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Baggage handler calls out crucial mistake at bag-drop

A ramp agent for a major airline has revealed one crucial mistake that many people make when checking their luggage before they fly. Sharing all the details of the little-known trick on a lengthy Reddit thread, the baggage handler, who has years of experience working with American Airlines, noted an extra step that many people miss to ensure the safe arrival of their bags. "Your bag tag has three 'bingo' stickers with your itinerary on them. Take one off and stick it on your suitcase," the airline worker shared. "This way, even if the bag tag gets torn off at some point, we can still get it to its destination." The stickers look like small barcodes at the very end of the long luggage tag and can simply be pulled off and placed anywhere else on the suitcase. It can also be a good idea to keep one of these small tickets with you, whether on your boarding pass (in an area that doesn’t restrict important information), or simply on an old receipt. That way if your luggage unfortunately goes missing, you have the right barcode and number for your bags to be easily located, wherever they may be. Another thing the baggage handler mentions is the location of the luggage tag. While many signs indicate it should be placed around the side handle (if your case has one), the staff member suggests the top handle is better. "Having the tag on the top handle, which is the one that faces outward on the cart, makes it more likely for mistakes to be caught," he points out. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

Traveller divides opinion on how early you should arrive at the airport

A plane passenger has shocked even the most organised travellers after admitting that he gets to the airport six hours before his flight departs. Self-described anxious traveller Tim Murray slammed those who have a laxed attitude to an airport arrival time, boldly stating it's their own fault if they miss their flight. “It's not my fault you're late to your flight, so if you're behind me in the security line being like: ‘I gotta get past you I'm late’ you need to manage your time better”' he declared in a short clip posted to TikTok. “I get to the airport six-and-a-half hours before my flight,” he stated, admitting his “extreme anxiety” does play a role in getting there early. “And I wanna sit here and vibe at the airport Chili's with a waitress named Debra who has the most amazing smoker's voice you've ever heard and stories that will last six-and-a-half hours,” he joked. In a comment, Tim admitted that he may have over-exaggerated the six hours, but still saying he gets to the airport several hours early. While Tim seemed smug in bragging about his early arrival, many users pointed out that there are external factors that play into people's travel plans. “People need to remember it's not always the person's fault. If my plane is late that could cause me to miss my connection, no matter how early I was. This has happened to me a few times,” one person pointed out. “Have mercy on us international flyers who need to do immigration baggage claim and run to connecting flight after our first flight was delayed,” another complained. “Dude some people are connections because their flight was late, or stuck in a long customs lines… so many other reasons than being just late,” they pointed out. Image credits: TikTok / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

"Inhumane" sign at airport shocks travellers

A sign at a New Zealand airport has sparked outrage among travellers, with the policy controlling people's emotional farewells. Photos of the sign at Dunedin Airport have gone viral, with the sign reading, "Max. hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells please use the car park,” in an attempt to combat airport traffic congestion. Despite the reasons behind the unusual signage, some users on Facebook slamming the “inhumane” limit on travellers’ allotted time to say goodbye to loved ones. “You can’t put a time limit on hugs! that’s inhumane,” one person wrote. Another person chimed in, “I love it. It shows warmth and compassion. My local airport it would be ‘you can’t stop there’ – there’s a £100 fine if you stop and a minimum £5.00 to drop someone off in the drop-off zone. I love Nice airport – they have ‘Kiss and Fly.’” Others also joined in poking fun at the strange new rule, with one person writing, “I can see the airport worker now … 2:56, 2:57, 2:58, 2:59 OK time to break it up!” Another joked, “In America, they don’t even want you to stop. Just come to a slow roll and push your passenger out.” The airport's CEO Daniel De Bono said that it redesigned its drop-off zone to improve safety and congestion around the terminal, telling New Zealand’s RNZ radio the change was made due to space considerations. He said, “There’s only so much space we have in that drop-off area and too many people are spending too much time on their fonder farewells in the drop-off area. There’s no space for others.” De Bono then citied a study that suggests a measly 20-second hug is enough to get the oxytocin and serotonin release people get from hugging, saying, “We’re not here to tell people how long they should hug for. It’s more a message of, ‘Please move onwards.’ If you’re going to spend however long, sit in the car park. You get 15 minutes free and it provides space for others who only want a 20-second hug.” Image credits: Facebook

Travel Trouble

Beloved teddy bear left in airport lounge rescued by airline

Staff at British Airways have rescued a child’s stuffed teddy bear that was left behind in an airport lounge, documenting the toy’s safe journey home. The treasured teddy was found in the British Airways lounge at London’s Heathrow Airport by nine-year-old Alex, who accidentally left the toy behind before boarding a flight home to Dubai. After staff found the stranded toy, a new flight and boarding pass was created for Postman Bear, while members of the BA team gave the teddy the”'VIP treatment” with a journey on an airport buggy to “catch up” with the Cabin Crew Operations team in the Crew Report Centre. Postman Bear was then taken to meet the cabin crew on his new flight to Dubai and was pictured “patiently” waiting for his flight at the gate, drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying “some great views of the aircraft” while waiting to board. The teddy’s journey home was lovingly captured by British Airways customer manager, Ed Tumath, who sent the snaps back to young Alex to assure him his beloved bear was being looked after. After touching down in Dubai, the cabin crew took Postman Bear to reunite with Alex and the rest of his family for a “bear-y happy reunion”. Stuart, Alex's parent, recalled the moment they knew the teddy was missing, while praising British Airways for their tireless journey to reunite Alex with his bear. Stuart said, “My son had left his teddy bear - huge sentimental value as he has had the teddy since birth - in the British Airways lounge ahead of the flight. We noticed as the aircraft doors were closing so nothing could be done at that point.” “This was very distressing to my son who uses the teddy as a calming item, especially when flying. This was incredibly stressful and we feared that his beloved teddy may be lost forever.” “Whilst onboard the flight, I took to a series of Facebook groups to seek help in finding the teddy. A member of the group contacted Ed who came to the rescue. I managed to communicate with Ed on the flight and received a picture showing that the teddy had been found, which calmed my son.” “Not only did Ed go out of his way to find the teddy but he communicated so well throughout. He genuinely cared about the situation and worked so hard to get the teddy back to us.” “He arranged for the teddy to board a flight to Dubai a couple of days later and a crew member handed the teddy back to us. Not only did Ed excel in his caring manner and communication, he even provided a few pictures of the teddy's journey, which my son will treasure forever.” “My son was so relieved - words could not express how grateful we are to Ed for his kind act and dedication to getting the teddy back to us. I have been flying with BA for many years - this is the best experience I have had by far and I am overwhelmed by Ed's efforts.” “Sometimes amazing people do incredible things and show such kindness along the way... these things matter. This meant a huge amount to my family and I, and we will be forever grateful.” Image credits: British Airways

