COMING AND GOING
Cindy Loose, Washington Post, 7/22/2007 (excerpted)
Flying Into Brazil
Last week's deadly crash at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has focused attention on endemic problems in Brazil's air safety system, including a shortage of air traffic controllers and slowdowns by controllers who complain of short staffing and poor working conditions. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations cautioned pilots in January that Brazil lacks "proper governmental oversight and control" of air traffic.
Congonhas, South America's busiest airport, is of particular concern because it has a short runway and, according to critics, is unsafe for landings when wet.
"If you have a choice, choose an airport besides that one," advises Toby Friedl, regional manager for Latin America for Annapolis-based iJet Intelligent Risk Systems, a firm that advises corporations on travel and asset risk management. He says a federal judge in Brazil earlier ordered that certain types of planes not be allowed to land at Congonhas, but a federal tribunal lifted the order.
Friedl says his firm is "concerned" about air traffic safety throughout Brazil but notes that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration rates the system a Category 1, meaning it meets all international standards. He adds, "We're not only following developments in Brazil; Argentina has fairly serious problems as well."
The federation of pilots' associations adds that the accident in Brazil "demonstrates once again the need for runway end safety areas." Runways that aren't long enough or wide enough to meet the federation's safety recommendations are "a worldwide problem," the federation says, and it is calling for higher international standards.
London Luggage Jam
Passing through London's Heathrow Airport this summer? Beware: There's a misplaced- baggage epidemic, with such a huge backlog that you might be separated from your bags for a long time.
Although British Airways spokeswoman Michele Kropf declined to say how many bags that airline alone has misplaced at Heathrow in recent weeks, she did say it has been "in the thousands." She added, "We're working around the clock to clear the backlog."
Among the problems: aging conveyor belts for moving luggage; an increase in checked bags because passengers leaving the United Kingdom may carry on only one bag or personal item, not both; and recent bad weather. Kropf says British Airways' problem is exacerbated by the fact it is operating out of two terminals and must transfer bags between them, a problem she says will be solved in March, when a new terminal opens. She also blames the recent security crackdowns after the bombing in the airport in Glasgow, Scotland.
[Our] advice: If you can't avoid Heathrow, stuff your essentials into the largest carry-on bag your airline allows.
Travel Ticker
New hope for clearing up the passport backlog: The House last week passed a bill, already approved in the Senate, that would make it easier for the State Department to temporarily rehire retired passport experts. Retirees could be on board sometime this summer... American Airlines passengers can now request a confirmed seat on an earlier or later flight on the day they're scheduled to travel a full 12 hours before the scheduled departure time of the alternate flight. The $25 fee remains the same, but formerly, passengers wishing to make a change on a nonrefundable ticket had to wait until three hours before the alternate flight or pay a higher fee, usually $100. The deal is good in the United States and on flights between the United States and the Caribbean.