Air France strike, in fifth day, has affected 150,000

PHOTO: John Nguyen

Thousands of people faced flight cancellations in France on Sunday, the fifth day of a strike by Air France flight crew at the height of the holiday travel period, the airline said. So far the strike has affected around 150,000 people, the airline said.

Some 900 flights, or about one in five, have been cancelled since the action began on Wednesday, the airline said, estimating the cost to the company at “tens of millions of euros”.

Some flights have gone ahead but with a reduced passenger load for security reasons as there were not enough flight attendants.

Historic solar flight marks first round-the-world journey

Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered plane, arrives at Al Batin Airport in Abu Dabi to complete its world tour

 flight on July 26, 2016 in the United Arab Emirates. Solar Impulse 2 landed in the UAE early on Tuesday, 

July 26, 2016, completing its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without

a drop of fuel.
KARIM SAHIB / AFP

The world’s first round-the-world flight to be powered solely by the sun’s energy made history Tuesday as it landed in Abu Dhabi, where it first took off on an epic 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey that began more than a year ago.

Number of pilots, technicians to hit 1.5m by 2035, says Boeing

PHOTO: cargofacts.com

As global economies expand and airlines take delivery of tens of thousands of new commercial jetliners, Boeing has projected a demand for nearly 1.5 million pilots and technicians over the next 20 years.

It revealed in its 2016 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook forecasts that between now and 2035, the aviation industry will need to supply more than two million new aviation personnel, which include 617,000 commercial airline pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians, and 814,000-cabin crew.

The Airline (Qutar Air Ways) Renewed Sponsorship Of FC Barcelona For Another Season

UPDATED: Qatar Airways logo back on FC Barcelona kit

Qatar Airways has renewed its shirt sponsorship agreement with FC Barcelona for one more season under the same conditions as their current deal, it was announced earlier.

The airline’s logo will continue to feature on the FC Barcelona’s kit until June 30, 2017.

Callywood DG Egor Efiok Calls Out Lufthansa Airline For Unfair Treatment

Egor Efiok,The Director General of Callywood Film Studios recently called out Lufthansa airline...

Egor was amongst the passengers stranded after their flight was cancelled last weekend.

 The flight which was from Port Harcourt to London via Frankfurt was cancelled without notice or explanation and the airline Management according to Egor

lodged she and other black passengers at a dirty hotel D-B Gardens in the slum part of the city but white passengers were lodged in the posh Presidential Hotel.

Overland Airways Begins Processing of IOSA Certification

Overland Airways has started the process of obtaining the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification and has been listed on the IOSA Registry.

The airline said that this is a further endorsement of Overland Airways’ 14-year history of outstanding safety performance.

According to IATA, “The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline,” stating that “in terms of global standards, the IOSA is a proven tool for raising safety.”

Another week of chaos, losses for operators, passengers nationwide

Fresh scarcity of aviation fuel at airports nationwide has again called to question, the ability and willingness of the authorities to revive the ailing industry.

Aviation sector around the world has a reputation of being the fastest, safest and the most reliable means of transportation. But there is at least a clime where that position may not be true, Nigeria.If the mood at major airports nationwide is anything to go by, then the local aviation sector may just be one exception lacking the said global reputation.

Experience of passengers in the last one-week was such that drew tears from eyes of even the rich. The journeys of about one hour started taking one day, two or even more.The Attahs, a family of six from Akwa-Ibom state, were in Lagos for a wedding ceremony at the weekend and due to return 3pm Sunday. Flying into Lagos from Uyo was itch-free. The return trip was entirely a different experience.

Source THEGUARDIAN

Turkish Airlines fires personnel after failed coup: media

A Turkish Airlines aircraft taxis at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul Thomson Reuters

 

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's state-run Turkish Airlines fired more than 100 employees, including management and cabin crew, as part of a purge at state institutions to root out supporters of an abortive coup, Turkish media reported on Monday. 

The dismissals at the national carrier occurred late on Sunday after it was determined the employees were linked to a religious movement President Tayyip Erdogan has said attempted to overthrow the government on July 15, Sabah newspaper said. 

Indian Military Plane With 20 on Board Disappears On 22 Of July

An Indian military plane with more than 20 people on board has gone missing over the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Air Force (AIF) has confirmed to the BBC.

