Southwest Flight From Bradley To Orlando Diverted

Southwest Airlines Flight 693 from Hartford to Orlando diverted to Islip, N.Y., 15 minutes into the flight Sunday morning because of smoke in the cockpit, the Aviation Herald reports. Other news outlets reported a smell of electrical fire with no visible smoke. Passengers later boarded a replacement 737 to complete the flight.

The National Mall Is A National Embarrassment

A walk through the National Mall in Washington, D.C., gives an unmistakable impression of a nation in decline, a country that can’t spare the money to even trim and maintain its former glory.

The grass is worn away, sidewalks are crumbling, reflective pools are filthy and infested.

The Associated Press laid all this out in a story last week. It described how Congress lavishes millions to keep the Capitol grounds lush and manicured, but can’t fine enough money to keep the National Mall clean and repaired. It explained how the District of Columbia has no powerful friends in Congress, no favors to trade.

I remember the tremendous pride I felt in Washington when I was a child and my parents brought the family there to visit. The broad lawns, the monuments, the sparkling fountains, the brilliant museums — it was a vision.

I’m going to take my niece to Washington in September, because there’s still so much to see and do there. And I’m going to apologize for what my generation has let happen to the National Mall. I’ll tell her how it used to look, how the Mall and the reflecting pools really were something to behold, back in the day.

And I’ll hope that Congress will develop some regard for the National Mall, the public whose patrimony it is and the image this fine nation ought to project to its own citizens and to the world.

Close Encounters With Credit Card Fraud

I’ve been reading for a while now that credit card and debit card fraud is on the increase, and lately it’s gotten personal.

Several week ago my daughter’s debit card was cloned and used to withdraw cash from her bank account. She had bought gas at a Valero station in Goleta, Calif., where police later discovered credit card skimming devices on the pumps.

Shortly afterward, I got a call from CitiBank asking me about a fraudulent charge on my Mastercard — about $650 spent with an Internet retailer in Australia. It’s not clear how that happened, but I had to get a new card and account number.

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A Reminder That There’s No Place Like Home

“When I planned this trip to Connecticut, I expected to be awash in a sea of blue blazers, pink polo shirts and cream-colored sweaters knotted around the tanned necks of lacrosse players,” wrote Rosemary McClure in a recent story published in the Los Angeles Times.

Ah, yes, and don’t forget the blonde women driving Volvos and the picturesque antiques shops!

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More Airline Fees On The Way?

George Hobica at the always informative Airfarewatchdog Blog warns of 11 new airline fees he sees coming down the pike. Read it and weep.

Obama Hates Las Vegas! Wait, No He Doesn’t

The governor of Nevada says the Obama administration has “sentenced Nevada’s economy to the gallows” by banning government meeting in Las Vegas, Reno and other “fun” destinations.

In fact, there is no ban but a loose set of guidelines dating back to the Bush administration, as the Las Vegas Sun points out in an editorial.

It could be that raising taxes by 33 percent on hotel rooms in the middle of an economic crisis has hurt tourism in Las Vegas. Gov. Jim Gibbons let that increase become law without his signature, although he had said he opposed tax increases.

It could also be that government guidelines discouraging meetings in gambling and resort destinations are a good idea. I’d like government meetings on the economic crisis to be held in dank rooms where the participants will be held until they solve it.

Watch Out For Fees With Montreal’s New Bike Rentals

Bixi bike station, Old Montreal.

Montreal has a cool new public bike rental service, but be very certain you understand the fees before you use it.

It would be very easy to believe from reading the explanation at the automated Bixi bike rental stations that $5 buys unlimited access to the bikes for 24 hours, with the first 30 minutes entirely free. In fact, many people have interpreted the information provided at the stations in just that way and have complained online about getting much higher charges on their credit card statements.

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Where To Eat In Montreal

Goat cheese and nut pizza, Pizzedelic.

I just got back from several days in Montreal and, boy, am I full.

Eating is pretty much what Montreal is about, in my view. It’s a great multi-ethnic restaurant town, and the long, cool summer evenings are ideal for dining al fresco at restaurants that spill out into lively sidewalk cafes.

Here are some highly subjective recommendations based on many visits over many years:

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Senate Committee Boosts Passenger Rights Provision

Airlines would have to let passengers off planes that are delayed for three hours after pushing back from the gate, according to a provision in the Federal Aviation Administration funding bill passed today by the Senate’s Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Bloomberg reports.

Pilots would be permitted to add 30 minutes at their discretion and exceptions could be made for safety concerns.

The airline industry is still opposed, of course. “There’s virtually nothing good in the three-hour rule,” David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association in Washington, said in an interview.

I beg to differ. What’s good about the rule is that it respects the basic human rights of airline passengers. If that’s inconvenient for the airlines, tough. Work it out.

This fight is not over. The bill now goes to the full Senate, and then there may be a conflict with the House over several provisions, including tougher regulation of airline alliances, Aviation Week reports. That provision is backed by Rep. James Oberstar, the powerful chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Travelers Warned Of Bangkok Airport Scam

The BBC reports that at Bangkok’s new international airport

… allegations have been made that a number of passengers are being detained every month in the duty free area on suspicion of shoplifting, and then held by the police until they pay large sums of money to buy their freedom