Airport Carry-on Update

This is a follow-up to my post on Monday after one full day of implementation of the new TSA carry-on regulations. It appears that all major U.S. Carriers are adopting the TSA regulations without any internal modifications. This is good news as it will cut down on confusion.

Flights on all carriers to international destinations are subject to different requirements. Some of the most restrictive rules concern itineraries where you make a connection in the United Kingdom. Be sure to check with your airline or travel professional if you’re flying internationally. Many foreign flag carriers have not updated their websites to address the new carry-on rules.

One final observation: media reports suggest that many travelers have overlooked the TSA requirement that the small size liquids be packed in a one quart size clear plastic bag. That bag is only slightly larger than a sandwich bag. Don’t show up with a gallon bag – you won’t be allowed through security with it.

The Myth of Getting Bumped

jetBlue is the IDB champ with only one IDB per 140,629 passengers (Jan. - June 2006).
Photo Credit: Joe Popp

Since I started blogging I’ve taken an interest in reading other travel-themed blogs, especially those that dispense advice. I’ve been surprised to see one topic covered exhaustively: the issue of getting bumped from a flight. The precise term of art is Involuntary Denied Boarding (IDB) and it describes the situation where a passenger holding a ticket for a flight is not allowed to fly (against their wishes) because the airline has overbooked.

The experts go on at great length talking about the airlines’ Contract of Carriage, their obligations under Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations etc. Apparently this is a topic that people are very interested in.

It’s an unreasonable fear. Passengers are seldom denied boarding against their will. It’s never happened to me, my family, my friends, or any of my clients. In fact, because airlines are required to report Involuntary Denied Boardings to the DOT the actual statistics are available for review.

During the first six months of 2006, 1.22 passengers were denied boarding involuntarily for every 10,000 passengers. If that statistic held true in the future, you could fly every day for twenty years before it happened to you. In 2005, the same period resulted in 0.97 IDBs per 10,000 passengers.

We all know that airlines routinely overbook flights – if there’s a problem it’s usually handled through voluntary denied boarding. That’s where passengers volunteer to skip the flight for a later one in return for some kind of compensation like a free ticket or cash. I’m one of those people who hope it will happen so I can get the free ticket. How do you think I took my family on vacation this year anyhow?

So don’t worry about getting bumped, it probably won’t ever happen to you. Worry about something realistic – like weather-related flight delays – but that’s another post…

Alert: TSA Refines Liquid Ban for Air Travel

The Transportation Security Administration announced that they are changing the regulations governing liquids carried onboard aircraft effective tomorrow.

Small size (less than 3 oz.) containers will be allowed if carried in a single, one quart size, clear zip-top bag. Additionally, travelers will be allowed to carry beverages purchased in the secure area of airport terminals onboard.

I think that it's important to point out (and I haven't seen anyone in the media address this) that the ability to board with beverages, indeed with any liquid is at the discretion of each airline. I'll be watching to see what they do. I expect that most will follow the TSA's lead -- but I'm sure that one or two will not.

Visit the TSA website for more details and as always, check with you airline or travel professional before flying.

Disney’s Magical Express Airport Service Saves the Day

The Rubik's Cube stair tower at Disney's Pop Century Resort.
Photo Credit: Christopher Gould

As a travel professional I have had plenty of opportunities to visit and learn about the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I’ve been planning client trips there for years, but my latest trip to Disney was the most special, because it was my first as a parent.

I was excited to try out a new service that Disney recently began offering at Walt Disney World – Disney's Magical Express Service. The Magical Express is available to guests that are staying in one of Disney’s own resort hotels. The service is designed to make your arrival at Walt Disney World swift and carefree.

When your plane lands at Orlando Airport you can bypass baggage claim (your checked luggage will be delivered to your hotel room by Disney) and head directly to the Disney Welcome Center where you board luxury motor coaches that will take you to your Disney Resort hotel. During the ride, a short welcome and orientation video is played which really ramps up the excitement and anticipation for kids.

Disney’s Magical Express sounded great, but it turned out even better for my family. We took an afternoon flight from Raleigh to Orlando and arrived just as a thunderstorm began. As we left the aircraft by jetway, a crew member informed us that the airport had declared a “code red” weather alert, which meant that no personnel were allowed to work outside until the storm had passed. That meant no bags would be unloaded until the code red was over.

Our aircraft was a small 50 seat regional jet and we’d gate checked our stroller and our larger carry-on bag. Those items are unloaded first and delivered back to you right on the jetway; except during a code red. As we walked down the concourse towards the Disney Welcome Center, I wondered what would become of those items. Because I expected to handle them as carry-on items, they weren’t tagged with the special Disney tags that would speed them to our hotel room.

At the Welcome Center I gave some information about our gate-checked items to a friendly staff person who told me not to worry. We boarded our bus and were soon at Disney’s Pop Century Resort where we checked into a room in the Eighties-themed building. We had a nice dinner and we returned to our room. After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door, and all our luggage arrived – even the gate-checked stuff.