International Travel

Six old-school strategies to cope with disruptive airport tech

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-schaberg-1451119">Christopher Schaberg</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arts-and-sciences-at-washington-university-in-st-louis-5659">Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis</a> Ten years ago I wrote a book titled “<a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/end-of-airports-9781501305498/">The End of Airports</a>” about how digital technologies and commercial air travel were on a collision course. Earlier this summer, I was proved right. In July, <a href="https://theconversation.com/massive-it-outage-spotlights-major-vulnerabilities-in-the-global-information-ecosystem-235155">a cybersecurity software outage</a> snarled airports around the world. Airlines took weeks to get back to normal. Delta was particularly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/07/business/delta-passengers-sue-crowdstrike-meltdown/index.html">hard hit</a>, with some <a href="https://apnews.com/article/crowdstrike-technology-outage-fallout-delta-c287aaded657a1092724b222435c3d16">7,000 flights canceled</a> and delays lasting well into August. As an expert on air travel who contemplates flight from <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/textual-life-of-airports-9781441189684/">a humanistic and cultural studies perspective</a>, I think the new technologies woven into air-travel management are a double-edged sword. While they enhance elements of safety and efficiency, they can also make the entire system <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/07/crowdstrike-failure-warning-solutions/679174/">more fragile and vulnerable</a>. <h2>The downsides of digital technology</h2> To be fair, aviation depends on technology. Humans would never have gotten off the ground without it. But new technology can create new problems even as it solves old ones. The latest digital tech offers necessarily imperfect ways to manage a vast, intricate network of places, machines and people. And as the computer systems get more fine-tuned and integrated, they also can result in catastrophic failures, precisely because of the connective nature of tech. And let’s not even talk about <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-hot-weather-and-climate-change-affect-airline-flights-80795">the weather</a>. The past summer’s <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/crowdstrike-outage-bug-bad-data-falcon-update-microsoft/">software glitch event</a> won’t be the last time some unforeseen variable brings air travel to a halt. Fortunately, travelers don’t have to depend solely on airport technology systems or our own smart devices for seamless travel. Here are six analog strategies that travelers can use to cope with air travel debacles: <h2>Old-school flying suggestions</h2> <ol> <li> Pack smart for potential delays. Make sure you have a carry-on that includes whatever you’d need for an unplanned overnight stay at a hotel – or worse, on an airport floor. Take <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-rule">Transportation Security Administration-approved toiletries</a> and enough clothes so you can deal with a layover somewhere you didn’t expect. And wear comfortable shoes. </li> <li> Be kind to airline employees and airport staff, who can’t control delays or cancellations. Remember that no one airline employee can automatically fix the problem when a software malfunction happens or a freak storm grounds planes. But if you are kind and patient, an airline employee may just comp you a hotel room or give you a more generous rebooking arrangement. Also: It’s just the humane thing to do. </li> <li> Purchase your tickets directly from airlines. It’s not worth saving $20 or $50 on a ticket deal from a third-party vendor. When delays and cancellations happen, if you have such a ticket, the airline will have less interest in aiding you. Buying tickets directly from the airline will help you get back in the air quicker. </li> <li> Have a plan B. In the event that your connecting flight is canceled mid-trip, have you contacted someone you know in that city? Or have you researched hotels easily accessible from the airport? What would it take to get a comfortable spot for a night? A little homework can go a long way if you end up stranded. </li> <li> Bring healthy snacks and other supplies. It’s smart to pack vitamins, zinc, hydration packets, a reusable water bottle, medications, hand sanitizer, or whatever helps bolster your health during a travel stint. If you get waylaid for a few hours or overnight, preplanning some self-care items can help you avoid contagious illnesses and general fatigue. </li> <li> Enjoy the airport. It’s a fascinating place where so many people converge. If you’re <a href="https://stuckattheairport.com">stuck at the airport</a> for several hours, use that time to find interesting things in the concourses. You might discover art shows, a great bookstore, a yoga room or a movie theater. It can be tempting to just stand around the gate area and seethe. But it’s more fun to move around the airport and explore what’s there.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237372/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </li> </ol> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-schaberg-1451119">Christopher Schaberg</a>, Director of Public Scholarship, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arts-and-sciences-at-washington-university-in-st-louis-5659">Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/if-new-technologies-snarl-your-airline-experience-here-are-old-school-strategies-to-cope-237372">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

Why you should be wary of charging your phone in an airport

While charging stations at airports can often be life-savings before boarding a flight, it turns out these handy outlets can be leaving you vulnerable. Many people have fought over a spot to charge up your devices at the last minute before embarking on a holiday, but next time you leave home with your phone or laptop needing some more juice, think again. Emily Stallings, co-founder of tech retailer <a href="https://www.getcasely.com/">Casely</a>, says that by plugging your phone into a power outlet at a public USB charging station, you're at risk of data breaches and malware infection. "If a device gets infected, it could end up leaking sensitive information or even stop working properly," she told <a href="https://travel.nine.com.au/latest/charging-phone-at-the-airport-danger-expert/57d141df-33ba-4a50-89e5-26f6f2a0c18d">9Travel</a>. These public USB ports have often been compromised by cybercriminals, who then use these unsecured ports to steal sensitive information transmitted between devices. "From personal emails to financial data, the information intercepted through these compromised ports could lead to identity theft, financial loss, and other serious consequences," explains Stallings. The best way to get around this threat, without letting your phone run out of battery, is to pack a portable charging device in your carry-on bag every time you travel. With your own cord and power bank, it's far less likely that any sneaky hackers will be able to access your device's data. Stallings says you can also enable security features such as USB Restricted Mode on your device, for those moments when you're desperate for a charger and have to rely on public ports. "This adds an extra layer of protection against potential data breaches and malware infections when charging from public USB ports." "By activating USB Restricted Mode or similar security features, you restrict data transfer over USB connections, effectively preventing unauthorised access to your device's data while charging in public spaces." Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

10 best airports for sleeping

Sleeping in airports isn’t exactly luxury, but sometimes when you’re stuck between flights you’re all out of options. We’ve taken a look at the 10 best airports to sleep in. While you might not be able to get your full set of 40 winks, at least you can catch a little bit of shut eye at these airports. 10. Taipei Taoyuan International Airport – Taiwan You might want to bring along an eye mask or sunglasses, but you can definitely get a bit of shut-eye between flights at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. This airport makes the list but it is quite busy so it’s an idea to have some earplugs or even a pillow if you’re serious about sleeping. 9. Stockholm Arlanda International Airport – Sweden Nothing ruins an airport nap like missing your international flight! Travellers sleeping at Stockholm Arlanda International Airport needn’t be concerned though as there have been reports of travellers leaving post-it notes with stickers that say “Wake me at 5:00am”. Beats an alarm clock! 8. Tallinn International Airport – Estonia This international airport is fast gaining a reputation as a good place to catch some sleep, but it’s advised that you make sure you sleep near other travellers. The website says, “Make sure they are actual travellers and not homeless people – it is sometimes hard to tell in certain airports.” 7. Tokyo Haneda International Airport – Japan Due partly to its proximity to the rest of town, Tokyo Haneda International Airport is a very popular airport to sleep at, to the point where the site says, “If you are staying at a busy airport overnight, you'll have to get there early if you want a good spot, especially during the summer season.” 6. Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport – Portugal While this airport provides a great option for travellers looking to catch up on a little bit of shut-eye, they still have to be creative. The website recommends heading, “behind ticket counters, under and behind seats, in wheelchairs and on luggage conveyor belts,” to get some sleep. 5. Vienna International Airport – Austria This airport sports a grand-spanking new terminal with some nice cots for you to catch up with some shut eye in peace and privacy. There are also lots of power sockets around the place if you need to charge devices or even if you were looking to check out the latest <a href="../news/news/">O</a>ver 60 article on your tablet! 4. Munich International Airport – Germany If you’re looking to catch up on some sleep at the home of Oktoberfest you’re in luck – Munich International Airport is set up pretty well for dozing travellers, relatively safe and asides from the odd security officer asking to see your boarding pass you will generally be left alone. 3. Helsinki International Airport – Finland There is a range of options for sleepy travellers at Helsinki International Airport including the famous GoSleep airport sleeping pods. These handy capsules measure in at 1.8 metres by 0.6 metres, and can be rented for as little as $12 to ensure you get some peace and quiet as you sleep. 2. Seoul Incheon International Airport – South Korea This huge international airport is a marvel in and of itself and provides a state of the art, luxurious place to get a little bit of shut eye between naps. What is even better is the fact that there have been reports of, “a few generous vendors giving away their unsold food to airport sleepers.” 1. Changi International Airport – Singapore When you look at the inclusions this airport has sheerly designed to enhance customer comfort you can see why there’s no question Changi International Airport came out at number one. Enjoy massage chairs, low-lit relaxation zones, armrest-free seating and handy charging outlets. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

