February 2013 - Sightseers' Delight

Georgia legislation would outlaw hiding of Confederate monuments

February 24, 2013 Todd DeFeo

Legislation pending in the Georgia state legislature would make it illegal for anyone to “mutilate, deface, defile, or abuse contemptuously any publicly owned monument,” including those honoring the Confederate States of America.

FAA reviewing Boeing proposal on 787

February 23, 2013 Todd DeFeo

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reviewing a proposal from Boeing to fix the problematic batteries used on the 787 aircraft.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveils opening date for $100 million home for Space Shuttle Atlantis

February 22, 2013 Special to The Travel Trolley

Southern Museum receives $40,000 donation from Robert and Hazel Eubanks Foundation

February 22, 2013 The Travel Trolley

A $40,000 grant from the Robert and Hazel Eubanks Foundation will help fund the Southern Museum of Civil War & Locomotive History’s research center.

U.S. wine exports set new record

February 22, 2013 The Travel Trolley

U.S. wine exports reached $1.43 billion in winery revenues in 2012, setting a new record, according to the San Francisco-based Wine Institute.

Airport security lines could increase after sequester

February 21, 2013 Todd DeFeo

For anyone who thinks airport security checkpoints are an abomination now, just wait until the sequester kicks in.

Kansas lawmakers want to end TSA’s bad touch

February 21, 2013 Todd DeFeo

Some lawmakers in Kansas want a state law that would make it “illegal for Transportation Security Administration screeners to touch an airline passenger’s private parts as they conduct a pat-down,” according to the Kansas City Star newspaper. “Air travelers are subjected to aggressive, humiliating pat-downs, many of which would land the average stranger off the street in jail,” the newspaper quoted state Rep. Brett Hildabrand, a Republican from Shawnee, as saying. “But because the federal

American, US Airways agree to merge

February 14, 2013 Todd DeFeo

The boards of US Airways and American Airlines on Thursday announced their decision to merge, a move that is expected to create the world’s largest airline.

Baggage fees are confusing and here to stay, study finds

February 12, 2013 Todd DeFeo

Airlines worldwide claimed $36.1 billion in revenue in 2012 from various fees, a roughly 11 percent increase from 2011. But, the fees airlines charge are becoming more complex and less transparent, potentially confusing travelers, a new study suggests. A study from TravelNerd found that airlines made a total of 52 changes to their fees during the past year. Of those changes, 36 were because of a fee increase while the remaining 16 changes came about

Feds allow Boeing to conduct 787 ‘test flights’

February 9, 2013 The Travel Trolley

As part of an ongoing investigation, federal authorities this week said Boeing could conduct test flights of the beleaguered 787 aircraft to gather additional data. “As with all test flights, these will be subject to a number of restrictions, including extensive pre-flight testing and inspections and in-flight monitoring in order to ensure the highest levels of safety,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. “The flights will be conducted in defined airspace over unpopulated areas.” The