The next day, I overheard people talking about the previous night’s situation at the airport. The code red lasted for over two hours and huge crowds clogged the baggage claim and ground transportation areas afterwards. Thanks to the Magical Express, our experience was totally different.

Disney is offering Magical Express Service at no charge to Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests through 2006.

New Device to Make Flying Easier For Parents

If you’ve ever rushed to make a flight connection with bags, child seat, stroller and kid in tow you’d welcome some way to lighten your load, right? A new product called CARES (Child Aviation REStraint) may be just the thing. It’s a lightweight safety harness designed to replace rigid child safety seats on all aircraft types. The FAA approved the device, the first of its kind, last week.

CARES is designed to be used by children under 40 inches tall who weigh between 22 and 44 pounds. It weighs about one pound and can be packed into a six inch stuff sack. You can purchase CARES for $74.95 at the maker’s website.

Interestingly, kids aren’t required to use any safety devices. According to a recent FAA press release, “The agency encourages but does not mandate the use of child safety devices on airplanes because of the increased safety risk to families who, if forced to purchase an extra airline ticket, might choose to drive.”

Because my daughter weighs almost 44 pounds now, I won’t be able to benefit directly from CARES. I remember some trips where I would have paid a considerable amount of money to ensure my child’s safety if only I could have abandoned the car seat in an airport terminal somewhere. Parents with CARES will be able to check their car seats or arrange to reserve one with their rental car. I expect to see CARES in use onboard a flight very soon.

United Airlines Introduces New Fast Boarding Technology

A new design jet bridge allows United Airlines to board and deplane passengers simultaneously at their Denver hub. The new product, the Dewbridge DoubleDocker™ is designed to use the forward aircraft door as well as the aft door. United Airlines reports that the new jet bridge allows them to cut the loading and unloading time in half.

Presumably passengers already aboard the aircraft are instructed to exit through the forward door while new passengers board through the rear (or vice versa). United hasn’t said who uses which door. I don’t think that they’d alter the existing paradigm that places their high revenue passengers and those that need assistance up front. I hope that I won’t be telling some of my clients, “you really want to be in the last row next to the bathroom so you’ll be first off the plane.”

United started using the DoubleDocker™ this week at gate B15 at Denver International Airport. If it meets their expectations, they’ll probably buy more, but only if it makes financial sense. According to Alex Marren, Vice President of Operational Services for United Express and Ted, “…because we can board customers faster, we are able to eventually add more flights without adding new aircraft.”

The DoubleDocker™ is designed to be used with narrow body aircraft, like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 currently used by United. I wonder how many DoubleDockers™ you could buy for the price of one A320?

I think that this is an exciting development. I can’t wait to hear what passengers think and to try it for myself.

Last week there was other aviation news with the first passenger flight of the double deck Airbus A380. I know that new design double deck jet bridges that allow boarding the upper and lower decks simultaneously have been developed specifically for that aircraft.

I wonder if Dewbridge is looking at combining the DoubleDocker™ with the double decker? What would they call it? Double-double? The Quad? Whatever they design, I’m sure that air passengers will be coming and going at the same time.

Photo Credit: Dew Engineering and Development Limited

Watch Your A** On This Plane

You can file this under oversensitive airline nit-picking if you want, but oh my aching tuckus.

I’m sitting on a flight ready to roll back from the gate, privately congratulating myself for scoring an exit row seat. Ninety-four minutes later, I didn’t feel so great, my backside was aching and I was happy to be at my destination.

A few weeks later, same thing: my smugness fades early and the extra legroom in the exit row isn’t a consolation. I realize that this is the same type of aircraft as before, a Canadair CRJ700, made by Bombardier Aerospace. I experiment with other seats on the plane and quickly determine that there’s far less padding on the seats in the exit row. This must be motivated by some safety concern on the part of the designers. Are they kidding? Do people really get bogged down in the cushy soft pads of other aircraft seats? In coach? Give me a break.

The CRJ700 is a very popular plane and is operated by lots of carriers including American, US Airways, Delta, Lufthansa, British Airways, and Air France among others. I like it for lots of other reasons, but it’s more fun to complain. For now, my clients and I will make do with less legroom.

Photo Credit: Bombardier Inc.

An Airline Disaster: Independence Air

It’s been a month since Independence Air ceased operations on January 5. I was initially impressed with the fact that they gave advance warning that were shutting down, avoiding the debacle exemplified by Eastern Airlines when they folded without warning in 1991.

I’m not sure what to think about Independence Air now that there has been a month of post mortem. I feel especially bad for the employees, many of whom worked for Independence Air in its previous incarnation as a financially strong United Connection carrier. Published reports state that Independence Air began with a war chest of over $800 million – where did that go in eighteen months?