TSA agent plunders $50K in electronics, caught shoving iPad in pants

Have you ever lost something from your bag after checking it at the airport? The TSA gives us another reason to diligently guard portable electronics in our carry-on luggage.

Arrested in Terminal One of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, former US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent Nelson Santiago-Serrano was caught with stolen property in his pants. An employee of Continental watched Santiago-Serrano take an iPad out of a piece of luggage and stuff the Apple device into his pants. After alerting authorities, Santiago-Serrano was taken into custody. He told authorities that he had stolen $50,000 dollars worth of electronics including computers, video cameras, GPS units and other various devices.
Once Santiago-Serrano pilfered a new item, he listed the item online and typically sold it before his shift ended. Thirty-year-old Santiago-Serrano worked for the TSA for the last 30 months, but was fired by the TSA after being charged with two counts of grand theft. The sheriff’s office is attempting to locate victims of Santiago-Serrano’s actions. Santiago-Serrano was released Tuesday on a $4,000 bond.
This isn’t the first time a TSA agent was arrested for theft of personal property. In June, former TSA agent Paul Yashou was arrested for stealing personal property at Terminal One of the Los Angeles International Airport. Yashou actions were discovered by a tip from an Orange County pawn shop. It’s estimated Yashou stole $30,000 of property in his nine years as a TSA agent. Former TSA agents Karla Morgan and Dawn Nikole Keka were arrested for stealing money from luggage planted by authorities in a sting operation. Former TSA agents Persad Coumar and Davon Webb were also caught stealing money from bags and police found $40,000 of loose bills at their homes. Coumar and Webb claim to have stolen $160,000 in property while working at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Santiago-Serrano’s actions serve as a reminder to all travelers to repeatedly check belongings for expensive portable electronics as well as any traveling money when traveling via plane. Other tips include using padded notebook pockets in luggage, laptop locks and online laptop tracking.

Theft from travelers and their Luggage

Theft from travelers and their bags, is as old as time itself, it goes back to the nomads and the caravans; however the mode of travel have changed over time, and so have the method of taking advantage of the unassuming and weary traveler. This posting is not an indictment against the TSA or the baggage handlers nor is it intended to denigrate them, it is just a bit of information for those who travel,and to ensure that they use common sense when they do get on the road or up in the air.Today, theft from the travelers can and often begins at the cubs side drop off check in and continue on to the TSA, and those who put the travelers bags on the plane, that is if they are traveling by plane,the bus or train is the same.Take a look at the following stories from the news headlines and govern yourself accordingly, a word to the wise should be sufficient:
Airline supervisor pleads guilty to Portland baggage theft

Northwest Airlines, now Delta baggage supervisor stole checked luggage at Portland airport; faces 18 months in prison. By The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. — A former Northwest Airlines baggage supervisor at Portland International Airport has pleaded guilty to stealing checked luggage. Bridgett Bunnell pleaded guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court to first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree theft and theft by receiving on Monday. Under a plea deal, the 44-year-old Molalla woman is expected to serve 18 months in prison. She is to be sentenced Nov. 3. Prosecutors accused Bunnell of stealing more than $10,000 worth of luggage, then posting some of the stolen goods on the Internet for sale. A co-defendant, 46-year-old Jose Trejo Romero, a former Northwest Airlines baggage handler, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft last week. Under a similar plea agreement, Romero also will face 18 months in prison