As you travel, pause and take a look at airport chapels

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-cadge-343734">Wendy Cadge</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brandeis-university-1308">Brandeis University</a> Flying home? It is very likely there is a chapel or meditation room tucked away somewhere in one of the airports you’ll pass through. <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/06/most-of-the-busiest-u-s-airports-have-dedicated-chapels/">Sixteen of the country’s 20 largest airports</a> have chapels, as do many more around the world. I am a <a href="http://www.wendycadge.com/">sociologist</a> of contemporary American religion and have written <a href="http://www.wendycadge.com/publications/airport-chapels-and-chaplains/">two recent articles</a> about airport chaplains and chapels. My interest in airport chapels started as simple curiosity – why do airports have chapels and who uses them? After visiting a few – including the chapel at Logan, my home airport here in Boston – I have concluded that they reflect broader changing norms around American religion. <h2>How airports came to have chapels</h2> The country’s first airport chapels were intended for staff rather than passengers and were established by Catholic leaders in the 1950s and 1960s to make sure their parishioners could attend mass. The first one in the U.S., Our Lady of the Airways, was built by Boston Archbishop Richard J. Cushing at Logan airport in 1951 and it was explicitly meant for people working at the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srx025">airport</a>. A neon light pointed to the chapel and souvenir cards handed out at the dedication read, “We fly to thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us away from all dangers, O glorious and blessed virgin.” Our Lady of the Airways inspired the building of the country’s second airport chapel, Our Lady of the Skies at what was then Idlewild – and is today John F. Kennedy airport in New York City. Protestant chapels came later. The first was in New York – again at JFK. It was designed in the shape of a Latin cross and was joined by a Jewish synagogue in the 1960s. These chapels were located at a distance from the terminals: Passengers wishing to visit them had to go outside. They were <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Exploring_Interfaith_Space.html?id=on5YNwAACAA">later razed</a> and rebuilt in different area of JFK. In the 1970s and 1980s, Protestant chapels opened in Atlanta, and in several terminals of the Dallas airport in Texas. <h2>Becoming more inclusive</h2> By the 1990s and 2000s, single faith chapels had become a <a href="http://www.tciarchive.org/4534.article">“dying breed.”</a> Most started to welcome people from all religions. And many were transformed into spaces for reflection, or meditation for weary travelers. The chapel at San Francisco International Airport, for example, known as the <a href="https://www.flysfo.com/content/berman-reflection-room-0">Berman Reflection Room</a> for Jewish philanthropist Henry Berman who was a former president of the San Francisco Airport Commission, looks like a quiet waiting room filled with plants and lines of connected chairs. A small enclosed space without any religious symbols or obvious connections to things religious or spiritual is available for services. The scene at the <a href="http://www.atlchapel.org/">Atlanta</a> airport chapel is similar, with only a few chairs and clear glass entrances, to provide space for quiet reflection. Some airports, such as JFK, continue with their “Our Lady” names, indicating their faith-based origins. Others include religious symbols and objects from a range of religious traditions. The chapel in <a href="https://cltairportchapel.org/">Charlotte</a>, North Carolina, for example, has multiple religious texts alongside prayer rugs, rosary beads and artistically rendered quotes from the world’s major religions. Pamphlets on topics ranging from grief to forgiveness are available for visitors to take with them at the Charlotte airport. <h2>Different airports, different rules</h2> As these examples show, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srx025">no two airports</a> have negotiated chapel space in the same way. What is permissible in one city is often not in another. Often, it is local, historical and demographic factors, including the religious composition of the region, that influence decisions. These could even be based on who started the chapel, or how much interreligious cooperation there is in a city. Certain airports such as Chicago’s <a href="http://www.airportchapels.org/">O'Hare</a> have strict rules regarding impromptu religious gatherings whether inside the chapel or out. Some use their public address systems to announce religious services. Others prohibit such announcements and do not even allow airport chaplains to put out any signs that could indicate a religious space. If they are included in airport maps, chapels tend to be designated by the symbol of a person bent in prayer. But even then, they can be difficult to spot. About half of the existing chapels are on the pre-security side of the airport and the other half accessible only after passengers pass through security. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srx025">Only four large American airports</a> – Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York’s LaGuardia – do not have chapel spaces, although opening such a space is under consideration. In the interim, at LaGuardia, a Catholic chaplain holds mass in a conference room. <h2>What’s the future?</h2> The reasons for these spaces and their variations are idiosyncratic and intensely local. These chapels reveal a range of approaches to contemporary American religion and spirituality. So on your travels, keep an eye out for these chapels. Note their similarities and differences and recognize how important local histories are to how church-state issues are resolved – at airports and beyond.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87578/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/wendy-cadge-343734">Wendy Cadge</a>, Professor of Sociology and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/brandeis-university-1308">Brandeis University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-you-travel-pause-and-take-a-look-at-airport-chapels-87578">original article</a>.

Travel Tips

Travellers with disability often face discrimination. What should change and how to complain

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Australia’s former disability discrimination commissioner, Graeme Innes, has settled his dispute <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-23/adelaide-airport-graeme-innes-disability-discrimination-dispute/103375068">with Adelaide Airport</a>. His complaint to the Human Rights Commission was lodged after being denied access to a body scanner with his assistance dog in <a href="https://graemeinnes.com/2022/05/17/airport-discrimination-dash-i-am-angry-as-hell-and-im-not-going-to-take-it-anymore/">May 2022</a>. Unfortunately, Innes’ experience will resonate widely with Australia’s <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/disability/people-with-disability-in-australia/contents/people-with-disability/prevalence-of-disability">4.4 million people with disability</a>. “People with disability know how challenging air travel can be, and that experience needs to be more inclusive,” said Innes, who was disability discrimination commissioner for nine years and is on the board of the <a href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/about-us/governance/board/board-profiles">National Disability Insurance Agency</a>. Experiences like Innes’ have been widely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/03/australias-airlines-and-airports-urged-to-improve-treatment-of-travellers-with-disabilities">reported</a> and have happened to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/graeme-innes-fights-to-change-how-disabled-people-are-treated-when-they-fly-20220516-p5alqs.html">prominent Australians with disability</a>. The everyday experience of air travel is likely even more shocking. Change is happening, but it is moving slowly. <h2>Airport and airline ableism</h2> The Human Rights Commission received more than <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">100 disability discrimination complaints against airlines</a> in the six years to 2022, including the period in which COVID restrictions saw air travel severely limited. Issues included: <ul> <li>assistance animal refusals</li> <li>inaccessible facilities</li> <li>inaccessible ticketing arrangements for people with vision impairments</li> <li>taxis and rideshare providers not turning up, long delays or refusing passengers with disability aids and/or assistance animals.</li> </ul> These issues highlight a system underpinned by unchallenged <a href="https://theconversation.com/ableism-and-disablism-how-to-spot-them-and-how-we-can-all-do-better-204541">ableism</a> – discrimination that favours people without disability. <h2>Freedom of movement</h2> An important right under the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-20-personal-mobility.html">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> is freedom of movement. This right seeks to enable all people to be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">included in society in ways they self-determine</a>. Ableism in air travel is a fundamental denial of independence and freedom of movement. Discrimination can be even more blatant and offensive. People have been removed from flights or denied boarding because there are <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/awptor2023-submission-a16-australian-human-rights-commission.pdf">limits on the number of wheelchair users who can access an aircraft</a> or because they require additional support to access facilities. People with disability report the removal of, or damage to, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-31/virgin-airline-wheelchair-damage-broken-compensation/103010472">personal mobility equipment</a>, and lack of suitable equipment. In the most severe cases, people have been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australians-with-disabilities-suffer-dehumanising-treatment-at-airports-travel-news/b7de6139-258a-4e86-a615-031eb0e89074">injured during travel</a> or left stranded in dangerous circumstances. <h2>Inconsistency can fuel ableism</h2> Inconsistent policies and practices significantly impact travellers with disability. This is made worse by the fact that individual airlines and airports are encouraged by government to develop their own <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-access-forum-aaf/dafp">Disability Access Facilitation Plans</a>. So, it is not surprising when news reports highlight instances of assistance dogs being denied travel <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-15/jetstar-assistance-dog-policy-criticised/103221894">domestically</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/travel/jetblue-service-animal-dot-open-form.html">internationally</a>, even when they’ve <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-20/qantas-sued-over-assistance-dog/103223736">previously been approved</a> by other airlines. Lack of consistency, negative attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices in the air travel industry have resulted in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/singapore-airlines-disability-discrimination-amputee-b2301471.html">reportedly aggressive eviction of passengers</a> with disability from exit rows. Others report being told to “<a href="https://qdn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Voice-of-Queenslanders-with-Disability-report.pdf">catheterise</a>” (to insert a tube through the urethra to the bladder) to avoid needing toilet facilities on an overseas flight. Many people with disability experience situations like Innes’ where they are subjected to alternative, sometimes undignified, processes. Ongoing experiences of ableism not only deny people with disability their rights to travel but can also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2023.2203307">damage their dignity</a>. Anticipation of discrimination can increase anxiety and stress for travellers with disability or prevent them travelling altogether. <h2>Slow reform</h2> These stories and many others point to the need for urgent reform. Stories shared by more than 60 participants in a special Disability Royal Commission session prompted its chair to <a href="https://disability.royalcommission.gov.au/news-and-media/media-releases/chair-writes-ceos-airlines-and-airports#:%7E:text=The%20Chair%20of%20the%20Disability,their%20experiences%20with%20air%20travel">write directly to the CEOs</a> of Australian airlines and airports, urging them to work on solutions. The review and modernisation of the <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/transport-accessibility/transport-disability-standards">2002 Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport</a> along with the upcoming release of the Australian government’s <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/infrastructure-transport-vehicles/aviation/aviation-white-paper">Aviation White Paper</a> could be key mechanisms to address systemic discrimination. But only if key recommendations from disability organisations and advocacy centres are adopted. They include: <ol> <li> <a href="https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/agp2023-submission-c170-australian-federation-of-disability-organisations-and-national-inclusive-transport-advocacy-network.pdf">specific standards</a> for air travel co-designed with people with disability and representative organisations. <a href="https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-04/Universal-Design-for-Transport-TAs-discussion-paper-20220421.pdf">Universal design</a> aims to make products and environments usable by all people, without adaptation. It can play an important role in overcoming the systemic barriers in infrastructure and service design to create more seamless and inclusive transport and air travel experiences </li> <li> <a href="https://piac.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PIAC-Submission-to-Aviation-Green-Paper.pdf">reportable and enforceable standards</a> and independent oversight, such as funding the Human Rights Commission to oversee compliance. </li> </ol> <h2>Complaints are just one route</h2> The exclusion of people with disability from seamless airline travel is a violation of their fundamental right to freedom of movement. Decades of travel horror stories in the media, continuing legislative reviews and national enquiries should bring change. Everyone should be able to make journeys with dignity and autonomy. People with disability deserve the same travel privileges as non-disabled Australians. Governments and the aviation industry will need to collaborate to implement comprehensive accessibility measures, ranging from wheelchair-friendly facilities to trained staff capable of providing appropriate assistance. Embracing inclusivity in air travel not only aligns with the principles of equity but also contributes to a society that celebrates diversity. For now, there are a number of ways to raise complaints, including with the individual airline or with the <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/complaints/make-complaint">Human Rights Commission</a>. Raising complaints with the Human Rights Commission can be completed by anyone who experiences discrimination. Legal support and advice may also be sought from some state-based legal aid organisations. While complaints are one mechanism for change, more proactive methods for change include the disability royal commission’s recommendation for the design and implementation of a <a href="https://teamdsc.com.au/resources/inside-the-disability-royal-commission-s-final-report">Disability Rights Act</a>, which would see human rights enshrined in legislation and facilitate barrier-free travel. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-chapman-1345505">Kelsey Chapman</a>, Research Fellow Dignity Project, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/elizabeth-kendall-210342">Elizabeth Kendall</a>, Professor, Director, Griffith Inclusive Futures, Griffith University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lisa-stafford-1505408">Lisa Stafford</a>, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Inclusive Futures Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/travellers-with-disability-often-face-discrimination-what-should-change-and-how-to-complain-221740">original article</a>.

