News – Page 247 – Sightseers' Delight

DOT: May Airline On-Time Performance Lower Than Last Year and April

July 8, 2010 The Travel Trolley

The nation’s largest airlines had a rate of on-time flights this past May that was lower than the same month last year and the rate posted in April 2010, according to the Air Travel Consumer Report. According to information filed with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a part of the Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), the 18 carriers reporting on-time performance recorded an overall on-time arrival rate of 79.9 percent

Ga. company suspends duck boat rides after Philly accident

July 8, 2010 The Travel Trolley

ATLANTA — Duck boat rides at Stone Mountain have been suspended in the wake of an accident on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Norcross-based Ride The Ducks suspended its operations nationwide on Thursday, including at Stone Mountain and in Philadelphia. The company’s fleet includes more than 90 duck boats that also operate in Branson, Mo.; San Francisco; and Newport, Ky. A Ride The Ducks boat in Philadelphia collided with a barge on Wednesday, capsized and

ATLANTA – In what is no doubt a welcome sign, the number of Americans projected to travel this Independence Day is slated to increase, AAA predicts. Nationwide, AAA predicts a 17.1 percent increase in the number of travelers this Fourth of July compared to last year. In Georgia, the number of travelers this holiday is expected to increase by 11 percent. “Overall, travel sentiment for Independence Day weekend is very high compared to last year,

AAA predicts uptick in holiday traffic

July 2, 2010 The Travel Trolley

ATLANTA — In what is a welcome sign, the number of Americans projected to travel this Independence Day is slated to increase, AAA predicts. Nationwide, AAA predicts a 17.1 percent increase in the number of travelers this Fourth of July compared to last year. In Georgia, the number of travelers this holiday is expected to increase by 11 percent. “Overall, travel sentiment for Independence Day weekend is very high compared to last year, when the

Zoo Atlanta orangutan euthanized

July 1, 2010 The Travel Trolley

ATLANTA – Sandar, Zoo Atlanta’s 3-month-old Bornean orangutan, was euthanized today. Sandar suffered multiple health complications since his March 30 birth, and officials did not believe the orangutan’s condition would improve. “The Zoo Atlanta family is saddened by the passing of Sandar, particularly given the daily acts of determination and commitment that went into his treatment,” Raymond King, the zoo’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “The level of dedication and devotion that defined

Ga. texting ban goes into effect

July 1, 2010 Caboose Chronicle

ATLANTA – Would-be texters beware! A new state law that prohibits motorists from texting while behind the wheel takes effect tomorrow. Under the law, anyone convicted of texting while driving would face of up to $150. “A lot of accidents are caused by drivers becoming distracted, and texting is definitely a sure way to distract drivers,” Neighbor Newspapers quoted Henry County Police Capt. Jason Bolton as saying. “When a driver is texting, it shows a

Maggots force plane to return to Atlanta airport

June 30, 2010 The Travel Trolley

ATLANTA — There weren’t snakes on the plane. Instead, there were maggots. A U.S. Airways flight from Atlanta to North Carolina on Monday was forced to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after maggots started falling from an overhead bin, according to WSB-TV. “I felt like they were crawling all over me because it only takes one maggot to upset your world,” The Associated Press quoted one passenger as saying. “And as they’re telling us to