Well-Mannered Traveler Archives - Stuck at the Airport

Aliens, UFOs & crop circles at the airport

06/16/10

My At the Airport column on USATODAY.com this month – UFOS at DEN? is all about aliens (from outer space), UFOs, crop circles seen at some airport and the secret messages in some of the artwork at Denver International Airport Scary stuff – but really fun. Officials insist the 26-foot tall statue of the ancient →

Holiday Guide to Germ-Free Air Travel

12/04/09

While the rest of us were preparing for Thanksgiving, the CDC was kicking off its largest-ever public awareness campaign about staying healthy while traveling. And not a moment too soon. Peak flu season coincides with the busiest weeks of the winter travel season. And although the CDC reported this week that flu-related hospitalizations and deaths →

Fool at the pool. Don’t be that person.

07/31/09

If you’re lucky enough to go somewhere this summer, even if it’s just to an airport hotel, chances are there will be a pool in the picture. Do you know what to do when you’re there? It seems like a lot of folks don’t. That’s why my Well-Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com this week is →

Airports and airlines scramble over swine flu

04/28/09

As I reported today on MSNBC.com, airports and airlines are scrambling to respond to the government-issued alerts about travel to and from Mexico in the wake of the swine-flu outbreak there. It’s hard to know what will happen next, but most airlines with flights to Mexico have posted policies offering to waive the change fee →

The TSA’s secret weapon

02/13/09

Last week I joined a group of Seattle airport TSA workers for a two-day class in what I thought was going to be all about patience. But patience was just a tiny part of it. Here’s a link to the Well Mannered Traveler column I wrote for MSNBC.com about the experience. In the meantime, here’s →

Well-Mannered Traveler

Tools for travelers: Inc.com’s Quick Hits blog

01/30/09

Inc.com has a new blog – Quick Hits – filled with tips, discounts and freebies for business-related tools, services, and products. Looks like travel tips are on the agenda as well: this week’s blog entries include a review of the pricey Visa Black Card (it includes concierge service) and a link to my recent MSNBC.com →

Inc.com

Spooky, kooky and unpredictable flight stories

10/31/08

Halloween is here and hopefully you have a bowl of candy at the ready for the Trick-or-Treaters. Before they start banging on the door, grab some of those mini Snickers bars and read some of the scary travel stories folks sent me for this week’s Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com. Gregg Rottler, curator of →

Scary air travel stories – just in time for Halloween

10/23/08

(Illustration by MSNBC.com’s Duane Hoffman) Earlier this month, TSA officers scanning luggage at the Tucson International Airport (TUS) discovered a human skull inside a passenger’s suitcase. When pulled off the plane and questioned, the woman told police that the skull wasn’t technically hers (it belonged to her boyfriend), that it had been sitting in her →

Fresh amenities for pooped out travelers

10/02/08

I had a great time hanging out in the exhibit hall at the ACI World/North America Conference in Boston last week. I filled a tote bag with glossy brochures, free pens, and assorted fun doodads, and came home with a list of products, amenities and services that would be helpful for travelers when they’re stuck →

Well-Mannered Traveler

Extra help for holiday travel

08/28/08

As summer winds down, the bad news about air travel just keeps piling up. Airlines are announcing system-wide route cuts while hiking fees for everything from checking bags to serving snacks and water. And while fuel prices are finally dipping, airfares are not — nor are the irritations associated with flying. (Column illustration by Kim →

Well-Mannered Traveler

All the latest articles about Well-Mannered Traveler