Travel Trouble

12 expert ways to manage stress at airports

Betsy Goldberg writes for <a href="http://blog.virtuoso.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virtuoso Luxury Traveller</a>, the blog of a <a href="http://www.virtuoso.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">global luxury travel network</a>, and she enjoys nothing more than taking a holiday. Airports should be happy places. They’re the beginning of a journey, either to a new place, a vacation, business meetings, time with family and friends, or back home. If you’ve spent even a brief amount of time inside an airport, though, you know that’s not the case. They can be stressful places with people running to and fro trying to make flights. All while dealing with their day-to-day life via their phone. No surprise that a psychologist has even developed an air travel stress scale. Air travel stress gets to virtually all of us. But it doesn’t have to. How can you reduce the drama? 1. Put things in context A lot of reducing air travel stress comes simply from having a good mindset. The most important thing is to start with the right attitude, says Rishi Piparaiya, author of Aisle Be Damned: “We’re talking about an extremely complicated industry, where millions of people fly in the skies in metal tubes at the speed of sound. Sure, something may go wrong, but our ancestors would spend a lifetime to make the journey we make in half a day.” Here’s another take from Brent Bowen, dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He noted that in 2013 the overall performance of U.S. airlines hit its highest point in 24 years. “The number of customer complaints has gone down,” he says. “Mishandled baggage has gone down and on-time performance has improved. So technically, based solely on the data, (the flight experience) has improved over the last 25 years substantially.” 2. When to fly Leisure travellers tend to fly on weekends. Business travellers are crowding airports Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Therefore, book your flights for the quieter days of Tuesday and Wednesday when you can. Book an early-morning flight if possible to avoid more air travel stress. Airlines are less likely to have delays first thing in the day. 3. Use a packing list This prevents “Oh no!” moments at the airport. If you’re not even at security yet and you already think you’re missing something and don’t have the time to go get it, the rest of the airport experience probably won’t be great. Avoid that kind of air travel stress before you get to the airport by starting with a packing list. Also, learn how to effectively pack a bag. 4. Check in promptly Airlines let you check in online 24 hours before your flight. Do that to avoid lineups at the airport. Another bonus: it may help prevent you from being bumped off an oversold flight. 5. Carry on what you can The advantages: less to potentially lose in your checked luggage. No baggage fees. And a faster exit from the airport when you arrive. Always carry on essentials like keys, medications, valuables and anything critical for business meetings. You don’t want to arrive in the Caribbean and be waiting days for everything you need to actually enjoy the Caribbean. So remember that air travel is actually much more effective than almost any human mode of transport in history. And in the past few decades, the experience has technically only improved. Take a deep breath when that air travel stress hits you. 6. The early bird approach People fall into very distinct camps on this. Earlier tends to be better (especially around peak travel times like holidays). If you know security lines might be longer, why gamble and add more air travel stress? 7. The full charge Phone batteries are getting better as technology continues to develop. And more airports are offering outlets and charging stations. But always get to the airport on a full charge. If you encounter a hiccup, you’ll need your device as a resource. 8. What to wear Layers will help you navigate varying temperatures inside the airport and on the plane. Wear comfortable clothes you can move in, in case of a last-minute dash to a connecting flight. Wrinkle-free clothing is great, both for the journey to your destination as well as your trip itself. As far as footwear goes, wear something easy to slide on/off to get through security faster. In larger airports, you’re likely in for a big walk to and from your gate, so comfort is a must as well. 9. Entertainment Unless you’ve booked an entire row on the plane, your seatmates are a random act of chance. They could be great – and not bother you. Or they could be challenging in many ways. So load up on distractions. Those include magazines, books, e-books, movies, TV shows and work you need to complete. They’ll also help in case of delays while you’re still in the terminal. 10. Your fellow passengers Airports are amazing places for people-watching. If you stop at an airport bar or restaurant, you can usually strike up a conversation easily. You might be sitting next to someone from halfway around the world. You don’t get that chance every day, so take advantage of it. Want a conversation starter? Talk about the fastest way to board passengers. You’ll make some new friends and relieve your mutual air travel stress. 11. Airport lounges Another place to meet new people: an airport lounge. You’ll await your flight in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. And you’ll enjoy peace and quiet, comfortable seating, food, drinks and reading materials. First-class and business-class travellers and elite frequent flyers have access to their airline’s lounge. Also, certain credit card holders enjoy complimentary access. For everyone else, there’s a day pass. A pass at an independent lounge will run you about $30 to $50. 12. Advisors as air travel stress relief There are dozens of reasons why working with a professional travel advisor is a good idea. See here for real-life stories from actual travellers. One of those: an advisor can reduce air travel stress. Your advisor will work with you on itineraries, the best flight times, and any adjustments. If something crops up at the airport, you have a trusted resource one call away. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Tips

