The Economist: Gulliver

Making a connection

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 12:06:13 +0000

The world's best airports for finding love

WE'RE taking time out from worrying about bombs in underwear to offer a new airport ranking from, erm, Axe Body Spray. In fact, of all the rankings we've stumbled across recently, this might be the silliest. But we all need cheering up, so if flirting in airports is what gets you through your business travels, listen up. Axe recommends that flyers seeking love should head to Newark. The New Jersey airport ranks top among the world’s 33 largest airports for “making a connection” (geddit?), followed by JFK and Philadelphia. The rankings are based on an assessment of passenger volume, on-time statistics, historical weather patterns and amenities. Airports score well if the chances of a delay are high and they have

National profiling begins

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:42:57 +0000

Passengers from 14 countries face extra security measures when heading to the US

AMERICA has firmed up its response to the security failures that allowed Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to board a Detroit-bound flight with an explosive device in Amsterdam on Christmas Day and get close to igniting it successfully in his seat. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which governs America's airport security, said on Sunday that citizens from 14 named countries will face enhanced security measures before they are allowed to fly to the US. If you are from one of the countries that the State Department names as “state sponsors of terrorism” (Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria), or one of ten others deemed to be “of interest” (Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen), then you will

Spending the holidays at the airport

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:12:30 +0000

And the people you meet there

ON CHRISTMAS DAY, the Washington Post published an enjoyable essay by one of its staff writers, Monica Hesse. The piece got a bit lost in the Christmas-bomber madness, but it's worth noting now. Ms Hesse, you see, spent seven years of Washington holidays at the city's central airport, Reagan National. She's gained some perspective in the process: Thank you, Reagan National, for hosting me these holidays, and for teaching me things about humanity, such as that when the last seat on an oversold flight is taken, an octogenarian in a reindeer sweater may beat up a man with her Birkin bag. It's a great short piece, well worth reading in full. I won't spoil the surprise at the end, but

TSA bullies travel bloggers

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:10:57 +0000

And it works

GULLIVER has already documented several of the worst examples of overreach by America's airport security authorities in the wake of the Christmas Day terrorist attack on Northwest Airlines flight 263. The silly and inane "enhancements" of airport and in-flight security since Christmas have irritated and inconvenienced hordes of travellers. But one of the most controversial actions taken by America's Transportation Security Administration this past week was the airport security agency's abortive attempt to subpoena two travel bloggers. The TSA, which is part of America's Department of Homeland Security, hoped to force the bloggers (Flying with Fish's Stephen Frischling and the ubiquitous Chris Elliott, also of the National Geographic and the Washington Post) to reveal who leaked TSA Security Directive SD-1544-09-06,

Brussels shouts

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:19:48 +0000

How to do business in Belgium's capital

HOW, exactly, do you do business in Brussels? Our local correspondent offers some advice on dealing with Belgium’s quirky capital, and makes particular distinction between “Belgian Brussels” and “EU Brussels”. Your experience of the city, your choice of hotel and restaurant, and even your choice of language in meetings, will be affected by whether you're dealing with the mainly Flemish businesses headquartered in the city, or with the EU institutions that are based there.Listen to the full audio guide here. And you can read our correspondent’s written guide to Brussels in our sister publication, Intelligent Life, here.

Wednesday morning flight 253 roundup

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:56:50 +0000

The latest on the "attempted terrorist attack"

You've probably heard by now that someone tried to blow up a plane on Christmas. Gulliver has been trying to keep you updated on new security procedures. If you haven't been keeping up, it's probably worth checking out Sunday and Tuesday's updates before you read today's post. Done? Good. If you're still desperate for more flight 253-related material, please consider the two most recent examples of the people being caught by the new, "enhanced" system. The first person "nabbed" was the Nigerian man with intestinal issues Gulliver mentioned on Sunday. This unfortunate gentleman made the grave mistake of locking the door of the bathroom while dealing with said intestinal issues, thereby triggering a call to the president and a multi-hour

Obama: "mix of human and systemic failures"

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:10:27 +0000

The president weighs in on flight 253

ON TUESDAY, President Barack Obama issued his most detailed statement yet on the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Airlines flight 253. Mr Obama didn't mince words. The fact that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian man, could even attempt to blow up a plane was unacceptable, Mr Obama said. The president argued that a "mix of human and systemic failures" allowed Mr Abdulmutallab to board the plane despite already being on the radar of US intelligence agencies. Mr Obama promised he will "insist on accountability at every level" for the mistakes. It's good that the administration is taking responsibility for this situation. Mr Obama said little, however, about the insanity that has taken over America's airport security thinking since

Monarch stutters by

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:35:18 +0000

One bookmaker says it's the favourite to go bust

WHICH airline is the most likely to follow Flyglobespan into bankruptcy? According to Paddy Power, an Irish bookmaker, it's Monarch Airlines. Paddy Power's "Next airline to go bust" market has the British charter airline as a new 4/1 favourite, its odds having tumbled from 50/1 after more than 100 punters backed it over Christmas.Nothing if not gloomy about Monarch's future, Paddy Power said in a press release: "Punters seemed to have latched on to Monarch in a pattern which echoes betting patterns in the immediate run-up to the demise of XL Airways in September last year."Desperate to suggest that just because a few punters say something will happen doesn't mean it definitely will, Monarch has issued a statement.Monarch is one of the UK's leading low cost airlines