The Antonov-32 transporter aircraft took off from Chennai (Madras) in southern India at 8.30 am (local time) for Port Blair in the eastern archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar.

It was scheduled to land at 11.30am. A search operation has been launched. The IAF operates more than 100 Antonov-32 aircraft.

A navy spokesman told the Reuters news agency that surveillance planes and ships were looking for the missing aircraft, which was carrying service personnel to strategic islands near the Malacca Straits, where India has a military base.

More story still to come...

Arik Staff Beat up man for Complaining over Cancelled Flight

Staff of Airline, Arik Air allegedly beat up a man severely for complaining about a cancelled flight. According to the Vanguard, the man who was travelling with his wife and children went to get his boarding pass and was told that ‘we have cancelled all the flights for today,’ by the staff of the Airline.

He inquired about why the flight was cancelled and was told “Oga no disturb us. No be only you dey travel.”
He then asked for a refund of his ticket fees at which point the staffers of Arik allegedly jumped him as his family watched helplessly.
 

Vanguard reports that other people at the airport now intervened to help the man as the fight had become an all out brawl.

Soldiers had to be brought in to save the situation, which looked like it was going to get worse.
A source told Vanguard that it was due to the lack of aviation fuel that led to the cancellation.

IATA, AU partner to enhance air transport growth

Tony Tyler

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and The African Union Commission (AU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand strategic cooperation on air transport in Africa.

As seen on THE GUARDIAN

Airlines take in-flight entertainment to virtual reality

Airlines worldwide are employing various in-flight entertainment devices to serve their passengers better on board as some have introduced virtual reality to replace the tiny screens at the back of aircraft’s chairs that often have low quality movies.

Aero Contractors Partners Spectranet 4GLTE For Free Wifi Service

As part of its brand evolution journey and commitment to provide world class internet service experience, Spectranet 4G LTE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Aero Contractors, Nigeria’s leading innovative airline to provide free internet service to the passengers of the airline at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) Lagos.

Speaking during the agreement signing ceremony to mark the Milestone, Chief Executive Officer of Spectranet, David Venn, said the Spectranet brand is driven by innovation towards creating exciting endless experience for the consumers across all level with the purpose of enabling them to connect to what matters to them most, no matter the location of the consumer.

Air Peace Urges FG To Intervene In Aviation Fuel Scarcity

Air Peace Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide has appealed to the Federal Government and aviation authorities to urgently intervene in the lingering scarcity of JET-A1 fuel in the country.

In a statement made available to Newsherald, the COO said the development was a threat to the operations and services of airlines in the country. She regretted that despite Air Peace’s efforts to address the challenge, some of its flight operations were affected by the scarcity.

Olajide solicited the understanding and patience of passengers, saying the airline had been working tirelessly to ensure its flight operations were not adversely affected by the situation.

Airport security and the ‘enemies’ within

Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos

Security in airports globally seems to be offering little answers to posers of terrorism. Insider threat accounts for major loopholes in standard security practices but still largely overlooked even in Nigeria. WOLE OYEBADE reports

Airport security and safety of air travelers are more of a huge challenge to authorities in contemporary times.

Air travel, popularly dubbed as the safest means of transportation, has become one of the soft targets of terrorist organisations. The fear of terrorism and where the cookie next crumbles are daily concern for airport handlers around the world.

As Seen On THE GUARDIAN WEBPAGE

Ethiopian Airlines wins best award in Africa

Tewolde GebreMariam. PHOTO: onlineethiopia.net

Ethiopian Airlines has won the SkyTrax World Airline Award for Best Airline Staff in Africa at Farnborough Airshow event held in Hampshire, England.

The airline stated that SkyTrax awards are solely based on customer survey and satisfaction measurement for their experience; from check-in to boarding, onboard comfort, cabin cleanness, food, beverages, inflight entertainment, staff service and associated travel items.

Overland Airways completes IATA’s safety audit, listed on IOSA

PHOTO: nigerianaviation

Overland Airways has successfully completed the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and has been listed on the IOSA Registry. The airline said that the approval was a further endorsement of Overland Airways’ 14-year history of outstanding safety performance.

Source: As seen on THE GUARDIAN WEB-PAGE

We Are Still Operating Lagos–Accra, Abuja–Accra Routes – Arik Air

Arik Air, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest carrier, has said that it has not suspended its operations to Accra, Ghana contrary to speculations.

