Flight Delays Decline Ahead of Holidays

'Slippery little beast' eventually caught

(NEWSER) - Passengers on an Air China flight out of Kennedy Airport were probably perturbed at yesterday’s four-hour delay, but at least there was good reason for it: A monkey had worked its way out of its crate in the cargo hold of the Boeing 747. The Beijing-bound flight was held while Port Authority officers and an airport worker caught the “slippery little beast,” a source tells the New York Post . He was en route to China for medical research. More»

American Eagle first to be fined under new policy

(NEWSER) - American Eagle Airlines has been hit with the first fine issued under new rules prohibiting airlines from keeping passengers stuck in planes on the tarmac for more than three hours. The regional carrier was fined $900,000 for keeping a total 608 passengers on board 15 different flights on the tarmac for too long at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in May, MarketWatch reports. The passengers had already received an average of $250 each in compensation from the airline. More»

It's not as busy as you think

(NEWSER) - If you’re traveling this Thanksgiving, you’re likely bracing yourself for major delays on the road, rails, or in the sky. But take courage: your worries may be unfounded—or at least exaggerated. NPR provides some turkey-related travel myths:

1. It’s the busiest time of year to travel. “Actually, the summertime is worse. There are about five to 10 days during the summer that are busier than Thanksgiving,” says a spokesman from AAA.

Passengers must be allowed to deplane under new regulation

(AP) - The Transportation Department is ordering airlines to let passengers stuck in stranded airplanes to deplane after three hours. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the new three-hour limit today, along with other new passenger protections long sought by consumer advocates. From January to June this year, 613 planes were delayed on tarmacs for more than three hours, their passengers kept on board. More»

System broke down in both Atlanta and Salt Lake City

(AP) - FAA officials say failed computers that delayed flights across the country are now working again. The air traffic controllers union says the computer failure involved both of the Federal Aviation Administration's computer centers in Salt Lake City and Atlanta, which handle flight plans for air traffic throughout the country. More»