Monday, August 12, 2013

China's State-run airlines are enraging passengers with horrible delays

During the past decade, China has spent billions on building some of the largest and most modern airports in the world. With so many new stunning airports, one would think that they would be the envy of the world. Here is the catch; Chinese airports are renowned for having horrible punctuality. In fact, not a single Chinese airport managed to get even half of its flights to leave on time. Even worse, Beijing’s Capital Airport had an anemic 18% of its flights leave on time last month, making it the worst major airport for punctuality in the world.

What do these constant delays do to the psyche of the Chinese travelers? Well, it enrages them beyond belief. Violent attacks have erupted at airports across China. Angry passengers are taking out their frustrations on hapless airport and airline staff members. Back in July, 30 angry passengers broke through security and stormed the runway at Nanchang airport after being delayed for 7 hours. This summer alone has seen at least eight large protests at departure gates throughout China. There have been numerous reports of random attacks on flight attendants. One such attack involved a man assaulting a stewardess on a delayed flight while other passengers watched and even applauded him while he hit her.

Protesters battle with police and airline personnel at a Chinese airport
 
This is all disturbing news on both fronts. The fact that these flight delays are so rampant is a great cause for concern for anyone traveling in China. On the other side, it is also very disturbing that airline workers are subject to violent attacks for something they have no control over.

As China continues to boost its airport infrastructure, the world will be watching to see if they can improve on punctuality and efficiency. This is certainly a cause for concern for Western businessmen who frequent China on business. They will no doubt be keeping an eye on this issue in the next year and hoping that the situation improves.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

American Airlines flight attendant accused of smuggling pet rat

In a strange story, an American Airlines flight attendant has been accused of smuggling pet rats onto an international flight last year. Yes, you read that correctly- smuggling rats!

In February 2012, an American Airlines pilot claimed that Louann Giambattista was hiding pet rats inside her underwear and pantyhose on an international flight. Yikes! In a separate incident on that same day, another American Airlines colleague of Ms. Giambattista claims to have witnessed her feeding a pet rat a bread roll on a flight to Miami.

Ms. Giambattista was questioned and searched upon landing but no rats were ever found. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were notified and she is now subject to searches by federal agents every time she flies. She is now suing the airline and seeking damages for “debilitating anxiety” caused by the ordeal.

It is hard to imagine that two separate colleagues on separate flights would both make up the same lie about Ms. Giambattista. But I am not here to make that judgment. As I said, strange story indeed.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

U.S. issues travel warning for Egypt

Amidst the recent string of protests of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, the U.S. has issued the strongest travel warnings for Egypt since the 2011 revolution. The White House has ordered all non-emergency diplomatic staff to leave the country.

At least 7 people have been killed during the clashes, with hundreds more reported injured. One of the casualties was a 21 year old American student named Andrew Pochter. Pochter was working for a U.S. charity teaching English to children. He was stabbed to death in Alexandria while taking pictures of the clashes.

This is an especially dangerous time for journalists, as one Egyptian journalist died in a bomb attack, along with many other journalists who have been beaten and robbed. A Dutch journalist was reportedly raped while covering the protests.


Protesters fill the streets of Cairo

Protesters are threatening to march Tuesday evening on Cairo’s presidential palace if Morsi does not step down by then. With the possibility of more violent clashes, the government is highly encouraging all foreign nationals to leave Egypt immediately.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Game of Thrones tours now available!

All of our Game of Thrones fans please stand up! The wildly popular HBO series just wrapped up its third season with a bang. If you are like us, the next nine months or more without our beloved show will be a challenge!

Not to worry, we have some good news for you die-hard fans. Did you know that there are recently launched “Game of Thrones tours” which tour the cities of Dubrovnik, Croatia and Belfast, Northern Ireland? These two marvelous cities serve as settings for fictional locales depicted in the series.

The medieval walled city of Dubrovnik is one of the jewels of Croatia, sitting on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It also serves as the official setting of King’s Landing in the Game of Thrones. A guided tour with a GOT expert will take you around the city to show you some of the settings from the show. Highlights of the three hour GOT tour include the ancient city walls and the Lovrijenac Fortress (the site of many battle scenes on the show).

Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Belfast tour is even more epic, lasting nine hours and taking guests to sites all around Northern Ireland. The nine hour tour takes visitors to a number of sites where famous scenes have been filmed. The tour also takes visitors to sites not featured in the show that are very iconic parts of Belfast.

As always, the POTHOS travel team is always here for any travel assistance. It’s not too late to book your summer trip to see some breath taking views of these two famous cities!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Frontier Airlines to add new fees

Fees, fees, and more fees! Frontier Airlines is at it again. In an effort to become an “ultra low cost carrier”, Frontier Airlines is set to introduce new fees yet again.

