#1 — Anheuser Busch Brewery Tour, Saint Louis, Mo.: In addition to offering free tours that take in the legendary Budweiser Clydesdale Stable, Beechwood Lager Cellars and historic Brew House, true hop-enthusiasts can also opt for the more exclusive “Beermaster Tour.”
Editor’s note: Brett Snyder writes a weekly CNN.com travel column. Snyder is the founder of air travel assistance site Cranky Concierge, and he writes the consumer air travel blog The Cranky Flier.
(CNN) — You might have heard something about the Transportation Security Administration’s new known (or trusted) traveler program that will begin testing in October. For now, this will impact a very small number of travelers, but it has the potential to mean big changes in the security process in the long run.
When it comes to airport security today, everyone is treated as a potential threat when walking through the checkpoint. That’s why you still have to take your shoes off and pull your laptop out among other things. If they find something, then you might be subject to further screening.
Many have spent years arguing that the TSA is unnecessarily wasting resources and inconveniencing passengers by not also having a level of lesser screening for those who are deemed to be less of a threat. The TSA has only recently adopted this idea of risk-based security screening, and that’s why this particular program is heading into testing.
The idea is that if the TSA can gather enough information about someone to show that he is a reduced risk to security, then they can have a reduced level of physical security at the checkpoint itself. So, if you as a traveler want to give a lot of personal information, there is now hope that you can leave your shoes on and keep your laptop in your bag.
Airport screening: The ‘P word’ and other possibilities
If this idea sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because it’s been discussed for years and has been almost put into practice. If you’ve heard of Clear, this was the original idea for that program. Each traveler was supposed to provide background info along with biometrics to be whisked through security with ease.
It didn’t quite work out that way. In the end, the TSA wasn’t ready to consider a trusted traveler program, and Clear just became a "front of the line" pass, just like those for first class and elite frequent fliers. They all led you to the front of the line but the security screening was the same once you got there.
But the TSA has shifted its stance under current leadership and is now willing to admit that there might be a place for a program like this. Initially, the test will be limited to a few groups. Members of frequent flier programs for a couple of airlines in their hubs will be in the first group. Those who use Customs and Border Patrol programs for expedited entry into the U.S. (Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS) will also take part. Everyone has to be a U.S. citizen to be considered.
The chosen few will be able to avoid some of the screening hassles that we’ve all had to put up with for years now, and that’s music to the ears of most frequent fliers. For the less frequent flier, it won’t be an option to start, but even if it becomes one, it might not make sense.
Initially, there shouldn’t be a cost to this, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a charge if this becomes a permanent program. The above-mentioned Global Entry program might provide some guidance — there’s a $100 application fee for that program. But this is putting the cart before the horse.
Once the first test is completed, we should know more about whether this is a viable program in the eyes of the TSA. If it is, then it could provide some relief for those frequent fliers who are tired of day-in day-out hassles.
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
(CNN) — A plane bound from Las Vegas to Los Angeles returned to McCarron International Airport on Saturday after a report of suspicious activity by a passenger, a Transportation and Security Administration official said.
Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman, would not detail the nature of the alleged suspicious activity, but said the passengers were deplaned and rescreened.
The passenger in question was being interviewed by law enforcement Saturday night, Davis said. After the plane was swept, the other passengers were cleared to fly to Los Angeles.
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
Washington (CNN) — Long hours flying under computer control may have dulled the skills of airline flight crews, according to a U.S. advisory board that recommends more manual flight time for pilots.
"They’re becoming very dependent upon using the autopilot, the auto-throttles, the auto flight system, the computers, to actually operate the entire flight," said Kevin Hiatt, a former airline pilot who sat on that board.
"What happens is, you don’t actually hand-fly or manipulate the controls, whether it’s a control yoke or a sidestick controller," Hiatt said. "Therefore, your computer skills get greatly enhanced, but your flying skills start to get rusty."
Those concerns were highlighted by the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 off the coast of Brazil.