St. Louis airport theft ring busted, Updated 3/20/2009. By Jim Salter, Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS — Eight contract baggage handlers for Delta Airlines rifled through hundreds of bags of luggage at Lambert Airport over a period of more than a year, stealing some 900 items ranging from laptops and iPods to cologne and cigarettes, airport police said Thursday. Formal charges have not been filed, and names of the suspects were not released. Airport Police Chief Paul Mason said the workers were employed by St. Louis-based Huntleigh USA, hired by Delta to handle baggage. Huntleigh chief executive officer Richard Sporn said all eight workers were fired. "It clearly is an unfortunate situation and we are distressed by the news," Sporn said. "Unfortunately we are not the first for something like this to happen. All we can do is learn from this and try to make sure it doesn't happen again." At a news conference at the airport, most of the recovered items were laid out on tables. The thieves targeted expensive goods, mostly electronic devices, games, computers and computer equipment. There also were more mundane items — cartons of cigarettes, battery chargers, even cologne. Mason asked anyone who believes they were victimized to call a special hot line: 314-890-1822. Victims will be asked to somehow prove stolen items are theirs. For example, they may be asked to cite directions on a stolen GPS, or songs on a stolen iPod. Delta said in a written statement that it was working with authorities on the case. A spokeswoman declined to elaborate and would not say if the Atlanta-based airline would consider ending its contract with Huntleigh. Airport police track all reports of stolen items from luggage, and Mason said the thefts apparently began 12 to 15 months ago. In January, airport detective Eric Williams noticed a pattern. A tip from an airport employee confirmed his suspicion that workers at the airport were stealing. Williams developed suspects and began interviewing them earlier this month. Mason said the suspects admitted to the crime and even led authorities to a home in Jersey County, Ill., where one of the suspects lives. Many of the stolen goods were found at that home. Mason said the workers were opening bags before placing them on outbound flights. "They were carrying (stolen items) out in their coats, or fannypacks, or backpacks," he said. Huntleigh provides baggage handling services at Lambert only for Delta. Mason said the thefts have raised concerns for other airlines, too, though he believes it was an isolated incident. "I've been here 20 years and this is the first time we've had anything of this magnitude," he said.Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

Sting nabs sticky-fingered JFK airport workers going through luggage,  BY Wil Cruz  DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER  Wednesday, July 15th 2009, 12:08 AM

A sting captured by security cameras nabbed two sticky-fingered airport workers who swiped electronics planted by authorities, officials said. Brian Burton, 27, and Antwon Simmons, 26, stole a laptop and cell phone from the decoy luggage as it moved through Kennedy Airport, Port Authority officials said. "When air travelers check their luggage with an airline, there is an implicit trust that their bags and their contents will meet them at their destination," said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. "The defendants are accused of betraying that trust."  Burton, an officer with the Transportation Security Administration, was videotaped July 7 pilfering through the Miami-bound suitcase in an airport screening room while Simmons, a baggage handler, looked on. The thieves also switched the luggage tags, hoping to conceal their handiwork, officials said. The suitcase was a trap set by the Transportation Security Administration and Delta Air Lines. They stuffed the luggage with a lap top, an iPod and two cell phones, prosecutors said. The pilfering pair - who had been on cops' radar, a source said - took the bait, failing the so-called integrity test. Burton, of Queens, and Simmons, of Brooklyn, were awaiting arraignment last night on charges of grand larceny, possession of stolen property and falsifying business records. They face up to four years in prison if convicted.
How to Get Through Airport Security Faster

Airport security is a traveler's rite of passage: the long lines, the ID check, the shuffling of personal items. Get through security faster with these easy strategies. By JD Rinne, Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Pack like you're making lasagna: (no, seriously!) You probably don't want a security official inspecting your carry-on bag by hand. Time-consuming inspections usually only happen when an x-ray machine operator can't identify items. Avoid this hassle by packing in a way that keeps your curling iron, hair dryer, and other hard-plastic or dense items separate in your bag, instead of allowing them to get tangled in a pile—and look suspiciously like a bomb or a weapon on an X-ray scan. Layer your electronics and toiletries in between your clothes like you're spreading ricotta cheese in between strips of pasta to prepare lasagna. Put heavy clothes on top to act as a weight and secure loose items.

Remember the 3-1-1 rule: If you plan to go carry-on only, any liquid should be kept in a 3.4-ounce bottle or smaller. You're only allowed as many bottles as can fit in one quart-size, clear ziplock bag. Find bottles in your local drugstore's travel or $1 section, or online. Buying products packaged in small amounts can be expensive: We recently found face wash in a two-ounce bottle for for $9, shaving cream for about $6, and contact lens solution for $10.50. By transferring your liquids from standard-size bottles into TSA-friendly containers, like our favorite squishy bottles from humangear.com, you should save a lot of money. Try the GoToob squishy bottles from humangear.com for storing your liquids.

Dress for success: Slip-on shoes (preferably with socks; think of the dirty feet that have been on that linoleum), minimal jewelry, and no belt is the standard uniform for moving through security fast. If you insist on wearing jewelry and a watch on the plane, take them off and slip them into a pocket in your carry-on before you enter the security cordon.
Use flight-ready toiletries: Keep your travel bag stocked with "flight ready" items that don't break the TSA's liquid rules, such as solid perfume, and lip balm instead of lip gloss.

