Body Found in Airplane Restroom
China Readies Tougher Olympic Pollution Measures
Baggage Snafu Hit American Airlines Travelers at JFK
Some Hotel Chains Getting Rid of Phonebooks in Rooms
Delta Boosts Fees for Second Bag, Other Items
Giant Sinkhole in Memphis Train Station Will Finally Be Repaired
BODY FOUND IN AIRPLANE RESTROOM – Associated Press
Flight attendants found the body of a 61-year-old woman in the lavatory of a Delta plane Wednesday morning, a company spokesman said. Airline staff noticed that the restroom was occupied shortly before the Los Angeles to Atlanta flight landed. When they checked the area later, they found the as-yet-unnamed woman’s body. Official do not know how long the woman was in the restroom, and no cause of death has been released yet, pending autopsy results.
Link: Associated Press
CHINA READIES TOUGHER OLYMPIC POLLUTION MEASURES – Reuters
As if they haven’t been struggling for months to combat their notoriously smoggy skies, officials in Beijing are readying emergency backup plans to ensure the city stays as pollution free as possible during the Olympic Games. A recent spell of hot, humid, windless weather led to the buildup of smog last weekend, which caused government pollution advisers to contemplate even more Draconian measures to restrict cars and commerce than those that have already been taken. More than half of all Beijing’s motor vehicles were removed from the roads in the last few months, and dozens of factories have been shuttered in an attempt to make the city more pleasant and healthful for Olympic athletes and visitors alike.
Link: Reuters
BAGGAGE SNAFU HITS AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIERS AT JFK – Los Angeles Times
A software glitch in a baggage-sorting computer program led to a mass meltdown in AA’s baggage-handling system at New York’s JFK airport on Wednesday. The exact number of travelers affected is not known, but the problem was bad enough that AA was offering to rebook customers on alternate flights so they could avoid the airport entirely. At least 35 flights were delayed throughout the day as employees struggled to manually sort baggage and get it onto the correct planes.
Link: Los Angeles Times
SOME HOTEL CHAINS GETTING RID OF PHONE BOOKS IN ROOMS – USA Today
After noticing that fewer and fewer customers are using them, several large hotel chains are eliminating those dusty yellow phone books from their rooms. Hyatt Hotels, Omni, Kimpton and several chains operated by Starwood (including Westin and Sheraton) have scrapped the volumes as customers increasingly turn to cell phone and Web-based directories. The hotel chains also cite the desire to cut down on paper waste and to present more clutter-free rooms as reasons for ditching the books.
Link: USA Today
DELTA BOOSTS FEES FOR SECOND BAG, OTHER ITEMS - Newsday
In yet another attempt to offset rising fuel costs, Delta Airlines hiked its fee to check a second bag from $25 to $50 on Wednesday. The change applies to passengers who buy tickets on or after today for travel beginning August 5. The airline does not charge to check a first bag, and the new fee applies to domestic travel only. Fees to check odd-sized and oversized items such as surfboards and ski equipment increased as well, as did the cost to check a third bag, which went from $80 to $125. Passengers should carefully weigh their luggage before traveling because the penalty for checking an overweight bag has also gone up. If your bag weighs between 51 and 70 pounds, you now pay $90 instead of $80.
Link: Newsday
GIANT SINKHOLE IN CENTRAL MEMPHIS TRAIN STATION WILL FINALLY BE REPAIRED – Commercial Appeal
On August 9 workers will begin repairing a 30-foot sinkhole that appeared at the Memphis Central train station last April. The hole formed after an 1893 brick culvert collapsed. Lawyers and railway officials have spent the last several months arguing over who would repair it and how much it would cost. In the meantime, Amtrak was forced to spend $4,000 a day to bus passengers to an alternate boarding location. The detours and delays caused a fair amount of hassle for travelers. The repairs are expected to cost $1 million.
Link: Commercial Appeal (Memphis)
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