Pittsburgh International Airport after hours

by Mike Barish on

Missing your connecting flight can be frustrating. Having an overnight layover can be annoying. But we all have two choices when airlines throw us a curveball: Mope or make the best of it. Ashley Klinger chose the latter when she was stuck in Pittsburgh International Airport overnight recently. With the help of a video camera, solitude and an epic amount of imagination, she turned an abandoned airport into her own personal playhouse.

Kudos to Ashley for channeling her creativity rather than anger during an extended layover. While we don’t recommend that you kill your airport delays this way, we do suggest that you try to stay as positive as Ashley did. You’re going to be waiting no matter what you do, so you might as well be in a good mood while you do it.

Via Jezebel.

When malaria medication goes awry

by Grant Martin on

Act 3 of This American Life‘s episode 399 plays on one of my greatest travel curiosities: the efficacy of malaria medication.

As any visitor to a tropical or sub-tropical climate can attest, anti-malaria medication is a strongly recommended supplement, before, during and often after travel. It is an arduous and time consuming medication to handle; depending on the drug prescribed, side effects can include wild dreams, hallucinations and other curiosities, all well after the prescription has run its course. Worse, the pills don’t even vaccinate the host — they just slow down the infection while the person has time to get to the hospital.

For this reason among others, many travelers choose to blow off the medication. And now there may be another reason: memory loss. The third act of TAL’s episode 399 is the story of David MacLean, an American Fulbright Scholar working in India back in 2002. It picks up with Mr. MacLean regaining consciousness in a crowded train station with absolutely no memory, no passport and no idea how he got there — only a wallet and a few local friends and a family back in Ohio to help him put the pieces back together.

The source of the memory loss? Lariam, a once-weekly anti malaria medication commonly prescribed in 2002. You’ll have to listen to the show (act 3 starts at around 35:00 on the free podcast/web audio player) to hear about what happens, but the story is gripping, heavy and a bit scary.

Videos: bad baggage handlers (or, Remind me again why we pay to check luggage!)

by Gadling Staff on

What happens to your bags after you hand them over at the airport? It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves. Are our bags cared for lovingly? Are they abused? Are they tossed and thrown… or set down carefully, gently?

While most baggage handlers are no doubt scrupulous and careful with luggage, every group has its bad apples. Here are some of the worst offenders, making us mutter to ourselves, “Remind me again why we pay to check luggage!”

Watch these baggage handlers see who can get the best backward, over the head shot into containers with luggage and shipped packages.

It’s clear that this baggage handler is not really interested in “handling” the baggage as it comes off the plane.

This young lady was having fun bag tossing… until she realized passengers were watching her from the plane.

These British Air baggage handlers seem to enjoy watching the bags bounce off each other.

These EasyJet baggage handlers seem to think it’s appropriate to stack the smallest bags on the bottom… and dump the larger bags on top.

This guy doesn’t throw any bags… he just drags the bags behind the baggage car.

So you think locking your luggage makes it safer? Ha! This video shows you precisely how to get into a “locked” bag.

These baboons at Knowlsey Safari Park give new meaning to the phrase “baggage handlers.”

Good luck on your next flight, and remember: don’t pack anything valuable in your checked bags!

Like these videos? Be sure to check out Episode 2 of Gadling’s Travel Talk TV!


You’re now free to carry guns in U.S. national parks

by Kraig Becker on

For nearly 95 years visitors to U.S. national parks have been prohibited from carrying firearms. In fact, the ban even extended to Teddy Roosevelt, who was once refused entry to Yellowstone while carrying a shotgun. But that ban was lifted yesterday when a new law went into effect allowing visitors to bring their guns along with them the next time they decide to visit Old Faithful or climb Half Dome.

The new law was passed as a rider bill to a credit card reform act that cleared Congress last May and was later signed by President Obama. It specifies that people who can legally own guns, and have completed the proper permitting process, can now bring their firearms with them to national parks. The law is superseded by the state laws in which the park falls however, meaning that some of the national parks will continue to have a ban on firearms.

The passage of the new law does not change the prohibition of the usage of firearms within the park, nor does it impact the ban on hunting within most parks. The Park Service also wisely points out that the ban on carrying the weapons still extends to “federal facilities,” which in this context includes visitor centers, offices, and maintenance buildings.

For their part, the NPS doesn’t believe this new law will have much of an impact on the vast majority of visitors to the parks. But just in case, they’ve updated their website providing all the specific information on each park and how the gun laws apply to that location.

Get free Hyatt Platinum Status ( = free stuff!)

by Grant Martin on

We’ve touted the value of elite status here at Gadling numerous times, whether it’s as part of an airline, hotel or car rental program. It’s one of the few ways to make travel worth your while and a bit less expensive in the process — hold a bit of loyalty direct a few dollars in the right direction and the corporate monster reciprocates, right?

Needless to say, there’s usually there’s some sort of legwork involved — some volume of minimum miles flown, minimum nights slept or money invested. And that’s not fun.

But this time, Hyatt is offering it up for free. The Chicago-based luxury hotel brand recently announced that new members of their Gold Passport program can trial Platinum status for free for 180 days. Included with the status? Free wireless, best room guarantees and a nifty plastic membership card to name a few.

You can keep your status with five separate stays prior to the 180 day expiry, or upgrade to Diamond (where the perks are boundless!) with 15 stays.

Platinum Passport membership is good at any of the Hyatt brands, including Andaz and Summerfield Suites.