HOW DID THAT HAPPEN

17 MAY 2013: According to a watchdog investigation, mistakes and a lack of communication by US authorities allowed terrorists to board flights,.  The report uncovered glaring security problems that allowed terrorists who had been given new identities in the witness protection programme after cooperating with US prosecutors, to board commercial flights in the US. Read more...

AIRLINES LOVE MAKING RULES

17 MAY 2013:  Do senior airline executives really sit and think up this stuff, or do they just find some bureaucracy drenched minion and put them in charge of making up inane rules.  American Airlines now has a new category of "board first" passengers.  People carrying just a personal item that fits under the seat - no rolling suitcases - will scoot ahead of the line before most other passengers. Read more...

CIAO. ADIEU. GOODBYE.

17 MAY 2013:  First Carnival pulled its ships out of Europe in 2014, now just days later, Regent Seven Seas will follow suit, cancelling over 20 Mediterranean cruises in late 2014, replacing them with itineraries in the Americas, South Pacific, Middle East, and South Africa. Read more...

LAW AND ORDER STAR JOINS NEW TEAM

17 MAY 2017:  Television and film star, Tamara Tunie has partnered with the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) as the celebrity spokesperson for the CTO’s 40th celebration of Caribbean Week in New York. Read more...

HUMOUR FALLS FLAT

17 MAY 2013:  We really have become a humourless, literal, politically-correct-at all costs, society.  The Advertising Standards Authority has ordered Thomas Cook to withdraw a television advert after receiving 118 complaints about it. Read more...

TRAVELLING THE WORLD FOR COMIC RELIEF

17 MAY 2013: On my first trip to New York City, sometime in the early 1980’s I walked into an art gallery that featured a display of Disney cartoons in the front window.  There was a great piece that featured Bugs Bunny lounging by the side of a road and munching a carrot, while on the road Elmer Fudd chased Daffy Duck and Wile E. Coyote chased the Roadrunner. Read more...

MORE PILOT TRAINING NEEDED

16 MAY 2013: A preliminary report into last month's Lion Air plane crash off the resort island of Bali urges the budget carrier to immediately address safety concerns by providing more training for pilots during critical landing times. Read more...

LOOKING AHEAD

6 MAY 2013:   After months of negotiations, Occidental Hotels & Resorts has concluded its long-term debt refinancing process through an agreement with 10 Spanish and international entities, which have endorsed the company´s 2012-2016 business plan. The new strategic financial plan now allows the company to initiate a significant renovation and improvement plan of its hotels and resorts. Read more...

WESTJET EVP LEAVES

16 MAY 2013:  WestJet announced the departure of Cam Kenyon, executive vice-president, operations, effective July 20. Kenyon will be returning to Denver to be with his family. Read more...

CRASH IN NEPAL

16 MAY 2013:  A plane crashed while trying to land at a mountain airstrip in northern Nepal early Thursday.  All 21 people on board, including eight Japanese tourists, survived with injuries - four in critical condition police said. Read more...

FLIGHT DIVERTED

16 MAY 2013: An Air India flight was forced to land after the pilot was locked out of the cockpit during a washroom break. On his return he found the door jammed and was unable to gain access. Read more...

CALLOUS, IGNORANT AND UNFORGIVABLE

16 MAY 2013: The government of Belize said it is pursuing a "vigorous'' investigation into a road-building company's near destruction of one of the largest Mayan pyramids in Belize. Read more...

THE NAKED TRUTH

16 MAY 2013:  An Oregon man who stripped naked at Portland International Airport to protest what he saw as an invasive security check went to court Tuesday to contest the federal government's proposal to fine him $1,000. The Transportation Security Administration is fining Brennan for interfering with the screening process. Read more...

BORDERING ON THE RIDICULOUS

16 MAY 2013: Being situated within an easy drive of Montreal, Vancouver and Winnipeg respectively means the sight of Quebec, BC and Manitoba license plates has always been a fact of life for residents of border towns like Plattsburgh NY, Bellingham WA and Grand Forks ND.   Read more...