My first-hand experiences with last month’s travel delays were major topics in the last two podcasts. As you would expect, the delays inconvenienced the airlines too. United Airlines announced late Friday afternoon how much of an impact the December storms had on its operations. “During December,” United says, “operations were affected by severe winter snowstorms...

One of the first successes of the Web was on-line travel — the elimination (“disintermediation” was the term during the Bubble Years) of the travel agent, allowing you to book your own travel. I do this every week, though not always perfectly. There have been a few times when I booked a room on the...

It’s been a few months since the liquid restrictions went into place, and not everyone flies as often as I do (I’m averaging 3 out of every 4 weeks in the air), so I can understand when someone in front of me in the TSA screening line doesn’t quite have the “travel-size toiletries in the...

An article in today’s New York Times gives the “rest of the story” regarding the impact from the increase in checked luggage. The liquids ban increased the amount of checked luggage by about 25%, which significantly stressed an already strained system. While flight attendents and newspaper editorials have been calling for full bans on carry-on...

Effective Tuesday 25 September, the TSA is loosening its carry-on liquids ban. According to the announcement on the TSA web site, we can now “carry through security checkpoints travel-size toiletries (3 ounces or less) that fit comfortably in ONE, QUART-SIZE, clear plastic, zip-top bag” (TSA’s emphasis ) and “bring beverages and other items purchased in...

This morning’s New York Times’ editorial page joins many of its ink-stained brethern in calling for a ban on carry-on luggage. While as wrong-headed in its conclusions as other editorialists, they’ve focused on the right issue — improved security — rather than the “improved speed of boarding” argument which we showed in an earlier post...

Hilary Baumann has posted a pretty exhaustive list of possible substitutes for liquid or gel toiletries on her ClothingCult blog. It’s a much more exhaustive list than I’ve provided in previous posts. Her suggestions for substitutes for products like bubble bath, concealer, and mascara go far beyond experience set. Why go through all this trouble;...

The lead story on the front page of today’s USAToday business section is headlined Fliers board faster as fewer carry on bags. The first sentence trumpets “new security rules for carry-on bags are enabling airline passengers to get on and off planes faster, helping flights leave on time.” It then quotes a number of airline...