Hi travelers - I have sort of been there and done that. Around the world in over 80+ countries.
After the race..
I find this all so soothing... Travel, enjoy! What I find cool here is that you can search for other travel videos once you've watched the first one. By the way I run Linux and all that open source goodness. Run Linux, Run Free!
Oh, have I mentioned that I run Linux as my operating system, and have a lot of fun doing this? My Blog is here.
The Miracle On The Hudson
Airline Considers Charging For Toilets
Ryanair airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, has said that the airline might start charging passengers for using the toilet while flying.
"One thing we have looked at in the past and are looking at again is
the possibility of maybe putting a coin slot on the toilet door so that
people might actually have to spend a pound ($1.43) to spend a penny in
future," O'Leary told BBC television. It won't be long before airlines
will start charging for air. Why should they eat the entire cost of
pressurizing thecab in?
Fly Through Airport Security
You
might as well check your dignity curbside. Soon you'll be shoeless and
flustered, spilling comics across the floor as you dig your MacBook
from the depths of your duffel. But take a deep breath, frequent
fliers: It is possible to pass security with your ego intact. Here's
how:
1. Do recon online. Security delays vary widely by concourse and terminal. Go to tsa.gov
to find average wait times. If you're not checking bags, print your
boarding pass at home and head to the fastest line. (Be sure your gate
is accessible from that security checkpoint.)
2. Carry a messenger bag. The topside flap gives easy
access to your laptop and Ziploc of liquids and gels while the pockets
provide plenty of storage for alarm-trippers. As soon as you get in
line, tuck your belt, wallet, keys, watch, and phone into the sack.
3. Wear laceless shoes. And holeless socks. Just think of all the foot fungi of travelers past. Or don't.
4. Go! After you pass ID screening, make a beeline to the
shortest x-ray queue. Don't wait to be directed, and don't hesitate to
bypass dawdlers.
Not only will you get there faster, you'll keep the
whole line moving.
5. Use only two bins. Place shoes, coat, and toiletries
in the first bin; laptop in the second; followed by the messenger bag.
Keep the roller on the floor, where it's easy to manage, until the last
minute.
6. Dress strategically. Don your coat and shoes while waiting for your bags. Put on your belt and watch at the gate.
The
Dumb Little Man blog posts up a healthy portion of tips for those with
flexible schedules and a desire to fly for free by booking themselves
on overbooked flights. Along with pointing to a web site
that details how many seats are left on certain flights, guest blogger
Clay Collins suggests keeping your luggage light to up your chances at
scoring a free flight voucher:
Sometimes finding
volunteers is like pulling teeth, but if the competition is fierce,
airlines tend to prefer volunteers who don't have checked baggage. On a
similar note, one of the few downsides to getting bumped is the extra
opportunity for the airline to lose your checked luggage. Try to stick
to carry-on bags. If you can leave the turbo deluxe hair dryer and
extra set of golf clubs at home, do so.
Have any
of our own frugal/flexible readers had any success intentionally
getting bumped to score free tickets/vouchers? Offer up a little air
travel advice in the comments. Photo by jetalone.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- -- Discount air carrier Southwest
Airlines flew thousands of passengers on aircraft that federal
inspectors said were "unsafe" as recently as last March, according to
detailed congressional documents obtained by CNN.
Congressional documents show Southwest flew thousands of passengers on aircraft deemed "unsafe" by inspectors.
Documents submitted by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors to
congressional investigators allege the airline flew at least 117 of its
planes in violation of mandatory safety checks.
In some cases,
the documents say, the planes flew for 30 months after government
inspection deadlines had passed and should have been grounded until the
inspections could be completed.
The planes were "not airworthy," according to congressional air safety investigators.
On Thursday, the FAA initiated actions to seek a $10.2 million civil
penalty against Southwest for allegedly operating 46 airplanes without
conducting mandatory checks for fuselage cracking.
"The FAA is
taking action against Southwest Airlines for a failing to follow rules
that are designed to protect passengers and crew," Nicholas A.
Sabatini, the FAA's associate administrator for aviation safety, said
in a written statement.
Calling it "one of the worst safety
violations" he has ever seen, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minnesota, is
expected to call a hearing as soon as possible to ask why the airline
put its passengers in danger.
Virgin Atlantic has become the first airline to fly with biofuel, something airline boss Richard Branson calls "a vital breakthrough" but environmentalists deride as a "nonsensical" publicity stunt.
The Boeing 747-400
flew from London to Amsterdam on Sunday, carrying in one of its four
fuel tanks a 20-percent mix of biofuel derived from coconut and babassu oil.
That may not sound like much, but it is the first time a commercial
aircraft has flown any distance using renewable energy. Branson said
the "historic" flight marks the first step toward reducing the airline
industry's carbon footprint.
Does it?
Many environmentalists scoffed at the idea that Branson, and the
airlines, are at all interested in cleaning up an industry that
contributes 2 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Pete Hardstaf, head of policy for the World Development Movement, said,
"This is nothing more than a Virgin publicity stunt with dangerous
consequences for the planet." Doug Parr, chief scientist for
Greenpeace, told the Globe and Mail the flight is "high-altitude greenwash."
A senior pilot with Cathay Pacific Airways has been
sacked for an "unauthorised low-level flypast" of a new Boeing
777-300ER in Seattle last month, Flight International reports.
Ian Wilkinson had just taken delivery of the aircraft on 30 January
and, after take-off from Everett Airport en route to Hong Kong with
about 50 to 60 passengers on board, including Cathay Pacific chairman
Christopher Pratt, returned to the airfield for "a low-level flypast
with the landing gear up":
News sources say Wilkinson had obtained permission from the tower
for the stunt, but not from his employers. While onlookers applauded
the low-level pass, the plane's passengers were said to be "stunned
into silence". When footage of the Top Gun escapade
subsequently found its way onto the internet, it revealed Wilkinson had
taken his charge just 28 to 30ft above the runway.
The
Dumb Little Man blog posts up a healthy portion of tips for those with
flexible schedules and a desire to fly for free by booking themselves
on overbooked flights. Along with pointing to a 
Virgin Atlantic has become the first airline to fly with biofuel, something airline boss Richard Branson calls "a vital breakthrough" but environmentalists deride as a "nonsensical" publicity stunt.
