Travel Articles And News On Vacations

Air Travel is Not Easy Since 9-11

If you think you have problems with air travel these days, here is part of a story from the POLITICO NEWS by DANIEL LIBIT & RICHARD T. CULLEN

Serving in Congress has its privileges, but avoiding the perils of modern air travel isn't one of them.

Just ask the three senators who are running for president.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) have both missed campaign events because of flight delays; when a radar problem grounded flights in September, Clinton phoned in a planned appearance at a union convention in Chicago from the tarmac of the airport in Little Rock, Ark. Illinois Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's plane landed at the wrong Iowa airport in November and ran into another plane at Chicago's Midway International Airport in January.

They aren't alone. While the candidates spend more time on the road than most of their colleagues, members of Congress, especially those from the West, do a pretty good job of racking up the frequent flier miles themselves.

They've got the horror stories to prove it.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)

The country's busiest airport is named in honor of his brother, but neither that, nor the fact that he is a sitting U.S. senator, could save Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from existential airport torment in March 2004.According to a story in The Washington Post, the senator was stopped five times in airports that month because his name had been placed on a Homeland Security no-fly list after a terrorist suspect had been found to be using the alias "T. Kennedy."

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in August 2004, Kennedy described the Kafkaesque scene as an airline ticket counter agent told him he wouldn't be allowed to buy a ticket to Boston. "Well, why not?" Kennedy asked.

"We can't tell you," the agent replied.

Kennedy ultimately got on a flight, only to endure the same rigmarole when he tried to return to Washington. "I went up to the desk and said, 'I've been getting on this plane for 42 years. Why can't I get on the plane?'"

Kennedy got his name removed from the list and got an apology from then-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, to boot.

It didn't matter. Shortly thereafter, a different airline agent tried to stop him.

Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.)

On a good day, when he flies back home to the tiny town of Gering in westernmost Nebraska, Rep. Adrian Smith can depart from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by as late as 6 p.m. Eastern time and still make it to his doorstep by 9:45 p.m. Mountain time. For living in a rural area, Smith says he feels quite fortunate for this.

But fortune often turns against Smith when he flies to the eastern part of his district, a journey that requires him to stop over at one of the vertices of the Heartland's Bermuda Triangle: Minneapolis, Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. The worst came last February, when Smith was destined for some speaking engagements in Lincoln but wound up stuck at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport for 12 hours. "The short weekends, when it looks like you're going to miss the main event, you wonder whether you should even continue the trip or just go back to D.C.," he said.

Because of his traveling travails, Smith has become both an admirer of Capitol Hill schedulers, whom he's come to regard as "artists" and a proponent of the federally funded expansion of America's second-busiest airport. "First opportunity I have to help expansion of O'Hare, I want to do it," he said. "I think it's a national issue."

And a Nebraska issue, as well.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)

Perhaps there was no better place to be in Alaska on March 27, 1964, than in the air. That's where Sen. Ted Stevens was when the state was rocked by the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America.

Stevens, who was just getting started in electoral politics, was on an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks when the earthquake struck. Late that night, Stevens and a cadre of doctors flew back to Anchorage on a chartered F-27. He says everyone was "really worried about landing."

"When we approached the regular field, it was blown out," Stevens said. "It was a hairy night."

The plane was forced to touch down at Elmendorf Air Force Base. With the roads fissured by the quake, the passengers had to get into town by foot. Stevens made it home at 2:30 a.m., only to discover that the part of town where he lived had suffered serious damage in the earthquake.

It wasn't the senator's only plane-related scare. He had a rough landing onto Mt. McKinley in a bush plane in 1969, and he remembers a trip out of Hawaii on a military transport plane that had to return to the airport because of mechanical complications.

When asked whether any of these experiences have made him hesitant to fly, the 85-year-old senator harrumphs. "Oh, hell no," he said. "I flew in World War II. I've flown through all sorts of danger. I don't have any problem with that."

For tips on how to avoid your major problems with travel and make it an enjoyable experience, go to http://rcbenterpriz.com/travel

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Virgin Vacations Offers United Kingdom and Europe Winter Travel Deals
Virgin Vacations offers extensive winter vacation deals to the UK and Europe with 6 Night London packages from $749 per person.