Arik Air’s Chief Commercial Officer, Suraj Sundaram, who made the clarification, stated that the airline was still operating between the Lagos-Accra and Abuja-Accra routes and that the airline is not contemplating suspension of flights as been speculated.

According to him, “We have been consistent since commencing the Accra route in January 2008 and we remain the largest airline on that route offering the largest capacity and choice of flights, not only connecting Nigeria to Ghana, but also onwards from Ghana to other West African nations.”

Top Four Ways to Avoid Mosquito Bites this Season by Jelifat Opoola

Though common, these are proven methods to avoiding mosquitoes.

It is rainy season again and we all know that mosquitoes like the wet and damp environment to breed.  The mosquito life cycle takes place in four main stages from eggs through adulthood. There is the egg, larvae, pupae and adult stages, all of which takes place in and around water. Although the species of mosquito that transmits malaria to humans is the female Anopheles mosquito, there are other types of mosquitoes that bite humans as well. In order to avoid the bites of these mosquitoes in this rainy season, one has to be very careful. The following tips can help in preventing mosquito bites.

UAE urged citizens to avoid wearing national dress while traveling abroad

The United Arab Emirates Foreign Ministry has urged its citizens to avoid wearing the traditional white robes, headscarf and headband while travelling abroad after a businessman visiting the US state of Ohio was mistakenly held as an Islamic State suspect.

Posting a tweet on Saturday, the ministry advised Emirati people not to wear traditional garments abroad and also requested women to follow the rules and bans on veils in European countries.

 

41-year-old Ahmed Al Menhali, a businessman from Abu Dhabi, was talking on the phone in Arabic outside a hotel when five police officers carrying guns began shouting at him to get on the ground. In fact, a footage showed that Mr Al Menhali was shouting in panic saying he was a tourist as he was surrounded by the policemen.

Police searched him, threw his phone on the ground and removed his shoes while he was handcuffed.  An officer can be seen going through his wallet, allowing cards and photos to blow away in the wind.

Mr Al Menhali was released immediately after Police realised their mistake. But he collapsed on to the ground and had to be hospitalised as he previously had a stroke. He had been in the US for medical reasons.

Governor Ayade wins Tourism Man of the Year Award

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade

Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, has emerged winner of the Tourism Man of the Year Award for Nigeria and West Africa. The contest was a four man race between him, the Minister of Tourism for Ghana, The Minister of Tourism for the Gambia and Obinna Ekezie the MD of Wakanow. Ayade’s emergence is based on the results released on Tuesday by the Balafon Award committee.

How Virgin Atlantic is working to improve fuel efficiency

Virgin Atlantic pilots teamed up with academics at the London School of Economics and the University of Chicago to come up with a new approach to delivering fuel and carbon efficiency information to pilots to help pilots fly greener.

Collaborating with academics, the airline’s fuel efficiency and sustainability teams developed a process that increases Captains’ awareness of the measures that they could take to improve fuel efficiency. Traditionally, pilots have been presented with a number of things that they can do to improve fuel consumption and carbon efficiency through training and on-board manuals.

787_dreamliner_red_engines.jpg

Image from Virgin Atlantic

Delta refreshes amenity kits

Delta Air Lines is giving its amenity kits a facelift by offering Kiehl skincare products in Tumi cases.

Multiple versions have been produced. Delta One passengers flying domestic will receive either hard- or soft-cased Tumi bags, while those on international flights will receive a navy hard-sided  kit when flying out of the US, and a soft-sided black amenity kit on inbound US flights.

Emerging opportunities for local carriers as foreign airlines ‘hike’ fares yet again

The astronomical rise in the cost of air tickets currently offered by foreign airlines is creating unsolicited demand for their local counterparts exploring the international routes. But are they ready for the challenge? WOLE OYEBADE writes.

About three weeks ago when the Central Bank introduced the new flexible foreign exchange policy, a new wave of optimism let loose among foreign airlines operating in the country.

As Seen On THE GUARDIAN

Airlines operators decry poor funding, infrastructure, multiple charges, others

Chairman, Arik Air, Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide (middle); Managing Director, Chris Ndulue (left) and Deputy Managing Director/Senior Vice President, Operations, Captain Ado Sanusi. PHOTO: SOLA OJEDOKUN

Domestic airline operators in Nigeria have again bemoan those issues threatening their survival and hindering the growth of air travel in the country.