2009: the year in 12 posts

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:45:16 +0000

A difficult year for travellers

So maybe 2009 wasn't the worst year ever for business travellers, but it had its unpalatable moments. While rereading some of the last 12 months' posts, Gulliver couldn't help notice the preponderance of irksome, annoying and dangerous events. Or maybe those are simply the items we most like writing about. Here are 12 episodes that made us wonder whether we shouldn't just stay at home in 2010. JanuaryThe year started with a bang, thanks to the near catastrophic crash of US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River. But the remarkable skills of Captain Chester “Sully” Sullenberger and his team ensured everyone walked away from the accident in one piece, and left us with some extraordinary images and the year’s

The latest on Northwest flight 253

Sun, 27 Dec 2009 15:07:08 +0000

Security madness

IN THE WAKE of Friday's attempted bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, the people who run America's airport security apparatus appear to have gone insane. Despite statements from several officials, including Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security, that there is "no indication" of any broader plot against American airliners, some truly absurd security "precautions" are being implemented on US-bound flights worldwide The most ridiculous new rule prohibits passengers on US-bound international flights from leaving their seats or having anything on their laps—even a laptop or a pillow—during the final hour of flight. You're probably thinking "Wait, what?" Indeed. The New York Times elaborates:In effect, the restrictions mean that passengers on flights of 90 minutes or

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (allegedly) tries to blow up a plane

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:04:47 +0000

The newest (alleged) face of terrorism

IN WHAT American officials are calling "an attempted act of terrorism," Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian man who claims ties to al-Qaeda, allegedly tried to bring down a plane on Friday using an improvised explosive device strapped to his leg. Northwest Airlines flight 253 was headed from Amsterdam to Detroit, and Mr Abdulmutallab apparently tried to detonate the device as the plane began to land. Delta spokeswoman Susan Elliott, who has had a rough couple of days, told ABC News that Mr Abdulmutallab was "subdued immediately." (Northwest is a subsidiary of Delta.) The Detroit Free Press has what is probably the best collection of passenger accounts of the attack, but details are still pretty hazy. (They're so hazy, in

TSA Christmas poetry

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:56:45 +0000

The horror!

"BLOGGER BOB," who seems to be the lead writer on the blog of America's Transportation Security Administration (the agency in charge of airport security), has offered up his own rendition of Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 classic "A Visit from St. Nicholas," more popularly known as "The Night Before Christmas." It's about as good as you might expect:T'was the night before travel and all through the suitcase,Not an item was stirring not even the toothpaste.The stockings were packed in the bag with great care,With hopes that they soon would be in the air.There are 13 more lines, if you want to know what Bob rhymes with "destination." If you're interested in just-as-amusing but slightly better-constructed parodies of Mr Moore's poem, however,

"Passenger uprising" at JFK

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:46:15 +0000

The cops were called

"FOR THE most part, passengers we deal with understand that we’re not in control of the weather," Susan Elliott, a spokeswoman for Delta Air Lines, told the New York Times on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Delta, "for the most part" doesn't cover every passenger. Ms Elliott was speaking with the Gray Lady's A.G. Sulzberger because of a "passenger uprising" at the Delta terminal at New York's JFK airport. Delta called the airport police when crowds at the terminal became unruly, and Ms Elliott had the unenviable task of explaining the airline's decision to the press. The massive winter storm that hit America's eastern seaboard over the weekend caused hundreds of flight cancellations at airports up and down the coast. Over 500 flights

Overshooting the runway

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:27:23 +0000

The tale of American Airlines flight 331

BY SOME bizarre coincidence, one of the biggest travel stories of this week happened exactly where Gulliver was already headed: Jamaica. I flew into the country today on American Airlines. My flight, unlike Tuesday's Flight 331, was headed to Montego Bay, not Kingston. I'm very grateful that my flight, unlike 331, did not skid off the runway, knock over a fence, and hurtle through the sand before stopping just feet from the Caribbean. The New York Times reports:No one was killed in the accident, which knocked off the engines of the Boeing 737-800 and cracked its fuselage, but about 90 passengers were treated for minor injuries at hospitals around Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, according to a statement from Norman Manley International

The end of long tarmac delays?

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 23:09:06 +0000

New fines for airlines

AMERICA's airlines could face huge fines if their passengers spend more than three hours on the tarmac, Ray LaHood, the Obama administration's secretary of transportation, announced Monday. The government plans to assess fines as high as $27,500 per passenger if fliers are left without food or water for more than two hours or not returned to the terminal after three. "Passenger rights" advocates, who have been pushing for similar legislation in Congress for years, were predictably jubilant, the New York Times reports:Kate Hanni*, who founded FlyersRights.org after she was stuck with her family for nine hours on a plane diverted from Dallas to Austin, called it "a Christmas miracle."Almost anyone could have seen this coming. As tales of horrific (if