Airport tips

We all know the routine: Laptops out, bagged liquids in the bin, don’t forget your tablet too. And then shove all back in your bag amid your fellow haggard travelers.

To airline managers, an airplane sitting on the ground is a horror: an expensive asset failing to justify its expense. The goal is full utilization, which means keeping planes airborne as many hours as possible, with as many passengers on board as possible.

Norwegian Air, the growing low-cost carrier known for low fares to Europe, is adding two new destinations: Chicago, Illinois, and Austin, Texas.

I was intrigued by a recent headline on CNN that made an interesting albeit not exactly bold claim: Airport security needs a 9/11 style upgrade. Following the Ft. Lauderdale attack last week, not to mention the Brussels and Ataturk airport attacks last year, people are understandably wondering what, if anything, can be done to make airports safer.

New air routes by low-fare airlines promise great deals for budget-minded travelers across the globe this year. Here are the 11 most-exciting air routes low-fare lines are launching in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

United Airlines or United Apologists? If you were to judge by recent media coverage of the carrier, you might think United’s core business was issuing apologies for blunders and misdeeds made in its secondary business, commercial air transportation.

Almost all recent action in startup airlines has come from outside the U.S. We already see WOW and Norwegian, with a handful of other European lines gearing up and even one line from Asia (Malaysia’s AirAsia X). Prospects for home-based startup lines are pretty dim, but they’re not quite zero. Two are worth watching; a third new airline is pretty ephemeral so far.

Although the shocking passenger-bashing incidents at American and United have mostly upstaged the laptop ban story in recent weeks, another media-focus turnaround may be in the offing.

According to a report in the Post-Gazette, people who live in the Pittsburgh area can now load up at those wonderful “Airmall” shops airside at Pittsburgh airport without having to fly anywhere. A new pilot “myPITpass” program allows people without tickets to go airside, as long as they show the usual ID and go through the usual TSA screening, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays.

TSA has approved new baggage scanners designed to do two things: Speed up airport security lines, and provide better imaging of your bag’s contents. Once installed, these scanners could make airports safer, and security checkpoints run smoother.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, is back in business after being completely shut down for almost 11 hours between 1:00 p.m. and 11:55 p.m. on Sunday.

Paine Field, 30 miles north of downtown Seattle, is known by aviation enthusiasts as the site of Boeing’s B747 assembly plant, where for decades the iconic jumbo jets rumbled down the tarmac on their delivery flights to airlines representing every corner of the world. Otherwise, Paine Field was just another sleepy little civilian airport, known to few and relevant to fewer.

Most travelers now say their smartphone is the single most indispensable item they carry, ahead of even their toothbrush, deodorant, and driver’s license. And if you’re like most people, the first thing you do when you get to the airport is look for free Wi-Fi.

If your flight on American Airlines is canceled or delayed, forget calling customer service or waiting in line at an airport. You can now rearrange your trip yourself, using American’s newly launched “dynamic reaccom” (read: re-accommodation) tool online, on the mobile app, or at an American Airlines kiosk.

Along with the base fare and all those fees your airline charges, every airline ticket includes additional charges levied by other parties. The government charges a 7.5 percent excise tax, international fares include an additional $18 tax, and a September 11 security fee of $5.60, among others. But one such fee might be about to spike.

Are you among the many travelers who believe that overnight red-eye flights in economy class constitute cruel and unusual punishment? On most routes to Europe, you’re largely out of luck in finding any other option—until now.

EasyJet is about to give its customers a bit more freedom: The low-cost carrier has announced a new booking program allowing travelers to connect with other low-fare airlines. The initial project is based at London’s Gatwick Airport, and is focused on connecting EasyJet European flights with long-haul ones, like Norwegian and WestJet routes across the Atlantic, and Loganair flights to Scotland. EasyJet plans to expand the program quickly to some of its larger hubs around Europe, and to add new partnered airlines, including some based in Asia. But the program already has its limits.

Whether you’re arriving at an airport for the first time or at one that’s familiar, you may not know the lowest-cost way to get to your in-town destination. Even if you thought you knew, developments in ride-sharing regulations can change your best airport transportation options quickly, and without announcement.

Could Southwest Hawaii service make way for the ‘Southwest Effect’—increased competition and lower fares for travel to the islands? We’re closer to finding out.

A number of low-cost European airlines have shown signs of trouble since budget airlines Primera and Cobalt shut down in late 2018. The newest addition to the list of small European airlines to fold is the millennial-focused Joon—Air France’s budget venture.

You might have heard recently that Congress has decided your plane seat size should be regulated. That’s true. You may have also heard that it means your plane seat is going to get bigger. Here’s why that’s probably not true.