Redacted! NASA airline safety study released — sorta
NASA made good on its promise to release its airline safety survey by the end of the year, but did little more than post 6,208 pages of heavily-redacted — and ultimately meaningless — data on its Web site on the slowest news day of the year.
All bundled up
Erysse visited ICE at the Gaylord Palms, where the temperature was a bone-chilling eight degrees. What a great excuse to bundle up and do her best Little Red Riding Hood impression.
5 things airlines won’t tell you about their food
Airline food. The very mention of those two words is enough to provoke a strong — and usually negative — reaction from any passenger. But let’s add another word. Good airline food. Laughing yet? Maybe not. Maybe you’ve heard all about airline efforts to improve their in-flight fare.
Elliott’s E-Mail/January 1, 2008
Travelers want to be optimistic about 2008. But if this week’s events are any indication of what next year has in store, that may be difficult. Our own government is trying to downplay the results of its “it-might-affect-airline-profitability” aviation safety study by releasing it on New Year’s Eve. The car rental industry may be fixing prices, if a recent lawsuit is to be believed. And there’s a confusing new ban on Lithium batteries that might affect your next trip. Don’t forget to check out my 2008 preview on MSNBC. (Note: I’m sending this week’s newsletter a little early for technical reasons.)
No room — and no refund
When Colin West arrives at the Howard Johnson Express in New York, there’s no room for him. He’s sent to another hotel nearby, but has to pay for the room himself. West gets his money back for the first hotel from Priceline, but does it owe him something for the new hotel, too?
NASA to release controversial airline safety survey on New Year’s Eve
Think they’re trying to downplay this one? NASA has finally decided to release its controversial study on airline safety — on New Year’s Eve. Earlier this year, NASA was criticized for withholding key parts of a pilot survey requested by a news organization under the Freedom of Information Act. One of the reasons it cited was that the report could affected “airline profitability.”
Uh-oh: batteries banned from checked luggage starting next week
A new Department of Transportation rule takes effect Jan. 1 that will prevent airline passengers from packing loose lithium batteries in their checked luggage. But just this once it isn’t terrorism fears that have led to the restrictions, but safety considerations, according to the government.
Are car rental companies fixing their prices?
A lawsuit working its way through a U.S. District Court in California is raising a troubling question that could affect travelers: Are car rental companies fixing their prices? The suit, filed by the University of San Diego School of Law’s Center for Public Interest Law, alleges that auto rental firms in California have done just that. If the courts side with the consumer advocates, it could have national implications.
Where’s the alligator?
Erysse had a blast at the Brevard Zoo, and she even got to see scary alligators. They didn’t move a lot, but Mommy said they have sharp teeth, so she kept her distance.
Top 7 blog posts and comments of 2007 (thank you, TSA!)
Take a bow, Transportation Security Administration. Between having your fingers in everyone’s holiday pies and confiscating combustible sippy cups from toddlers, the stories of your shenanigans managed to draw the most readers — and the most interesting comments — in 2007. Among the other favorites on this blog: Ben Baldanza’s e-mail-first, ask-questions-later episode on Spirit Airlines, the outing of phone-numberless Skybus, and Joel Widzer’s mysterious non-death.
Resolved for 2008: Kill the TSA, end fuel surcharges and impose quotas on airline bloggers
Resolved for 2008: The Transportation Security Agency should eliminate its pointless liquids and gels ban, which recently led it to reclassify harmless holiday pies as weapons of mass destruction. If it can’t manage to do that, our elected officials should do us all a favor and kill the agency.
Elliott’s E-Mail/December 25, 2007
What a wacky week it’s been. Turns out the TSA is obsessed with exploding pies (no, really). Airlines think it’s OK to slap a booking fee on tickets bought through their own Web sites. And hotels? When it comes to surcharges, anything goes. I’ve got it all covered in this week’s newsletter, plus my very own list of the 20 most inspiring travel bloggers. Visit their sites. Bookmark them. They’re worth it.
Christmas present
Just what I wanted — Hotwheels! And they’re all mine.
Erysse gets a haircut at the Magic Kindom
Erysse Elliott turned one, and her parents took her to the Magic Kingdom to get her first haircut. This video was directed by her brother Aren and produced by her brother Iden. Daddy is still trying to figure out how to use Final Cut.
“What kind of pie is that?” the TSA agent demanded
The Transportation Security Administration doesn’t like pie in the sky. We kinda suspected that after the low-rated government agency issued new guidelines on food items that could be brought onboard. Now comes a firsthand report of TSA sillyness that, if nothing else, will make you laugh out loud.