57 Passengers Killed in Jet Crash in Turkey
Amtrak Train Crashes, Injuring Dozens
Avoiding Undisclosed Hotel Fees
Budget Airline in Saudi Arabia Announces Expansion
Gotta Go? Just Text for the Nearest Toilet
57 PASSENGERS KILLED IN JET CRASH IN TURKEY – USA Today
An Atlasjet plane crashed in southwest Turkey yesterday, killing all 57 passengers on board. The plane, a McDonnell Douglas MD-83, departed from Istanbul to Isparta, but it fell off the radar before it reached the airport. The plane crashed seven miles from the airport. Although the cause of the crash currently is unknown, technical failure, weather and visibility were ruled out.
Link: USA Today
AMTRAK TRAIN CRASHES, INJURING DOZENS – Chicago Tribune
An Amtrak train traveling from Michigan to Chicago crashed into a freight train yesterday, injuring dozens. At least five Amtrak employees were seriously injured. Chicago Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said that five were reported to be in critical condition, and nine were in serious condition. He expected the number to increase to at least 50. “The freight train was on the track it was supposed to be on waiting for its signal,” said spokesman Rudy Husband. “The Amtrak train went into the rear of it.”
Link: Chicago Tribune
AVOIDING UNDISCLOSED HOTEL FEES – Forbes Traveler
Mandatory bellman’s fee. Resort charge. Even a towel fee. If these fees weren’t revealed to you upon check-in, you don’t have to pay it. Yet, hotels have charged almost $2 billion in hidden fees and surcharges in 2007, and they count on the fact that you probably won’t look at the itemized bill on your way out the door. Check out the top 10 most annoying hotel charges and how you can avoid them.
Link: Forbes Traveler
BUDGET AIRLINE IN SAUDI ARABIA ANNOUNCES EXPANSION - Jaunted
Saudi Arabia’s first budget airline Nas Air only used to fly between a few destinations, but the company recently announced that it will be expanding flights to 20 destinations across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and fares will start at about $13.
Link: Jaunted
GOTTA GO? JUST TEXT FOR NEAREST TOILET – Boing Boing
If you’re in Westminster and need a loo, just text “toilet” to SatLav—which is run by the Westminster City Council—and it will direct you to the nearest restroom. This is the UK’s first SMS (Short Message Service), and it covers 40 public toilets. It locates the caller’s position by measuring your phone’s signal strength, and the service costs about 50 cents. The council hopes their efforts will prevent people from urinating in alleyways; nearly 10,000 gallons of urine end up in the streets Westminster each year.
Link: Boing Boing
