Must we take a bomb threat seriously when we have every reason to believe that the it is a false alarm? Onboard an airplane, I’d say the answer must be yes. That doesn’t mean we must abrogate common sense, though....
Geopolitics Complicates My Trip To Israel
A U.S. airstrike in Iraq has complicated my plans to take my family to Israel tomorrow. Still, I don’t plan on suspending my trip. Yesterday, Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was blown up via a U.S. airstrike while leaving Baghdad International...
Serial Stowaway Marilyn Hartman Strikes Again!
Serial stowaway and folk hero Marilyn Hartman is losing her touch. She didn’t even make it past the TSA checkpoint in her latest caper. I’m just going out on limb, but I think Hartman was emboldened by the recent...
How Airport Security May Soon Become Much Easier
The widespread use of new technology promises to speed up airport security lines by no longer requiring that laptops or liquids be removed from carry-on bags. It has now been 13 years since the carry-on liquid ban went into...
United Airlines Further Disables A Disabled Camera
You need not worry about flight attendants or airline executives surreptitiously recording you while you eat dinner or sleep in your seat…well, at least using IFE cameras. There has been a surprising outpour of fear and anger over the...
Hey Guys, See Something? Say Something. (Airplane Edition)
What would it take to get you to intervene when a creep hassles another passenger, especially a female teenager? Joanna Chiu, bureau chief for the Toronto Star, witnessed something quite dismaying on a recent late-night domestic flight in Canada....
Lufthansa Boards A380 in 20 Minutes with Biometric Boarding
The future of travel: approach the gate, scan your face, board the aircraft. This is not some dystopian world or sci-fi movie. This is how Lufthansa is now boarding flights at Los Angeles International Airport. Lufthansa has rolled out...
New Airport Security Measures: Business as Usual
Last month I wrote about the planned introduction of new security protocols on all USA-bound flights. The new guidelines were not specific, but included “heightened screening of personal electronic devices”. How does that look in practice? If my flight from...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 23, 2017
Hello from Los Angeles. So much for my extended vacation in Germany… I had to fly home yesterday afternoon for a series of meetings over the next few days on a matter totally unrelated to the blog or Award Expert....
My Horrific Security Experience at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport (TLV)
I alluded to it offhandedly in a recent post on United catering out of Tel Aviv, but based upon the comments it drew I want to revisit the topic directly. I recently had an incredibly invasive security experience in Tel...