Some of the challenges, they said are the non-availability of adequate fund, rise in fuel price, multiple charges, high exchange rate, lack of infrastructure, unfavourably government policies and others have gripped their capacity to compete with their counterparts globally.

Passengers delayed for seven hours as woman descends off flight ‘to get a divorce’

‘I am not in the mood to fly now’: A passenger forced over 500 to be delayed seven hours after she demanded to be let off a taxiing flight in Russia.

Over 500 passengers were left stranded for seven hours after one woman’s impromptu decision to change her relationship status.

Airlines now free to fix fares, other charges – NCAA

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority says all airlines’ tariffs for services rendered, which include fares, rates, add-on charges or terms and condition of service, have been fully liberalised. This was contained in a statement by the General Manager, Public Relations of NCAA, Sam Adurogboye, on Sunday.

The statement explained that this was to clarify reports in some sections of the media that the NCAA had authorised airlines to increase their fares.

According to the statement, air fares and sundry charges have been statutorily deregulated and subjected to market forces.

It added: “However, all air carriers or their agents shall file, with the authority, a tariff for that service showing all rates, fares and add-on charges.

“These include the terms and conditions of free and reduced rate transportation for that service, as specified in Part 18.14.1.1 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs).

Foreign airlines’ funds trapped in Nigeria hit N120bn – IATA

Tony Tyler

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), saddled with the responsibility of monitoring blocked funds globally, yesterday put foreign airlines’ funds currently stranded in the Nigerian economy at N120 billion ($600 million).

This is why Nigerians will not buy airline tickets in foreign currency anymore

Airlines operating in Nigeria have been warned by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to desist from selling flight tickets in foreign currencies with immediate effect.

The NCAA had apparently got wind of some of the practices of some airlines that reject naira only to accept foreign currencies in payment for their tickets.

In a statement released by its Acting General Manager, Public Relations, Sam Adurogboye, the NCAA said this particular practice by the airlines is in contravention to the decreed guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the cost of products or services in Nigeria.

NCAA to sanction airlines selling tickets in dollars

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has threatened to sanction airlines that are in the habit of selling air tickets in foreign currency, particularly the dollar.

The regulatory authority yesterday said that the action was a flagrant contravention of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) prerequisite guiding cost of products or services in Nigeria.

United Airlines plane returns to Sydney after 'bird strike' during take-off

 

A United Airlines passenger plane was forced to return to Sydney Airport on Monday morning after apparently striking a number of birds when taking off.

Emergency service workers were called to the international terminal about 10.50am to meet United Airlines Flight 840, which had taken off at 9.40am. The plane, bound for Los Angeles, was carrying 308 passengers and crew.

Nigerian pilot, Odujinrin set for maiden African solo flight

The much-awaited first African solo flight was expected to take off yesterday from Washington DC in the United States.The flight, being manned by Nigerian pilot, Captain Ademilola Odujinrin, will see a specially configured single Cirrus aircraft fly around the world, with stop overs in selected cities. Odujinrin will be the 114th pilot to have embarked on such mission globally.

Bi-Courtney prepares for airport concessioning, gets new CEO

 

Captain Jari Williams

Operator of Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) terminal in Lagos, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL) has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer, in preparation for the Federal Government’s proposed concessioning of some airports in the country.

AMCON enforces take over of AfriJet Airlines

Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), at the weekend, took possession of Afrijet Airlines Limited and its other related assets in Lagos over unpaid N10 billion debt.

The action was in line with a court order by Justice Chuka Austine Obiozor of The Federal High Court Lagos Division, that granted an interim injunction against Afrijet Airlines Limited, owned by Chief Vitalis Ibe, over the N10b debt.

Returnees appeal to FG to assist stranded Nigerians in Libya

Some Nigerian returnees from Libya on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to assist in bringing back home many Nigerians who are stranded in the country.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Lagos shortly after their arrival that Nigerians were inhumanly treated in Libya.

NAN reports that the returnees were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Swiss Government and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

Mr Tunde Ayinde, an architect, said that he went to Libya in search of greener pasture but unfortunately, he fell sick and was hospitalised.