Traveller's $3,000 mistake at airport security

A grandmother from New Zealand has copped a whopping $3,000 fine after failing to declare an airport sandwich to border control officers. June Armstrong, 77, was travelling from her native Christchurch to Brisbane to housesit for a friend, and treated herself to a muffin and a sandwich ahead of her 4am flight. Ms Armstrong ate her muffin before boarding the plane, and stashed the sandwich in her carry-on luggage to eat later on the flight. However, the grandmother fell asleep on the plane and the sandwich was left uneaten. When she woke up from her nap, she filled out the declaration form to enter Australia, as she had prescription medication, but completely forgot about the sandwich. When she arrived at the security gates at Brisbane Airport and her bags were checked, she was met with an unfortunate welcome to Australia as she was slapped with the fine. “I was just sobbing and said “$NZ3300 for a little sandwich?” Ms Armstrong told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/canterbury-grandmother-fined-3300-for-chicken-sandwich-by-australian-border-officials/3KJUEZBB2JHVLHBNSXFY3XPKLE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald.</a> She said asked the official who found the sandwich if they could throw it away for her, but after they walked away and came back, they allegedly just said, “Twelve points, $3300”. Ms Armstrong first thought they were joking, but when she realised they were serious, she broke down in tears as staffers "strongly advised" her to appeal the fine within 28 days. She went through with the appeal to avoid forking out the four-figure sum, but to no avail and eventually ended up coughing up the hefty fine. “My husband kept saying, 'Just pay it'. I said, 'It’s our pension, we can’t afford this’,” Ms Armstrong said, adding that they had about $30,000 in savings as well as their pensions. Ms Armstrong sent an email asking why she was fined, considering it was her first infringement, and why the cost was so high, especially considering the sandwich was untouched and sealed. She also outlined the impact the fine was having on her mental health, but she allegedly never received a response. Six months on from sandwich-gate, she has accepted she won’t be getting her money back and has since spoken out to warn fellow passengers not to make the same mistake. “Everybody I show the fine to is dumbfounded, they just can’t believe it,” Ms Armstrong told the NZ Herald. Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said Ms Armstrong needed an import permit to bring the chicken sandwich into the county, adding it could have been a much higher penalty, as fines can be as much as $6260. “Meat has strict import conditions which can change quickly based on disease outbreaks,” a departmental spokesperson told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/grandmother-who-forgot-to-declare-chicken-sandwich-cops-3000-fine-at-brisbane-airport/news-story/2bc94ac2e7e4f59cd16e5798fc7f9f7b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “Uncanned meats, including vacuum-sealed items, are not allowed into Australia unless accompanied by an import permit." Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

"Absolutely insane": Dad's plane act goes viral

A man has gone viral on TikTok after his daughter posted a video of him sleeping on the airplane floor during a long-haul flight. "More room for everybody," she captioned the video of her dad lying down wedged between two rows where their feet would normally go. In the video she also added an overlay text which said: "you have ur airport dad I have my Asian dad." The video has since racked up over 12.4 million views, and while most were impressed by the "hack" others were appalled. "This is so smart – never thought of that," one person wrote. "Smart but I'd lay a blanket down underneath. Thank you airport dad I will steal this idea," added another. "I been alive 25 years, ain't never seen this move before," commented a third. "They do [allow it] on long flights. As long as nobody complains then they don't bother you," added a fourth. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 580px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7290309715286904095&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40bynataliebright%2Fvideo%2F7290309715286904095&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast8-p-0068-tx2%2FoclABAhjhvzjImA6AdbRfwsiNEqBAyICYXEzX8%3Fx-expires%3D1700780400%26x-signature%3D8dYowfoSYD7T5QgGgwn53z%252B4BI8%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> A few others were shocked and pointed out that airplane floors aren't exactly clean. "As a past flight attendant, you don't want to know what I have seen on those carpets," wrote one person. "When I was taking my flight attendant course one thing they said to us over and over was to never walk barefoot on the aircraft... nevertheless lay down," added another. "Man made his own trundle bed," joked a third. While another eagle-eyed commenter was shocked that he would voluntarily wear jeans for 15-hours, "jeans for 15 hours is absolutely insane," they wrote. Images: TikTok

Travel Tips

Take a look inside the luxury airport lounge used by the royal family

Around the world, many airports are known to boast luxurious airport lounges that service frequent flyers and elite travellers. These exclusive areas of the airport are reserved for VIP customers, with members of the royal family even utilising the luxury lounges. At London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, the famous Windsor Suite, found next to Terminal 5, has often been used by the royals including the Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Kate. There are eight private suites, but they come at a hefty price, costing £3000 (A$5700) for just three people. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuRL5p-IcIO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuRL5p-IcIO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Heathrow VIP (@heathrowvip)</a> </div> </blockquote> The whopping price tag covers a series of luxuries during your time at the airport, including a chauffeur who picks you up from your door and takes you straight to the lounge, as well as takes you straight to the plane. There is also a private butler, personal shopper, Michelin star food, and priceless artworks adorning the suites. There are added security features too such as bombproof glass and anti-paparazzi nets to ensure privacy. This level of luxury is not exclusive to the London airport, as airports in Germany, America, the UAE and even Australia boast a similar service to VIP travellers. In Australia, the Qantas Chairman’s Lounge membership list includes the country’s top CEOs, A-list celebrities, and politicians. The lounges are in six domestic airports across the country, and offer world-class dining hidden behind unmarked wood-panelled doors. Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce described the luxury as “probably the most exclusive club in the country” for those who are willing to spend big on the service before their flight. Image credits: Instagram

International Travel

How some people can end up living at airports for months – even years – at a time