When the crew received warnings that the aircraft was stalling high above the Atlantic Ocean and the autopilot shut down, the co-pilot started pulling the nose up — exactly the opposite of what he was supposed to do. When the pilot returned to the flight deck to correct him, it was too late.
French investigators found that the pilots had failed to discuss earlier stall warnings and had received no high-altitude training to correct the problem.
All 228 people aboard the Airbus A330 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris were killed in the crash. Investigators say that more than 70 bodies will never be recovered.
The same January, a Colgan Air commuter plane crashed in icy conditions on its approach to Buffalo, New York, killing 50 people. Investigators said the pilot had countermanded the aircraft’s system recommendations, something Hiatt and his panel say suggests that he had forgotten some key procedures.
The U.S. advisory committee, commissioned by Congress and working under the Federal Aviation Administration, found that jetliner crews are relying too much on autopilot. In some cases, pilots have the stick for less than three minutes during takeoffs and landings, and landings also can be done on autopilot, Hiatt said.
The committee found that the problem is not the fault of the industry or regulators but the result of evolving technologies and standards over the years.
The FAA would not comment on the recommendations, which were issued in late July. The Airline Pilots Association, the union that represents flight officers on 39 North American airlines, said airline safety "is a testament to the high levels of skill brought to the cockpit by the professional airline pilot."
The panel recommended that airlines provide guidance for manual flights in their operating manuals to encourage more actual flying by pilots. But experts say the problem may get worse because of the way younger pilots are trained.
"When you bring on a new pilot who has not been through some of the things that some of the older guys have, they’ve never flown an airplane that had anything but some computer activity on it," retired commercial pilot Jim Tilmon said. "They don’t understand what to do necessarily when something goes wrong with their computer."
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
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Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
(CNN) — Veteran sailor Dennis Howard is preparing for one of the most challenging journeys of his life — a solo voyage around the world.
But on top of all the dangers associated with such a trip, including sleep deprivation, stormy seas and the threat of pirates, the 62-year-old American has an additional challenge to face.
Howard is legally blind.
"There’s no question in my mind that I can do this," he said. "There is also no question in my mind that I absolutely have to take it seriously 24/7, I need to be vigilant."
After suffering a severe form of glaucoma, which causes damage to the optic nerves, Howard had his right eye removed and lost most of the vision in his left.
"My doctor estimates around 5% of my vision remains," he said. "To see what I see you can cover your right eye and then look through a drinking straw with the other — that’s what I see.
"I can read a license plate from across the road, I just can’t see the car," he continued.
He plans to depart on his specially designed 20-foot (6.1 meter) boat the "Avalo" from San Diego, California, in late October. The voyage is expected to take around one and a half to two years, with Howard hoping to end the journey in France.
Although he admits it will be difficult, Howard sees the voyage as an opportunity to show others that disability needn’t be a barrier.
"After I lost my sight I didn’t go into the tailspin of despair and fear," he said. "But what I immediately gave up on in my head was sailing. I just thought, ‘well, I’ll never do it again.’
"But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just had to change the way I sail … I want people to realize that they shouldn’t just give up."
But for Howard to get this far has not been easy. In order to get back in a boat, let alone sail around the world alone, he has had to learn how to sail all over again.
He said: "It would be false to say there is no additional challenge for me, but I put it in the realm of degrees of difficulty.
"I had to re-learn how to cross busy streets without a disaster after I lost so much vision and I am doing the same with sailing.
"There are the usual concerns about the boat and equipment; it would be foolish to not recognize the reality that things break and a thousand or two miles out at sea, these things can turn catastrophic. So I’ve spent more than a year reducing those chances."
Howard’s 20-foot boat has not only been re-fitted in order to make sailing easier, it is also equipped with essential technologies to ensure the safety of both Howard and other sailors, including an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which alerts Howard to ships within a 50-mile radius.
"It’s great, it shows me exactly where the ship is, what its course is, how fast it’s going and what its name is," he said.
