Fatal Cruise Ship Wreck Will Shake Entire Industry

When the Greek-flagged cruise ship the Sea Diamond sank in the Aegean in 2007, killing two passengers, the international press was quick to point out that the ship was nothing like the modern mega-ships operated by the big mass-market cruise lines frequented by American vacationers. (And I was quick to agree.)

The Costa Concordia, on the other hand, is precisely like that. It is — or was — a modern mega-ship, launched in 2006, carrying 4,000 passengers and crew. It’s owned by Carnival Corp., the largest cruise line company in the world. There will be major and lasting repercussions to the fact that it has run aground and rolled onto its side off the coast of Italy, killing at least three people. (At this point, the BBC reports that dozens more are missing.)

One consequence will be a lasting and disturbing impression on the public which, despite occasional reports of fires and passengers going overboard, had grown accustomed to the idea that modern mega-ships do not sink. The other will be increased scrutiny in the United States and Europe of an industry that operates largely outside the regulatory bounds of both.

Carnival — which owns Carnival Cruise Lines, Holland America, Princess, Seabourn, P&O, Cunard, Costa, AIDA and Iberocruceros — will have a lot of explaining to do. But I suspect the other major cruise lines are worried, too.

Poor Options For Transportation To New York Airports

The manager of Wisla Express, a company that ran a passenger shuttle from Central Connecticut to the New York airports, has been indicted on charges that he falsified drivers’ records after they worked more hours than federal regulations permit, The Hartford Courant reports.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Limousine, which has run airport buses and shuttles to New York airports for decades, seems to have settled a dispute with the Port Authority over unpaid fees, according to WTNH Channel 8. That’s good, I guess, but I  I stopped using Connecticut Limo five years ago after a particularly awful ride back from JFK.

If there is no safe and comfortable shuttle, we Connecticut residents must find another way to the New York airports for long-haul flights. The options are poor:  drive to New York, hire private transportation or hope Amtrak will get you to the Air Train on time.

Or take a connecting flight from Bradley. Or move to New York, I guess.

Flying with the Linesmen

Last week my husband and I ended up on a Southwest flight out of Bradley, in the back of the jet with about half a dozen retired utility workers returning to their homes in Mississippi and Tennessee.

They had been called back to action and had worked nearly non-stop for a week to restore our power. As one last gift, they provided the entertainment on the flight to Baltimore, teasing each other, telling stories and cracking up everyone within earshot.

One guy said the driver of the repair truck he was assigned to had complained that he had no gym where he could work out in Connecticut.

“I told him, ‘Well, I guess we could wrassle for a while,’” the grizzled linesman drawled.

It was the best in-flight entertainment ever.

I guess could have posted this sooner, but somehow Thanksgiving seems appropriate.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Debuts

My husband flew the other day on a sleek new regional jet with leather seats and overhead messages that referred to electronic devices, not to smoking. It was as if after years of being hauled around in giant old Chevy sedans, he was suddenly riding in a new, well-appointed Dodge Neon.

Well, make way for the new, well-appointed Lexus. All Nippon Airways flew a bunch of reporters from Tokyo to Hong Kong yesterday on the first commercial flight of the much-delayed Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The aircraft is quieter than older jets, has bigger windows and maintains higher cabin pressure. It’s also more fuel-efficient.

Don’t hold your breath, though, for a chance to ride in one.  Deliveries to domestic airlines won’t begin until next year, at the earliest. There have been no new orders for the 787 this year, according to Boeing’s website and 26 cancellations. There’s also a rumor that Air India plans to cancel more than half  its order.

Still, Boeing has about 800 orders for the 787. If it is really the aircraft of the future, flying may eventually get a little bit better for all of us, even in coach.

Why You Should Wear That Seat Belt

Twenty passengers on two passenger jets were injured by turbulence Sunday before landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport, the Boston Globe reported. One was a JetBlue flight from San Juan to Boston. The other was a Lufthansa flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Munich, Germany, that was forced to land in Boston by the turbulence.

JetBlue Adds Bradley Route

JetBlue Airways will begin non-stop flights between Bradley International and West Palm Beach on Jan. 12, according to Windsor Locks Patch. JetBlue already flies non-stop to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, and will start flights to San Juan on Jan. 5.

Suspicious Minds And Handcuffs

It seems that over the weekend fighter jets were summoned to escort commercial jets because passengers aroused suspicions by using the bathrooms a lot.  After a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Detroit, three passengers were taken off the plane in handcuffs, questioned and released without charges.

I’m going have a T-shirt made that says: “I’m not a terrorist. I just drink too much coffee.”

Travel Gear Comes In Handy At Home

There will be coffee.

I was struck, as I was preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene. by how useful some of my travel gear (especially the camping gear) turns out to be in the face of a potential natural disaster at home.

Said gear includes:

- The battery-powered travel alarm clock, because I still need to get up and check the roof for leaks (don’t ask) if the power goes out.

- The rubber sink stopper from my travel laundry kit, which helps keep the tub full of water. (We’re on well water here. So if there’s no power, there’s no well pump and therefore no water.)

- The travel flashlight — best size for the bedside.

- The propane camp stove. Because I don’t get up if there’s no coffee. (But windows must be open for ventilation.)

- The candle lantern, for when the batteries run out.

- The suitcase. Packed for a quick departure, should that become necessary.

- The rechargeable DVD player, for a little entertainment if power failures drag on — as they tend to do around here.

BART Cuts Off Cellphone Service To Stifle Protest

Last week the Bay Area Rapid Transit System area cut off cellphone service in its downtown San Francisco stations for four hours in an attempt to prevent a protest over a fatal shooting by BART police, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

A BART official explained later told the Chronicle that while there was some concern about the free speech implications of that decision, the courts have ruled that “public safety takes priority.” That’s a highly questionable interpretation. Many Americans still believe the Constitution does not hold that security, or speculative concerns about security, should trump liberty in every case.  On more practical grounds, BART seems to have failed to consider the safety of anyone who might have needed to call for help with a cellphone during that period.

The protest did not materialize but the backlash continues. Some have compared the action, fairly I think, with the communications blackouts imposed by oppressive regimes in the Middle East. Nobody said it better than a commuter who spoke to the Chronicle:

“We don’t want the government turning off cell phones in Syria, and we don’t want them turning off cell phones here,” said Patricia Shean, 72, of San Francisco. “We deal with things differently here.”

Critics of this action are not, as BART and its supporters have suggested, saying that travelers have an absolute right to cellphone service everywhere they go. We’re saying that when the government deliberately obstructs communication in order to suppress dissent – whether that’s achieved by turning off cellphone towers or forbidding people to talk to each other on platforms – we’re all in dangerous territory.

Does Facebook Inspire Vacation Copycats?

The travel industry website TravelMole posits that people are planning vacations based on the trips their friends post about on Facebook and other social media sites.

My friends aren’t that impressionable, but they’re plenty mean.

My friend Elissa takes vacation taunting to new lows by posting photos of beautiful beaches on Facebook and tagging an empty spot with my name. My other Facebook friends like to post resentful remarks under my vacation snapshots, often threatening bodily harm. Hawaii seems to really set them off.