Accident on Runway

This past weekend proved to be an unexpected shock to many travelers. A plane travelling to Florida from Ohio ended up skidding off a runway when trying to land. After the plane stopped, "it got stuck in the grass" and the passengers were left terrified.

The plane in question had about 150 passengers who were boarded at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. The airline offered these petrified passengers refunds or a complimentary stay in a hotel room for the night.

The director of aviation commented, "that the Allegiant Air flight from St. Petersburg, Fla., landed and went into the grass, possibly after taking a turn that was too wide while taxiing". Subsequently, the passengers were taken off the plane slowly and were bused to the terminal. Though there were no injuries, many might still be in shock after what happened. Transfer America hopes that all the passengers remain safe and collected through this whole experience.

Snow Globe Confiscated at Checkpoint

On a trip to Disneyland in California, Camille Kohler’s a five-year-old daughter searched for the perfect souvenir to take back home to Anchorage. After considering her options for three days she finally picked a beautiful snow globe from the popular ride It’s a Small World. On her way home to Anchorage, TSA confiscated the snow globe.

Kohler noticed that the TSA was removing the snow globe from her daughter’s carryon and commented afterward, “To their credit, the TSA agents were trying to keep the confiscation on the down-low so my daughter wouldn't see they were taking the snow globe. They even looked for a way to empty it. But at that point in the day, I didn't even want to bring it to my girl’s attention, causing a potential melt-down at the security gates”.

Many people are unaware that snow globes are not permitted past the security checkpoint. TSA spokesman, Greg Soule said, “Snow globes of any size are not permitted in carry-on baggage because there is no way for our officers to accurately determine the volume of liquid”.

Transfer America advises that if you wish to travel with a snow globe the best option would be to place it in your checked luggage or ship it home. If you are questioning whether or not your souvenirs will make it past the security checkpoint you can always check the TSA website to make sure it won’t be confiscated. 

New Rules and Regulations Reported by Transfer America

As the year comes to an end, new rules and regulations are starting to take effect. An article on CNN reveals that the Department of Transportation is now requiring all “airlines to include all mandatory taxes and fees in advertised fares”. This new rule will help in the booking process so that all passengers will be able to see the full price of an airline ticket.

This new policy will be implemented January 26^th regardless of opposition from carriers. Before airlines were allowed to separate government taxes and fees from their tickets. However, these taxes could add up to “20% to the price of air travel”.

Many airlines are upset that they are being forced to include the government fees because it “violates commercial free speech rights”. However, DOT responded by saying, “"In order to understand the true cost of travel, consumers need to be able to see the entire price they need to pay to get to their destination the first time the airfare is presented to them".

Airlines are just concerned that by including the government fees will make tickets appear more expensive. But DOT is standing by their decision and will also be implementing some other protections such as:

“• A ban on price increases after a ticket has been purchased

• A 24-hour window for passengers to hold or cancel a reservation without payment or penalty for reservations made a week or more before the departure date

• Required disclosure of baggage fees upon booking and on e-ticket confirmations

• Required prompt notification of delays of more than 30 minutes, cancellations and diversions

• The same baggage allowance and fees to apply throughout a passenger's trip”

As these changes are implemented it will take a while for passengers to understand that ticket prices are not increasing. TransferAmerica also offers its services to anyone who is stuck with an unwanted timeshare and wishes to get rid of it once and for all.