As well as being tailored to Howard’s needs, the "Avalo" has been redesigned to be as eco-friendly as possible. The boat’s diesel engine has even been replaced by a small outboard charged by solar panels.
"The boat is about as green as it’s possible to get. All of my equipment onboard from my radio communications to my navigation equipment is powered by wind and solar-generated power," he said.
Throughout his trip Howard will be in regular contact with a group of schoolchildren in Ohio who also live with disabilities.
"I’m hoping along with the educational information about weather, science and geography, these kids who are starting off in life with a particular difficulty can look at this and think they don’t need to be limited in what they do."
Asked what his greatest concern was before the trip, Howard answered: "It’s not the sea, it’s not the storms, the pirates or even my eyesight — it’s my mental state.
"Despair is a common human emotion," he continued. "At sea for months under conditions of deprivation and occasional terror, and with no one with whom to interact and commiserate, despair can become overpowering if you let it."
But Howard is convinced it is all a price worth paying.
"Those who have never sailed in blue water, particularly alone with the moon and stars and phosphorescence and wildlife and the majesty of the ocean would have to struggle to appreciate how beautiful it is."
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
(CNN) — U.S. gasoline prices have held steady over the past two weeks and could soon drop due to lagging demand, the latest Lundberg Survey found.
The nationwide average price of a gallon of self-serve regular slipped down a fraction of a penny, holding at just under $3.61, survey publisher Trilby Lundberg told CNN. Crude oil prices have remained steady, while Hurricane Irene has had little impact on refineries along the East Coast, she said.
But by grounding flights and keeping residents hunkered down, Irene and lingering high unemployment has put a big enough dent in demand for fuel that prices are likely to fall in the next two weeks, Lundberg said.
"It’s a non-story for supply. It’s a big story for demand," she said.
But gas prices remain an average of 91 cents per gallon more than they did a year ago. And underneath the stable national average were regional shifts, with prices dipping in the eastern and Gulf states and increasing in the West and Midwest, she said.
The Lundberg Survey tracks prices at about 2,500 filling stations across the United States, most recently on August 26. The highest average price found was in Chicago, at $4.02 per gallon; the lowest was in Tucson, Arizona, at $3.26.
Average per-gallon prices in other cities:
Atlanta: $3.60
Billings, Montana: $3.62
Boston: $3.71
Houston: $3.43
Indianapolis: $3.75
Miami: $3.67
Minneapolis: $3.83
Newark, New Jersey: $3.44
Salt Lake City: $3.50
San Francisco: $3.77
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
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Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
Yosemite National Park, California (CNN) — A 17th person has died in Yosemite National Park, which has been experiencing a higher than usual number of fatalities this year, authorities said.
Authorities have identified a man who fell Monday evening off Half Dome, the park’s renowned soaring granite formation in the Sierra Nevada, park officials said Wednesday.
The person, whose body was recovered Tuesday at the base of Half Dome by rangers, was identified as Ryan Leeder, 23, of Los Gatos, California, park officials said.
The incident appears to be accidental and remains under investigation, park spokesmen said Wednesday.
The 17 deaths are about twice the usual rate at Yosemite, officials said.
Authorities are searching for answers to explain the recent rash of deaths at the national park in California.
In July, near Yosemite’s beautiful Mist Trail, a young man lost his footing, slipping close to the edge of a waterfall. A female companion frantically grabbed for him but stumbled.
Another hiker followed and the three were swept over the powerful 317-foot Vernal Fall. Authorities at Yosemite National Park are still searching for two of the bodies.
That month was the busiest July for the park since 1985, with 730,487 visitors, park officials said. Last year, the park recorded 4,047,880 visitors, according to a statistical chart provided by park spokesmen.
While five visitors have died this year from natural causes, the others were accidental and often preventable, officials said.
Rangers say some visitors partake in dangerous practices such as hiking treacherous trails in flip-flops, climbing over safety rails to take better pictures or swimming perilously close to waterfalls.
