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E L L I O T T ' S TRAVEL NOTES
Travel news, opinion and analysis

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October 11, 2004

Passenger Balks At Breast-Feeling
A new layer of security at the nation's airports last month caught a Mira Mesa, Calif., woman by surprise. Now Ava Kingsford wants other women to know just how uncomfortable the "secondary screening" process can become. Kingsford, 36, was traveling back to San Diego from Denver International Airport with her 3-month-old son when she was flagged for a pat-down search, possibly because of an expired driver's license. She took the procedure in stride until the female Transportation Security Administration screener announced, "I'm going to feel your breasts now." Kingsford, wearing a snug-fitting tank top, objected to what she considered an unduly invasive search. More security agents arrived, warned her that she couldn't board her flight without submitting to the final step of the search, and the situation escalated. San Diego Union | Posted 6:35 a.m.
• TSA Targets Women After Russian Incident (KESQ)
• No Rules For TSA's 'No Fly' List (AP)

It could have been worse. They could have forced Kingsford to drink her own breast milk.

No Such Thing As A Free Trip
An anvil seemed to be strapped to the top of my head, and someone was striking it with a sledgehammer at regular intervals. It was one of the worst headaches I'd ever had. "Let me get you a glass of water and an aspirin," said the pleasant-looking salesman seated across from me in the cubicle. It was the least he could do since he and a fellow salesman had caused the headache in the first place. I probably shouldn't have been there. But curiosity can lead a travel journalist in strange directions. In this case it was on a quest for an elusive goal: a free trip. Los Angeles Times | Posted 6:45 a.m.

A Downside To New Sleeper Seats?
Those fancy new seats, which airlines promise will lay "flat" and turn into a "bed," are about to arrive on domestic overnight flights. But they might have an unexpected downside. The arrival of the upgraded seats marks the latest escalation among airlines as they try to attract and retain the most lucrative customers -- businesspeople and others willing to pay top dollar for the big seats at the front of the plane. Starting next Monday, United Airlines plans to launch its newly upgraded "p.s." service in first-class between Los Angeles and New York, including the plane that flies the grueling five-plus-hour overnight flight from west to east. The offering, which stands for "premium service," will be expanded to the San Francisco-New York route in January. Wall Street Journal | Posted 6:50 a.m.

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Aspen On The Cheap - Winter is approaching, and that can only mean one thing: Ski and snowboard season is almost here. It's one of my favorite times of the year. I have my reasons. I'm the author of Ski Snowboard America and Canada, the most comprehensive guide to major ski and snowboard resorts in North America, as well as Ski Snowboard Europe, which covers the top European resorts. In preparation for the season and for updates to the Web sites, I have been visiting the Lake Tahoe region and Colorado during the past two weeks. The mountains are spectacular with the Aspens and Cottonwoods turning gold and yellow tucked between the dark green Lodgepole and Ponderosa pines. Featured all-new story from Ticked.com | Posted 7 a.m.

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Hey, What Happened To The Americans? - A continuing downturn in the number of Americans traveling to Europe is forcing many hotels and villas to drop their prices to encourage Brits to fill empty beds. Tour operators say bookings from the US have fallen even more sharply than immediately after 9/11. 'I think the effect is to do with the war in Iraq and its inconclusive end. When the previous Gulf War started bookings dried up but they kicked off again when it was over because it was a war with an end, unlike what we are seeing now,' said John McNeill, managing director of Kirker Holidays. Observer | Posted 7 a.m.

Fuel Prices Rise, And So Do Fares - Airlines the world over are raising fares to offset rising oil prices that threaten to choke off a gradual recovery in air travel and pile more woes on struggling carriers. British Airways PLC became the latest airline to increase prices on Friday after AMR Corp.'s American Airlines raised one-way domestic flights by $5 earlier this week. Several other U.S. carriers, including UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, Continental Airlines Inc., Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines matched American's fare increase. AP | Posted 7:05 a.m.

Congress Rejects Pilot Arming Amendment - Congress has rejected a plan by US Rep. Virgil Goode that would have made it easier for pilots to carry guns in airplane cockpits. The resolution was introduced by Goode, R-5th, who said the amendment made sense in light of terrorists taking over commercial airliners during the Sept. 11 attacks. The amendment was added to the proposed Cockpit Technical Corrections Act. Register Bee | Posted 7:10 a.m.

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