To kick things off, Frontier has announced that it will start charging customers who book their tickets through third-party sites a $25 to $100 fee for carry-on bags, excluding certain members of its frequent flier program. Yes, you read that correctly. This fee is for carry-on bags. This is an effort to get more people to check their bags to free up overhead space on their planes. The $25 price is for passengers who check into their flights on the airline website. For those who check in at the airport, the fee can be as high as $100. The start date for this carry-on fee has yet to be announced, but should be announced at some point this spring. If that wasn’t enough, Frontier has also announced it will start charging $1.99 for what was once known as a complimentary drink.
As miniscule as it may sound to charge $1.99 for a drink, it is frightening to see the trend of adding so many fees for basic services. Europe’s leading no-frills airline, Ryanair, has already brought up the idea of installing coin-operated toilets and standing seats. That is an extreme case, but it goes to show you the mind-set of the airlines and how they are trying to increase ancillary revenue through increased fees. Don’t be surprised to see other airlines study this move by Frontier and follow suit.


Thursday, May 2, 2013

Vegas cabs overcharge passengers $15 million worth in 2012

According to a recent report in the Las Vegas Sun, taxi drivers in Las Vegas overcharged passengers to the tune of almost $15 million last year. A legislative audit discovered that of the 6.6 million rides to and from McCarran Airport, an estimated 23% were “deceptively long”. This deceptive tactic is said to increase the average cab fare by about $10.

The report calls on the Taxicab Authority to take “preventative measures” in order to protect travelers. According to the Las Vegas tourism website, the average taxi fare from the airport to a hotel on the Strip is $11. Anything substantially higher than that may mean you are being taken advantage of.

This is something to keep note of for your next trip to Sin City. Of course, this should not stop anyone from enjoying their trip in Vegas, but should serve as a warning to keep an eye out for it.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Furloughs cause delays at many major U.S. airports

This past Sunday marked the beginning of furloughs at U.S. airports. The furloughs will reduce staff by around 10% across the country. The FAA is warning that some airports may see delays of up to 3 1/2 hours due to these budget cuts. Monday already saw delays across the country, with New York’s La Guardia and JFK airports reporting delays of more than an hour.

The FAA has been mandated to furlough all of its 47,000 employees through the end of September, in order to help with the $637 million the agency must cut from its annual budget. Nearly 15,000 of those employees are air traffic controllers. With nearly 10% of the controllers scheduled to be off daily, the FAA has no choice but to space planes farther apart in order to safely manage air traffic. Transportation officials have questioned the need to furlough so many controllers, in contrast to the Transportation Security Administration avoiding furloughs.

If Monday’s pattern persists, fliers can expect delays at many of the major airports. The airlines are doing their best to adjust to these conditions in order to keep operations running safely and efficiently, but there is only so much they can do to limit the delays. It is difficult to judge the full impact of these furloughs, as there are other contributing factors for some delays, in particular the recent string of bad weather in some parts of the country. With that being said, it is safe to say that these cuts will have a profound effect on fliers from now until the end of September.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Australia opens its automated border processing system to U.S. Trusted Travelers

Been thinking about traveling to Australia? Visiting the land down under is now even easier for U.S. Trusted Travelers. In late 2012, Australian Customs and Border Protection opened up its automated border processing system, SmartGate, to U.S. Trusted Travelers.

What does that mean exactly for a U.S. Trusted Traveler? Well, it means that now when you arrive in Australia, you can bypass the passport processing lines and self process using an ePassport. SmartGate uses facial recognition technology and biometric data to perform the customs and immigration check usually conducted by an Australian Customs and Border Protection officer.

To use SmartGate, there is no additional enrollment required. You simply need to be traveling on a valid U.S. ePassport and be over 16 years old. SmartGate is open to all U.S. Trusted Traveler members enrolled in Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI.

For more information on SmartGate and booking your travel to Australia, contact the POTHOS travel team at: travel@pothos.us.

 

Monday, March 4, 2013

United Airlines drops 787 through June 5th

United Airlines has announced that it will cut the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from its flying plans at least until June 5th. The 787 has been grounded since January 16th, in an attempt to resolve the problem with the aircraft’s lithium-ion batteries.

