TSA launches mission ‘Secure Flight’ to nab terrorists in U.S.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that every passenger flying in the American skies will now have to undergo strict security checking. For this a screening program is being organized that will see 197 air carriers, including 127 that fly internationally participating I it. It will also bring the TSA into compliance with a key recommendation of the federal commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The Transportation Security Administration head John S. Pistole said, “Agency wanted to determine whether "less intrusive" methods could be used with confidence that would-be terrorists could be caught. Pending that outcome, we're not planning to change anything.” He added that the TSA is working to refine controversial new pat-down procedures implemented in November.

The all new security measure will include the use of new scanners and requiring enhanced pat-downs for those who refuse to go through them caused an uproar in recent weeks. Many surveys conducted over the time have shown that the majority of Americans were willing to accept the methods as a necessary price to ensure safe travel.

Mr. Pistole said, “TSA will work "quickly" to determine whether there is a viable alternative but that he has no timetable. Our Website received about 3,300 comments over the weekend about the new procedures, 49 of them were complaints.”

The program is known as ‘Secure Flight’. It is a behind-the-scenes operation designed to discover potential terrorists through a multilevel process that begins with the airlines collecting far more detailed information than in the past when someone buys a ticket. The airlines then forward that information (full name, birth date and sex) to the TSA before the flight. The information is compared against terrorism watch lists.

Source from- http://www.prlog.org/11115267-tsa-launches-mission-secure-flight-to-nab-terrorists-in-us.html

Bangkok Airways bring International Network to India

It’s after a long break of two years that Bangkok Airways is resuming its international network expansion into the Indian subcontinent. This Indian foray of the Bangkok Airways will be initiated by its ‘Rainbow’ A319 aircraft.

Bangkok Airlines is a privately owned carrier, which had undergone a rationalization with the suspension of several international routes. It is to embark on the flights from Bangkok to Mumbai and Dhaka in the month of March next year. This launch acts as a cautious move while the airline industry steadily recovers from the slump faced by its economy.

Known as the boutique airline of Asia, Bangkok Airways will soon be starting to serve the Bangkok-Mumbai route with its six flights a week plan using the Airbus A319 jet configured with dual classes and 120 seats. The vice president Nandhika Varavan said, “The Bangkok-Dhaka service is due for take-off on March 27 with seven flights a week using an Airbus A320 with 162 seats in all economy class”. She added, “The increasing demand on the Bangkok-Mumbai route comes from more Indians visiting Thailand for leisure and business”.

The Indian subcontinent is the only international region where the airline is trying to expand as it always promises air passengers’ traffic. It is also looking forward to expand to major cities like Kolkata and New Delhi.

One of the foremost steps towards achieving this plan was taken by the Bangkok Airline by appointing Global Aviation Services Pvt. as its general sales agent for India. Some of the earlier decided expansion routes like Ho Chi Minh City, Guilin, Macau, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Xian and Shenzhen got suspended by the airline. This is to stem the losses of about 1 billion baht in 2008 and 2009.

Government to Take Action If Airlines Don’t Stop Airfare Hike: Says Praful Patel

Government is all set to crack whip if airlines indulging in predatory pricing do not fall in line. All major airlines in India were warned by the Government for the hike in the airfares. It said it would not hesitate to take strict action if the airlines don’t fall in line. It would invoke its special powers to take the strictest possible action.

Indian Government is concerned over the price hike in the domestic airlines’ airfares. Speaking on the sidelines of FICCI’s International Conference in Civil Aviation, Mr. Praful Patel, the minister of State for Civil Aviation said, “The huge increase in prices by some airlines in recent times was totally inappropriate and arbitrary. Under the law, the strictest action would be taken if no corrective action is taken by the erring airlines.” He added, “You can’t go on a free run. That is unfair to the passengers and it would be our effort to try to bring discipline in the aviation sector.”

Praful Patel added that the DGCA has sought information on this account from the airlines and will discuss the same with the price bands within what they would have to operate. He also said that the price band of low and high prices must be displayed on the websites for the passenger’s convenience. This means the airlines cannot charge what they feel like at the expense of the passenger.

Finding Discount Airline Tickets for Seniors

Senior citizens are special and have their own special needs when they are on a travel. They are at an age after retirement from their service period. It is the time for them to enhance the opportunity to freely travel around the beautiful places and view great sights. This honorable age group is offered many discounts and concessions as a token of respect from different sectors. One such sector is the aviation industry or the air travel sector. Senior citizens travel by air and are happy to get privileges designed for their age group. Most of the discount airline tickets for seniors start from the age of 50 and get better at 60, 62, and 65.

If you know your right as a senior citizen, then you will never miss these great opportunities. You will also be able to save more on discounts and gifts. It is always advised to seek these special concessions and save a lot of money while travelling during your golden years. If you are a Senior citizen, then you should know that before making any flight reservations, you should try to study more about the privileges for senior citizens made available by a certain airline operator companies.

Finding discount airline tickets for seniors will be easier if you look for flexible flying times for departures and arrivals. There are many websites that offer quality information and tips on plane tickets for senior citizen. You can search on these websites. For example, if you want cheap flights to India, then you can type cheap air tickets India in the Google and give it a search. You need to explore or browse in order to get right kind of plane ticket deals.

Cheap airline tickets are offered on weekdays; therefore, all senior citizens are advised to book their flights on days like Tuesday or Wednesday, as these days are perfect to fetch some cheap air tickets. Another advice is to avoid peak hours and peak seasons as this is when airline authorities increase their airfares. We wish you good luck in your search for finding discount airline tickets.

Vital Factors to Consider When Booking a Hotel

There are various factors to be considered while booking a hotel. These varying factors need to be taken care of while making decision for your holiday accommodation. Make sure you know in advance about different hotels located at the place you are about to visit. This way, you can compare among these hotels and their prices etc and decide the best hotel that suits your need. For this, you can give an online research where you will come across many websites that allow you to search for hotels by using filters. These websites display relevant hotels to get a fair idea about the hotels.

Checking for the prices on the hotel’s website is better than just referring to its advertisement that you might have encountered. This is because many hotels offer discounts and gifts, but mention it only on their website pages. You can save more by restricting yourself and ignoring the hotels that are quite above your budget. Be a bit flexible with your investigation and make use of the website that gives you an opportunity of seeing what is available.

Another factor to notice is the location of the hotel. It makes a huge difference on its price. For example, a hotel situated far from the local attractions and city centre might be low priced than that in a vital position. Amenities offered by the hotel is another important factor that needs to be noticed while choosing a holiday accommodation option. A budget hotel will only offer limited number of essential features and you might miss the luxury amenities. But at the same time, they are worth the money you will save by opting for them. These were some of the factors that are helpful while choosing a hotel to stay at during your holidays. Be prepared to search for hotels above your target price, with a view to getting these reduced, and think very carefully about location and facilities, compared to your own needs and preferences.