Tagged With "Transportation Safety Administration"
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Re: Gallery: Transport, Rural South China
I'm surprised beasts of burden don't seem to be used more.
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Re: Gallery: Transport, Rural South China
Don't mistake this lot for an encyclopedic compilation. Buffalo are common and do you remember this? https://www.travelgumbo.com/blog/pod-baganw-oxen
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Re: Gallery: Transport, Rural South China
What an amazing variety! I like to look around in Europe for "oddballs" like small pedal-powered trucks and other small delivery vehicles, but these take the cake. I'm especially fascinated by the front-wheel drive truck that appears to be friction-driven (power applied to the surface of the tire, rather than to the axle).
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Re: Whoa! Not so fast on that shrinking baggage size!
That's good news! But rather than saying airline consumers were a lion, I think I'd have used "the sheep have bleated -- loudly"
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Re: Norwegian Air to finally get U.S. license
This is great news! And this license should really have an impact on trans-Atlantic prices.
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Re: It's not a train, it's not a plane, but it's superfast!
If not cost prohibitive, it would be an excellent way to travel around Europe.
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Re: Paris to set flat-rate airport cab fares
I like these set taxi prices because there are so many dishonest cabbies in the world. I don't mind taking train or bus if I'm not to tired, but sometimes at the end of a long journey I like to splurge on a cab to get us directly to our hotel. Much more pleasant that way and to me often worth the extra few Euros.
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Re: Airfare bill would roll back consumer protection
With the continuing unbundling of fares, it's important that people get some idea of what their flight will actually cost. I don't understand the airlines opposition to it. Most of them use the same tactics and it's unlikely someone won't fly because their true fare is revealed (though a few might not). People need clarity to make well-informed choices.
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Re: Airfare bill would roll back consumer protection
It was a task to compare fares before the law, so I hope it doesn't revert back. Gotta love the name of the new bill. I guess it's opposite day again.
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Crowded Skies: U.S. sets air passenger record
Nearly 850 airline passengers for 2014! To be exact, 848.1 million passengers (obviously some repeaters!) flew on domestic airlines last year, or on foreign airline flights to and from the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The...
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Update: Did complaints force out Frontier CEO?
Dave Siegel, CEO of Frontier Airlines is out; the airline says his resignation was for "personal reasons," but Frontier Barry Biffle told the Denver Post that the changes at the top are meant to help fix the carrier's operational issues. ...
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United off the hook on "mistake fares"
The U.S. Department of Transportation has ruled that United is not obligated to honor $50 first-class trans-Atlantic fares sold in error two weeks ago. DOT ruled that since customers were only able to obtain the fares by misrepresenting themselves as...
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Miss the Knight Bus? Now London plans night Tube!
No, it won't stop at Diagon Alley or any of the other Harry Potter locations, but Transport for London will start 24-hour service next spring on 5 major lines and part of another. The service will start with weekends, but may expand. There will be 6...
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Traveler advocates ask DOT to cap change fees
FlyersRights.org has petitioned the Federal Department of Transportation to put a $100 cap on change fees for international flights. The fees, which used to run around $50 to $100 now go as high as $750, and the group says they have no relation to the...
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U.S. airlines hit new low in long tarmac delays
The U.S. Department of Transportation has reported that "tarmac delays"—incidents in which passengers are kept on the plane during long take-off delays—hit their lowest total since rules fining airlines for allowing them went into effect...
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Airline ratings: Frontier is worst and latest
Frontier and Southwest planes pass each other at Seattle. Photo: Wikimedia / rsocol In two different surveys recently released, Frontier takes the cake...sort of. On one, it was the airline garnering the most complaints; on the other (perhaps...
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Is Delta trying to become a "stealth airline?"
Above, Delta flight takes off. Below, Delta takes off flight info from ticket agencies Delta, which earlier this year stopped posting its award charts so that its Skymiles members can no longer plan ahead how many "miles" they'll have to...
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Paris to set flat-rate airport cab fares
A plan for fixed-rate taxi fares to and from Paris's two airports has been announced by the government, and it's already drawing cheers from travelers and big jeers from cabbies who believe the proposed rates are wrong and don't impose similar rules...
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In Uzbekistan,the Airline Weighs You
Sounds like a late April Fools joke or a Yakov Smirnoff joke from the 80's, but its not. Uzbekistan Airways will soon start weighing passengers prior to departure. They made the following statement recently: "According to...
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Airline Price Gouging, Collusion, Undisclosed Fees
Is our federal government finally taking some action in favor of consumers where airline pricing and fees are concerned? According to Consumer Reports, the Department of Transportation has launched an investigation of 5 airlines over price...
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Mandatory Seat Belts for Children traveling by Plane?
Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) wants airlines to implement specially designed seat belts for infants and small children, to be mandatory for all commercial air travel. The idea is to prevent them from becoming "projectiles"...
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Whoa! Not so fast on that shrinking baggage size!
The luggage line-up...which ones will fit? The public roared, and the lion has retreated, at least for now. When the International Air Transport Association, an organization of over 250 airlines, announced a plan last week for a...
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Dec. 13, 2017: Boulder Depot, Boulder, CO
Memories of the past, as Samantha takes us to visit Boulder's original Union Pacific depot.
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Airfare bill would roll back consumer protection
An airline-industry-backed bill in Congress would roll back the requirement that airlines and travel agencies advertise the fare you'll actually pay. Before the 2011 Department of Transportation rule—which has been upheld in court—airlines...
