http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/airlines/ en-us Fri, 1 Jan 2010 02:06:38 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418743/posts The TSA announced Thursday evening that subpoenas issued against bloggers for information they published are no longer in effect. From the TSA: "TSA takes any breach in security very seriously. In light of the posting of sensitive security information on the web, TSA sought to identify where the information came from. The investigation is nearing a successful conclusion and the subpoenas are no longer in effect." Earlier: A Florida based travel-writer, Chris Elliott, is readying a legal challenge to the Transportation Security Administration's efforts to force him to disclose his source for a TSA directive he published on his blog.... Politico.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418743/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 02:06:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417254/posts From the very same folks who wonder why is there anything done for those who are not happy why nothing is done. From the “why don’t they do something” file, we have the federal government stepping in to ensure airlines don’t leave passengers inside of aluminum tubes sitting on airport taxiways more than three hours.More feel good legislation that will ripple through the industry and make travel worse than it already is. Last week the President Obama’s United States Department of Transportation decreed … there will be an airline passenger bill of rights, and passengers will no longer be inconvenienced... http://www.radioviceonline.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2417254/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:27:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2416911/posts Kelly McParland: Thanks mad bomber. Thanks a lot. Posted: December 28, 2009, 9:23 AM by NP Editor Kelly McParland Predictably, the reaction of security authorities to the Nigerian man who attempted to blow up a passenger plan landing in Detroit (we're just going to dispense with the "allegedlys" here, if you don't mind) is to make life as miserable as possible for all the people who didn't try to blow up a plane on Christmas morning. They missed a guy from Nigeria, who was so radicalized that his own father grew frightened about his intentions and notified U.S. authorities. So... National Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2416911/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 14:22:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416503/posts Ivana Trump, the first ex-wife of billionaire Donald Trump, was escorted by sheriff's deputies off a flight Saturday afternoon at Palm Beach International Airport after she screamed and cursed at children, authorities said. Trump, 60, of Palm Beach, was seated in first class and apparently became irate because children were running up and down the aisle and screaming, Palm Beach County sheriff's officials said. South Florida Sun Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2416503/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:54:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416158/posts Cops fear that 25 British-born Muslims are plotting to bomb Western airliners. The fanatics, in five groups, are now training at secret terror camps in Yemen. It was there London-educated Umar Abdulmutallab, 23, prepared for his Christmas Day bid to blow up a US jet. The British extremists in Yemen are in their early 20s and from Bradford, Luton and Leytonstone, East London. They are due to return to the UK early in 2010 and will then await Internet instructions from al-Qaeda on when to strike. NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416158/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:34:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416072/posts PHOENIX – Two men thought to have been acting suspicious aboard a flight bound for Phoenix were detained and questioned by federal anti-terrorism authorities before they were released, the FBI said Sunday. Transportation Security Administration officials said passengers aboard U.S. Airways Flight 192 from Orlando, Fla., on Saturday night reported that two men, described as Middle Eastern, were acting strangely and talking loudly to each other in a foreign language. Yahoo News/AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416072/posts#comment Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:23:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415911/posts WASHINGTON — Some airlines are telling passengers that new security regulations prohibit them from leaving their seats beginning an hour before landing. Air Canada said in a statement Saturday that new rules imposed by the Transportation Security Administration limit on-board activities by passengers and crew in U.S. airspace. The airline said that during the final hour of flight passengers must remain seated. They won't be allowed access to carry-on baggage or to have any items on their laps. The Harrisburg Patriot http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415911/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:42:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415671/posts Islamist terror’s Christmas present to America — a deadly fireball over Detroit International Airport — failed to materialize late Friday morning, but not for lack of ingenuity or dedication on the terrorist’s part. The incendiary device carried aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 by a Nigerian national identified by authorities as Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab didn’t work as designed — thus sparing 278 passengers and 11 crew members gruesome deaths. But he did manage to carry inflammable chemicals aboard the aircraft — and come perilously close to igniting them. Just how Abdulmutallab came to be on the aircraft is a compelling mystery.... NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415671/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:41:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415645/posts The Obama White House has been aggressive in its press outreach regarding the Northwest Airlines terrorist incident. Some of the earliest stories on accused terrorist Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab's attempt to set off an explosive device on board Northwest Flight 253 were sourced to the White House, and White House officials were quick to label the incident an "attempted act of terrorism." The White House wants the public to know that President Obama, on vacation at a luxurious oceanfront home in Hawaii, has received conference call updates and is keeping close tabs on the situation. Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415645/posts#comment Sun, 27 Dec 2009 07:32:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415497/posts ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) - The 23-year-old man police say tried to blow up a Delta airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit has been arraigned in his hospital bed at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Action News reporter Peggy Agar and an Associated Press reporter were chosen to witness the arraignment. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab has been charged with attempting to destroy an aircraft and placing a destructive device onboard an aircraft. The charges were filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit. Investigators say the Nigerian flew from his home... WXYZ-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415497/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 23:10:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415432/posts The White House described as an attempted act of terrorism the presumed "firecracker" aboard the Northwest Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec. 25, Christmas Day. The suspect, Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, 23, a Nigerian engineering student at University College London, is said to have admitted to trying to detonate an explosive powder taped to his leg with chemicals aboard the Airbus 330 which was carrying 278 passengers. The pilot alerted by a smoke alarm half an hour before Detroit and made a safe emergency landing. The Nigerian was subdued and detained immediately for questioning, reportedly admitting to links with... The New Media Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2415432/posts#comment Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:33:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413144/posts We pray for safe travel for those of us who will be departing for Christmas destinations. With those pesky possible dry runs, sometimes spotty security practices, and the always possible severe weather, there can never too many prayers. Thank you! God bless you all, and Merry Christmas! Prayer to St. Christopher ~ Patron of Motorists Prayer for Motorists Grant me O Lord a steady hand and watchful eye. That no one shall be hurt as I pass by. Thou gavest life, I pray no act of mine may take away or mar that gift of Thine. Shelter those, dear Lord,... Starwise http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413144/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:33:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412540/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. airlines could face stiff fines for stranding passengers aboard grounded planes for more than three hours, according to a regulation that officials said on Monday was aimed at upholding passenger rights. The Transportation Department initiative tries to address public and government frustration with lengthy runway delays, especially those that leave passengers without food, water or adequate bathroom facilities. "Airline passengers have rights, and these new rules will require airlines to live up to their obligation to treat their customers fairly," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told reporters. For the first time, the government will require airlines to... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412540/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:55:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411783/posts In the latest of many shameful lapses, the federal agency in charge of securing the nation’s transportation system approved background checks for a dozen illegal immigrants working in sensitive areas of a busy U.S. airport. The illegal aliens, from Central America and Mexico, worked in operational areas of Stewart International Airport, a 2,400-acre facility located about 60 miles north of New York City. Stewart is a major passenger airport for the state’s mid-Hudson region that also handles large quantities of cargo and serves as a military field. The illegal aliens all had security badges approved by the Transportation Security Administration... Juducial Watch.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411783/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 19:28:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409718/posts That is exactly what the scruffy, pint-sized and nasty Atlanta based Delta Airlines Captain said to me. He spoke in a tone of voice reserved for junior and very inferior officers under his command. His facial expression and confrontational body language dared me to say something that would give him the excuse to remove me from the flight soon to depart from Atlanta to Tel Aviv. I was saved by a fellow traveler who injected, "We would, but no one else flies to Israel from Atlanta. I had booked and paid for my international flight back around May. I chose... The New Media Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409718/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:49:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407330/posts <p>After a difficult year battling the recession, the airline industry appears to be headed toward a recovery as fuller planes, fewer discounted fares, lower fuel prices and revenue from a variety of formerly free services start to pay off.</p> <p>The signs of improvement are most advanced at low-fare carriers that focus on domestic flights. Passenger miles and unit revenue—the money taken in for each seat flown one mile—at discount king Southwest Airlines Co. soared 12% last month from a year ago.