In total, there are fifty 787’s throughout the world that have been grounded. More than a month later, investigators are still trying to figure out what caused a battery fire in one plane and forced the emergency landing of another plane. The out of service aircraft has forced airlines to scrap their schedules until Boeing can resolve the battery problem. United, for example, was due to begin flying from Denver to Tokyo on March 31st but has had to postpone until the 787 is cleared to fly. Boeing has been working diligently on finding a solution to the problem. How soon Boeing can fix the problem depends partly on the approval process by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

Most of Boeing’s customers have remained optimistic that Boeing will be able to come up with a solution very soon. All Nippon Airways, which has 17 of Boeings’ 787’s, has stood by the Dreamliner. ANA remain confident in the aircraft and hope they will be able to reassure their customers once the 787 is cleared to fly.

Although many customers will undoubtedly have safety concerns about the aircraft, Boeing remains firm in their belief of the aircraft. Boeing CEO Ray Conner, reiterated his stance recently, proclaiming: "I just want to reiterate that the 787 is still the game-changing aircraft it is meant to be". He also added that the solution Boeing has proposed “is not an interim solution. This is a permanent solution”. Many airlines will be keeping their fingers crossed that these statements are true and that these planes can get back in the sky sooner than later.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Visa facilitation can create five million jobs in G20 economies

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. Preliminary findings show that 656 million tourists visited G20 countries in 2011, with 110 million of them needing a visa. Millions more were deterred from travelling due to the cost, waiting time, and difficulty of obtaining a visa.

Great strides have been made in the past decades to facilitate tourist travel, but there are still important areas of opportunity. There are many possibilities for maximizing use of information and communication technologies in improving visa procedures. Improving the delivery of information and instituting eVisa programs are more examples of measures that can be taken to create jobs and encourage tourist travel.

The UNWTO estimates that over 5 million jobs in the G20 economies could be created by facilitating visas for these tourists. An additional $206 billion in tourism receipts could be generated by 2015. Clearly, this presents a great opportunity that many are looking to capitalize on. One such person is UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, who had this to say: “Small steps towards visa facilitation can result in big economic benefits. By facilitating visas, the G20 countries stand to gain five million jobs at a time of rampant unemployment across the world. These are in addition to the hundreds of millions of direct and indirect jobs already being supported every day by the sector.”

This latest report has brought to light the extent of this opportunity that has presented itself. It is simply too big of an opportunity to be ignored any longer. It will be interesting to see if the Governments of G20 countries will look into enhancing visa facilitation in support of job creation. Let’s hope so.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

February 7th is National Fettuccini Alfredo Day!

Today, on this glorious 7th day of February, we commemorate the invention of the world famous Fettuccine Alfredo dish. I am willing to bet that most of you did not even know that we had a national Fettuccine Alfredo Day. But lo and behold, February 7th of every year is deemed the day to celebrate this wonderful dish.

Italian restaurateur Alfredo di Lelio created Fettuccini Alfredo in 1914 to help his wife regain her appetite after the birth of their first son. Its popularity in the USA stems from Hollywood stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks returning to the States after dining at Di Lelio’s restaurant on their honeymoon. Upon their return, they spread the word like wildfire about this new incredible dish. Before we knew it, Fettuccini Alfredo became one of the most popular dishes in America and remains so to this day.

Celebrate the legacy of Alfredo di Lelio and his creation by heading to your favorite Italian restaurant tonight and enjoying this dish. Or even better, if you are feeling more adventurous, prepare your own version at home and enjoy with friends and family. With all your newly acquired knowledge about the dish, you will assuredly liven up the party with all these fun facts!
 
Here is a quick and easy recipe from Giada De Laurentiis:
 
 

Ingredients
  • 18 ounces fresh fettuccine
  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups grated Parmesan
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
 
Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

American Airlines to fly large Embraer Regional Jets

Those of you who fly regional routes on American Airlines will soon be able to fly on bigger regional jets. American Airlines has reached a deal with Republic Airways to establish a fleet or larger regional jets.

The fleet will include 53 Embraer E175 jets to replace the old CRJ’s. The new aircraft will feature a two-class configuration, with 12 seats in first class and 64 seats in coach. It will also include American’s premium-economy Main Cabin Extra seats with extra legroom.  

This is very good news for American Airline customers. These jets are much more comfortable and spacious than the cramped spaces in the tiny CRJ’s. The new jets are also much more fuel efficient, which is of vital importance for airlines trying to cut costs.

I am looking forward to the day when all other airlines follow suit and upgrade to the bigger jets for short haul regional routes. Be on the lookout for the new jets to be phased into operation beginning mid-2013.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Super Bowl XLVII is upon us!

After Sunday’s conference championship games, we now have our two teams set for Super Bowl XLVII. The San Francisco 49ers will battle the Baltimore Ravens in this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Now that the two teams playing have been determined, their legions of fans can now begin to make travel arrangements to participate in the festivities.