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> In January 2021, local authorities arrested a 36-year-old man named Aditya Singh <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/man-living-o-hare-3-001000925.html">after he had spent three months living at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport</a>. Since October, he had been staying in the secure side of the airport, relying on the kindness of strangers to buy him food, sleeping in the terminals and using the many bathroom facilities. It wasn’t until an airport employee asked to see his ID that the jig was up. Singh, however, is far from the first to pull off an extended stay. <a href="https://udayton.edu/directory/artssciences/history/bednarek_janet.php">After more than two decades studying the history of airports</a>, I’ve come across stories about individuals who have managed to take up residence in terminals for weeks, months and sometimes years. Interestingly, though, not all of those who find themselves living in an airport do so of their own accord. This group includes Mehran Karimi Nasseri, who famously lived in Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years and inspired the movie “The Terminal.” <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/12/1136307777/the-terminal-movie-merhan-karimi-nasseri-dies-paris-airport">Nasseri died</a> on November 12, 2022. <h2>Blending in with the crowd</h2> Whether it’s in video games like “<a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/airport-city/9wzdncrfjchj?activetab=pivot:overviewtab">Airport City</a>” or scholarship on topics like “<a href="https://airporturbanism.com/">airport urbanism</a>,” I’ll often see the trope that airports are like “mini cities.” I can see how this idea germinates: Airports, after all, have <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-you-travel-pause-and-take-a-look-at-airport-chapels-87578">places of worship</a>, policing, hotels, fine dining, shopping and mass transit. But if airports are cities, they’re rather strange ones, in that those running the “cities” prefer that no one actually takes up residence there. Nonetheless, it is possible to live in airports because they do offer many of the basic amenities needed for survival: food, water, bathrooms and shelter. And while airport operations do not necessarily run 24/7, airport terminals often open very early in the morning and stay open until very late at night. Many of the facilities are so large that those determined to stay – such as the man at O'Hare – can find ways to avoid detection for quite some time. One of the ways would-be airport residents avoid detection is to simply blend in with the crowds. Before the pandemic, U.S. airports handled 1.5 million to 2.5 million passengers <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">on any given day</a>. Once the pandemic hit, the numbers dropped dramatically, falling below 100,000 during the early weeks of the crisis in the spring of 2020. Notably, the man who lived at O'Hare for a little over three months arrived in mid-October 2020 as passenger numbers <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">were experiencing a rebound</a>. He was discovered and apprehended only in late January 2021 – right when passenger numbers dropped considerably after the <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput">holiday travel peaks</a> and during <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54966531">the resurgence of the coronavirus</a>. <h2>Living in limbo</h2> Not all of those who find themselves sleeping in a terminal necessarily want to be there. Travel by air enough and chances are that, at one time or another, you’ll find yourself in the category of involuntary short-term airport resident. While some people may book flights that will require them to stay overnight at the airport, others find themselves stranded at airports because of missed connections, canceled flights or bad weather. These circumstances seldom result in more than a day or two’s residency at an airport. Then there are those who unwittingly find themselves in an extended, indefinite stay. Perhaps the most famous involuntary long-term resident was <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/merhan-nasseri-charles-de-gaulle-stuck">Mehran Karimi Nasseri</a>, the airport dweller whose story inspired “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362227/">The Terminal</a>.” Nasseri, an Iranian refugee, was en route to England via Belgium and France in 1988 when he lost the papers that verified his refugee status. Without his papers, he could not board his plane for England. Nor was he permitted to leave the Paris airport and enter France. He soon became an international hot potato as his case bounced back and forth among officials in England, France and Belgium. At one point French authorities offered to allow him to reside in France, but Nasseri turned down the offer, reportedly because he wanted to get to his original destination, England. And so he stayed at Charles de Gaulle Airport for nearly 18 years. He left only in 2006, <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0621/p11s02-almo.html">when his declining health required hospitalization</a>. Prior to his death in November 2022, he had returned to the airport on his own accord, and was staying in Terminal 2F when he suffered the heart attack that killed him. Other long-term airport residents include Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker, who spent <a href="https://www.theregister.com/2016/09/12/edward_snowden_wikileaks_sarah_harrison/">more than a month in a Russian airport in 2013</a> before receiving asylum. And then there is <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4673103.stm">the saga of Sanjay Shah</a>. Shah had traveled to England in May 2004 on a British overseas citizen passport. Immigration officials, however, refused him entry when it was clear he intended to immigrate to England, not merely stay there the few months his type of passport allowed. Sent back to Kenya, Shah feared leaving the airport, as he had already surrendered his Kenyan citizenship. He was finally able to leave after an airport residency of just over a year when British officials granted him full citizenship. More recently, the coronavirus pandemic has created new long-term involuntary airport residents. For example, an Estonian named Roman Trofimov arrived at Manila International Airport on a flight from Bangkok on March 20, 2020. By the time of his arrival, Philippine authorities had ceased issuing entry visas to limit the spread of COVID-19. Trofimov spent over 100 days in the Manila airport until personnel at the Estonian embassy <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/travel-stories/man-trapped-in-manila-airport-for-100-days-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/news-story/09bfee03d3d1f23ca28f1fd97fa99109">were finally able to get him a seat on a repatriation flight</a>. [You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklysmart">You can get our highlights each weekend</a>.] <h2>The homeless find refuge</h2> While most involuntary airport residents long to leave their temporary home, there are some who have voluntarily attempted to make an airport their long-term abode. Major airports in both the United States and Europe have long functioned – though largely informally – as homeless shelters. Though homelessness and the homeless have a long history in the United States, many analysts see the 1980s as an important turning point in that history, as many factors, including federal budget cuts, the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill and gentrification, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/">led to a sharp rise in the number of homeless</a>. It is in that decade that you can find the earliest stories about the homeless living at U.S. airports. In 1986, for example, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1986-12-12-8604020917-story.html">the Chicago Tribune wrote about Fred Dilsner</a>, a 44-year-old former accountant who had been living at O'Hare in Chicago for a year. The article indicated that homeless individuals had first started showing up at the airport in 1984, following the completion of the Chicago Transit Authority train link, which provided easy and cheap access. The newspaper reported that 30 to 50 people were living at the airport, but that officials expected the number could climb to 200 as the winter weather set in. This issue has persisted into the 21st century. News stories from 2018 reported a rise in the number of homeless at several large U.S. airports over the previous few years, including at <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/02/12/atlantas-homeless-fill-atrium-worlds-busiest-airport-overnight/328388002/">Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport</a> and at <a href="https://www.wbal.com/article/325387/3/growing-number-of-homeless-people-find-refuge-at-airport">Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport</a>. The coronavirus pandemic has added an additional public health concern <a href="https://saportareport.com/amid-pandemic-city-plan-directs-homeless-sleeping-at-airport-to-supportive-services/columnists/sean-keenan/seankeenan/">for this group of airport denizens</a>. For the most part, airport officials have tried to provide aid to these voluntary residents. At Los Angeles International Airport, for example, officials have deployed crisis intervention teams to work <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/lax-homeless-problem-bathrooms-waste/2278989/">to connect the homeless to housing and other services</a>. But it’s also clear that most airport officials would prefer a solution <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/local/homeless-spending-night-hartsfield-jackson-prompt-police-monitoring/XKhpdJ8QZliOtGYutCsZOO/">where airports no longer operated as homeless shelters</a>. This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 3, 2021.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154336/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/janet-bednarek-144872">Janet Bednarek</a>, Professor of History, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-dayton-1726">University of Dayton</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-some-people-can-end-up-living-at-airports-for-months-even-years-at-a-time-154336">original article</a>.

International Travel

Airport renamed in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth

An airport has been given the seal of approval to be rebranded in honour of the late Queen Elizabeth. The airport in the seaside town of Le Touquet in France was given the go ahead for the renaming by King Charles on Monday, as the entire royal family shared a particular fondness for the town. The renaming of the airport is one of the first places to get approval following Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8th last year. Although there is no official date announced for when the rebrand will take place, Touquet-Paris-Plage airport will become Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage International Airport. "The international airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage is about to undergo a historic transformation by taking on the name 'Elizabeth II International Airport of Le Touquet Paris-Plage'," the town hall said in a statement. "This is a tribute to a great Queen and her uncle who had a fondness for France, as well as a recognition of the 'most British of French resorts'," it added. While honouring the late monarch in the name, the rebranding also acknowledges King Edward VIII, who held a love for the country before he abdicated the throne. Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth's uncle, frequented the resort to enjoy horse riding and sand yachting, sometimes accompanied by his niece when she was not yet Queen. Image credits: Getty Images / Google Maps

International Travel

Why do I fall asleep on the sofa but am wide awake when I get to bed?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/madeline-sprajcer-1315489">Madeline Sprajcer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sally-ferguson-64">Sally Ferguson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> After a long day, you flop onto the sofa and find yourself dozing off while watching TV. The room is nice and warm, the sofa is comfortable, and the background noise of the TV lulls you to sleep. Then a loved one nudges you awake and reminds you to go sleep – in bed. But when you get there, you find to your frustration that you’re wide awake. Why does sleep come so easily on the sofa but not always in bed? <h2>Why is it so easy to fall asleep on the sofa?</h2> <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/sleep-drive-and-your-body-clock#:%7E:text=Sleep%2Fwake%20homeostasis%20balances%20our,that%20it's%20time%20to%20sleep.">Sleep pressure</a> is one reason why you fall asleep on the sofa. This refers to the strength of the biological drive for sleep. The longer you’ve been awake, the greater the sleep pressure. Your body clock or <a href="https://www.thensf.org/what-is-a-circadian-rhythm/">circadian rhythm</a> is another factor. This tells you to be awake during the day and to sleep at night. Your environment will also impact how likely it is you fall asleep. You might have just <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-food-comas-or-why-eating-sometimes-makes-you-sleepy-44355">eaten a meal</a>, your very comfortable sofa is in a warm room, with dim lighting and maybe a TV program in the background. For many people, this environment is perfect for falling asleep. So by the end of the day, sleep pressure is strong, your circadian rhythm is telling you it’s time for sleep and your environment is cosy and comfortable. <h2>What happens after a nap on the sofa?</h2> If you’ve had a nap on the sofa before heading to bed, your sleep pressure is likely much lower than it was before your nap. Instead of having more than 16 hours of wakefulness behind you, you’ve just woken up and therefore have less sleep pressure. This can make it much harder to fall asleep in bed. If you just fell asleep on the sofa for five minutes, you might not have too much trouble getting to sleep in bed. This is because a nap that short is unlikely to reduce your sleep pressure very much. But if you were asleep for an hour, it might be a different story. Your sleep cycles might also be working against you. Most sleep cycles are about <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mary-Carskadon/publication/287231408_Normal_Human_Sleep_An_Overview_Principles_and_Practice_of_Sleep_Medicine_MH_Kryger_Ed/links/5db0c338299bf111d4c026c5/Normal-Human-Sleep-An-Overview-Principles-and-Practice-of-Sleep-Medicine-MH-Kryger-Ed.pdf">90 minutes long</a>. They start with light sleep, progress to deep sleep, and then end with light sleep again. If you wake up during deep sleep, you’re probably going to feel groggy – and it might be easy to get back to sleep when you go to bed. But if you wake up during light sleep it could be harder to fall asleep again in bed. The activities you might do when you get up from the sofa – like turning on bright lights or brushing your teeth – can also make you feel more alert and make it harder to sleep when you get to bed. <h2>Why can’t I fall asleep in my own bed?</h2> There are other reasons why falling also in your bed could be challenging. Many people experience anxiety about falling asleep. They <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24005330/">worry</a> about getting enough sleep or falling asleep fast enough. In such cases, getting into bed can be associated with feelings of stress and apprehension, which make it even harder to sleep. It might be easier to fall asleep on the couch, where there is less stress involved. It might also be harder to fall asleep in bed because of poor <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene">sleep hygiene</a>. This refers to your pre-sleep behaviours and sleep environment. Good sleep hygiene, or healthy sleep habits, includes having a regular routine before bed, a dark, quiet room to sleep in, and not using your mobile phone in bed. For many people who don’t have good sleep hygiene, their behaviours before bed and their bedroom environment might not be conducive to sleep. <h2>How can I make it easier to fall asleep in bed?</h2> First, make sure your room is dark, quiet and comfortable. In winter this might mean putting a heater on 20 minutes before you go to bed or taking a heat pack to bed with you. In summer, you might consider air conditioning or a fan to make your bedroom comfortable for sleeping. If you find it easy to fall asleep with the TV on, you might like to play “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iL1Ce1PZFM&t=1s">white noise</a>” in your bedroom as you fall asleep. Some evidence suggests this may make it <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079220301283#abs0010">easier to fall asleep</a> by masking other disruptive noises. Your behaviour before bed also impacts how easy it is to fall asleep. Making sure you follow the same bedtime routine every night (including going to bed at the same time) can help. Also, even though it’s hard, try not to look at your phone while you’re in bed. Scrolling on your phone before bed can make it <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8329667">harder to sleep</a> due to both exposure to blue light and the potentially stressful or alerting effect of the content you interact with. <h2>In a nutshell</h2> The best way to make it’s easier to fall asleep in your bed is to avoid falling asleep on the sofa in the first place. This will ensure all the sleep pressure you build up during the day will be directed towards a deep sleep in your bed.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208371/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/madeline-sprajcer-1315489">Madeline Sprajcer</a>, Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sally-ferguson-64">Sally Ferguson</a>, Director, Appleton Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-fall-asleep-on-the-sofa-but-am-wide-awake-when-i-get-to-bed-208371">original article</a>.