Buy a TSA-approved laptop bag: The TSA allows laptops to go through the X-ray in checkpoint-friendly laptop bags, like a simple $20 Skooba Skin. The most common and cheapest is a laptop sleeve. Consumer Reports recommends a few here. Laptops are also among the most-forgotten items at security, so label yours with a business card or ID tag.

Keep an eye peeled for new security programs: Fifty airports (including Boston, Chicago, and Seattle) have security lines split among Expert, Casual, and Family travelers. Look for the signs and hit the line that's right for you—we suggest Expert now that you've read our tips. Also, remember that 18 airports and five airlines are currently participating in the Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program. If the program covers your flight, you can go straight to the security checkpoint and use your cell phone as a boarding pass.

IT'S SHOWTIME: Once you've presented your ID and boarding pass, get moving. Find the shortest line—look especially for lines toward your left because studies show that Americans are more likely to turn right than left when entering a building, so lines on the left will tend to be shorter. Grab two bins. The TSA is asking travelers to put shoes directly on the X-ray belt, so do that first. Pull out your quart-size bag of liquids and small electronics (like an iPhone) and lay them on top of your jacket. In the second bin, put your laptop (or, if you've got just got one bag or purse, use this bin for that). After successfully passing through the metal detector (because we know you will), grab your shoes and slip them on, then snag your other belongings and slip them back in your bag. Look around quickly for anything that may have come loose, and then exit the security area to keep the line moving. Bottom line is: if you don't want to lose it, carry it! If you can't carry it, ship it via Fed Ex, or UPS.
"The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." ~G.K. Chesterton

Arizona couple arrested for stealing scores of luggage

Arizona couple arrested for stealing scores of luggage
Wed Nov 4, 2009 3:59pm EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Police have solved the mystery of where about 1,000 pieces of luggage from Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport disappeared to -- the home of local couple Keith and Stacy King.Authorities initially detained Keith King three weeks ago after he was spotted entering the airport from outside and taking a piece of luggage police learned was not his from a baggage carousel to the parking lot. However, his initial arrest apparently did not put an end to his alleged activities as King was found again on Monday at the airport taking another suitcase. Police followed him to his home on the outskirts of Phoenix, obtained a search warrant, and discovered the huge luggage stash."We believe that the suspects ... went through the bags pretty much as soon as they got them and took out what they thought was of value and could use," Phoenix police spokesman Detective James Holmes told Reuters.
"It's a God awful lot of luggage, you can't even imagine," he said. Holmes said that interviews with neighbors revealed that the couple had yard sales most weekends to sell a variety of the stolen goods, including the suitcases themselves. While it was unclear what was the role of King's wife in the scheme, the two are likely facing a multitude of charges including theft and burglary, he said. Authorities are now trying to identify "massive amounts of stolen items" in an attempt to reunite them with their owners.
(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, editing by Philip Barbara)

Woman Gropes TSA Agent's Breast at Security Checkpoint

Updated: Saturday, 16 Jul 2011, 2:31 AM EDT
Published : Friday, 15 Jul 2011, 9:09 PM EDT

Adapted for the Web by
myFOXPhoenix.com Staff

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PHOENIX - We hear a lot of complaints about security screeners groping airline passengers.

Yukari Miyamae allegedly groped a female TSA agent in Arizona

But now, a Colorado woman is accused of putting her hands on a TSA agent at Sky Harbor  International Airport in Phoenix. Court records show 61-year-old Yukari Mihamae grabbed the left breast of the female agent Thursday at the Terminal 4 checkpoint. Police say she squeezed and twisted the agent's breast with both hands. Officers say Mihamae admitted to the crime. There's no word why she touched the agent. Mihamae now faces a felony count of sexual abuse. According to court records, she lives in Longmont, Colorado and is self-employed.

No Felony Charges For Longmont Woman In TSA Groping Case

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – No felony charges will be filed against the Colorado woman who allegedly sexually assaulted a Transportation Security Administration agent in Phoenix. On Tuesday the Maricopa County district attorney decided to turn the case of Yukari Miyamae, 61, of Longmont over to city prosecutors. She could still be charged with a misdemeanor. Police say Miyamae grabbed the female agent’s left breast, squeezed and twisted it with both hands on July 14 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Miyamae was getting ready to board a flight from Phoenix to Denver. 

