Travel News Blog

Tips For Going Through Customs

Ever wonder who are those people at airport customs that ask too many questions, well, they don't work for the airline or the airport they work for the government. They have to check thousands of people each day and within the few seconds that they have to ask questions they have to decide if passengers are entering the country illegally or bringing in something thats illegal.

MSNBC has 10 tips to get through customs.

1. If you know you will have a tight connection when you land in the States, leave the flowers and produce behind. Agriculture inspection can add an hour to your re-entry time.

2. Always carry a photocopy of your passport, and keep it separate from your passport. Some officials will accept the copy or at least give you an easier time if you misplace the original.

3. Turn off your cell phone. Customs and immigration officials are strict on that rule; in fact, they will confiscate your phone and not return it if they catch you using it. The reasons for this are unclear, but can you imagine the sound of 500 people on their cell phones at the same time? What a nightmare.

4. Don’t make wisecracks or jokes to the officials; it makes you look like you are trying to hide something.

5. Read your customs forms carefully, and fill them out as soon as you get them. There is a complete guide to filling out your forms along with a list of contraband items in the back of your in-flight magazine.

6. If you are unsure about whether to declare something, declare it. The “Gee, I didn’t know ...” excuse won’t work.

7. Don’t make a scene if the wait gets long or your bags get a thorough going-over. You definitely won’t make your connecting flight if you are sent to secondary screening.

8. If you are uncomfortable with an agent of the opposite sex searching through your luggage, ask for an official of the same sex. It’s a standard request and perfectly legitimate.

9. Don’t put any fruit in your bag during your vacation if you can help it. You may have eaten that sack of mangos a week ago, but the persistent aroma will have the fruit dog all over your bag and you will be delayed in the agriculture inspection.

10. Leave any compromising photos or videos of you and a partner at home. They could be confiscated as pornography and wind up on a “wall of shame” in some back office.

Read more on MSNBC

Breaking News: A Man At Heathrow Airport Runs Into The Runway

Hethrow Airport is in turmoil after a man with a rucksack ran into the runway into the path of an airliner. The man was arrested and police reported they found nothing suspicious and not terrorism-related.

"Up to 20 emergency services vehicles were reportedly sent to the scene where the rucksack was recovered and the controlled explosion was carried out."

Read more from BBC

Southwest Airlines: Valentines Day Vegas Gift For A Blogger

Southwest Airlines is giving this Valentines Day one lucky blogger an unforgetable gift. The LUV Airline is awarding a free trip to Las Vegas, including roundtrip airfare on Southwest Airlines, a two-night hotel stay at The Mirage, and two tickets to The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil to the blogger who submits the most popular caption for a Valentine's Day themed-photo.

How does it work?

• Visit http://www.blogsouthwest.com
• Submit your photo caption or vote for your favorite photo caption
• The caption with the most positive votes by midnight Pacific Time onWednesday, February 13, 2008, wins the Vegas travel package.

Travel News: JFK Baggage Handelers Charged With Stealling $250,000 Worth Of Diamonds

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According to MSNBC, two baggage handlers at the JFK airport were accused of larceny. The two employees a 51-year-old worker and his 39-year-old supervisor stole $250,000 worth of diamonds. The jewelry was stolen last week from a container which was marked "high value" being shipped from Switzerland to Brazil.

Law enforcement found the jewelry in a locker at an American Airlines terminal where the worker placed it after his supervisor broke the seal to the container and gave the three boxes of jewelry to the worker to hide it.

The two employees are held on $5,000.00 bail and if convicted a 15 year jail sentence.

Source:MSNBC Via:Gadling

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Airport Security Reservations

Just imagine having the option of reserving check point slots at the airport. TSA is considering a reservation system that would reduce checkpoint lines at airports during the busiest times of the days.

From: USATODAY
Travelers reserving checkpoint slots probably would have to arrive earlier than usual, perhaps by as little as 20 to 30 minutes, Hawley said. They also would probably have to pay — either a fee for each reservation or an annual subscription for unlimited reservations at participating airports.

Frequent business travelers would happily show up earlier if they "had a specific time at the checkpoint and weren't going to have to waste time standing in line," Hawley said.

A steady stream of travelers at checkpoints throughout a day also would ease scheduling problems for security screeners caused by the large rushes of people followed by long lulls.

Aviation groups and consultants are reserving optimism for a concept they say would add little convenience and lots of hassle to travelers already struggling to reserve flights, cars and hotels.

"This has no appeal to me," said Gloria Bender, managing principal of transportation consultants TransSolutions and an expert on airport lines. "I don't exactly understand the value of offering somebody the opportunity to arrive off-peak."

Hawley acknowledged that airports and airlines he spoke to about running a system were "not interested."

"The TSA would do well to stop diverting its limited resources away from programs that could more efficiently screen all passengers," said David Castelveter of the Air Transport Association, an airline trade group.

Computers that help set flight schedules could be used to give travelers five- to 10-minute windows for arriving at checkpoints. "There certainly is a chance that we can make this work," said Charles Chambers, security chief for the Airports Council International, an airport trade group.

Reggie Baumgardner, security manager at Indianapolis International Airport, doubts there's much demand. "Business travelers don't want to be pinned down to a reservation time," he said.

Many business travelers already have a faster trip through security because they belong to airline clubs that provide reserved lines at checkpoints. Other travelers have an incentive to fly at times when security lines are shorter "because you can usually get a cheaper airfare off peak," Bender said.

Caleb Tiller of the National Business Travel Association said, "It's not entirely clear why we need a reservation system to deal with peak times rather than adding TSA staff and (checkpoint) lanes."

Airlines paying more attention to their business-class

Airlines these days are investing more money improving their Business Class where they receive most of their profits. Business travelers are regular customers of Business-class and travel anywhere from six to 12 times a year these fliers being 75 percent of the airlines customers.

"Ranked No. 1 is Singapore Airlines, which revamped its business class in the last year. In November 2006, the airline debuted a product that beats out any other airline's, according to Plaisted. For starters, the lie-flat seats are 30 inches wide—the roomiest business-class seats in the sky—and passengers have 1,004 choices of on-demand entertainment, a significant upgrade from the previous 405. Other luxuries include Givenchy toiletry kits; full-size pillows and blankets; cuisine designed by Alfred Portale, chef of Gotham Bar & Grill in New York City; and bathrooms that are 50 percent larger than average airline bathrooms."
World's best business-class carrier

Yotel lodging at UKs Gatwick

This summer travelers traveling through UKs Gatwick airport have an option to stay at the Yotel  which makes it easier for fliers to deal with airport delays, layovers, and cancellations.

The YOTEL is a budget lodging hotel in the terminal with soundproof rooms with beds, bathrooms, entertainment systems, and room service.  You can book a room for up to four hours for about $50 or for a night about $100.

Airport pharmacy takes off

Newark, New Jersey's Liberty International Airport is the first airport in the country to feature a retail pharmacy to workers and travelers stuck behind security barriers. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports.
Source: NBC News Channel