Christopher Columbus: Travels the New World, spreads syphilis

by Neil Woodburn on

Since the dawn of commercial flight, there has been a growing concern among health officials that modern travel is responsible for the rapid spread of dangerous, contagious diseases.

In the past, a random disease could infect an isolated tribe and kill them all off before the virus spread beyond their borders. Today, a backpacker could pick up a contagious disease in Papua New Guinea and be back home in Chicago coughing on people three days later.

Take SARS, for example. Acute Respiratory Syndrome first appeared in Asia in February 2003. Just a few months later the disease–which can only be transmitted by close, personal contact–had spread across the globe infecting people in more than 25 countries.

Such a rapid epidemic was only possible because of the massive proliferation of international flights crisscrossing the globe. One infected person in a single airplane landing at Heathrow could spread a disease like SARS around the globe within a day. This is scary stuff, folks!But hold on a minute. Diseases have piggybacked their way around the globe long before planes took to the sky–it just took a lot longer in those days.

In fact, a controversial report published last Monday seeks to finalize the debate that that it was none other than Christopher Columbus and his crew who were responsible for spreading syphilis around the globe. Researchers believe that members of the crew contacted the disease (probably a variation of tropical yaws) in South America and then returned home to spread it throughout Europe in 1495 and ultimately, the world.

Although the evidence is not yet conclusive, it does lend credence an old, popular saying: Columbus, did in fact, sail the ocean blue.

Har, har, har…

Prague airport: the biggest ripoff of all

by Iva Skoch on

At the Prague airport this morning, I was reminded–yet again–that you really shouldn’t ever get there hungry or thirsty. I have to believe that Prague must have one of the largest gaps between what you pay for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat downtown versus at the airport.

I am perfectly willing to pay a premium price for a drink at the airport, but 110Kc ($6) for a latte if you can get one for 40Kc ($2) downtown seems a bit too much. I don’t think I have ever paid more for coffee in New York, London or any other “expensive” city. A pint of beer, normally about $1-2 in the city, will cost you about $6-7 (see complaints here). What’s worse – the service is terrible…and the food? Don’t get me started about the food. In November, before my cheap, late-night flight to Athens, my friend and I got a cheeseburger for, gulp, $16 (incidentally, we paid only double that for our ticket to Athens) and couldn’t even eat the thing. It tasted like rubber. It probably was rubber.

People say it is the lack of competition and ultra high rents that make it so expensive. The recently-opened McDonald’s does great business there, because–comparing to the rest of it–it serves good, affordable food. Is this a strange world we live in or what?

Airline lounges: an oasis from airport mayhem

by Grant Martin on

This year is the first year that I’ve actually buckled and purchased an annual pass into Northwest Airlines WorldClubs. With all of the traveling I was doing for work and on the side and the bucketsfull of hours I was wasting in airports, I figured that the 250$ was worth my productivity.

And now, I’m addicted. In Detroit‘s McNamara Terminal, the sprawling lounge includes free booze, snacks, wifi and showers, the perfect antidote for a long day of travel.

As airlines focus more on first and business class passengers, they too have noticed the importance of airport lounges. To keep our business, they’re constantly improving the lounge product to include amenities from fresh ramen noodles to automatic beer pouring machines to Smart Car sized espresso makers.

Now, as this New York Times article details, they’re also banding together to create uber lounges, each bent on dragging and retaining the high-value-flyer in their grasps. I suppose its a fair enough business model in the land of cutthroat competition.

If you ever do get a hankering for a little quiet productive time in an airline lounge though, consider stopping in for a visit; many lounges offer day passes for a modest fee. Sitting above the madness and looking down at the chaos unfolding is surprisingly peaceful.

10 tips for smarter flying


JFK baggage handlers charged with stealing $250,000 in jewelry

by Catherine Bodry on

Two baggage handlers at JFK airport, a 51-year-old worker and his 39-year-old supervisor, have been charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property, according to MSNBC.

The thieves haven’t been slowly pilfering individual luggage, however; instead, they stole everything from one container marked “high value.” One of the men opened the container, passed the goods off to the other guy, who put it in his jacket and later a locker — where the jewels were found.

Now, I’m in no way excusing the theft, but doesn’t it seem counterintuitive to mark something as “high value?”

Wow, if it’s not the baggage handlers, it’s the TSA. Which group frustrates you most?

Just in case you didn’t know how many people hate the TSA, here are some reasons to be annoyed with them:

Minor relief for those flying out of New York

by Jerry Guo on

Did I mention the relief will be minor? After months–hell, years–of resistance to a bill of rights for airline passengers, there’s been one small step in the right direction. Now if you’re flying out of JFK or LaGuardia, you have the right to “fresh air, lights, functioning restrooms and adequate food and drinking water” on the tarmac if your flight is delayed more than three hours.

The whole movement got a kick in the pants last Valentine’s Day, when a ice storm caused some passengers to be literally trapped on planes for up to 10 hours, with none of the above mentioned “amenities.”

Unfortunately for customers, the bill of rights trend isn’t sweeping the nation. Though airline employees can be dullards, airlines have made sure their lobbyists in Washington are the best and brightest. And the penalties can barely be called steep. $1,000 a pop–if the violation can be confirmed (read: lots of paperwork).

I’m waiting to see what kind of impact this will have on the two New York airports, which are infamously headaches to go through. Next summer is also gearing up to be one of the busiest seasons on record. So good luck everybody We’ll need it.