Yukari Miyamae (mug shot credit of Maricopa County Sheriff), TSA agents at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (credit: CBS)

Miyamae’s attorney Judd Golden says his client was violated, endangered and threatened by the actions of TSA agents. She denies doing anything wrong. Golden released a statement Tuesday, saying Miyamae is a self-employed translator, author and radio producer. He used the following words to describe how the situation unfolded: Ms. Miyamae says she told TSA agents she wanted to be screened by the metal detector gate. She did so out of concern for excessive radiation exposure from the full-body scanners, as she is a frequent business traveler. Her request was denied. She was soon surrounded by TSA agents. One TSA agent, a tall woman, approached Ms. Miyamae, who is only five feet tall. Ms. Miyamae felt panicked and experienced a volatile aversion to the TSA personnel violating her personal physical space. She felt endangered and threatened based upon prior traumatizing security pat-downs, repugnance at the prospect of being touched again in such a violent and undignified manner, and instinctively pushed the female TSA agent away. Golden says Miyamae is considering offers to do interviews but so far hasn’t committed to doing one.

3 Women Say TSA Screeners Groped Vaginas During Pat-Down

AP: We're now aware of three separate incidents in which TSA screeners have allegedly touched travelers vaginas during the new "enhanced" pat-downs. To recap: A blogger in Dayton, Ohio says a TSA employee at a Dallas airport touched her breasts, buttocks, vagina area and "both of my labia"; an elementary schoolteacher from Washington says, "I didn’t really expect her to touch my vagina through my pants"; and today an ABC News employee claims she was subject to a "demeaning" search at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday morning. This one's the worst: "The woman who checked me reached her hands inside my underwear and felt her way around," the ABC employee says. "It was basically worse than going to the gynecologist. It was embarrassing. It was demeaning. It was inappropriate." In response to an inquiry from Good Morning America, TSA administrator John Pistole explained, "There should never be a situation where that happens. The security officers are there to protect the traveling public. There are specific standard operating protocols, which they are to follow." Well, it's good to know that TSA screeners aren't actually supposed to go to third base during a pat-down. But do they know that? Here are a few more horror stories: A 61-year-old cancer survivor from Michigan says he was humiliated after a pat down broke his urostomy bag, leaving him covered in his own urine. "I was so embarrassed and so petrified of going out into the airport and people would see me and quote unquote smell me," Thomas Sawyer tells ABC. "My underwear had dropped to the floor and I'm standing there in front of them with my underwear and had to ask to pull it up." A flight attendant and breast cancer survivor says the TSA made her take off her prosthetic breast. "She put her full hand on my breast and said, 'What is this?' I said 'It's a prosthesis because I've had a breast cancer,'" Cathy Bossi says. "And she said, 'You'll need to show me that.'" And here's the story of the rape survivor who was reduced to tears by a humiliating, full-body pat-down. As Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic previously noted, get back into the machine? Flying Pasties and Rocky Top Gear are here to help. Both companies sell underwear with strategically placed metal that will supposedly prevent TSA scanners from seeing your junk with the porno scanner. Rocky Top Gear's fig leaf metal design is also made with lead-free radiation-shielding material! And by the way, it is so easy  to invert the body scan negatives to reveal the individual's flesh-colored features.
As the man in one complaint said, "All one of these TSA pukes has to do is get a hold of this picture and it goes presto-chango, from not being able to recognize a thing to 'Hey, I used to date that girl!'" the TSA seems to be deliberately making the pat-downs as invasive as possible to discourage passengers from opting-out of the full body imaging scanners. During one recent airport visit, APGoldberg asked a  TSA screener if he was looking forward to conducting the enhanced pat-downs. "Nobody's going to do it," he said, "once they find out that we're going to do." Goldberg asked, "In other words, people, when faced with a choice, will inevitably choose the Dick-Measuring Device over molestation" The screener replied, "That's what we're hoping for.We're trying to get everyone into the machine." So ladies, bottom line, rumors has it that male TSA Targets women for “Full Body Scans”

Travel Trends And News About Travel

“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” - Paul Fussel.

8 Things an Airline Would Never Tell You
We asked a half-dozen insiders to expose little-known facts the airline industry would rather you didn't think about. They shared some pretty eye-opening stuff.
By Alexander Basek, Thursday, September 3, 2009
1. "Airport luggage scales often lie." It's bad enough that the airlines charge a fee for overweight luggage, varying from $39 to $300 per bag industrywide. But it's galling that they may also hit you with the fee by mistake. At JFK last November, New York City's Department of Consumer Affairs found that 14 percent of the airport's scales were not properly calibrated. At Boston's Logan airport, 10 percent of the scales recently inspected gave incorrect readings. The South Florida Sun–Sentinel has discovered numerous busted scales at area airports. And the list goes on. What to do? Stand up for yourself, especially when a scale barely tips the balance into the "overweight" category. Brandon Macsata, executive editor of the D.C.-based lobbying group Association for Airline Passenger Rights advises passengers to weigh their bags at home first, and if the airport scale comes up with a different number, insist that your bags be weighed on a different scale. Yes, it's come to that.

