There are many discounuted airlines out there now and their ticket prices look like a great deal but beware of the hidden costs that may be associated with them. Many of these airlines charge a fee for every bag that is checked while others are lowering their maximum permitted weight limits for checked bags.

Most airlines allow passengers one carry-on bag and one personal item, travelers headed to or passing through the U.K. may only bring one small bag through airport security checkpoints and the size restrictions are rigidly enforced. Your best bet is to check your airline’s web site as well as the TSA web site before every trip to be sure your bags are compliant with the latest rules and regulations.

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Ever heard of the TSA and wondered what they are or what they do?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is a U.S. government agency that was created after September 11, 2001.

The TSA is a component of the Department of Homeland Security and is responsible for security of the nation’s transportation systems. With state, local and regional partners, the TSA oversees security for highways, railroads, buses, mass transit systems, ports, and 450 U.S. airports.

A Transportation Security Officer (TSO) is a federal employee of the Transportation Security Administration tasked with performing security screening of persons and property at airport terminals and baggage areas. The primary function of a Transportation Security Officer is to prevent all prohibited/dangerous objects from being transported onto aircrafts.

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Curious how long you might be waiting at the security checkpoint at your local airport? TSA has compiled data to assist you in planning your next flight. The wait times may vary depending on factors including weather delays which result in increased passengers.

When calculating arrival time, remember to build in time for non-security related issues, including parking, and checking in with your airline. Please consult your airline and airport for additional guidance on arrival time.

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As reported on Friday, December 28, 2007 there are new limits to carrying lithium batteries on aircrafts.

New US DOT Hazmat Safety Rule to Place Lithium Battery Limits in Carry-on Baggage on Passenger Aircraft Effective January 1, 2008

Passengers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning January 1, 2008 once new federal safety rules take effect. The new regulation, designed to reduce the risk of lithium battery fires, will continue to allow lithium batteries in checked baggage if they are installed in electronic devices, or in carry-on baggage if stored in plastic bags.

Common consumer electronics such as travel cameras, cell phones, and most laptop computers are still allowed in carry-on and checked luggage. However, the rule limits individuals to bringing only two extended-life spare rechargeable lithium batteries (see attached illustration), such as laptop and professional audio/video/camera equipment lithium batteries in carry-on baggage.

“Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires,” said Krista Edwards, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Lithium batteries are considered hazardous materials because they can overheat and ignite in certain conditions. Safety testing conducted by the FAA found that current aircraft cargo fire suppression system would not be capable of suppressing a fire if a shipment of non-rechargeable lithium batteries were ignited in flight.

“This rule protects the passenger,” said Lynne Osmus, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assistant administrator for security and hazardous materials. “It’s one more step for safety. It’s the right thing to do and the right time to do it.”

In addition to the new rule, PHMSA is working with the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the battery and airline industries, airline employee organizations, testing laboratories, and the emergency response communities to increase public awareness about battery-related risks and developments.

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President Bush ordered that the Pentagon will open unused military airspace from Florida to Maine to create “a Thanksgiving express lane” for commercial airliners. It will be open next week for five days — Wednesday through Sunday — for the busiest days of Thanksgiving travel.

Bush said the problems with delayed flights are “clear to anybody who’s been traveling. Airports are very crowded. Travelers are being stranded and flights are delayed, sometimes with a full load of passengers sitting on the runway for hours.

“These failures carry some real costs for the country, not just in the inconvenience they cause but in the business they obstruct and the family gatherings they cause people to miss,’ the president said. “We can do better.”

The new plan also will be in effect for the Christmas travel season, and White House press secretary Dana Perino said the Federal Aviation Administration was imposing a holiday moratorium on nonessential maintenance projects, allowing all FAA personnel and equipment to be focused on keeping flights on time.

Further, the Department of Transportation will propose doubling the bump fee that airlines must pay to travelers who buy tickets but wind up without a seat. The penalty now is $200 or $400, depending on long the passenger has been inconvenienced. The proposed increase would make the fee $400 to $800. Perino said that rule, if it becomes final, wouldn’t be in place until next summer’s travel season.

Further, officials said the FAA would take other steps to increase efficiency such as rerouting airspace, using technology to fill unused space in the air and on the ground, and using more precise routes for takeoffs and landings.

Another proposed rule would deem the operation of a chronically delayed flight — defined as a flight that operates more than 15 minutes late more than 70 percent of the time — to be an “unfair and deceptive practice.” That designation carries with it substantial monetary penalties.

The president said other steps were under consideration to reduce crowded skies, such as charging airlines higher landing and takeoff fees at peak hours, and auctioning off landing and takeoff rights to the highest bidder.

Domestic carriers are expected to fly roughly 27 million passengers worldwide over 12 days beginning Nov. 16, with planes about 90 percent full, according to the Air Transport Association.

Several airline executives, testifying before the House Transportation Committee Thursday on holiday travel prospects, said they were preparing to care for passengers in the event of weather or air traffic control-related delays.

Jetblue Airways CEO Dave Barger acknowledged that “we let our customers down” last February when hundreds of passengers were stranded on parked JetBlue planes for up to 10 1/2 hours. “In fact, to be candid, we failed them.”

He said that with added deicing equipment and crew and expanded customer service personnel, “JetBlue is ready for the holidays.”

But Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., said there was “some very bad news for people who think there is going to be a quick cure to congestion.” He said that even if everything went smoothly, implementation of the next-generation air traffic control system that should reduce disruptions was at least 15 years off.

Bush, on Sept. 27, announced that his administration was looking at ways to reduce air traffic congestion. The president urged Congress to look at legislation to modernize the FAA, and instructed Peters to report back to him quickly about ways to ensure that air passengers are treated appropriately and progress is made to ease congestion.

Peters said at the time she was asking airlines to meet to formulate a plan to improve scheduling at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest. If no solution is found, she said, the department is prepared to issue a scheduling reduction order.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311793,00.html

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