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NEWS ABOUT: air travel

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Airlines Panic as Recession Grounds Passengers

Falling price of oil fails to make up for slump in demand

(Newser) - A steep slide in passengers has airline execs reaching for the panic button, reports the Wall Street Journal. Airlines had banked on the drastic drop in oil prices more than making up for falling demand caused by the recession, but the decline—especially in first and business class—has been... More »

Struggling Airlines Pitch Clean(er) Planes

As customers become more valued, so does customer service

(Newser) - United Airlines used to give its planes’ interiors a thorough cleaning only every 6 months to save cash. But with carriers now fighting for every passenger, cleanliness has become a crucial weapon, the Chicago Tribune reports. Some United planes now get “heavy” cleans every two weeks. “People don’... More »

'Sir Richard, What Is That White Stuff?'

Airline chief Branson gets complaint about food

(Newser) - Sir Richard Branson personally responded to a “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” complaint letter from a Virgin Atlantic passenger, reprinted in the Telegraph. The beleaguered (and unnamed) flyer likened the dining experience to an awful Christmas morning. “You open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your... More »

Emma Thompson, Others Try to Foil Heathrow Plans

Group opposed to plan aims to drag project into legal quicksand

(Newser) - A high-profile coalition led by Greenpeace has purchased a soccer field-sized piece of land intended to become part of a new runway for London’s Heathrow airport, the Times reports. The group intends to parcel out the land to thousands of individual owners, dragging out any attempt to buy it... More »

More Trouble Looms for Holiday Travelers

Snow, rain will continue through weekend

(Newser) - Holiday travelers may be in for more trouble this weekend, USA Today reports. Snow is expected from Montana to New Mexico, rain in the Midwest could cause flooding, and the South can expect heavy thunderstorms and possibly a few tornadoes. "It's going to be a wild ride," said... More »

Fliers Ease Carbon Guilt Via Donations

San Fran airport to offer pollution offsets at new kiosks

(Newser) - Guilty about the carbon footprint of your frequent flights? Have a few bucks to spare and time to kill at San Francisco's airport? The firm 3Degrees is banking on such a combination as it prepares to roll out the nation's first fleet of kiosks offering carbon offsets. No one is... More »

Holiday Travel a Nightmare Thanks to Snow, Ice

Flight cancellations ripple across US; roads not great, either

(AP) - Hundreds of holiday travelers spent the night in the nation's second-busiest airport and others faced delayed or canceled flights and highways choked by snow and ice as storms kept up their assault on northern states. More snow fell today in the Midwest, while the Northwest faced more snow and sleet,... More »

Wall Street Execs Still Fly Private Jets

Costly travel rationalized as time saver

(Newser) - Six ailing Wall Street firms that eagerly took bailout funds still spend thousands to operate fleets of private jets that whisk their executives to company—and personal—events, AP reports. AIG, which scooped up $150 billion from the government, beats its peers with a seven-jet fleet. Fuel alone for a... More »

Jet Lag Pill Can Reboot Biological Clock

New drug could replace addictive sedatives as travel cure

(Newser) - A new drug could allow travelers to fly past jet lag without the lingering drowsiness of addictive sedatives, the BBC reports. The drug resets natural sleep rhythms by adjusting the body’s sleep hormone, melatonin, allowing sleep to come sooner and last longer. If approved, Tasimelteon could provide welcome relief... More »

3K Stranded in Bangkok as PM Refuses to Step Down

Army pressures government as violence grows between factions

(Newser) - Thailand’s government today rejected a top general’s demand it dissolve parliament and hold elections, the Guardian reports, as protesters demand that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat step down entirely. Wongsawat snuck back into Thailand today and plans to meet with the king, whom protesters support; a pro-government gang killed... More »

Early On, Holiday Travel Going Smoothly

Few delays reported on roads, airports at start of Thanksgiving rush

(AP) - Travelers breezed through airport terminals and drivers cruised open roads today, the effects of a sour economy blamed for keeping people closer to home at the start of the annual Thanksgiving rush. Even though gas prices fell and airlines offered last-minute deals, many Americans appeared to be skipping trips this... More »

Airfares Dip on Last-Minute Holiday Trips

Ugly economy pushes demand down, along with price of fuel

(Newser) - With many consumers too concerned about their wallets to make pricey trips, airlines are, for the first time in memory, lowering prices before the holidays, the Chicago Tribune reports. The reversal of convention is allowing late buyers to scrounge tickets for as much as $200 less than travelers who locked... More »

Stewardess Helps Land Flight After Co-Pilot Cracks

Licensed pilot jumps in on London-bound plane after man suffers breakdown

(Newser) - After an Air Canada captain had his co-pilot handcuffed and dragged from his seat during a January flight, a female flight attendant helped steer the London-bound passenger jet to safety in Ireland, the Guardian reports. The original co-pilot was “quite harried” when he entered the cockpit, a report released... More »

Fewer Will Travel for Thanksgiving: AAA

600K more expected to stay home, first decline in 6 years

(Newser) - An estimated 600,000 Americans will forego the 50-plus miles of travel they made last year to celebrate Thanksgiving, AAA predicts. The dip is the first in 6 years, but the fourth consecutive for general holiday travel. Despite cheaper gas, fewer people will drive cars this year, opting for more-economical... More »

Families, Line Up Here—if You Have Time

Airports to offer security lane for kin, travel newbies

(Newser) - Airports will allow families to line up in more leisurely security lanes for the coming holiday season, the AP reports. The checkpoints, which have proven popular in tests at 48 US airports, allow slow-moving families to stick together and less seasoned travelers to avoid scrambling for standard Transportation Security Administration... More »

American Airports: Shiny, New, and Empty

Decades-long projects completed as industry turns down

(Newser) - In the boom years of the last decade, cities across America broke ground on major airport expansions, from additional runways to new terminals. Now those projects are being completed—just as air travel has slowed and hundreds of planes are being grounded. Flights may be less congested, writes the New ... More »

Homeland Security Chief: Terror List Isn't So Long

Feds to take over airline passenger screening from next year

(Newser) - The terrorist watch list isn't the million-name behemoth it’s been reported as, the Homeland Security chief says. Only 2,500 people are on the no-fly list, according to Michael Chertoff, and just 10% of them are US citizens. Less than 16,000 people are on another, lower-level threat list,... More »

Mystery Illness Diverts Plane

14 passengers suddenly sick shortly after takeoff

(Newser) - A United Airlines flight was diverted last night to Chicago's O'Hare airport after 14 passengers suddenly became ill with flu-like symptoms. Four were taken to a local hospital in fair condition. United hadn't served any food on the plane, heading from Boston to Los Angeles, officials said. Several of the... More »

TSA Set to Flush Liquid Restrictions

X-ray technology that can spot bomb materials may be ready by year's end

(Newser) - The oft-frustrating 3-ounces-in-a-baggie restriction on carrying liquids through airport security could be gone within a year, the Wall Street Journal reports. After testing out X-ray technology that detects bomb-making fluids, the Transportation Security Administration’s only remaining step is making sure the software works. “It’s not ready yet,... More »

Stranded Brits Expected Home on Schedule

Up to 85K were overseas when holiday firm went bust

(Newser) - The  sudden collapse of XL Airways left as many as 85,000 passengers marooned in foreign lands, but they're now expected to get home on schedule, or at least only a little late, the Times of London reports. Aviation authorities plan a vast airlift to take home the stranded, but... More »

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