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Some
tips
for the airline traveller
in the new 2010
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Spotlight on Travel - Mike Cohen
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Here
are some tips for readers based on my most recent airline experience
from here and back to South Florida, via Air Canada.
Security
Matters: A few months after the September 11, 2001 airline
attacks Richard Reid, a self-admitted member of Al Qaeda
attempted to destroy a commercial aircraft in-flight by detonating
explosives hidden in his shoes. His crime led to the new requirement of
airline passengers having to remove their shoes for inspection before
boarding. More recently, Nigerian terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdul
Mutallab had a packet of powder sewed into the crotch of
his underwear. He unsuccessfully tried to ignite the device as the
plane prepared to land in Detroit. As a result of these and other
threatening incidents every passenger is treated like a potential
suspect, even babies in strollers. I know that all of
these precautions are necessary, but it sure has taken the fun out
of flying.
Carry On:
For a few weeks in January carry-on luggage was not being permitted on
flights from Canada to other countries.
Full body scanning is now becoming
part of the security regimen. The edict on carry-on items was a real
inconvenience for most people. As of this writing this prohibition has
been lifted, but remember that the rules of what you can bring aboard
remain very strict. Check your airline's website before heading to the
airport. If you are bringing medication, make sure they are all in
their original prescription containers. And what about lotions? They
have been banned to bring on board since 2006 after a foiled plot by
terrorists to bring explosives in liquid form onto transatlantic
flights. There are some people
who have medication in the form of lotions and liquids. The ban applies
to suntan lotion as well.
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In-flight entertainment
is still free
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But people with certain skin conditions cannot use just any suntan oil
and need to bring theirs on board because it might not be available at
their destination. Get a note from your doctor and present it to the
security agents. They will let it through.
Pack Your Food:
On Air Canada, like other airlines, there is nothing close to a free
dinner. I try to pack my own sandwich and water. Alternatively you can
fork out between $6 and $13 for Quiznos barbeque chicken flatbread
pizza, a wrap or a sandwich. The in-flight entertainment plan is still
a bonus. Bring your own set of small earphones and you can watch movies
or television shows directly on a screen at your seat. Otherwise the
price to rent these dollar store items is $3.
Seat
Reservation: Air Canada will charge you for extra or overweight
bags and there is no guarantee you will have seats reserved in advance. In some cases, depending upon how
your ticket is booked, you might have to pay extra for seat selection.
Go online at least 24 hours before. You can print your boarding pass
and try to do seat selection. The same goes for WestJet. Also, arrive
at check-in at least two hours before the flight. Line-ups are long and
you are much better off beating this aggravating situation. The later
you arrive, the better chance there is your luggage might not follow
you.
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First Class is a great
way to fly
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Aeroplan
Points: Finally, for those of you with Aeroplan frequent flyer
points do not allow the 12 months exceeding your fight to elapse
without using your card otherwise all of your points will be lost. Keep
the card in the glove compartment of your car and use it when filling
up with gas at Esso. It will keep your tab alive.
Mike
Cohen’s email address is info@mikecohen.ca.
Log on to his travel advice column at www.sandboxworld.com/travel
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