Travel Alert: Clear Security ceases operation

by Grant Martin on

Just yesterday evening as I passed by the Clear Lane at Boston’s Logan International Airport, I saw my favorite employee and wondered how the business was doing.

The company, designed to allow passengers to pay to get around lengthly security lines, was formed on the concept that enough people would pay for the service to make the operation profitable. Now, it appears that that’s not the case — especially as people are trying to cut back during the recession.

Navigating to flyclear.com, browsers receive the following, solemn message:

“At 11:00 p.m. PST on June 22, 2009, Clear will cease operations. Clear’s parent company, Verified Identity Pass, Inc. has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor to continue operations.”

It’s always sad to see a company fail, but in this case, it seems a bit more personal. Taking part in a review of the service earlier this year I distinctly remember meeting the Logan employees and writing positively about the experience. I wonder what they’ll do now?

Seven injured as Qantas Airbus slams passengers into the ceiling

by Scott Carmichael on

A Qantas Airbus A330-300 flew through what airline staff referred to as a “severe meteorological incident”.

The “incident” was actually bad turbulence, and it was so severe that the plane plummeted, sending passengers into the ceiling.

The flight was en route from Hong Kong to Perth when it hit the turbulence. Because the drop was so sudden, the flight crew did not have the time to warn passengers to be strapped in, though it does underline how important it is to have your seat belt buckled at all times.

It isn’t hard to see some similarities between this flight and the recent crash of Air France flight 447 – especially since both were on the exact same type of plane.

Planes often rely on information from other aircraft on the same route to report on turbulence, but if the route is not very busy, it may be hours between reports.

Bad turbulence can cause severe injuries, a collection of some of the most recent incidents involving bad turbulence can be found in the gallery posted below:

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More crazy stories from the skies

Airline baggage fees continue to climb

by Scott Carmichael on

What started with a single airline charging passengers to check their second piece of luggage has slowly evolved into a massive money making scheme netting some airlines as much as $1 Billion in additional cash.

The state of airline travel now means there are just a handful of airlines that do not charge for additional bags, and those airlines that do charge you, are getting so greedy that they are actually raising their prices again.

At the moment, United Airlines and US Airways charge $15 for the first checked bag, and $25 for the second – that fee is about to go up an additional $5 for passengers who do not prepay to check using the airline website.

Delta and Northwest (the same airline now they have completed their merger) will be charging an insane $50 for the second checked bag on international routes.

The only major airline that has (so far) resisted the urge to charge for checking bags, is Southwest. This low cost carrier has even launched a massive TV advertising campaign promoting the fact that they offer free checked baggage on their flights.

Bottom line is that a family of 4, each carrying 2 bags will pay as much as $500 if they fly abroad on some airlines. The only solution to the problem is to bring less stuff, or try and stuff as much as possible into the overhead bin.

A well maintained airline baggage fee chart can be found over at the site of Airfarewatchdog.com.

What strange things have been found on planes?


Happy Birthday Virgin Atlantic! Celebrate with more fare sales

by Grant Martin on

Virgin Atlantic Airways is all grown up. Today is their 25th birthday, and in a similar guise to their buildup of fare sales over the last few weeks, they’re launching another massive campaign this morning.

For only today, you can book tickets for only $181 round trip in economy or $384 in premium economy between the United States and the UK. Those are fantastic prices for the high summer season, where typical prices normally soar to over $1000.

Rumor has it that the airline is also throwing a bit of an anniversary bash in Tribeca tonight, where we’re sure to see more festivities, galavanting and giveaways, hosted by the man himself, Sir Richard Branson.

Check virginatlantic.com today to cash in on the special 25th anniversary fares, and check Gadling.com later this week for updates from the birthday party!

Pilot dies midflight, plane lands safely

by Catherine Bodry on

The unfortunate death of a Continental Airlines pilot today is nevertheless calming fears of many a flying-phobe: even with one pilot down, a plane can safely land.

During the flight from Brussels to Newark, the 60-year-old pilot allegedly died of “natural causes” (the first doctor to respond in the air reports that it was likely a heart attack). Passengers weren’t told of the death, and fight attendants continued serving snacks. A relief pilot on board took over, and with another co-pilot safely finished the flight.

Emergency crews met the plane as a precaution, but the Boeing 777 touched down without incident, and on time.

[Via MSNBC]