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Airlines’ new safety target: Passengers’ ‘smart bags’

December 4, 2017

Smart bags are the latest generation of high-tech luggage. (Image: Bluesmart Luggage)

Savvy business travelers always try to carry on everything they’ll need on their trips. But if there are occasions when you go on a longer trip and need to check a bag, watch out for brand-new airline rules banning a specific kind of checked luggage: smart bags.

The latest generation of products from luggage manufacturers is incorporating various new technologies into an item that was previously very low-tech. So modern smart bags can provide things like tracking technology, built-in scales, and power ports to juice up your electronic devices on the go. But those functions all require a power source, and that source is generally a lithium-ion battery in the luggage.

The problem with lithium-ion batteries is that they sometimes spontaneously combust – and that means airlines don’t want to take the chance of having them in a baggage hold.

In the past few days, Delta, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all issued advisories warning customers that effective January 15, smart bags powered with a lithium-ion battery that cannot be removed will no longer be accepted as checked luggage. If the passenger can take the battery out of the luggage and carry it on, no problem. Otherwise, he has a real problem if he shows up at the airport with one of the now-banned bags.

Airlines don’t want lithium-ion batteries in their luggage holds. (Image: Jim Glab)

“If the customer is able to take the bag into the cabin with them, the customer will be able to leave the battery installed,” American’s advisory said. But Delta said that smart bags with non-removable batteries will not be accepted as a checked or carry-on bag. Likewise at Alaska, “Smart bags will be allowed as carry-on baggage, if they meet carry-on size limits and if it’s possible to remove the battery from the bag if needed,” the company said.

Other airlines are likely to follow suit. So if any of your loved ones are planning to buy a new smart bag as a holiday gift for their favorite frequent traveler, make sure they get one with a removable battery.

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Get ready: Huge security overhaul for international flights

June 28, 2017

American Airlines is starting to use Analogic computed tomography 3-D scanners for carry-ons. (Image: Analogic)

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reportedly planning to impose strict new security standards for all airlines flying into the U.S. starting next month – a move that could lead to confusion, uncertainty and longer lines for passengers depending on how responsive airlines are in meeting the requirements.

According to various news services, DHS is ordering the new standards as an alternative to expanding its current “laptop ban” – a rule that currently bars passengers from carrying electronic devices larger than a smartphone into the cabins of U.S.-bound non-stop flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

However, DHS is also said to be threatening to extend the laptop ban to any airlines or airports that don’t meet its new security safeguards. The agency has been threatening for months to expand the laptop ban to European airports over concerns that terrorist groups are perfecting methods for hiding explosives in laptop computers. Reports suggested that DHS could even decide to withhold U.S. landing rights from non-compliant airlines.

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DHS wants more bomb-sniffing dogs at overseas airports. (Image: TSA)

The agency hasn’t said publicly exactly what its new standards will involve, but they would apply for the flights of 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries rather than just those considered to pose the highest risk of a terrorist threat.

News reports indicated that the new requirements might include more sophisticated explosive trace detection scanning for passengers’ carry-ons, greater use of bomb-sniffing dogs, and more intensive screening of airport workers and even passengers themselves.

According to a report from Reuters, DHS will give airlines just 21 days to start using more effective explosive screening methods, and 120 days to implement other new security measures like enhanced screening of individual passengers.

At the same time, DHS officials have reportedly said that the 10 airports where the laptop ban currently applies could have that ban lifted if they implement the new security measures.

Middle Eastern airlines are offering in-cabin laptops and tablets to business class passengers affected by the ban. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

DHS officials have met repeatedly with their European counterparts in recent weeks over the agency’s proposed expansion of the laptop ban. European security officials have expressed concerns that requiring large numbers of travelers to put their electronic devices into checked luggage could pose a greater risk of fires in the hold of an aircraft, since the lithium batteries on those devices are known to sometimes ignite spontaneously.

If the reports are correct that DHS will only allow three weeks for the implementation of more effective explosives screening, that raises the question of how the agency hopes to enforce its new requirements. Will it have enough personnel to inspect hundreds of airport locations overseas in the short term? Will the new standards be specific enough for clear decisions about which locations and airlines are compliant? Will they allow for any exemptions or extensions? And how will passengers know if a new laptop ban is about to be suddenly imposed on their flight to the U.S.?