Body

Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Anyone who has travelled by air in the past ten years will know how stressful airports can be. You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “laptops out of bags, please”. But what does your laptop have to do with security? <h2>The day that changed air travel forever</h2> Airport security changed dramatically after the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11 2001. Before 9/11, you could pass through security with a carry-on bag full of everything you might need for your holiday, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsa">including a knife</a> with a four-inch blade. Indeed, that’s how the 9/11 attackers brought their <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsa">weapons on board</a>. After 9/11, screening processes around the world changed overnight. In the US, private security contractors being paid a minimum wage were swapped out for a federalised program with highly trained security personnel. Anything that could be <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00654/full">considered a weapon</a> was confiscated. Around the world, travellers were suddenly required to <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=6hBnJ-1hRp0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA86&dq=why+do+I+have+to+take+my+shoes+off+at+airport+security&ots=o6JIFHJzF1&sig=B6azb6xqN2uxM9CP-VZdfyt3Ag0#v=onepage&q=why%20do%20I%20have%20to%20take%20my%20shoes%20off%20at%20airport%20security&f=false">remove their shoes</a>, belts and outerwear, and take out their phones, laptops, liquids and anything else that could be used as part of an improvised explosive device. This lasted for several years. Eventually, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">more advanced</a> screening methods were developed to effectively identify certain threats. Today, some countries don’t require you to remove your shoes when passing through security. So why must you still take your laptop out? <h2>Airport scanners have come a long way</h2> The machine your bags and devices pass through is an X-ray machine. The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/why-do-i-have-to-remove-my-laptop-from-my-bag-at-the-airport-xray-machine-20170320-gv1vqs.html">battery</a> and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively – especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras. With these items in your bag, security officials can’t use the screened image to determine whether a risk is present. They’ll have to flag the bag for a physical search, which slows everything down. It’s easier if all devices are removed in the first place. A laptop inside a bag can also shield other items from view that may be dangerous. Scanning it separately reveals its internal components on the screen. In some cases you might be asked to turn it on to prove it’s an actual working computer. With newer multi-view scanning technology, security officials can view the bag from multiple angles to discern whether something is being covered up, or made to look like something else. For instance, people have tried to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">mix gun parts</a> with other components in an effort to pass checked baggage screening. Some airports have upgraded <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/no-more-removing-liquids-and-gels-laptops-at-melbourne-airport-as-new-scanners-installed-20191002-h1ijdf.html">3D scanning</a> that allows travellers to pass their bags through security without having to remove their laptops. If you’re not asked to take out your laptop, it’s probably because one of these more expensive systems is being used. Nonetheless, amping up the technology won’t remove the lag caused by airport screenings. Ultimately, the reason these are a major choke point is because of the speed at which staff scan the imagery (which dictates the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">speed of the conveyor belt</a>). Unless we find a way to automate the entire process and run it with minimal human supervision, you can expect delays. <h2>What about body scanners?</h2> But your bags aren’t the only thing getting scanned at airport security. You are too! The tall frame you walk through is a <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airport-security3.htm">metal detector</a>. Its purpose is to uncover any weapons or other illegal objects that may be concealed under your clothes. Airport metal detectors use non-ionising radiation, which means they don’t emit X-rays. The larger body scanners, on the other hand, are a type of X-ray machine. These can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">active or passive</a>, or a combination of both. Passive scanners simply detect the natural radiation emitted by your body and any objects that might be concealed. Active scanners emit low-energy radiation to create a scan of your body, which can then be analysed. The kind of machine you walk through will depend on where in the world you are. For instance, one type of active body scanner that emits X-rays in what’s called “backscatter technology” was once <a title="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/backscatter-x-ray.htm" href="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/backscatter-x-ray.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used widely</a> in the US, but is no longer used. It’s also banned in <a title="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening" href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> and <a title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2011/11/15/europe-bans-airport-body-scanners-over-health-and-safety-concerns/" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2011/11/15/europe-bans-airport-body-scanners-over-health-and-safety-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the European Union</a>, where only non-ionising technology can be used. Another type of scanner emits lower-energy <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/backscatter-machines-vs-millimeter-wave-scanners.htm">millimetre waves</a>, instead of X-rays, to image the passenger. Millimetre wave frequencies are considered to be non-ionising radiation. <h2>AI in our airports</h2> AI seems to be all around us lately, and our airports are no exception. Advancements in AI systems stand to transform the future of airport security. For now, human reviewers are required to identify potential threats in scanned images. However, what if an advanced <a href="https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/artiificialintelligenceinsecuritycheck/article/">AI was trained</a> to do this using a database of images? It would do so in a fraction of the time. Some airports are already using advanced <a href="https://www.in-security.eu/index.php/editorial/the-future-of-airport-security-faster-smarter-safer">computed tomography</a> (CT) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/21/3d-body-scanners-at-australian-airports-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-work">scanners</a> to produce high-definition 3D imagery. In the future, this technology could be further enhanced by AI to detect threats at a much faster rate. Hypothetically, CT scans could also be used for both humans and their baggage. Could this allow travellers to walk through a body scanner while carrying their bags? Possibly. Until then, you should probably try your best to leave the house on time.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209041/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-have-to-take-my-laptop-out-of-the-bag-at-airport-security-209041">original article</a>.

