Amsterdam’s Cool Airport

After extensive research I have concluded that the correct pronunciation of Schiphol lies somewhere between Skipple and Ski Pole, with maybe some guttural Dutch consonants thrown in. And this is something you need to know if you are flying to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Bradley’s new international flight.

Anyway, no matter how you say it, it’s a pretty cool airport.

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Dressed For Air Traffic Control

I don’t know about you, but I’d like the air traffic controllers handling my flight to dress comfortably.   In fact, the last thing I want is for them to be distracted by things like tight bodices, uneven hemlines and unfamiliar snaps and zippers and such …

Flight Delays On Video

You’ve heard the stories about passengers left stranded for hours on the runway. You’ve read the news articles. Now you can see the movies.

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Amtrak Screws Up

I don’t even know what to write about this one: Amtrak apparently kicked a 65-year-old man off a train at a crossing in the middle of the woods because the crew thought he was drunk. Except, it appears, he wasn’t drunk. He was in diabetic shock. And now he’s missing.

Addendum 6/29: The missing passenger is found. Amtrak’s version:  following procedure, an employee waited with the passenger at the crossing but he ran off into the woods when police arrived.

Northwest Cancellations Continue

Got a flight booked on Northwest in the next couple of days? Cross your fingers, because the airline has been canceling more than 10 percent of its flights every day for the past several days, and things aren’t expected to improve until next week.

The underlying issue is labor trouble.

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Where The Locals Go

How do you find out about local favorites like the Puka Dog Hawaiian-Style Hot Dogs on Kauai or the Hull’s Drive-In Theatre in Lexington, Virginia? One way is the Local Secrets, Big Finds guide.

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Fly Now, Pay Later

Now you can take a trip the same way you can get a dinette set. American Airlines is advertising a promotion that allows you to buy tickets and wait six months before paying for them.

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Standing Short

It’s no secret that we’re fatter than Europeans and, thanks to the weak dollar, poorer than Europeans. Now, in the latest blow to American pride, it comes to our attention that we are also shorter than Europeans.

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Don’t Be An Ass

Riffing off some recent airport anger and air rage incidents, the Associated Press is advising air passengers on how to avoid trouble with the TSA and airline crews. Allow me to summarize: don’t be an ass.

The Expedia Empire

Here’s something to know. The independent travel Web sites we all use to plan our travels might not be quite as independent as we think they are.

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