http://www.volette.com/blog The worldwide network for the informed traveler. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:16:06 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en For years, domestic and international airlines have experimented with offering limited air-to-ground wireless communications. Now a Sun-Sentinel article reports that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines intends to become the first carrier to equip its entire fleet -- 330+ aircraft -- with broadband wireless access by summer 2009. Delta's onboard wireless service ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/431 File this one under:  "It was bound to happen sooner or later."  A software glitch affecting those machines that read the bar codes on airline luggage labels at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport unleashed havoc on Wednesday, bringing the airport's complex luggage-routing system to a standstill.  Thousands of ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/427 Dear Mr Eavis, What you do is ass-kicking. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s applause-tickling. I don’t think that last one is even a word, if it’s not, then I just created one for you, Mr Eavis. Firstly, even if I could, I would never have around 160,000 people camp in my backyard for ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/412 The Mylo is an "internet communication device," which means it's a tiny laptop. The prime feature is you can use it like a phone with Skype because it has built-in wireless internet (there is a microphone and ear speaker), making it a gadget of interest for travelers. Mostly you'll be ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/403 High oil prices. Credit squeeze. Reduced spending by consumers. What to do? Instead of filing for bankruptcy (again), United Airlines has a new strategy: drastically cut the number of flights for leisure travelers. That means no more Ted, United's Denver-based low-fare division that launched in 2004 to compete with Frontier ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/383 Back in February, we reported on Farecast, a website that predicts fluctuations in airfares for major airlines, providing an advantage for travelers in a confusing, increasingly pricey market.  Farecast relies on historical airfare data to extrapolate probable changes in ticket prices, and generates graphical prognostications indicating whether an airfare is ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/397 Ads, ads, ads. Recently, atop a Hotmail web page, a banner ad displayed the phrase "Fees Don't Fly With Us," accompanied by an image of a Southwest Airlines plane. Plus there's the new "coupon" (see above). Lower on the page, to back up these claims, a link to an MSN ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/395 BBC's website recently reported that a customs officer at Narita Airport in Japan gave a free spliff to a random passenger. Three questions: Where was that, um, flier headed? Was he/she was the hit of the party at the end destination? More to the point, what would have happened to ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/380 I knew it was going to be expensive on the ride from the airport. Billboards and lighted signs advertised celebrities I thought were dead (Roseanne, Carrot Top) and everything seemed a little too new for a traveler used to paying eight dollars for a foam bed and twenty dollars for ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/389 If you're planning to fly American, get ready to shell out more money, *after* purchasing your ticket, for any bags you check. According to a May 22 article in the Chicago Tribune, a $15 fee - each way - will take effect for the first checked bag, for people flying ... http://www.volette.com/blog/archives/374