DHS officials told USA Today they expect 99 percent of airlines will meet the new requirements in the allotted time frames. But with the peak summer season for international travel already under way, this could make for some interesting situations at overseas airports. Stay tuned.

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Laptop ban update: yes, no and maybe

May 30, 2017

Would you go on an international flight without a laptop or tablet? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

UPDATE 10:30 am PT May 30: Politico Europe is reporting that the U.S. has told its EU counterparts that there will be no laptop ban for now. The post states that “this matter is closed for now. However, the decision not to impose the ban could change based on future intelligence.” We will monitor this for confirmation, but here’s the latest: http://www.politico.eu/article/us-tells-eu-no-laptop-ban-2/

UPDATE #2 Noon PT May 30: Regarding the Politico report above: A DHS spokesperson says that story is “absolutely wrong,” and that DHS Secretary John Kelly “made it clear that an expansion (of the ban) is still on the table.” Here’s the latest, as reported by USA Today.

Original post:

Worried about the Department of Homeland Security’s much-discussed plans to expand its ban on in-cabin laptops and tablets to inbound flights from Europe? Well, now you’ve got a whole lot more to worry about.

Appearing on Fox News this past weekend, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he is now thinking about possibly extending the ban to all international flights in and out of the U.S.

Meanwhile, there could be some hope on the technological horizon that improved screening devices might eventually make such a ban unnecessary.

Kelly said in an interview that he “might” make the ban a global one, claiming that terrorist groups working on laptop computer bombs pose a “real threat” to commercial aviation. Kelly said terror groups “are obsessed with…the idea of knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly if it’s a U.S. carrier.”

Currently, the U.S. ban on in-cabin laptops and tablets only applies to inbound non-stop flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa. DHS was said to be on the verge of extending the ban to inbound flights from Europe earlier this month, but that plan was put on hold – at least temporarily – as the U.S. carries on discussions with European security officials about the wisdom and necessity of such an action.

Middle Eastern carriers are offering loaner laptops to premium passengers. (Image: Qatar Airways)

When the discussion was limited to a ban on in-cabin electronic devices aboard flights from Europe, the aviation and business travel industries were predicting “havoc” for transatlantic travel, with business travelers staying home, and airlines losing money and trimming routes. That chorus of complaints from both sides of the Atlantic about the impact of a ban seemed to have worked- and kept it at bay– until Kelly’s remarks on Sunday.

An expansion of the ban to all international flights would increase those concerns by many orders of magnitude and would lead to wholesale changes in the way people travel.

A passenger survey conducted in 2016 found that 38 percent of international travelers worldwide carry a laptop onboard, and 42 percent of those with a laptop use it during the flight. For tablets, the comparable numbers were 43 percent who carry one on, and 70 percent of those use one in-flight.

Meanwhile, manufacturers of airport security screening devices say technology has improved so much in recent years that a new generation of scanning machines could easily detect explosive materials in carry-on laptops and liquids, according to Bloomberg News.

But that might not bring an easy solution to DHS’s immediate concerns. For one thing, it would take a long time to manufacture and deploy the next-generation scanners to airports in the U.S. and abroad. For another, Congress would have to approve funding for the purchase and installation of such equipment, which could cost an estimated $1 billion.

Do you think a laptop ban is imminent? How will it change the way you travel? Please leave your comments below.

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Expansion of laptop ban put on hold

May 18, 2017

Delta put up a sign at Cincinnati prematurely last week anticipating a larger laptop ban. (Source: FlyerTalk)

Travelers concerned about the U.S. banning in-cabin laptops and tablets on flights from Europe are breathing a sigh of relief – although it may be only temporary.

Just last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was said to be on the verge of expanding its laptop ban – currently in effect for flights from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports – to include inbound flights from Europe as well. But after a crucial meeting in Brussels this week between U.S. and European security and aviation officials, those plans have apparently been put on hold for now.

The Associated Press quoted one official as saying after the meeting that the expanded laptop ban is ”off the table” for now.

In an official statement following the meeting, DHS and the European Commission said only that they had “reaffirmed their commitment to continue working closely together on aviation security generally,” and that they have scheduled another meeting next week in Washington D.C. “to further assess shared risks and solutions for protecting airline passengers, whilst ensuring the smooth functioning of global air travel.”