Ayinde said when he could not pay for his hospital bill; he was thrown out of the hospital.

“I was arrested by their security agents and remanded in prison for three months just because I asked one of the officers to assist me by showing me the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli when I could not afford to pay my bill.

KLM unveils orange aircraft

KLM has unveiled an orange B777-300ER aircraft, which will be used to promote the Netherlands at events including this year’s Olympic Games.

The aircraft features the front part of the fuselage painted in orange, before fading into KLM’s normal blue colour further down the aircraft. The design has also incorporated the colours of the Dutch flag in the transition between orange and blue.

I Was Forced To Pay #40 Million Naira For My Release Rufus Ojuawo Reveals

Detained ‎former Air Officer in charge of Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, Air Vice Marshal [AVM] Rufus Ojuawo, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) forced him to pay N40 million as a condition for his release.

He is currently in confinement at House 27, Niger Barracks, Asokoro, Abuja, under the directive of the EFCC.

He further alleged that contrary to the position of the anti-graft agency, he did not voluntarily surrender his Range Rover (SUV) car to the commission but that it was seized from him by force.

SOURCE:- SMASH9JA

Emirates increases Dubai-Melbourne non-stop service

Emirates is to add a second daily non-stop service between Dubai and Melbourne later this year.

One of the carrier’s two daily flights to Melbourne currently stops en-route in Kuala Lumpur, but will become a non-stop service from October 30.

EK408 will depart Dubai at 0300, arriving into Melbourne at 2320, with the return leg EK409 departing the Australian city at 0600 and landing in Dubai at 1305.

Emirates say the new non-stop schedule will save passengers around two and a half hours in travel time on the route.

Business travel trends: smart luggage

Last year, 23 million suitcases were mishandled or lost by airlines and airports. Here we review smart luggage and tracking devices designed to solve the problem.

ANTLER AIRSTREAM 2

British luggage company Antler will soon unveil its Airstream 2 case, which comes with a unique ID label. Owners register their case on okoban.com, along with their contact information, so if the bag goes missing, whoever finds it can send an alert to them through the website with its whereabouts. 

USEFUL? Okoban says: “Your chances of being reunited with lost property are significantly improved” when using its system. It’s hard to tell if it would be any more effective than the airline baggage handling operations, which have their own procedures for getting your case back to you. If a stranger finds it in an airport concourse, for example, that is a different matter. Okoban has more lost and found offices in more than 2,200 airports.

Virgin Atlantic to order 12 A350-1000s

Virgin is expected to announce it is ordering 12 A350-1000 to replace part of its B747-400 fleet. Negotiations have been ongoing with engine manufacturer Rolls Royce (see Rupert Steiner in Rolls Royce ready to land £700m engine deal as Virgin Atlantic look set to sign £2.8bn order with Airbus for 12 new planes.  The aircraft are expected to be delivered in 2019.

Quoted in Reuters last week,  Airbus sees A350 orders soon, sources eye Virgin A350-1000 deal, a spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said,

British Airways removes economy hot meals from longest short-haul services

 

British Airways is understood to be removing the hot meal service offered to economy passengers on its longer 'Band 4' short-haul routes.

Sources within the airline state that the hot dishes will be replaced by a chilled snack, and the news has been discussed on our forum today.

The flights affected are those to Athens, Bucharest, Istanbul, Larnaca, St Petersburg and Sofia.

The move will allow the carrier to cater for the outbound and inbound flights from Heathrow.

A spokesperson for BA said:

"We are moving to ‘return catering’ on all our short-haul services, including the longer length flights, which will ensure consistency of quality across all our European destinations." 

The news follows speculation by several media outlets that BA is considering removing complimentary catering from short-haul flights.

When Business Traveller posed the question to BA's new CEO Alex Cruz last month, he said that a decision had yet to be made on the subject.

ba.com

Mark Caswell

SOURCES: BUSINESS TRAVELLER

Burj Al Arab opens outdoor terrace

The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai has opened a new outdoor terrace. The 10,000 sqm outdoor facility stretches 100 metres out into the sea and is home to Scape Restaurant and Bar, and two pools: a 612 sqm freshwater pool and an 828 sqm saltwater pool.