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Jan 25, 2017: Transportation Around Waikiki
Samantha and her husband explore the colorful transportation choices at Hawaii's favorite beach area.
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Gov't study: Airline loyalty programs fair but confusing
A Department of Transportation study has found that airline loyalty programs are working fairly well, but could use some further study and help.
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Ready, set, Havana! U.S. DOT announces routes
The U.S. Department of Transportation lists the airlines and cities that will begin regular air service to Cuba's capital by this fall.
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The Bay Area by "Clipper"
PortMoresby turns misfortune into adventure when, after almost 6 decades of dependence on her car, discovers public transportation from one end of San Francisco Bay to the other.
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Yukon Transportation Museum, Whitehorse (Where Gumbo was #312)
DrFumblefinger visits the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse. The Museum features the history of transportation in the territory, with many examples of the machinery used to develop this wild land.
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London Underground: 24-hour service, but fewer jobs
From reader Port MoresbyLondon's subway system, the world's oldest, is planning to change to 24-hour service starting in 2015. The change will also coincide with a plan to eliminate special fare cards in favor of riders paying directly with bank debit...
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TSA's Blog: Hidden guns, human skull and an exploding suitcase
The Transportation Safety Administration publishes a year-end list of what it's found in screening—helps justify the budget, yes? This year's list includes 1813 handguns, endless lists of black powder canisters, explosive "initiators," swords...
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Norwegian Air to finally get U.S. license
Norwegian Air will finally get its U.S. foreign-carrier certificate, after waiting through over 2 years of opposition and inaction.
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Denver gets closer to airport with new rail line
Denver's new 23-mile rail line will cut travel time to the airport to 40 minutes, and a $9 rail fare instead of a $70 cab ride.
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Rome Suffers a Transport Strike and a Vehicle Ban on Friday
On Friday, Rome was hit with a transport strike and a vehicle ban on odd number plates. Find out more.
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London buses to get free 'Hopper' transfers
London's new mayor starts his term with free bus transfers and a pledge to avoid fare increases for four years.
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It's not a train, it's not a plane, but it's superfast!
Based on an idea from Elon Musk, Hyperloop hopes to move passengers at 700 mph from Vienna to Bratislava. They've signed a contract to build it.
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At last! London 'Night Tube' to start in July
After nearly a year of delay's, London's plan for all-night tube service is now scheduled to begin in late July.
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U.S. picks airlines for Cuba flights; no Havana yet
U.S. parcels out the first commercial route approvals for flying to Cuba, but the big plum, Havana, won't come until later.
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The Oculus - New York City
Jonathan L gives us a tour of World Trade Center Transportation Hub, and The Oculus, which sits over it.
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Re: U.S. airlines hit new low in long tarmac delays
Thanks Paul. Had to chuckle at that one ! I take it that Tarmac is a rarely used word - over on your side of the pond. I'll add it to the queue of everyday words I use when I'm in the US. Tarmacadam is a good word to use - when discussing relaying pavements ! I think you should start a campaign to reinstate old words ! That would be very astute of you .
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Re: U.S. airlines hit new low in long tarmac delays
When I was young, which is not recently, alas, I heard it more. These days in U.S. it seems only to be used for airport runways, and for an indpendent local car repair place near me in Brooklyn...
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Re: U.S. airlines hit new low in long tarmac delays
"A man walks into a bar with a lump of tarmac under his arm. ‘What would you like?’ asks the barman. The man replies, ‘A pint of beer and one for the road.’
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Re: Crowded Skies: U.S. sets air passenger record
What the graph doesn't show is the huge dip that occurred after 9-11. And with this trend and less planes flying, no wonder the airlines think we're a captive audience.
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Re: Crowded Skies: U.S. sets air passenger record
The dip turns out to not be as huge as some of us imagined. At the end of 2003, DOT estimated the loss at 7.1%, and by the end of 2004 the figure was higher than before 9/11. I've gone back to DOT figures for emplanements (which means a passenger getting on a plane) and extracted these numbers from the month-by-month numbers for international and domestic passengers. Note that the numbers in this table are a bit lower than the figures cited above, for one reason: This is a count of people...
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Re: Crowded Skies: U.S. sets air passenger record
After 9-11 reports in the news claimed that demand for flights to the US from the UK had dropped dramatically. In March the following year I needed to be in Maryland. I tried to book a direct flight to any airport in the American north east. Any time - any date - any week before Mid- March The earliest time I could book 2 seats to fly over was in June ! Many flights had been cancelled and prices - for those still operating - had risen suddenly. After contacting many UK travel agents for help...
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Re: Crowded Skies: U.S. sets air passenger record
I believe...but haven't time for full research just now...that there was a greater drop in capacity than in demand. That results in low availability and high prices. And if you look at the numbers above, you'll note that the drop in numbers for international is much less sharp, proportionally, than in the domestic...hence Garry's experience.
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Re: London buses to get free 'Hopper' transfers
Remember that you can't buy a ticket with cash on the bus and because of how they secure the drivers, hard to ask any directions at all.
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Re: London buses to get free 'Hopper' transfers
This new plan has been running for 25 years in countries willing to make progress. Like Australia.
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Sept. 9, 2020: Alaska's Modes of Transportation
Samantha shares some of the different types of transportation she saw while in Juneau, Alaska earlier this year.
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Re: Sept. 9, 2020: Alaska's Modes of Transportation
Not to be forgotten are the snowmachines and dog mushers in the wintertime.