Travel Tips

Why can’t I use my phone or take photos on the airport tarmac? Is it against the law?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Mobile phones are not allowed to be used while on a plane because they can interfere with the aeroplane’s navigation instruments and <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-the-real-reason-to-turn-on-aeroplane-mode-when-you-fly-188585">cause various safety and social issues</a>. As soon as the plane lands, we’re permitted to turn off flight mode, but at some airports we can’t get much of a signal. That’s because airports are known as mobile signal “<a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/slow-connection-airport-tarmacs/">dead zones</a>” due to a lack of mobile towers – they can’t be placed at the airport itself due to height restrictions. Any nearby mobile towers would be located away from the airport’s runway systems to avoid interfering with the aeroplane’s flight path, especially take-off and landing direction. Most airports put up indoor repeater antennas within the airport terminal; these help increase the mobile signal strength coming from the nearest mobile tower somewhere near the airport. But you won’t be allowed to make calls while walking away from the plane, anyway. <h2>Why can’t I use my phone on the tarmac?</h2> As we are taxiing in, the <a href="https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/onboard/communication.html">cabin crew</a> remind us not to smoke outside of designated areas at the terminal and not to use our mobile phones until we are inside the terminal building. If you exit the plane down the rear stairs, why aren’t you allowed to use your phone once away from the aeroplane, if you can get a signal? Surely it won’t affect navigation. The answer is manifold, and regulations aren’t the same across the world. In Australia, a <a href="https://www.casa.gov.au/operations-safety-and-travel/travel-and-passengers/onboard-safety-and-behaviour/using-your-electronic-devices-flights">government regulation</a> prohibits the use of mobile phones on the tarmac – the aeroplane movement and parking area of the airport. You won’t be fined if you whip your phone out while walking to the terminal, but the airline may admonish you for not following the rules. However, if you decide to (<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/woman-arrested-after-running-onto-tarmac-at-melbourne-airport-20151125-gl7bkq.html">run around on the tarmac</a>, you could get arrested by federal police. The airport tarmac is very busy not just with aircraft, but also baggage carts, catering trucks, aeroplane waste removal trucks, and fuel trucks. Getting passengers off the tarmac and into the terminal building quickly and safely is a priority for the staff. If you are distracted while walking to the terminal building because you’re talking on your phone, it can be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/25/alabama-airport-worker-killed-jet-engine-safety-warnings">highly dangerous and even deadly</a> if you end up too close to an operating plane. An operating jet engine is extremely hot and has a strong exhaust. Additionally, the front of the engine has a low-pressure area called an <a href="https://www.ukfrs.com/guidance/search/aircraft-systems-and-construction">ingestion zone</a> that can suck in a person. Ground staff are trained to stay at least ten metres away from this area. However, this information is not shared with the passengers. <h2>A myth about fuel</h2> You may have heard that mobile phones are a fire hazard near fuel, and aeroplanes are, of course, refuelled on the tarmac. However, the chances of fuel catching fire during this process are extremely low, because the refuelling truck is <a href="https://safetyfirst.airbus.com/safe-aircraft-refuelling/">bonded and “grounded” to the plane</a>: the operator attaches a wire to the aircraft to move built-up static electricity to the ground to prevent any chance of a spark. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><figcaption></figcaption></figure> There have been stories in the press about mobile phones sparking <a href="https://www.verizon.com/about/news/vzw/2014/12/fact-or-fiction-using-a-cell-phone-at-the-gas-station-can-cause-a-fire">fires at petrol stations in Indonesia and Australia</a>, but these turned out to be inaccurate. There is <a href="https://www.nfpa.org/assets/files/AboutTheCodes/30A/FI%20-%20NFPA%2030A-2015%20Para%208.3.1%20-%20Attachments%2014-19.2017-04-04.pdf">no evidence a phone can spark a fire at a fuel pump</a>, despite the warning labels you might see. Either way, the chances of a mobile phone causing this on the tarmac with a refuelling truck that is grounded to the aeroplane are extremely low, not least because the passenger permitted areas and refuelling areas are completely separated. <h2>Why are we told not to take photos on the tarmac?</h2> This rule varies from airport to airport depending on their <a href="https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequently-asked-questions/can-i-film-and-take-photos-security-checkpoint">security processes</a>. Such restrictions are carryovers from the changes to airport security following the <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/jlecono50&i=739">September 11 2001 terrorist attacks</a>. The now federalised security teams, TSA (Transportation Security Administration) in the United States and the Department of Home Affairs in Australia, change their processes frequently to prevent having any identifiable patterns that could be used to create a security breach. The increased security measures also mean new technologies were introduced; airport security sections do not want photos taken of how they operate. The airport security process is a major choke point in the flow of passenger movement due to the screening process. If a passenger is perceived to be slowing the process down by taking photos or talking on their phone, they will be reminded to turn off their device and/or stop taking photos of security personnel and equipment. If you refuse to follow the rules of the screening process, you will be <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening">denied entry</a> into the airport terminal gate area and miss your flight. Can you also get arrested for using your phone? Depends on the airport and country. I, for one, do not want to find out.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207926/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-cant-i-use-my-phone-or-take-photos-on-the-airport-tarmac-is-it-against-the-law-207926">original article</a>.

Travel Tips

6 surprising secrets from airport insiders

Sometimes the truth can be hard to hear! Writing on Reddit, an anonymous forum, airport and airline employees have shared a series of revealing secrets about airport life Here are six of the most shocking truths from these anonymous airline insiders. 1. Locks on zippered suitcases aren’t that effective According to a Reddit user going under the name of royalsiblings, ““You can pop a zipper with a pen and drag the locked zipper pulls around the bag to close them back up. I've done this many times to identify bags that are tagless and locked.” 2. It might be a good idea to bring your own headphones Reddit user ichigo29 said, “I used to work for warehouse that supplied a certain airline with items. The headsets that are given to you are not new, despite being wrapped up. They are taken off the flight, “cleaned”, and then packaged again.” 3. Make sure you remove old flight tags Reddit user aurelius said, “Not a secret, just common sense; the reason some bags miss their flight or get misrouted is because passengers don't remove old tags. It confuses handlers as well as the conveyor belt scanners. I see it happen all the time.” 4. It’s a good idea to be kind to employees Reddit user ihatcoe said, “The nicer you are to us, the more we can do for you… Your neighbour is noisy? Tell us nicely and we might be able to get you a better seat.” 5. Buy or fly on a Tuesday in the US Redditor Drama_Llama said, “I work Revenue Management for an airline. On average, the cheapest time to BUY a ticket is Tuesday afternoon. The cheapest time to FLY is Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. This applies to US flights in my experience.” 6. If you’re travelling with a pet, put its name on the carrier Redditor RabbitMix said, ““If you checked your dog there's about a 30 percent chance it's terrified before it even gets on the plane, who knows how scared it gets during the actual flight. Bag room agents will usually try to comfort a scared animal, but all we can really do is talk to it, so if you write your pet's name on their carrier it usually helps a lot.” Images: Getty

International Travel

7 strange and unique airports

Making a connection at one of these airports would be quite an experience, and we’ve taken a look at seven strange and unique airports from all around the world. US Federal Transfer Centre, Oklahoma City, USA If you find yourself at the US Federal Transfer Centre, needless to say things have taken an interesting turn in your life. Located next to Will Rogers World Airport, this facility is used for holding inmates and transferring them between federal prisons. Black Rock City Municipal Airport, USA This airport is unique in the sense that it only operates for a week every year. Black Rock City Municipal Airport opens briefly every year for the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert, playing host to around about 150 aeroplanes during the week. Kansai International Airport, Japan Entirely offshore, Kansai International Airport services a region that has no space to run a 24 hour airport in the city where no land can be expropriated. Over 21 million square metres of landfill was excavated from nearby mountains to put it together. Kai Tai Airport, Hong Kong While it’s no longer operational, Kai Tai Airport was once instrumental with linking Hong Kong with the outside world. From 1925 to 1998 landing on this little chunk of reclaimed land with high-rises on both sides was a harrowing experience in larger aircraft. Sea Ice Runway, McMurdo Station, Antarctica During the summer Antarctic field season the Sea Ice Runway acts as the principle runway for the US Antarctic Program. A proper runway for wheeled aircraft is constructed at the start of each season and used up until early December, until the ice breaks up. Paro Airport, Bhutan Flying into the only international airport in Bhutan is no easy task, with pilots having to navigate through two treacherously narrow valleys and performing a turn in its approach to the strip. Paro Airport is serviced by Bhutan’s National Airline Druk Air. Barra Airport, Scotland What makes this short-runway airport located at the north tip of the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides is the fact that it’s the one airport in the world where scheduled flights use the beach as a runway (provided of course that the tide is out). Images: Getty

International Travel

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