Boeing 787 Debuts 7/08/07

False alarm panics people on British Airways flight

(NEWSER) - It's 3am and you're snoozing on an overnight flight to London when a message plays over the PA: This plane may be about to crash. That's what happened to passengers on a British Airways flight from Miami last week, before the cabin crew told everyone it had just been a mistake, the Telegraph reports. "An alarm sounded and we were told we were about to land in the sea. I thought we were going to die," said a passenger. "My wife was crying and passengers were screaming." More»

Find tickets, new flights, even lounges

(NEWSER) - Every air traveler armed with a smartphone should load up on these five apps, says the Travel section of USA Today:

• SkyScanner (Free): This app will hunt down the best price for your ticket. It scans not only all of the airlines' websites but all of the online travel agencies (Expedia, Priceline) as well.
• Next Flight ($2.99): Yeah, it's relatively pricey, but worth the cost when needed. If your flight is canceled or delayed, or you just plain miss it, the app provides a list of all available flights from all carriers over the next two days. If none are there, it searches for hotels and car rentals.
• Priority Pass (Free): This app supplies a list of all the lounges at your airport. You can look through photos and amenities before deciding whether to shell out money for a pass.

Fellow passenger took photo of laptop to alert cops

(NEWSER) - An engineering professor from the University of Utah was busted on a Delta flight from Salt Lake City on Saturday after a fellow passenger sent a message to alert police that he was viewing child pornography on his laptop, according to investigators. A passenger behind Grant Smith in the first-class section took a photo of what appeared on Grant's computer, and emailed it to a relative with a message to contact police, reports the Boston Globe . Grant was arrested at Logan Airport in Boston, and investigators found "disturbing images of child pornography" on his computer, said a police spokesman. He has been charged with possession of child porn and will be arraigned today. He has already been placed on administrative leave by the university. More»

For fuel or unpaid fees, depending which report you read

(NEWSER) - Flying: It’s just not what it used to be . The latest example? A plane was grounded in Vienna for six hours as the airline forced passengers to come up with an additional $31,000. Apparently charter airline Comtel is in financial trouble and hadn’t paid "landing fees or taxes," one passenger tells the Telegraph —which puts the amount raised at closer to $38,000. The AP , however, says the staff told fliers the money was needed for fuel. "They lined up the buses and said we would be removed from the plane if we didn't pay up," says one passenger. More»

Surprise move in Australia strands passengers around the world

(NEWSER) - Be glad you're not booked on a Qantas flight. The Australian airline abruptly grounded its entire fleet today because of a nasty labor dispute, reports the BBC . The move came so suddenly that some planes turned around while taxiing on the runway, notes AP . Qantas is paying for people to rebook on other airlines, but the decision is still causing a huge headache for international travelers—it affects 108 planes in 22 countries—and, potentially, for Australia's economy. More»