London Airports Still Slow

by Iva Skoch on

Beware that London airport security is still very tight.

I was flying back from a weekend trip in London today and waited in line–or should I say “queue”–for almost 2 hours. (In a situation like this, one really appreciates the ability of the British to form lines and wait patiently). Flying into London was fine, but any flights from London are closely monitored.

In terms of the current security measures in the UK, people are now allowed to bring on one carry-on, but a very small one (e.g. one woman’s purse, computer bag or small backpack), definitely not the typical wheeled carry-on suitcase. I learned the hard way – they sent me back from security back to check-in, which meant…another line.

I saw a women cry because she really wanted to bring all her cosmetics on board, but the security personnel were less than understanding. They confiscated her perfume, her lipstick, her lip gloss and her hair gel. Which made me realize that this regulation could mean a lot more uglier, smellier, bad-hairdo women roaming around airports.

Thank goodness for those Duty Free shops! Now that travelers can’t really bring on board anything they buy there, at least they can use their make up samples for free. Too bad they don’t do the same with liquor.

Calling in the Air

by Neil Woodburn on

We’ve posted a number of times about the upcoming possibility of being able to use your cell phone while flying.

It looks like the future is almost here.

Budget airline Ryanair has recently announced they will provide their passengers access to this service in 2008.

But won’t the calls disrupt the plane’s navigational equipment and cause it to crash, you ask?

Apparently not: New technology minimizes “the strength of signals from passengers’ phones and prevents them from seeking out ground networks.”

While this is a great technological advancement, it will make flying infinitely more horrible in my opinion. A plane-full of yappy passengers droning on about their personal lives for five hours will leave me yearning for some navigational equipment disruption and a fiery crash to earth.

Time to get some headphones, I guess.

Cart a Kid

by Erik Olsen on

Let us salute for a moment human ingenuity. Who would have thought you could take two of the most intractable problems of travel, luggage and kids, and put them together into one nice, handy package? Take a brief look at the handy-dandy Ride-On Carry-On, a kind of bizarre rolling luggage cum kid’s chair that lets you get through airline terminals without having to fret about little Billy’s whereabouts. Why? Because Billy is nicely strapped right onto your luggage. Of course, you will have to remember NOT to check Billy as you would your other luggage. I understand the luggage holds can get quite cold in flight. But you have to admit it’s a rather interesting idea.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the Ride-On Carry-On was invented by a flight attendant who probably hand-checked many a stroller in her time and probably dealt with many a tired, screaming child. No doubt there is some satisfaction to be had from strapping the child to a suitcase. Anyway, aside from my own invention of the Baby Cone of Silence, this is one of the more intriguing kid travel products to come along in a while.

Puerto Rico Island Hopping

by Iva Skoch on

From the East Coast of the US, Puerto Rico is an easy, short and cheap flight away. If you want to see the real beauty of Puerto Rico, get away from the mainland. The two islands off the east coast of PR–Culebra and Vieques–are both well worth the trip. There are no big hotels and no cruise ships, just chickens on the street and men playing cards.

If you rent a car to get around, you don’t have to drop off your rental car at an office. Just leave it parked on the street somewhere and they’ll find it (no kidding). But best just to walk or bike the islands, though, to enjoy the pace of life. And don’t forget to go swimming at night under their pitch-black skies, to experience the bioluminescent plankton in the water.

Getting there is half the fun, especially if you decide to take the island hopper plane run by Air Flamenco. It only costs about $50 and takes about 30 minutes. Sure, it is a little bumpy and the fact that the pilots look about 18 does not make one feel particularly safe (and don’t mind the red, flashing “STALL” warning light on the dashboard as you’re coming in for a landing), but seeing all the miniature “Robinson Crusoe” islands in the blue Caribbean sea from a bird’s perspective is a much better (and faster) option that taking the ferry. Try it at least one way.

Budget Asian Airlines

by Neil Woodburn on

There has been quite a bit written lately about the rash of low-fare air carriers in Europe. But what about Asia?

Are some of those same great deals available to travelers hopping around China, Singapore, Thailand, India and other parts of the Orient?

You bet!

National Geographic Traveler has thoughtfully printed a one-page resource for cheap airlines servicing this part of the world. You won’t find any of them included in your Expedia or Kayak searches so spend a moment to familiarize yourself with what’s out there.

Just to whet your appetite, consider Air Deccan. This Bangalore based airline sells seats for as low as $11 to some 33 cities across India. Or, there’s Nok Air which offers domestic flights throughout Thailand for only $28 one way. Man! I sure wish Nok Air existed a few years ago when I spent far too many hours on uncomfortable busses tooling around the south of the country.