The U.S. is concerned that terrorist organizations like ISIS are refining methods of planting explosives inside electronic devices in such a way that they can’t be detected by existing airport security systems.

If laptops are a threat in the cabin, are they safe in checked bags? (Image: Jim Glab)

At their Brussels meeting, the two sides “exchanged information on the serious evolving threats to aviation security and approaches to confronting such threats,” the official statement said. “Participants provided insight into existing aviation security standards and detection capabilities as well as recent security enhancements on both sides of the Atlantic related to large electronic devices placed in checked baggage.”

The statement said nothing about the proposed expansion of the laptop ban.

The Europeans were known to be concerned about threats to aviation safety if large numbers of electronic devices with lithium batteries are stowed in the hold of an aircraft, since those batteries have been known to ignite.

The threat of an expanded laptop ban led to warnings from the airline and travel industries that transatlantic travel could suffer significant damage from such an order. The initial damage would be in the form of chaos at airports as travelers and airlines adapted to the ban, and longer term in a falloff of bookings, especially among higher-paying business travelers.

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‘Economic tsunami’ and ‘havoc’ caused by laptop ban

May 17, 2017

A larger laptop ban could mean four-hour advance check-in at European airports. (Photo: Flughafen Munchen)

U.S. and European aviation and security officials are meeting in Brussels today (May 17) to discuss the planned expansion of the U.S. “laptop ban” to European routes, and industry observers are predicting massive logistical problems and airline financial losses when the expansion starts.

The U.S. is reportedly planning to ban passengers from carrying electronic devices larger than a smartphone into the cabins of U.S.-bound flights from Europe, just like the ban it already has in place for non-stop flights from 10 Middle Eastern and North African airports into the US.

Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the U.S.-based Business Travel Coalition, spelled out the dangers of an expanded ban in a letter this week to Europe’s Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc.

Remember SARS? Zika? Or the Icelandic volcano that shut down transatlantic travel? If the ban is extended, “the economic risk to airlines and the travel and tourism industry is orders of magnitude greater than the threat from pandemics, volcanoes or wars,” Mitchell said. “This is serious.”

He noted that most companies, governments and universities “will not allow employees to check laptops, most of which have sensitive information on them,” and that could be a deal-breaker for many planned transatlantic trips. “That’s where a dramatic falloff in business travel demand would be based,” Mitchell said. “A monthly trip to London becomes a once-a-quarter one.”

In addition to that, all airlines specifically deny liability for electronics packed in checked bags in their contracts of carriage, so travelers are left with little or no protection unless they have travel insurance that covers such losses (many policies don’t).

Can you fly back from Europe without a laptop or tablet? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The result? Fewer business travelers will pay for the big seats up front. The loss of a handful of first and business class passengers on a transatlantic flight could easily make that flight unprofitable for the airline, he said, as flagging demand drives down yields.

“There is evidence that this already is happening,” Mitchell wrote. “Despite creative efforts by Gulf carriers such as gate-side (laptop) check-in, separate secure inflight storage and dedicated arrival pick-up, not to mention onboard loaner tablets, early indications are the negative impact on bookings has been significant.” (Emirates has already announced plans to reduce flight frequencies on several U.S. routes due to a falloff in demand.)

Mitchell urged the Europeans to “push back on this potential ban” and on the one already in place for the Middle East and North Africa.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association – a trade group of the world’s airlines – is predicting that an expanded ban would cost travelers more than $1 billion, including $655 in lost productivity, $216 million for longer travel times, and $195 million for renting laptops from airlines. IATA said extending the ban to Europe would affect 350 to 390 flights per day.

U.S. airline analyst Henry Harteveldt told Yahoo! News this week that an expansion of the ban to Europe would mean “a summer of international travel hell” for passengers. And for airlines, the ban would have an “extensive financial impact,” with falling demand and worker layoffs likely, he said.

Another analyst, Vinay Bhaskara, told Yahoo! News that if the U.S. ban is put into effect suddenly, without sufficient lead time for airlines to prepare, the result will be “havoc” for travelers and airlines. “Airports will become zoos,” he said. “The additional security screening time may require passengers to arrive at airports four or more hours in advance of flights.”

Readers: If the expanded laptop ban takes effect, would you cut back on travel to Europe? Please leave your comments below.

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Laptop ban delayed- but for how long?

