazardous material into the flight unless allowed by the airline authority. When traveling by air, wear the clothes that allow freedom of movement. Nearly all the airlines are pretty good in taking care of the passengers’ standard dietary preferences. But, if you have any food allergies, you are perhaps the safest carrying your own food.
Be cautious of the kinds of electronic devices you are and are not allowed to use during the flight. In case, you are not certain about the rules, consult either your crew member or flight attendants. Although, there are several attendants present on the aircraft that could do to remedy a situation but you have to help them out. After all, your safety is in your hands!!!
Author: Somya Aggarwal
For more information on this article please visit www.CheapoAir.com
M A R Y A N N E
Discount Air Carriers And Discount Air Travel Transforming The Air Travel Industry
Saturday, December 20th, 2008Frank Johnson asked:
Why the Discount Carriers are Winning
Over the years, air travel has declined significantly. Bad economic times, acts of terrorism, and the overall high cost of flying have deterred many travelers from flying the friendly skies. Instead, they’re opting for local travel that doesn’t require flying or selecting other methods of transportation such as driving, taking the train, or going “Greyhound”. As a result, the major airlines are making less and less each year, forcing some to close up shop and call it quits.
However, bad economic times and acts of terrorism aren’t the only things affecting the major airlines and the air travel industry as a whole. Discount air carriers who offer limited yet discount air travel rates have put a huge dent in the business of the major airlines. These airlines, such as U.S. based Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines, can undercut the major players in the air travel market because of lower overhead and less labor costs. Since the discount air travel carriers are smaller and often only have one type of aircraft (compared to bigger airlines that have full fleets of varying plane types), they have more flexibility with their pricing and can offer discount air travel deals more often then their much larger counterparts. And when combined with the decline in overall air travel, the discount air carriers are winning out over the larger airlines, causing the major players to rethink their game plan and, in many cases, start offering discount air travel through dynamically priced fares.
Using Discount Air Travel and Carriers for Your Benefit
For the most part, discount airlines operate within their country of origin. In other words, many don’t offer flights abroad. So if you need to fly domestically for business travel or a family vacation, a discount air carrier is the way to go. However, just because the discount airlines don’t offer overseas travel, it doesn’t mean you can’t get discount air travel deals on international flights. Remember, domestic AND international air travel has dwindled significantly over the years; so, the major airlines are often scrambling to fill overseas flights. As a result, the bigger airlines are starting to offer last minute travel deals and dynamically priced fares to try and fill their flights as much as they can. And since the discount air carriers are taking much of their previous domestic air travel customers, the larger airlines are desperate to make a buck any way they can.
Finding Discount Air Travel Deals
Some airlines offer last minute and discounted travel deals directly to the consumer; however, many work with online travel sites and supply them with bulk-rate deals on plane tickets. Either way, the key to finding discount air travel deals is to search the web and call the airlines. Compare prices and give yourself time to research your discount travel options. You may find that booking last minute will save you a bundle on your flight in some cases, but cost you twice as much in others; so be flexible and don’t purchase the first ticket you find. You’ll find a better deal on discount air travel if you shop around.
The discount air carriers have caused a significant shift in the air travel industry. There is more competition and less people buying, causing the industry to offer more discounted air travel deals than ever before. As a traveler, this means there are currently more ways to save on your air travel. All you have to do is go out and find those deals.
D O L L Y
Why the Discount Carriers are Winning
Over the years, air travel has declined significantly. Bad economic times, acts of terrorism, and the overall high cost of flying have deterred many travelers from flying the friendly skies. Instead, they’re opting for local travel that doesn’t require flying or selecting other methods of transportation such as driving, taking the train, or going “Greyhound”. As a result, the major airlines are making less and less each year, forcing some to close up shop and call it quits.
However, bad economic times and acts of terrorism aren’t the only things affecting the major airlines and the air travel industry as a whole. Discount air carriers who offer limited yet discount air travel rates have put a huge dent in the business of the major airlines. These airlines, such as U.S. based Jet Blue and Southwest Airlines, can undercut the major players in the air travel market because of lower overhead and less labor costs. Since the discount air travel carriers are smaller and often only have one type of aircraft (compared to bigger airlines that have full fleets of varying plane types), they have more flexibility with their pricing and can offer discount air travel deals more often then their much larger counterparts. And when combined with the decline in overall air travel, the discount air carriers are winning out over the larger airlines, causing the major players to rethink their game plan and, in many cases, start offering discount air travel through dynamically priced fares.
Using Discount Air Travel and Carriers for Your Benefit
For the most part, discount airlines operate within their country of origin. In other words, many don’t offer flights abroad. So if you need to fly domestically for business travel or a family vacation, a discount air carrier is the way to go. However, just because the discount airlines don’t offer overseas travel, it doesn’t mean you can’t get discount air travel deals on international flights. Remember, domestic AND international air travel has dwindled significantly over the years; so, the major airlines are often scrambling to fill overseas flights. As a result, the bigger airlines are starting to offer last minute travel deals and dynamically priced fares to try and fill their flights as much as they can. And since the discount air carriers are taking much of their previous domestic air travel customers, the larger airlines are desperate to make a buck any way they can.
Finding Discount Air Travel Deals
Some airlines offer last minute and discounted travel deals directly to the consumer; however, many work with online travel sites and supply them with bulk-rate deals on plane tickets. Either way, the key to finding discount air travel deals is to search the web and call the airlines. Compare prices and give yourself time to research your discount travel options. You may find that booking last minute will save you a bundle on your flight in some cases, but cost you twice as much in others; so be flexible and don’t purchase the first ticket you find. You’ll find a better deal on discount air travel if you shop around.
The discount air carriers have caused a significant shift in the air travel industry. There is more competition and less people buying, causing the industry to offer more discounted air travel deals than ever before. As a traveler, this means there are currently more ways to save on your air travel. All you have to do is go out and find those deals.
D O L L Y
what are the advantages and disadvantages of travelling by air,sea and land ?
Sunday, December 14th, 2008ziiadd asked:
please i want your help
i want write a report about travelling by air,sea and land and i did not find any thing in about it googel or yahoo.
can you please helpme and give me some sources about the advantages and dis advantages of travelling by air,sea and land?
G e o r g e
please i want your help
i want write a report about travelling by air,sea and land and i did not find any thing in about it googel or yahoo.
can you please helpme and give me some sources about the advantages and dis advantages of travelling by air,sea and land?
G e o r g e