Grounded!

Headlines this week about Southwest Airlines having been grounded for "unsafe planes". This was followed by more planes grounded by the FAA at United Airlines and voluntary groundings by American Airlines and Delta Airlines. Does this mean the flying public is any less safe? So far nothing has been found that has been unsafe. What has happened is that regular maintenance inspections required by the FAA have not been followed. The "irregularities" were not in the physical structures of the planes, but in the required inspection and maintenance routines of the airlines. It was put to me this way: like your car you need to get your oil changed every 3,000 miles. It doesn't mean that your car isn't running right, but to prevent problems you need to have this done. Unlike your car, it's still safer to fly than drive.

New Passport Card Option

The U.S. State Department, starting on February 1, 2008, started accepting applications for a passport card. What this card does is provide an alternative for passports to persons traveling by land and sea ONLY to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Why this is good is that it's cheaper (only $45 for adults and $35 for children). There's still no word on whether they are processed any faster than a passport. If you are traveling by air, passports are still required. For more information, visit the U.S. State Department website. Click here.

Don't Ever Drink From Hotel Glasses

A friend sent me this video to check out. You will never drink from hotel glasses ever again after watching it. The pilot said the only ones he drinks out of are the disposable ones that are sealed in plastic. After watching this video you will know why. (Click the article title to watch the video)

Rude Awakening

I just looked at an e-mail from a colleague. He stated that he was up and starting his day at 5:00 am. He said that it happened because the person that had the hotel room before him had the alarm set for 4:00 am. He tried to go back to sleep, but could not and started to be productive instead. So the lesson here is to check the alarm clock in the hotel room so you won't be awakened before you want to be awakened.

And since we're on the subject of alarm clocks. You don't have to purchase a travel alarm. Most cell phones have them built in. Wake up calls may be unreliable and alarm clocks difficult to figure out and there's a risk of them not working if the electricity goes out. Besides that you can select the sound you want to wake you up rather than having a nasty blast.

Aegean Airlines Announces New Destinations

Aegean Airlines is one of our favorite airlines. The most obvious reason is because it takes us "home" to see our Greek family. The other reason is because they have excellent service. They've just announced four new destinations: London, Tirana, Limnos and Kefalonia. (Kefalonia is the setting for Captain Corelli's Mandoline). We're excited because it offers us one more way to get to see family. If you ever get to Greece, there is no choice for an airline as far as we're concerned.

Why Baggage Gets Lost

In case you're ever wondering why baggage gets lost, here's a humorous explanation. Enjoy!

Scam Going on in Hotels

A hotel my husband, the pilot, recently stayed at shared this warning. There are others that are calling hotel guests identifying themselves as hotel personnel. They state that they are having trouble with your credit card and need to verify your information. Once these scam artists have your credit card information, they steal you blind. Actual hotel personnel will never call you and ask you for your information over the phone. If they are having any problems, they will call you and ask you to come down to the front desk. A good rule of thumb is to never give any credit card information over the phone no matter how convincing they sound under any circumstances.