2. "Our air may make you sick." The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether potentially harmful fumes have been circulating in airplane cabins. Between 1999 and 2008, air became contaminated on 926 flights, reports the FAA, without specifying any possible health risks. Currently, the agency is looking at a particular type of "fume event" that involves "bleed air," or air that's been compressed by the airplane's engines. If there's a malfunction in plane equipment, the air that's fed into the cabin can be contaminated with chemical residues from engine oil—specifically TCP, or tricresyl phosphate. "Passengers may have symptoms like tremors," says Clement Furlong, a research professor of genome sciences and medicine at the University of Washington. So far, federal reviews of the research have been inconclusive about whether bleed air actually endangers the health of passengers and flight crews, though two civil lawsuits about fume events are under way.

3. "That nonstop flight you booked? We can add a layover to it—without explanation." Think you scored a sweet fare on that transcontinental flight? Think again. You may be making a previously unscheduled layover. Airlines can cancel your nonstop and rebook passengers onto flights with connections, which are obviously less desirable. Advises Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier and a former pricing analyst at America West: As soon as you find out that your nonstop flight has been canceled, check to see if there's another nonstop option. If there is, call the airline and ask—nicely—to be put on it. But if nonstop service on the route has disappeared, threaten to switch to another carrier for the trip. Major airlines will typically agree to refund your money without any fees if you refuse to accept a new, multistop flight that will arrive at your destination more than two hours later than you were originally scheduled.
4. "We wouldn't tell you right away if there's an emergency." The FAA leaves it up to the airline to decide if it wants to tell passengers about an engine failure or other significant crisis. And many flight crews opt to keep their lips sealed. The reason? Flight crews don't want to scare passengers or say something they'll regret later. "In one recent emergency, the cockpit crew was faulted for making a public announcement before some of the required procedures were accomplished," explains Kent Wien, a pilot for a U.S. carrier. So attendants tend to err on the side of being secretive to avoid trouble. Last June, passengers traveling from Brussels to Newark on Continental Airlines were not informed when the captain died during the flight. The plane continued along its scheduled route with nary a peep from the rest of the crew, beyond a cryptic question: "Is there a doctor on board?"

5. "When we let you pick your seat assignment, we were only joking." As the airlines decrease the number of seats they fly in an attempt to eke out a profit, they're swapping out larger planes for smaller ones more often. Whenever fliers are put on a new plane, seat assignments are scrambled. A traveler may end up in a middle seat he or she would never have selected. If it happens to you, there's not much you can do—airlines aren't obligated to honor any seat assignment. "Passengers are actually purchasing a fare and not a seat," says Macsata of the Association for Airline Passenger Rights. Checking in online 24 hours prior to departure is often the best you can do to boost your chances of getting the seat assignment you want. Print your boarding pass with your seat assignment on it before you get to the airport as proof in case you need to argue with a gate agent over a last-minute switcheroo.
6. "Our planes are antiques." Compared to the rest of the world, we're flying the airplane equivalent of grandma's Cutlass Supreme—except Uncle Sam isn't interested in paying cash for these clunkers. American owns 268 MD-80 class airplanes, with an average age of 18 years old. Meanwhile, thanks to a geriatric fleet of DC-9s, Delta and Northwest's average fleet age is 13 years old. In contrast, Emirates has an average fleet age of about 5 years. Singapore Air's is 6 years. And, while Ryanair is often faulted for lacking basic amenities, its planes average less than 3 years of age. Luckily, U.S. airlines aren't having problems maintaining their aging aircraft from a safety standpoint, notes Bill Voss, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. "There's no real indication of anyone cutting corners," says Voss. "Planes don't age like wine, but they do remain flight-worthy with proper maintenance." The FAA doesn't have a maximum age limit for planes, though it does require more frequent inspections for planes that have flown for more than 14 years. But aside from safety there's just plain old comfort. If you've ever wished you had a personal seatback flat-screen TV instead of having to share a view of a cathode-ray tube in the aisle—well, now you know the reason.