May 12, 2017

Working on your laptop inflight from Europe might, or might not be, verboten (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It looks like the Department of Homeland Security’s widely-reported plans to expand its in-flight laptop ban to Europe has been put off at least for a few days.

Earlier reports this week suggested that the ban’s announcement was expected by Thursday or Friday, and would apply to U.S.-bound flights from the continent and perhaps the U.K., prohibiting flyers from carrying anything larger than a smartphone into the cabin. (Yes, tablets would be forbidden, too.) That kind of ban is already in place for non-stop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

There was even a notice at a Delta gate at Cincinnati on Friday that the ban would take effect May 12 (posted by SFO 1K on FlyerTalk), but that was premature. A DHS spokesperson referred all inquiries about the sign to Delta. Late Friday, Vocativ.com reported that a Delta spokesperson said the notice was posted by error and should be regarded as erroneous. (yeah, but…)

The sign, which has since been removed, said: Attention International Passengers. Effective May 12 passengers will only be permitted to carry a cell phone onboard flights returning to the United States. All other personal electronic devices with be required to be checked.

A sign at Cincinnati Airport spotted by FlyerTalk member SFO 1K on Friday morning (Source: FlyerTalk)

According to reports Friday from Reuters and Politico.com, DHS agreed to hold off on any order pending a meeting with European officials in Brussels next Wednesday (May 17).

EU officials are said to be concerned not only about the logistical problems that would be created by a sudden imposition of a laptop ban, but also about potential threats to safety if thousands of travelers start to put electronic devices into their checked luggage for stowage in the hold of the aircraft. The lithium-ion batteries in such devices are known to pose a small risk of igniting.

In fact, the European Aviation Safety Agency says on its website: “You should carry your portable electronic devices (PEDs, such as cameras, laptops and phones) in your hand baggage (carry-on), and not in your checked baggage,” because of the fire risk.

U.S. airline officials have been in talks with DHS in recent days about the looming announcement of a laptop ban for European flights, presumably to give them time to prepare their operations for such a possibility.

So we can all breath a sigh of relief … for now.

How will the laptop ban affect the way you travel? How or will you adapt? Please leave your questions and comments below.

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DHS: Prepare for laptop ban on Europe flights

May 9, 2017

Middle Eastern carriers are offering loaner laptops to premium passengers. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Reports are spreading on the Internet that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security could be on the verge of announcing a broad expansion of its so-called “laptop ban,” extending it to U.S.-Europe routes. Meanwhile, another airline affected by the ban has started loaning laptops to its business class flyers.

The ban was introduced in late March, prohibiting U.S.-bound travelers on flights out of 10 Middle Eastern and African airports from bringing laptops and tablets into the passenger cabin. The U.K. adopted a similar ban shortly thereafter.

UPDATE: Thursday> US Airlines meeting with DHS about expanding the ban. (Reuters)

UPDATE: Tuesday> U.S. officials have told airlines to “be prepared” for an expanded ban on carry-on electronic devices allowed on airplanes (Fox News, Bloomberg)

According to CBS News, the U.S. is said to be considering an expansion of the ban to include flights coming to the U.S. from continental Europe and possibly the U.K. Not good news as we enter the peak season for transatlantic flying.

“Government officials have been meeting with U.S. airlines on a nearly weekly basis and intend to do so again later this week. Officials say a decision could come in the next few weeks,” CBS said. CBS got a non-answer from the Transportation Security Administration saying that it has made no decisions on extending the ban, but adding that it is “continuously reassessing security directives based on intelligence” and will make changes if it considers them necessary.

If a ban is indeed coming, perhaps the DHS is giving airlines some time to prepare for such a hit to their operations.

A laptop ban on flights from Europe would obviously pose a major problem for the business travel community, since laptops and tablets – anything larger than a smartphone – would have to be stowed in the hold with the passenger’s luggage (if he or she checked any).

Introducing our complimentary laptop service to US and UK bound Business Class guests who hand over their devices at the boarding gate. pic.twitter.com/aN3vcloggT
— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) May 5, 2017

Middle Eastern carriers affected by the initial ban have struggled to keep U.S.-bound business travelers by introducing new services like the option of gate-checking your laptop and picking it up at the destination. They have also started offering loaner devices to business and first class travelers for use during their flight; Qatar Airways, Etihad and Emirates all started doing so more than a month ago.

