Middle Seat on the Plane? I'd Rather ...

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.

... because of obese person next to him

(NEWSER) - Another dismal travel tale from the world of packed airplanes: A US Airways passenger flying from Anchorage to Philadelphia had to stand for nearly all of the seven-hour flight, reports the consumer advocacy blog Elliott.org . The problem? The airline booked a late-boarding passenger who weighed in the neighborhood of 400 pounds without requiring that he buy a second seat. 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»

He also had to forfeit his driver's license and passport

(NEWSER) - A Utah man may have gotten us that much closer to peanuts being banned on planes. Pogos Paul Sefilian is accused of throwing peanuts and pretzels at crew during a flight, and is now prohibited from flying on commercial airlines, reports Connect2Utah . He also allegedly refused to put away an electronic cigarette, opened overhead bins, and physically threatened flight attendants just before landing. He was arrested, had his driver's license and passport taken away, and will now be forced to wear a GPS tracking device. Of the verdict, Sefilian's lawyer says, "I thought it was reasonable." More»

Robert Sayegh says he may sue

(NEWSER) - Apparently, cursing can get you kicked off a plane—as a Brooklyn man found out the hard way yesterday. After a layover in Detroit, Robert Sayegh and the rest of the passengers on Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 5136 had been waiting at the gate for 45 minutes. A flight attendant overheard him commenting to his seatmate, "What's taking so (expletive) long to close the overhead compartments?" The plane taxied to the runway, but then returned so police could escort Sayegh off. More»