7. "Our crew is totally exhausted." Airline jobs are famously hard on the Circadian rhythms, and flight crews simply aren't getting enough rest. Pilot fatigue has been a factor in crashes that have led to over 250 fatalities in the past 16 years, including the recent crash of a Colgan Air flight to Buffalo, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The night before that accident, the copilot commuted from the West Coast to Newark while the pilot slept on a couch in a crew lounge at the airport. Crews on reserve (that is, crews readily available for service on short notice) don't have it much better. "On reserve, we don't have control over what we're doing," says Heather Poole, a flight attendant for a U.S. carrier and a contributor to travel blog Gadling. "One day we're flying a 5 a.m. departure, and the next day we're working a red-eye. Do this for a few trips in a row—add the delays in there—and that's when it gets bad." Working reserve can stretch crews to the limit. "Once during a terrible reserve month, I remember staring at my emergency exit door, thinking, Is it armed? Is it armed? Is it armed? I could see that it was, indeed, armed (the evacuation slide was attached to the door properly). But it wasn't clicking in my brain because I was so tired."
8. "Your ticket might not be with the airline you booked." Two airlines may sell seats on the same flight, a sales strategy called code sharing. You may think you'll be traveling on one airline, but you actually fly on another. The situation seems harmless enough but can cause major headaches for passengers. For example, most major airlines farm out their short, commuter flights to regional airlines. "By and large, you haven't heard of Chautauqua or Republic, but you may be flying them when you click to buy a ticket on Continental," explains Randy Petersen, publisher of InsideFlyer. "With two airlines involved, there's a constant passing of the buck. Worse, many regional carriers operating on code shares are exempt from reporting their on-time statistics. And God forbid if you need to file a claim with them for lost baggage."

Get your stuff out of the airline seatback pocket pronto! by  Brad Tuttle, Thursday, Aug 27, 2009, 3:49 PM
The airline seatback pocket may not be spacious, but it has at least traditionally been a place to stash your magazine or water bottle while you snooze. Not anymore.The FAA has decreed that no passenger personal items whatsoever are allowed in the seatback pocket, as Joe Sharkey's "On the Road" column in the New York Times reported. The only things that are supposed to be in the seatback sleeve are in-flight magazines, safety brochures, the air-sickness bag, or other official material approved of by the airline.The ban on personal items in seatback pockets is news to a lot of passengers, and news to a lot of airlines as well. Airline spokespeople have said that they had no idea there was such a ban, and that passengers have always been allowed to make use of the seatbacks. So what's this really all about? As Sharkey's column points out, there is probably some concern that the recent introduction of baggage fees has pushed passengers to carry more items onto the plane and stuff them wherever they can, including the seatback pocket. To some extent, flight crews must also like the ban. They probably don't want the hassle of telling passengers to keep their stuff out of the seatback. But if no personal items go into the seatback pockets, cleaning the pockets out after every flight just got a whole lot easier for the crew. How, and how often, will this ban be enforced? It's hard to tell.
Am I Too Fat To FLY? I had heard about the upset airlines were causing by charging their larger passengers for an extra seat, but it hadn’t happened to anyone I knew. That is, until last Sunday morning.

My first Southwest flight was a 3.5 hour stretch from Oregon to Chicago. I arrived early as always, checked my bags, went through security, and got to my gate. I was sitting a stone’s throw from gate with about 45m to spare when one of the airline staff walked up and sat right next to me. “Do you have a ticket for this flight?” he asked. I had no idea what was going on. My first thought was they might have oversold the flight and were going to offer me something above what they normally did for giving up my seat and didn’t want to make an announcement. I was excited because I didn’t need to be there as early as I’d planned and that meant Ivy would have a freebie trip somewhere.“Yes sir, I do.” I said, ready to hear about my proposed reward.“Well there’s a policy that if you don’t fit comfortably in a seat with the arms down that you’ll have to buy a second ticket. Do you think you can?” he asked. I felt sick. There were 100 things I would have said had I not kicked into self-preservation mode. I just wanted the exchange to be over.“Yes, I can sit in a seat with the arm down.” I said, hoping he would accept it on my word and go away. Of course it wouldn’t be comfortable, but I’d taken full flights before and sat squished into a seat with the arms down. I even made a game of it in my head—I’d pretend I was in a space craft designed for a smaller being. If I got too uncomfortable I could always stand for a bit at the back of the plane; no problem. “It’s a 4 hour flight. You can sit comfortably with the arms down for the entire flight?” he asked, doubt in his voice. Still gripped with embarrassment I couldn’t even think straight. “Yes, I can.” I reiterated. “Okay, we’re going to take you down to the plane shortly to let you get settled and make sure.” he said, finally. I felt mad, embarrassed, and scared all at once. I made my living traveling. There was no way I could ask my company (or the customer) to eat a second ticket because I was overweight. I worked out what a second last-minute ticket for this flight was going to run me and felt sick. He came back and took me down to the plane. I stuffed my carry-ons into the overhead and slid into the middle seat, pulling down the arms and showing that I could indeed squish myself between them. At that point I got a bunch of “we’re sorry, but you understand I’m sure” from the attendant who brought me up and the ones working the flight. So, now you