This week Turkish Airlines has started a similar loaner program for U.S.-bound business class flyers; it will extend the offer to U.K.-bound flights on May 12.

Maybe you don’t want to be traveling internationally with electronic devices these days anyway– read this post to find out why

Despite those programs, Middle Eastern airlines are taking a hit in bookings. Emirates announced a few weeks ago that it is cutting flight frequencies on five U.S. routes.

If many travelers are booking themselves from the Middle East to the U.S. via connections in Europe to avoid the laptop ban, what will they do if it is expanded? Canada does not currently impose a laptop ban… would it make sense for Americans to travel to/from Europe via Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal?

Readers: What would you do if the U.S. bans laptops and tablets from the passenger cabins of U.S.-bound flights from Europe?

Interesting: Here’s what started these rumors flying– a tweet from a brainy 20-year-old aviation enthusiast from the UK. In comments he states that the announcement could come from the White House by this Friday.

Breaking: The air travel #ElectronicsBan is preparing to be extended to ALL flights from Europe to USA, coming into effect in a few weeks.
— Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir) May 8, 2017

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Uber faces shut-down in 2 European countries

April 12, 2017

Don’t look for an Uber ride in Copenhagen starting next week. (Image: Jim Glab)

New regulatory and legal developments in Denmark and Italy are posing fresh challenges for ride-sharing giant Uber across the Atlantic even as it waits for a potentially game-changing decision from the European Court of Justice.

In Denmark, Uber is expected to halt operations on April 18 due to the imposition of new taxi rules that require vehicles for hire to be equipped with devices like fare meters and seat-occupancy sensors. Most Danish taxis already have the required equipment, but Uber vehicles – which are private cars owned by their drivers – do not.

Thus, Uber officials said they had no choice but to shut down in Denmark, where the company says some 300,000 people have downloaded its app, and where it claims 2,000 drivers in its operation.

In Italy, a court in Rome last week gave Uber 10 days to stop operating in the country (until April 17), threatening it with fines of more than $10,000 a day if it does not. Uber is expected to file an appeal.

The ruling came in a case filed by drivers at traditional taxi unions, who charged that Uber’s activities constituted unfair competition under Italian law. The court said Uber must stop use of its smartphone apps and discontinue all promotion and advertising.

Uber is facing shut-downs in Denmark and Italy. (Image: Uber)

Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice is expected to rule any time now on what kinds of laws and regulations apply to Uber across the E.U.’s member countries. That decision is expected in a case filed in 2015 by the taxi drivers’ association of Barcelona. (Uber is not available in Barcelona, but it is in Madrid. You won’t find Uber in Frankfurt, either)

The issue facing the court is whether Uber is a transportation service, as the taxi drivers contend, which means the company would have to meet existing labor and safety regulations across the continent; or whether it is, as Uber contends, an “information society service,” which would allow it to operate and expand in Europe following its current business model.

Uber’s competitor Lyft does not yet have its own operations overseas, although it has been working to forge partnerships with some existing app-based ride services in specific markets.

There are some alternatives for travelers. A German-based company called Blacklane (www.blacklane.com) is one. “Travelers schedule rides one hour to months in advance. All drivers speak English and have commercial licenses and insurance. Rates are all-inclusive and guaranteed when you book,” a spokesman tells TravelSkills. “For airport pickups, drivers wait up to an hour for free. We are in five Italian cities (Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and Venice) plus Copenhagen and 250 other cities worldwide.”

There are also taxi apps like Taxi.eu in Denmark and myTaxi in Italy.

TIP: If you are headed to Europe this summer and plan to use Uber there, be sure to check here before you go.

Readers: In which cities do you miss having Uber or Lyft the most? Please leave the cities below.

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DHS warning: Laptop ban could be expanded

April 5, 2017

DHS/TSA could expand its crackdown on in-flight electronic devices. (Image: TSA)

The Department of Homeland Security could soon expand its so-called “laptop ban” to flights from additional airports.

The controversial order imposed by the U.S. last month prohibits passengers on non-stop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in eight Middle Eastern and African nations from carrying anything larger than a smartphone into the cabin; laptops and tablets must go into checked luggage.

According to CNN, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly told a Senate panel this week: “We may take measures in the not-too-distant future to expand the number of airports” covered by the ban. Kelly did not say where those airports might be.

