Air Travel News 9.21.10

Air, Air Travel News, Health & Safety, Travel Products & Services — By Nancy Y on September 21, 2010 at 6:00 am

by Nancy Yeomans

LG Air Travel Editor

Look up in the sky! It’s a bird….it’s a plane! No….it’s your weekly air travel news! Here’s what’s happening in the world of aviation, from the ground up.

Invasion Of The Body Scanners

Despite the controversy, it doesn’t look like they’re going away. Body scanners at US airports are here to stay. In fact, the government recently ordered over 1000 additional devices. The concern over what exactly is being revealed to those faceless people in the back room has prompted the creation of new software that reveal much less detail about passengers’ various physical attributes. The upgrade will supposedly depict just a generic silhouette of a figure rather than an actual image.

Source: Smarter Travel

On a recent flight, both my husband and I went through the same security line…I was tapped to go through the body scanner while he breezed through the regular security screening. Coincidence???

There’s An App For That

Mobiata, a company devoted to creating mobile apps, has a new app available today. It’s called FlightBoard and will keep you up to date with information from over 4000 airports and 1400 different airlines. What’s really cool about this is the possibility to synchronize with Facebook, Twitter and email to keep your contacts clued in to your whereabouts. FlightBoard is only $3.99 in the iTunes App Store and is also available for Android phones.

Source: Gadling

Air Travelers FEE-ling The Pain

We all know that there’s a recession going on and no one is making any money. No doubt that explains the uptick in airline fees over the last couple of years. Overall, passenger complaints are aimed at the big airlines and there is much more satisfaction with the smaller, upstart airlines. Charging a fee for checked baggage is just the tip of the complaint iceberg…passengers are dissatisfied with everything from boarding procedures to customer service. The sentiment seems to be: if the smaller airlines can get it right and still make money, why can’t the mega-airlines follow suit?

Source: USAToday

Having just recently taken a flight I was reminded of how outrageous fees have become. Come on people, 7 dollars for a can of Budweiser?? Take a minute and sound-off…let us know what your pet peeve is when it comes to airline fees!

Haiti On The Road To Recovery

Less than a year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, plans are underway for a business hotel and conference center located at the airport in Port-au-Prince. The hope is that the construction of the 240 room hotel will help facilitate the rebuilding of the distressed nation. Ground-breaking will begin before the end of the year and the venture is expected to be completed within 18 months.

Source: AlertNet

Photo credit: Daquella manera, bradleygee/flickr