January 24-30: Electronic Cigarettes, SkyMall, Snow Storms and More

This week’s round-up brings the latest airline travel news – from the FAA’s e-cigarette advisory, SkyMall’s bankruptcy filing, and the first wingsuit flight over the Grand Canyon, to this week’s Northeast storm and in-flight Wi-Fi adoption. Enjoy!

Add Electronic Cigarettes to List of What You Can’t Store In Check Luggage

The FAA has issued an advisory warning for e-cigarettes, saying that the lithium batteries represent a fire risk for check luggage. Airlines are apparently reviewing the alert to determine if they should follow the FAA’s guidance.

SkyMall Files for Bankruptcy

SkyMall, along with its parent company, Xhibit has filed for bankruptcy. Following the announcement, both United Airlines and American Airlines have begun to pull the in-flight publication from their airplanes. Sadly, it seems the increasing use of electronic devices on planes has resulted in fewer passengers browsing and purchasing from the catalog.

Northeast Storm Disrupts Air Travel

Ahead of this week’s winter storms, nearly all major airlines waived change fees for travelers flying to New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, Baltimore and airports in New England. The move allowed passengers flying through or to the Northeast to make one itinerary change without paying the standard change fee. This was, I’m sure, good news for those set to travel on the more than 7,500 flights that were cancelled Monday through Wednesday.

Wi-Fi is Becoming More Prevalent on Planes

New data shows there is now a 24% chance that your international flight will have Wi-Fi and a 66% chance that you’ll be able to plug-in during flights within the U.S. Leading the charge domestically is Delta.

Random Story of the Week: First Wingsuit Flight Over Grand Canyon Scheduled for April

Who needs a plane, when you can fly using a wingsuit? Dr. Glenn Singleman and his team is set to fly over the Grand Canyon later this spring using nothing other than customized wingsuits – gravity-powered nylon suits that help propel the wearer in the air. Their Grand Canyon flight follows the successful completion of the world’s first flight over Brisbane, Australia this week.

Comments are closed.

Today's Best Fares