Qatar Airways is offering loaner laptops to premium passengers. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Kelly said the laptop ban currently in place is based on “a real threat.” Some recent reports indicated that terrorist groups are working on ways to hide explosives in electronic devices. Kelly told the Senate committee that there are “dozens of (terrorist) cells…talking about aviation,” and the laptop ban is an effort to keep one step ahead of them.

CNN said it also learned that some flights arriving from airports covered by the laptop ban are being targeted by the TSA for special inspections after they land in the U.S., using bomb-sniffing dogs and other techniques.

Some Middle Eastern carriers have devised new strategies to adapt to the ban, like offering premium passengers on their U.S. flights loaner laptops and tablets, free in-flight Internet, gate-checking of electronic devices and so on. Emirates joined that group this week, announcing that it would provide business and first class passengers on its U.S. flights from Dubai with Microsoft Surface tablets equipped with Microsoft Office 2016.

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Electronics ban spreads: Advice & alternative explanations

March 21, 2017

Working on your laptop inflight now impossible on some airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today the Department of Homeland Security announced that passengers traveling on nonstop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa will not be allowed to carry on electronic devices larger than mobile phones. Instead, these larger devices must now be transported as checked luggage.

This morning, the UK imposed a similar ban on nonstop flights from six cities in the Middle East and Africa. The UK ban differs in that it DOES include non Middle East carriers (including British Airways) but it does not affect flights from Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Canada is also considering a similar ban.

This directive hits business travelers directly in the gut. Why? Because we typically spend most of our time on long flights working on our laptops, or watching movies on our tablets. We don’t check bags. And we don’t trust the airlines to transport our valuable equipment safely and securely in checked luggage (and airlines specifically state that they will not cover electronics in checked baggage).

The good news, if there is any, is that this directive affects a very small number of flights. DHS emphasizes that only 10 airports out of 250 worldwide with nonstop flights to the US are affected.

For example, at San Francisco International, it hits less than three flights per day: a daily nonstop from Dubai on Emirates Airline and the daily nonstop from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. It also affects a twice-per-week nonstop from Abu Dhabi to SFO on Etihad. In Atlanta, it affects two flights: the daily nonstop from Doha on Qatar Airways and another from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

The affected overseas airports are:

Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
Cairo International Airport (CAI)
Istanbul- Ataturk International Airport (IST)
Jeddah- King Abdul-Aziz International Airport (JED)
Riyadh- King Khalid International Airport (RUH)
Kuwait International Airport (KWI),
Casablanca- Mohammed V Airport (CMN)
Doha- Hamad International Airport (DOH)
Dubai International Airport (DXB)
Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH)

Airlines affected by the ban:

Egypt Air
Emirates
Etihad Airways
Kuwait Airways
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Jordanian Airlines
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Turkish Airlines

Why is this happening…and why now? Well, the DHS says that it made the move to improve security based on intelligence that terrorists were focused on commercial aviation targets. But we’ve known about this threat since the 1990s. An interesting story in the Washington Post posits that the move is not about security at all– it’s about retaliation against the big three Middle East Carriers (known as 3ME).

Source: The Washington Post

What’s most poignant here is how the ban will affect the 3ME, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. These are the only carriers offering nonstop flights to the U.S. from Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While these airlines wow us with stellar onboard service on new aircraft, business travelers are going to book away from them when faced with this ban. Instead, they’ll book one-stop flights on European carriers for the flight back to the U.S. (At least that’s what I would do…what about you? Comments below, please!)

Helpful: Q&A with DHS about the ban

How long will this last? DHS says that the ban is in place indefinitely, although Emirates said it could last until October. The ban impacts all travelers on all affected flights regardless of citizenship or trusted traveler status. It even affects flights from Abu Dhabi, where passengers pass through customs at the airport in a DHS-run pre-clearance facility. The ban was announced on Tuesday, March 21, and airlines have until Friday to comply.

TIP: BACK UP YOUR LAPTOP NOW! Especially if overseas travel is in your future. You never know when or if this ban could spread and you could be separated from your device. Also, with a new focus on laptops, it would be smart to be sure it’s always charged in case you are asked to turn it on by security staff.

How do you feel about this? Does it affect you at all? Would you be more likely to book away from one of the affected carriers? Please leave your comments below!