If you are one of the thousands looking to make the trip to the Big Easy, you better get on making your arrangements ASAP. With the limited number of vacancies, hotel rooms will be hard to come across, and they will come at a hefty premium.

Hotel rates in New Orleans have gone up by an average of 304% during Super Bowl weekend. Although hotel availability is limited, there are some exciting options for the diehard fan. Take the Bud Light Hotel, for example. Bud Light will transform a 200-room downtown New Orleans hotel into the ultimate fan experience, and will be home to some of the hottest parties and events during Super Bowl weekend. An adjacent parking lot is even being converted to a 34,000 square foot concert tent.

This is just one example of the many unique experiences that can be had in New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend. With the big game less than 2 weeks away, time is running out to make travel arrangements.

With such limited availabilities, POTHOS can help ease your mind and let you focus on the festivities and not all the travel hassles. For travel arrangements for your Super Bowl getaway, please contact travel@pothos.us.

Friday, January 18, 2013

British businessman killed in Honduras during robbery

Earlier this week, a 33 year old British businessman was shot dead while on vacation in Honduras. The man was taking pictures in Trejo, a small town outside of San Pedro Sula, when a group of men surrounded him and robbed him of his camera. The man was then shot dead as he ran away from his attackers.

This tragedy is just one instance of the ongoing violence that is prevalent in not only Honduras, but much of Central America. Honduras is no stranger to this type of violence. The Central American nation currently has the world’s highest murder rate with 87 killings per 100,000 people, according to the United Nations.

I hate to admit it but this is hardly surprising to me.  Two years ago, when in El Salvador, we were told that we should not travel alone as there are gangs that will identify you as a tourist, surround you (quietly) and rob you at knife point. If you don’t give your items, they will literally stab you in the stomach and leave you for dead.

This is very unfortunate as Central America is home to some of the most stunning landscapes, amazing cultures, and abundant wildlife. It is a shame that such a beautiful region can be plagued by such a rampant gang culture. This is not to scare you into never visiting Central America. This is simply a warning to proceed with great caution and to be aware of the dangers while travelling through Central America.

Friday, January 11, 2013

American Eagle pilot arrested after failing blood-alcohol test

An American Eagle pilot was arrested last week at the Minneapolis airport after failing a blood-alcohol test. The pilot was conducting pre-flight checks around 6:30 AM when airport police boarded the New York City bound aircraft. The officers boarded after a witness tipped them off, saying they smelled alcohol on the pilots breath.

The pilot was taken into custody after failing the breathalyzer test. The pilot has been suspended pending an investigation. The flight was delayed 2 ½ hours while a replacement pilot was arranged. This all occurred before any passengers had boarded the NYC bound flight.

The pilot was taken to a local hospital to have a blood sample taken for testing. The legal BAC limit in Minnesota is .04 for pilots. Although this is a much stricter limit than someone travelling on the road, I was left scratching my head. Call me crazy, but shouldn’t there be absolutely no trace of alcohol in a pilot’s system?

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Las Vegas Air to launch in 2013

With all of the airline consolidation going on, I have been counting down the days until new entrants appear, offering new service angles. It seems like I won’t have to wait much longer. Las Vegas Air appears to be on track to launch sometime in 2013.

The airline is promising all of the Vegas thrills, including planes equipped with full reclining luxury beds in first class and a shower/changing room. Club Class will include a Circle bar, 3D surround sound, and translucent bulk heads. Every flight will also include an online and private network gaming experience.

LV Air looks to bring some much needed competition to the established carriers with its creative and innovative ideas. LV Air has been contacted by many celebrities who wish to be associated with its youthful, high tech, and luxurious brand image. Expect to see LV Air hitting the market with an intense social media campaign sometime in early 2013.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Best new airport amenities in 2012

2012 has come and gone. With it, we saw many changes in the Travel industry. Some changes were great. Some were irritating. One trend that we have been seeing is with the improvement in airport amenities. Airports throughout the country continue to make strides in adding new amenities to make the traveling experience more enjoyable.

Gone are the days where finding electrical charging stations or free Wi-Fi at airports is unheard of. An estimated 88% of airports now have electrical charging stations and 90% offer free Wi-Fi. These amenities were once unheard of, but now are staples at most airports.

In 2012, airports continued to add innovative and creative amenities to enhance the customer experience. For example, San Francisco International Airport has introduced a first-of-its-kind airport Yoga room. This space allows for travelers to have a room devoted to contemplation and self-reflection. This is just one example of how airports are trying to make your travel experience a little mellower, healthier, and more connected.

Here is a list of USA Today’s Best new airport amenities in 2012.

Let’s hope that 2013 continues to bring improvements to our airport experience.