know someone who has come close to getting charged for a second ticket.

Southwest Suddenly Decides Man Is Too Fat To Fly — AgainBy Meg Marco, 11:47 AM on Tue Sep 8 2009, 14,473 views We thought this issue was taken care of the last time a Las Vegas Southwest employee randomly stopped someone from flying without checking to see if they could actually sit in a seat with the arms down (per Southwest's policy), but apparently not. Now a Chicagoland man says he was stopped from boarding a return flight home to Chicago because he was too big (6'2" 350lbs), but the airline wouldn't allow him to prove that he could fit in the seat.

Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

iPhone: Top Language Translation Apps/Using Your Cell Phone in Europe

iPhone: Top Language Translation Apps
Our favorite apps work with or without Internet access. Because, chances are, Wi-Fi hotspots aren't the only places you'll need help with the local lingo.
By Reid Bramblett, Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Languages: Twenty-three, including Arabic, Cambodian, Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Lao, Malay, Mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Australian—the last app is handy for translating otherwise incomprehensible Aussie slang.
Usability: The World Nomads apps present lists, divided into categories, of a few dozen basic travel phrases. After tapping through the categories, such as "places to stay" and "directions & transport," you can select an appropriate phrase and hear an audio clip of a native speaker pronouncing it—a high-end feature we're surprised to find in a free app.
Frustrations: Dining phrases are missing—a big drawback. There are also inconsistencies. The Thai app tells you how to say "yes," but not "no." (For the record, it's mai.) Sometimes, an app suffers the opposite problem and presents the forest rather than the tree you need. For example, the Arabic app suggests five ways to greet people, but none of them is the handy salaam aleikum, which is all you need to know.

Overall: Most of what a tourist needs to understand is covered, including key words (such as "please" and "thank you"), numbers up to 10, and a few phrases useful in transportation ("Where is your ticket?"); lodging ("Too expensive!"); and safety ("Stop, thief!" and everybody's favorite "Those drugs aren't mine!"). There's also a Language Lesson feature in which all of the phrases are strung together in a short audio skit of a "typical tourist situation," complete with background sound effects.
Details: World Nomads and iTunes Store
BEST VALUE
Coolgorilla Talking Phrasebooks
$1 per language
Languages: Eight, including Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Usability: The interface is similar to World Nomads'—useful travel phases, divided by category, organized in a simple, straightforward fashion.
Frustrations: Some translations seem less than necessary (guess what the Italian words pizza, lasagne, and tiramisu mean in English?). More languages would be nice. Also, Coolgorilla is a British company, which means you need to translate things into British English in your head first (chips are French fries). The apps are a bit buggy and crash on occasion—not a huge concern, but annoying.
Overall: While they function similarly to the free World Nomads apps, the Coolgorilla apps come with 10 times the number of phrases per language, making them a fantastic investment for just a buck. The app for each language features more than 500 phrases in 40 categories (accommodations, food and drink, activities, shopping, etc.), all professionally translated and spoken aloud. The speakers get amusingly breathy and excited when translating such phrases as "Kiss me" and "I want you." Fittingly, the phrases come after "Would you like a drink?" and "What's your sign?"
Details: Coolgorilla and iTunes Store.
Using Your Cell Phone in Europe

