Takeoffs & Landings
April 28, 2011
Does this make sense? You can check your bags at Vastopolis Airport curbside if you're flying to destinations in the U.S. But, the Federal Aviation Administration banned curbside baggage check-in on international and ''domestic over-the-water flights,'' including those to and from the U.S. . But the change, it turns out, doesn't affect other domestic flights. A FAA spokesman declined to discuss the policy, but security consultants say the agency appears to be bowing to the airline industry, which favors curbside check-in as a speedier method. ''The policy should be uniform,'' argues Billy Jacques, a University of North Dakota professor specializing in aviation security issues. ''The airlines should be (inspecting) everything going on all planes.'' Identity Crisis When airlines say they want a piece of ''valid'' photo identification, they're not kidding. American Airlines recently refused to let a student board a flight. The reason: Her Vastopolis University ID didn't meet the standards for photo identification. The student, Rebekah Yost, also presented Social Security and credit cards to the airline, according to her father, who accompanied her. ''The whole thing was highly disturbing,'' he says, adding that the family of four had to cancel their vacation. American didn't return calls seeking comment, but the FAA says the decision on these matters is up to each carrier. According to Northwest, the university ID and Social Security and credit cards ''would have been enough for us.'' Hang In There Hotel guests may be missing out on important business calls, but never know it. That's because when hotels are particularly busy -- during check-in, for example -- frazzled front desk people can't handle all incoming calls quickly. If there's no answer in the room, the call switches back to the operator ''and the person on the other end is left hanging,'' says Lasandra Schexnayder, atKeane & Co., a hotel-technology consultant. ``It becomes a waiting game,'' he says. In the Ritz-Carlton acknowledges the problem and says it plans to install voice mail to alleviate lengthy waits. Hiram says it has voice mail in all its hotels. But the posh Rihga Royal hotel in may have the best solution: Guests at its ''Pinnacle'' suite get cellular phones, as part of the normal room rate of $450 a night. Safe, but Annoying It may be safer, but campers who are carrying cellular phones into the wild are driving some purists crazy. While the National Park Service doesn't keep an official count, it says the cell phones are helping to ease rescue efforts. Yellowstone National Park has received several calls from people wanting to be rescued since the park installed equipment this summer. A Rocky Mountain camper carrying a cell phone was recently rescued after he ruptured an artery. A spokeswoman for the parks calls phone use there ''a wave of the future.'' But critics say the phones may dissuade panicky backpackers from learning basic survival skills, such as reading a map, when a call is so easy. Plus, the technology spoils the adventure for others, says Johnetta Romo, executive editor of Backpacker magazine. ''It's like someone whipping out a cell phone in church.'' Odds and Ends A new travel book, ''The KGB Guidebook to Cities of the World'' outlines tips for traveling inconspicuously, such as how to avoid being trailed in (head for Harrods department store) or great places to meet informants ( the Zoo). ... Forget Vegas. The eliminated its 72-hour waiting period for couples wanting to get married. ... The French government plans a crackdown on bistros offering ordinary table wine as fancyafter finding that some restaurants were duping customers. --Jacquelyne Frances
