Travel News

Icarus Award: Airlines Gone Wild

From embarrassing passengers to mocking the unemployed and adding on fees to protest government regulations, it’s been quite a week for airlines. Plus with a grenade in an airport and Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Taj Mahal, there are travel failures wherever you look. Read about all of it and be sure to vote for the worst offender in our poll.

The Government Made Me Do It

Spirit Airlines has been known for its carry-on luggage fee, its online ticket booking fee and now the budget airline is adding perhaps their most ridiculous charge to the mix. One-way tickets are increasing $2 as for the “Department of Transportation’s unintended consequences” fee. In implementing the new DOT rules, Spirit, alongside other airlines, are required to allow passengers to change their minds within 24 hours of booking a trip without paying a penalty. The airline claims that the new fee is just to cover the cost if the airline flies less-than-full planes. However, Transportation Secretary Roy La Hood sees it as another example of the disrespect airlines show their customers.

Explosive Accessories

On Tuesday night, a hand grenade was found in a passenger’s carry-on luggage resulting in a temporary evacuation of Delta’s terminal at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International. The device was located during a routine screening, which resulted in a 10-minute terminal closing after which no flights were delayed or canceled. The armed passenger had his grenade confiscated, was denied boarding and has been sent home but is still being investigated by the TSA.

Mob vs. Ryanair

Overseas, budget airline and frequent Icarus contender Ryanair is nominated yet again. This this time CEO Michael O’Leary is in the spotlight for another tasteful remark. Announcing the opening of Ryanair in Spain, O’Leary was upstaged by protests from former Spainair employees, who were up in arms against their former boss. Looking to bring the spotlight back to himself, O’Leary joked, “I’d like to thank all of our fans outside for helping us to promote the arrival of Ryanair in Bilbao today.” Police were called in to protect O’Leary from the angry mob.

Two Stone Too Many

Is a fat tax coming to the UK? This past week a court ruled that passengers do not have the right to sue for embarrassing acts that occurred on a plane. This legal precedent was set when Thomas Cook and British Airways won a case against two disabled passengers, who were separated from caretakers and suffered “embarrassments” in flight. The ruling means that airlines in the UK can never be held accountable for hurt feeling. Lawyer Daniel Barnett concluded in a statement to the Daily Mail that “airlines are immune if they choose to embarrass overweight passengers by demanding a fat tax.” Though no tax has been put into place,it might be time to skip the bangers and mash before flying in the UK.

Terminator at the Taj

Last Friday Arnold Schwarzenegger got so close but couldn’t quite make it to the Taj Mahal. The former California Governor hoped to see the monument on his first trip to India, but was unable to visit this wonder of the world that is closed every Friday out of respect to Muslim prayers at a nearby mosque. Tour guide Nitin Singh noted that the disappointed movie star had to view the Taj Mahal from a nearby road, where he was able to take numerous cell phone pictures and pose for a few photos with the monument in the backdrop. All was not lost since Schwartnegger later had the opportunity to bite into “Delhi’s biggest naan” bread.

Sticky Finger Security won last week’s Icarus Award. Check out more nominees in our Icarus Award section. Vote for this week’s worst offender in our poll.

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By Lily J. Kosner for Peter Greenberg.com

Related Links: USA Today, Huffington Post, Eitb, Daily Mail, Huffington Post, Huffington Post