Traveling without a cell phone seems unbearable these days. Here's our guide for avoiding pesky fees—because who factors "astronomical cell phone bill" into their vacation budget?
By JD Rinne, Thursday, April 1, 2010
WHAT TO ASK YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER
"Will my phone work?"
Ask your service provider to be certain, but generally speaking, AT&T and T-Mobile operate on a wireless network that works in Europe (it's called GSM). Verizon and Sprint don't, with a few exceptions. A key question to ask about your device: Does it support quad-band frequencies? If the answer is yes, your phone will work in Europe. Also, be sure to ask if international roaming is enabled on your phone. If it's not, your provider can turn it on simply by hitting a button.
"Does it make sense to buy an international voice, text, and/or data plan?"
Think about how much you'll use your phone abroad. Is it just for emergencies? Or are you using it for local calls and texts, say with a group you're traveling with? If it's for emergencies only, going with your provider's per-minute charges is probably your best bet; that's $1.29 per minute in Europe. If you're likely to use your cell phone more extensively, see the info below on rate plans, costs, and other alternatives.
"How do I turn off the data features on my phone (e-mail, etc.), so I don't get hit with a huge charge?"
If your phone connects automatically to the Internet, you'll pay data-plan rates whenever the phone downloads e-mail or connects to the Web. The result can be an astronomical bill you didn't know you were racking up. Every phone is different, so check the user manual or call customer service to turn off these features. AT&T has a helpful guide for iPhone users who are roaming internationally (and trust us—you can get hit with major fees). One overall tip: Use Wi-Fi on your phone instead of a 3G network to check e-mail; Wi-Fi is based in the local area (like the café you're in) and doesn't cost anything.
"What other fees should I expect?"
Your destination country may charge you applicable taxes and fees for using its networks locally. It's best to ask your provider.
"Should I buy a 'disposable' phone at my destination instead?"
Yes, if you don't want to worry about fees. You can get a phone at cell phone stores in touristy areas, at cell phone counters in department stores, and even at airports. Budget about $40 to $75 for a phone, which will usually include some prepaid calling time. You'll also have a local number, which means calls and texts within the country will be free.
"Will I get charged if someone calls my phone while I'm in Europe, even if I don't answer it?"
If your phone works in Europe, you can be charged for incoming calls, even if you don't answer them—and even if your phone is turned off! Normal international airtime rates apply ($1.29 per minute for all carriers), so tell people not to call or leave messages. You can also call your service provider to disable your voice mail, but note that setting it up again when you return will probably be a hassle.
PICK YOUR PROVIDER
AT&T
Will your phone work? Yes.
Costs $1.29 per minute for voice, 50¢ per text. Data download (e-mail, apps, Internet usage) costs vary depending on the phone type.
Other options AT&T offers special international rate plans that bring the per-minute calling cost down to 99¢ and text messages to 20¢ (add the plan for about $6 a month). Alternatively, you can swap out your SIM, the small card that acts as your phone's brain. It stores your number, your contacts, and other important info. A new SIM card will give you a local number, but your features (applications you've downloaded, namely) won't work. Buy a SIM card ahead of time from companies like cellularabroad.com and telestial.com; prices range from $20 to $70. You have to "unlock" your phone to replace the SIM. As a protection against theft, service providers "lock" phones (meaning the phone will work only with your specific SIM). AT&T will unlock your phone if you're a long-term customer in good standing. It will take a few days to get your phone unlocked, so plan ahead.
T-Mobile
Will your phone work? Yes (with a few exceptions, like Sidekicks).
Costs T-Mobile customers can call for $1.29 a minute; texts cost 35¢ to send and 20¢ to receive. Download data for $15 per megabyte.
Other options T-Mobile doesn't have any special rate plans. If you plan to make a lot of calls, try using a new SIM card. T-Mobile will unlock your phone if your account has been active for 90 days (it will take one to two days to get it unlocked).
Verizon
Will your phone work? Maybe. Verizon has seven models that use the GSM technology that works in Europe, such as the BlackBerry Tour and HTC Touch Pro2.
Costs If you have one of the seven models, voice is $1.29 a minute. You can add a monthly $5 plan to bring that down to 99¢ a minute. Texts always cost 50¢ to send and 5¢ to receive. Download data for $20 per megabyte, or buy an international data plan that will offer a 100 megabyte monthly allowance (rates vary depending on the phone type). Other options Verizon offers a free rental phone for up to three weeks. Standard calling rates apply. A new SIM card won't work in phones that are not GSM-compatible, so buy a disposable phone at the airport.
Sprint

Will your phone work? Maybe. Sprint has five models that are compatible with Europe's wireless technology. Costs $1.29 per minute for voice; 20¢ per text. Data download is about $16 per megabyte.Other options Sprint has a rental program that includes three phones that will work in Europe. One-week rentals range from $29 to $70, and insurance is suggested (starting at $9 for a week's rental). Otherwise, buy a disposable phone when you get to your destination.
Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.