Discount Air Carriers And Discount Air Travel Transforming The Air Travel Industry
Why the Discount Carriers are Winning

Adventure Travel Fused with Wellness: A Fresh Take on a Unique Costa Rica Vacation
Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica created a yoga & massage residence program of world-class yoga instructors & massage therapists, in order to offer guests a fusion of wellness programs with Nicuesa's signature Rainforest Multisport Adventure vacation experience.

2008 Wisconsin Dells Travel & Attraction Guide©, Makes Planning a Vacation Easy
Thinking of planning a vacation to the Waterpark Capital of the World? Then you'll want to be sure to get the Original 2008 Wisconsin Dells Travel & Attraction Guide©, an annual publication which has been helping families plan their vacations to the Dells region for over 30 years. It is is available as an online at www.dells.com, or at www.wistravel.com as well as at over 1000 locations throughout the Midwest.

Guided Tours Vs. Luxury Travel Vacation Packages
So, you have decided to book a luxury vacation. It is time to call your travel agent. The first question most travel agents will ask you is ?Are you interested in a cruise, a tour, or a travel package?? You know that cruises are not for you, but what about a tour? And what exactly is the difference between a tour and a travel package anyways? With different definitions and inclusions, it is important for any traveler to be informed enough to make the best decision for their unique needs.

A Coastal Vacation Business Idea For The Home Based Travel Agent
Travel remains one of the most lucrative and competitive industries in the United States. Every year entrepreneurs seek a coastal vacation home business idea so that they can tap into this market.

Tourism Travel Guide - How To Plan A Group Vacation
Ever feel like you need a vacation? At the same time, do you feel you don't have enough time with the friends you care about the most? A friends getaway is the perfect solution to both problems. A vacation with friends lets you enjoy your time off and allows you to spend time with the people you never have enough time for.

What Travel Agents Won't Talk About Can Save You 50% to 70% on All Vacations
Are you planning your next trip? Do you want to save more money and have more fun? You may stop by a travel center and ask for a quote. And then, you walk by another travel agent and ask for another quote.

Travel Tips For Your Cycling Vacations In Italy
In this article we present common sense tips you can employ to ensure that you have a fun and safe vacation in Italy.

Travel Europe – How to Travel Europe on a Cheap Budget
We all want to travel Europe on a cheap budget these days.Budget and discount price airlines have sprung up in almost every European country in the last few years – all of them fighting furiously with each other to offer the best value cheap airfare deals.

Central Holidays Helps Stretch Travel Dollars on Vacations to Europe
Central Holidays is helping stretch travel dollars in Europe with a full array of inclusive motorcoach escorted tours and cruise packages that are designed to save travelers time and money. The Company offers dozens of Motorcoach Escorted Tour and Cruise options throughout Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and the Mediterranean! In fact, Central Holidays provides the largest selection of cruise packages in Italy, Greece and throughout the Mediterranean than any other specialty operator. Central Holidays' Escorted Tour programs will save travelers 20-40 percent off the price of traveling the same itinerary on their own. Also included is a list of some of the ways Central Holidays Escorted Tours stretch travelers' dollars and offer...

Your Guide To Vacation Travel Insurance
Anyone planning a vacation will likely experience that almost-inevitable excitement in anticipation of a great time, but there also may be nervousness and some anxiety over events that can possibly go wrong. Though there may be a sense of exhilaration and huge relief to be taking a break away from work (and life in general), there are still a lot of mishaps that can take place prior to or during a vacation to sour those feelings very quickly. That is why you may wish to consider purchasing travel insurance, so your mind can be at ease when you do depart for the vacation of your dreams.

Travel-Hungry Consumers Use Value-Added Vacation Packages And Discounts To Make Great Vacations Possible
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Resorts Announce Value-Added Packages

Vacation Holiday In Japan Travel Guide
Thinking of a holiday vacation in exotic Asia but does not know where to go? This travel guide article introduces you to Japan, the country in which you can find buzzing cities where you can shop and party till the wee small hours of the morning or if you prefer, visit Japan's almost nature perfect countryside and marvel at its awesome natural beauty.