Travel News

Icarus Award: Travel Failures Great & Small

Locations in this article:  Toronto, Canada

This week’s travel failures range in size and scope. From a missed cruise drill to an airline gone bankrupt from employee fraud, Lily J. Kosner rounds up all travel troubles, great and small.

Dead or Alive?

Airport security may be in charge of verifying passenger identities, but do they know the identity of their staff?  This week, a Newark Liberty International Airport security supervisor was arrested for using a false identity. Bimbo Olumuyiwa Oyewole had been working at the airport for more than a decade as Jerry Thomas, a New York man who was murdered 20 years ago. In response to this incident, the Port Authority is rechecking their security personnel.

Been There Done That

On Saturday, a 90-year-old man and his 84-year-old wife were escorted off the Seabourn Sojourn cruise after refusing to participate in the muster drill. Prior to their eviction, the caption had announced that anyone who failed to gather at their assigned lifeboat stations would be escorted off the ship. The husband attended the session but the wife wasn’t feeling well and refused noting that she had “done it before.” Unfortunately, “done it before” excuse didn’t pass muster with captain for missing the muster.

Henry Kissinger - India Economic Summit 2008; Copyright World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org) swiss-image.ch/Photo by Norbert Schiller

#alqaedawon

The TSA might need a stronger grasp of American history. This week, TSA agents at LaGuardia airport in New York gave 88-year-old former Secretary of State and Noble Prize winner Henry Kissinger a pat down. Kissinger was traveling in a wheelchair through security and was removed to a screening area for a full pat down. Kissinger passed and was on route to Toronto. Freelance reporter Matthew Cole captured the incident on Twitter with the hashtag, “#alqaedawon.”

Bad Maharaja

Air India, nicknamed Maharaja for the airline’s cartoon mascot, has announced that it’s now $10 billion in  debt. No doubt the 161 cases of theft, fraud and abuse of perks that the government is now investigating has something to do with the financial troubles. Of note, one pilot earned £250,000 for simulator training, except he was on sick leave. Another staffer was discovered stealing caviar and 370 mini-bottles of alcohol. Just as the fraud was uncovered, 350 Air India pilot called in sick over airline politics about the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Midair Roaming

If you’re flying on Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330, get ready to hear some one-sided conversations. Last week, Talmon Marco earned an Icarus nomination for his Wi-Fi enabled call on a Delta flight. Next time he flies Virgin, he can make calls once he is 250 miles outside U.S. airspace. Unlike free WIFI calls these calls will cost around $1.60 a minute and require a one sided headset. Virgin plans to expand the service to 20 planes in the end of 2012, though only 10 people will be able to call at a select time.

Toddler or Terrorist won last week’s Icarus Award, see all the winners and loser in our Icarus Award archives. And remember to vote in this week’s Icarus Awards:

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By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com

Related links: Time, Huffington Post, MSNBC, New York Daily News, MSNBC