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Trump’s ban seen hurting business travel

February 6, 2017

Will Middle Eastern airports like Dubai’s see fewer business travelers this year? (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The Trump Administration’s ban on travel to the U.S. for citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries is likely to hurt global business travel, according to a new poll.

The Global Business Travel Association last week surveyed its membership of corporate travel buyers and found that 31 percent of the respondents expect Trump’s executive order to result in a reduction in their company’s business travel over the next three months.

Some 29 percent said they expect that dampening effect to continue over the following three to six months as well, and 28 percent said it could well keep hurting travel over the next six to 12 months and beyond.

A majority of respondents – 63 percent – said they expected to see other countries respond to the ban by making travel more difficult for Americans, while 56 percent said it could lead to difficulties for travel to the U.S., and 54 percent were concerned about an increase in threats to U.S. travelers abroad.

Corporate travel managers worry about threats to their employees overseas. (Image: jim Glab)

When asked about top concerns regarding the immigration ban on their company’s business travelers, “uncertainty regarding green card and approved visa credibility to enter the United States (55 percent), harassment of U.S. travelers to and from the Middle East (50 percent) and increased traveler harassment in general (50 percent) topped the list,” GBTA said.

Asked about their own views on the ban, half of the respondents opposed it while 38 percent supported it. The ban – which affects citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen – led to massive confusion and demonstrations at major U.S. airports over the last two weeks.

Late Friday, a federal judge in Washington temporarily halted the travel ban saying that “no one is above the law, even the president.”

And after a weekend of adjustment, it appears that we are back to business as usual at US airports and borders, but that could change quickly.

It’s going to be an interesting four years…

Have you had any personal experience around the travel ban? Do you feel different now traveling as an American abroad? Please leave your comments below.

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Really bad news for Samsung smartphone owners

October 14, 2016

Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 is formally banned from U.S. aircraft. (Image: Samsung)

Are you still holding onto a Samsung Galaxy Note7 smartphone that you haven’t returned yet despite Samsung’s recent request that you do so?

If you plan to keep using it because you think the odds of it catching fire are too small to worry about, don’t plan on taking it on an airplane.

Earlier, the FAA had advised flyers not to put those phones into checked luggage, or to power them up or charge them during flight. But given the continuing problems with the device, the government has now issued an unprecedented, full-fledged ban– now you cannot even bring it on the plane.

The Transportation Department said Friday that effective at midday on Saturday (October 15), the Galaxy Note7 is banned from all U.S. aircraft, even if it is turned off. Anyone found with one could have it confiscated and could be fined, DOT said. If you try to hide it in checked luggage, you could face criminal prosecution, DOT noted.

If airline staff see a passenger carrying a Galaxy Note7 before boarding, they are required to keep that person off the plane.

“Passengers currently traveling with Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones should contact Samsung or their wireless carrier immediately to obtain information about how to return their phones and arrange for a refund or a replacement phone,” DOT said. “Samsung has provided guidance for customers about refund and replacement options, as well as how to contact wireless carriers, at http://www.samsung.com/us/note7recall. Samsung is also answering customers’ questions at 1-844-365-6197.”

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FAA lifts ban on Turkish Airlines flights to U.S.

July 18, 2016

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Today the Federal Aviation Administration lifted the ban on Turkish Airlines flights to the U.S. that it imposed last week during the coup attempt.

Flights to/from U.S. cities are expected to resume on Tuesday. An airline spokesperson tells TravelSkills that the first U.S. flight will depart on Tuesday, July 19 at 6:45 a.m. for New York-Kennedy.

Turkish flies nonstop from Istanbul to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.

You can watch flight traffic over Istanbul here which shows flights from IST to other countries has already resumed– US flights should appear by tomorrow.

Here’s an official tweet about this from Turkish Airlines:

Attention to U.S passengers, all flights to and from the United States of America will resume as usual starting from July 19th.
— Turkish Airlines (@TurkishAirlines) July 18, 2016

Turkish Airlines’ stunning CIP lounge at Istanbul (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s going to take a while until Americans chose to fly to or through Istanbul. That’s too bad considering its lovely lounge there. But it is certainly understandable. It should be interesting to watch Turkish Airlines respond to all this.

What about you? Would you flight Turkish Airlines now? How long would you wait to fly them again? Please leave your comments below.

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