Heading to the airport this holiday weekend? Check to make sure you’re up on the latest changes.

Shoes out of the bin, buddy!

Like what? Well, the TSA has decided that you still need to take off your shoes and send them through the X-ray machine, but now those shoes need to ride on the belt on their own, outside of the plastic bin.  Got that?

There are other changes to make note of. Some are good, some are bad and, as I outlined in my Well Mannered Traveler column this week on MSNBC.com, some are just plain wacky.  Here’s what I mean:

No Kiss ‘n Drop tax; for now

In April, London’s Luton Airport announced that it would soon be charging a fee for the privilege of dropping passengers off outside the terminal. That “Kiss ‘n Fly” tax is now on hold.

(O’Hare Airport has a Kiss n’ Fly drop-off spot with a free shuttle)

Ryanair’s “let just say everyone’s fat” tax

Ryanair was going to institute a large-passenger charge, but instead decided to just go ahead and charge everyone a new fee.  Print out your boarding pass before you go to the airport and you’ll pay a fee of about $5.  Forget to print out your boarding pass before you get to the airport and pay a much fatter fee of close to $60.  Ouch.

Loads of reasons to lighten your load

You’ll soon pay an extra fee on United and US Airways if you don’t go on-line and pre-pay the charge to check your luggage.  And Air Jamaica will soon begin taking your money for checking a second bag, but in return only promise to deliver it within seven days.

Pillows, snacks, fee-waivers, refunds, and perhaps a marriage proposal

There’s  some good news. Experts predict that on-line travel booking agencies will continue to waive booking fees. Air Canada may bring free pillows back.  And JetBlue is extending the “Lose your job, get your money back” program through the end of the year.

There’s more.  To find out about matchmaking flights and on-board weddings, see my Well Mannered Traveler column this week on MSNBC.com.

Tags: Air Canada, Air Jamaica, Air travel, Airline amenities, Free stuff, JetBlue, JetBlue Airways, US Airways, United Airlines
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Starting on March 1, 2008 , passengers on US Airways will once again be able to get soft drinks, juice, coffee, and water for free.

US Airways has been charging $2 (in most cases) for these items since August 1, 2008. (First-class passengers and folks traveling on trans-Atlantic flights still received free drinks.)  And while lots of airlines are unbundling  fees, US Airways was the only airline charging passengers for non-alcoholic drinks.

Here’s a link to the Associated Press article with more details about US Airways’ decision to once again offer complimentary soft drinks, water and coffee.

Tags: US Airways, airplane food
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(Trying again…)

The fact that everyone got out of the US Airways plane that landed in the Hudson River opened the door for Jay Leno to make jokes about the event.

The Airline Biz blog in the Dallas Morning News was kind enough to post those jokes.

Here’s the link.

Tags: US Airways
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The US Airways jet that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River yesterday may be have been taken down by birds.  So today you’ll see a lot of news stories about what airports do to try to keep birds out of flight paths.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the final destination of yesterday’s diverted flight, is holding a press conference today to describe its bird strike avoidance program and introduce us to the airport’s wildlife biologist/wildlife coordinator, a position created back in the 1970’s.

Lots of airports now have people on staff whose job it is to make the land around the airport less attractive to wildlife.  At Florida’s Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers they have dogs: in 1991 the airport was the first in the nation to employ a dog as part of its Wildlife Management Program.

(Radar, Southwest Florida International Airport’s firstwildlife management dog)

Tags: Airline safety, US Airways
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It’s natural to wonder (or hope) that the bathroom scale is wrong when you weigh in each morning.

At the airport, it’s a different story entirely. Airlines have been getting strict about charging passengers for overweight bags to the tune of millions of dollars each year.

But last week, the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures did a surprise inspection of the scales used by Southwest Airlines and US Airways at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

According to this article in the Arizona Republic, both airlines got dinged. Southwest “had to shut down three of its 26 scales because they received red tags, the most serious violation, from the inspectors. The problem: The scales did not start at zero.”

Another reason to try to fit everything you need into a carry-on bag…..

Tags: Carry-on bags, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Southwest Airlines, US Airways
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Starting today, August 1, 2008, coach passengers on US AIRWAYS will have to pay for all beverages – including water. Free drinks will still be available for First class fliers, trans-Atlantic passengers, and those flying on US AIRWAYS Shuttle Flights.

According to airline spokesperson, Michelle Mohr, there’s one more category of travelers exempt from this fee: unaccompanied minors.

Kids traveling alone, whose parents or guardians have paid the extra $100-per-segment service fee, will continue to receive complimentary water, soft drinks and, I suspect, milk.

So be nice to that kid on the plane. Maybe they’ll slip you a soda.

Tags: Airline amenities, US Airways
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United Airlines and US Airways recently announced they will join American Airlines and start charging passengers to check a first bag. That means a lot more people will start packing a lot more stuff into their carry-on bags.

“Not so fast” say the airlines. They’re cracking down on over-sized carry-on bags by posting staff at the security checkpoint lines in an effort to ‘head ‘em off at the pass.’

Find out more in my Well-Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com.

Tags: Airline amenities, American Airlines, US Airways, Uncategorized, United Airlines
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US Airways just announced a new cost-saving measure: no more free snacks for coach passengers. Complimentary soft drinks are still on the menu, but probably not for long.

Now more than ever, travelers need a little relief.

In my Well-Mannered Traveler column today, I offer a round-up of some of the gas-rebate offers travelers can take advantage of out on the road this summer. The list includes everything from hotels offering gas rebate checks and free car washes to a car rental agency throwing in a free tank of gas.

One offer I didn’t list in today’s column is Kimpton’s “We Got Your Bag” offer. Through September 9^th, the hotel chain is offering travelers rebates of up to $25 to offset those new charges airlines are charging to check-in second bags. There are, of course, some restrictions, so be sure to read the fine print.

Tags: Airline amenities, US Airways
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