</p> Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2407330/posts#comment Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:57:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404950/posts Cover-up hinted as case recalls 'flying imams' Evidence that an incident on an Air Tran flight from Atlanta to Houston could have been a "dry run" for a possible hijacking is mounting, with analysts hinting at a cover-up because of an airline gag order on employees and more witnesses coming forward to say they were afraid. The airline, meanwhile, is sticking to its prepared statements that there was an issue with a passenger and a cell phone but the matter is considered closed. ... Charges of suppressed information now are being leveled. "Two and a half weeks later, the incident... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404950/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:13:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404442/posts Thanks again, Marietta Daily Journal, for doing what news organizations are supposed to do: investigate and inform. The Marietta Daily Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404442/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:56:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403860/posts The Department of Homeland Security has initiated unspecified personnel actions against individuals involved in the bungled online posting this spring of a government document that revealed airport screening secrets, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told senators Wednesday morning. A contract employee was responsible for failing to properly redact a 93-page Transportation Security Administration operating manual onto a government procurement Web site, allowing computer users to recover blacked-out information by copying and pasting them into other documents, Napolitano said. TSA supervisors were also involved, Napolitano said. "The security of the traveling public has never been put at risk," Napolitano assured the... WashingtonPost.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403860/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 18:10:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402569/posts Rumors continued to circulate Monday via e-mail and the Internet about what exactly happened on an AirTran flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in November. At the time, AirTran told Channel 2 Action News that an unruly passenger on a cell phone forced the pilot to take the plane back to the gate. Monday, a passenger said the situation went well beyond that. “It was extremely intense. I’ve never experienced anything like that,” said passenger Brent Brown. Brown runs a security consultant company and is a frequent flier. But even for him, he said the events of Flight 297 were... WSB-TV http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2402569/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 03:20:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401618/posts slideshow In the age of balloon boys and party crashers, regular people just don't know what to believe any more. Last week, I spent more than my share of hours trying to track down the truth about an incident on an AirTran flight out of Atlanta on Nov. 17. Flight 297 to Houston, with about 70 passengers onboard, departed gate C-16 at 4:43 p.m. Until something happened that caused the pilot to turn around and come back. Two and a half weeks later, the incident is in high dispute, thanks to some passengers who have spoken out on the Internet... The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401618/posts#comment Sun, 6 Dec 2009 19:30:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400688/posts It's a little easier to understand why a man who claimed to have thwarted a potential terrorist attack on a plane has not answered repeated requests to tell his story. He was not on the plane, according to AirTran Airways. "After conducting additional research into this situation, we have verified, according to flight manifests (legally binding documents) that the individual that allegedly created a first-hand account of events on-board AirTran Airways Flight 297, a Theodore Petruna, was never actually on-board the flight," AirTran said in a statement, which the AJC was the first to obtain. An e-mail from a Tedd... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400688/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 02:04:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399714/posts Economy class flights are cramped at the best of times, so imagine being stuck next to someone so large they take up half the aisle, too. This image was captured by an air stewardess who wanted to demonstrate to her boss exactly why obese passengers should be made to buy an extra seat. The photograph has since appeared on web forums used by flight attendants, where many appeared to agree with the crew member. One user posted the comment: 'Sympathise with the guy or not, he's a major safety hazard in an evacuation and a gross inconvenience for the cabin... Daily Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399714/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 23:04:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399763/posts Just when you thought you’ve heard it all... A senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser®. According to this promotional video found at the Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. website, the bracelet would be worn by all airline passengers (video also shown below). This bracelet would: • Take the place of an airline boarding pass • Contain personal information about the traveler • Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her... Washington Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399763/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 23:56:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399187/posts A reader called me, then sent me an email Wednesday morning about an incident that occurred Nov. 17 on an AirTran Airways flight. According to an Atlanta Journal Constitution story, the flight was delayed two and a half hours after a confrontation between some passengers and the flight crew. The AJC story quoted a passenger sitting toward the back of the airplane who recounted what she saw. That passenger thought it was just a problem with miscommunication. But there's an email circulating, apparently going viral, from a Texan on the flight, who describes what appeared to him to be a... DallasMorningNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399187/posts#comment Thu, 3 Dec 2009 12:38:48 GMT