Witnesses told park authorities that the three hikers who were swept over the waterfall in July had climbed over a safety rail.
"We don’t station a ranger in every possible dangerous place that’s out there," said Kari Cobb, a park ranger. "People have to come here and realize that Yosemite is nature, and it is a very wild place."
Bill Ott, a hiker, said he has seen people swimming in dangerous waters.
"We saw a number of people wading just steps from going into the faster water. It’s crazy. Just crazy," he said.
Visitor Tim Timmerman said he has a plan to keep his family safe.
"We aren’t worried because we think if you stay where you’re supposed to stay, you’re safe and it’s exciting," Timmerman said. "It’ll be a little scary for them, but it’s not dangerous if you do what you’re supposed to do."
CNN’s Casey Wian reported from Yosemite National Park.
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
(CNN) — Flying may get just a little less frustrating and a bit more transparent starting Tuesday, when new federal airline passenger protection rules go into effect.
"It’s huge," said Kate Hanni, founder of FlyersRights.org, who has fought for the changes for years.
"If you’re flying on (Tuesday), you’re 400% better off than you were before."
The Association of Passenger Rights also applauded the rules, calling them long overdue.
"If you talk to most air travelers … traveling on the airlines is about as popular as the U.S. Congress right now," said Brandon Macsata, a spokesman for the group.
Here is what you need to know about the Department of Transportation’s new protections:
Bumping compensation gets a boost
Passengers involuntarily bumped from oversold flights are now eligible for more money.
Under the new rule, bumped passengers can get up to $650 if the airline can get them to their destination within a short period of time (within one to two hours of their originally scheduled arrival time for domestic flights), or up to $1,300 if they are delayed for a long time.
Before Tuesday, the amounts were capped at $400 and $800 respectively.
Inflation adjustments will be made to the compensation limits every two years.
Always take cash rather than flight vouchers, Hanni advised.
"Vouchers come with a lot of caveats. Anytime the airline offers you a voucher, it’s to their benefit, not yours," Hanni said.
"If they give you a $1,300 voucher, it’s worth about a quarter of that to the airline as opposed to having to give you cash."
International flights get tarmac delay limit
International flights stuck on U.S. airport tarmacs more than four hours must now allow passengers to get off the plane or face huge fines, with exceptions allowed for safety, security or air traffic control-related reasons.
Macsata called it a step forward, but said he would have preferred for this protection to be consistent with the three-hour rule that already exists for domestic flights.
The domestic provision has significantly reduced the number of lengthy tarmac delays since it was implemented last year. Fourteen flights were stuck on the tarmac for three hours or more in June, compared to 268 flights in June 2009, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
But Hanni said the extra hour allowed for international flights is still an improvement.
"Four hours is a heck of a lot better than 12 and we’ve had a lot of complaints from people who sat for 12 hours on international flights prior to takeoff or after landing," Hanni said. "So we’re making headway, that’s a huge deal."
International airlines operating to and from the United States must now post contingency plans for lengthy delays, customer service plans and contracts of carriage on their websites.
Bag fee refunds
If you pay extra to check a piece of luggage and the airline loses your bag, it must now refund the bag fee. (Airlines already must compensate passengers for lost or damaged baggage.)
"That’s just common sense," Macsata said.
Hanni also wanted the airlines to be required to refund the fee if your bag is delayed, but wasn’t successful in having that provision included.
Where refunds are due, airlines must now provide prompt refunds of fares and optional fees.
More to come
This isn’t the end of new rules for fliers.
The federal government postponed a handful of other consumer protections that were scheduled to go info effect Tuesday after airlines and travel agents said they needed more time to implement the changes.
Those rules, now set to begin on January 24, 2012, will require airlines to prominently disclose all potential fees on their websites and will ban carriers from raising prices after a ticket purchase.
Originally Published On: www.cnn.com – Original Article Here