The architectural form of the terrace reflects the shape of the Burj Al Arab and is linked by a central walkway, flanked on either side by artificial beaches and 32 private air-conditioned cabanas (available for rent for an extra charge).

Emirates adds second live in-flight sports channel

Emirates has added a second dedicated live sports channel to its Ice IFE system available on over 90 B777 aircraft (with selected A380 aircraft to follow from this month).

Sports 24 Extra complements the existing Sports 24 channel, and will enable the carrier to show more live sports events this summer, including:

Will Emirates introduce premium economy?

Readers regularly ask us why no Gulf-based airline offers a premium economy class. It’s a valid question seeing as all the main rivals to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways (the Gulf’s three main airlines) offer a premium economy cabin of one sort of another.

Delta to make all in-flight IFE free to view

Delta is to make all in-flight entertainment available on its Delta Studio platform free to access for all passengers on two-class aircraft by July 1. The US carrier says it will be the only US airline to offer all in-flight entertainment for free.

The Delta Studio offering is available on 90 per cent of the carrier’s fleet, with streaming to personal devices possible on 1,000 aircraft, and a further 400 equipped with seatback systems.

Delta plans to add new GoGo wifi to more than 600 aircraft

Delta Airlines has announced it will continue to expand its wifi offering on international flights with a partnership with GoGo.

The new announcement sees the airline commit to 2Ku, Gogo’s new in-flight Wi-Fi technology, for a further 350 aircraft. Delta says that this will mean it will have a total total 2Ku commitment to more than 600 aircraft in its mainline fleet.

Gogo says that 2Ku is next-generation technology that provides consistent, uninterrupted coverage nearly anywhere in the world, including over oceans. Installation of 2Ku will offer customers faster speeds and bandwidth more than 20 times that of Gogo’s ATG technology, allowing for video streaming functionality.

tar Alliance announces technology enhancements

Star Alliance has announced plans for a number of technology enhancements, designed to “provide smoother service to the Alliance’s customers but also reduce infrastructure requirements and handling costs at all of the 1,300 airports the Alliance is serving today”.

The group is to launch a new IT baggage “hub” for its member carriers by the end of this year, which will simplify the process, “significantly reducing the number of baggage issues and providing faster and more accurate information for our customer service agents”.

The alliance said that “Baggage processes are currently complicated by the fact that the relevant information resides in many different systems”, and that “In addition to those operating at the individual Star Alliance member airlines, each airport is running its own baggage system, thus making it highly complex to retrieve the current status of bags, to locate bags within the systems and to take effective remedial action if bags are mishandled”.

What You Need To Know About Using ATMs Abroad

Making withdrawals off of debit cards through ATMs abroad can sometimes be wrought with problems, annoyances, confusion, or, in rare cases, all out disaster. Additional foreign transaction bank fees and ATM fees add up, sometimes your card will not work in certain countries. Occasionally, the machine will “eat” your card, there is always a risk of being mugged during or after making an ATM transaction, there is a chance that your card number and/ or password can be scraped by thieves using a variety of methods, and, sometimes, the machine simply does not give you all (or any) of the money you attempt to withdraw.

Excess Baggage Allowance: How To Avoid It

This might not come across as news if you are a frequent traveler, but for a newbie traveler or flyer, it is important to know what Excess Baggage Allowance is.

Excess Baggage Allowance is what you pay for luggage that exceeds the limits for weight, size, or number of pieces allowed by a particular carrier. Excess baggage requires payment of additional freight and may be sent separately as cargo and not as accompanied baggage.

How to Protect Your PC When You Fly

The 2009 arrests of the couple accused of stealing over 1,000 checked bags from the Phoenix airport highlighted one of the baggage theft risks that airline passengers face each time they fly. Another ongoing problem inside the airline terminal is the risks passengers face of having their laptop computer lost, stolen, or damaged. When it comes to protecting your laptop, two areas of risks are taking the computer through security and keeping your computer safe inside the terminal.

Putting Computers in Checked Baggage

There is a very simple way to avoid this problem-just don’t ever put your computer or your computer data in checked baggage. There is the obvious risk of a lost, damage, or stolen checked luggage. Also, airlines often load bags on top of one another in the cargo hold of your flight. Hundreds of pounds of pressure in conjunction with the low temperatures in unheated cargo compartments may lead to cracks or damage to a laptop screen or damage to other computer components.