Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Domains

Domain: aa.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to aa.com.

Stories · 4

  1. American Airlines Is Using a CT Scanner To Screen Luggage At New York's JFK Airport (theverge.com)

    News · Security · · posted by BeauHD · from the all-in-the-name-of-safety dept. · 125 comments
    According to American Airlines, the airline is working with the TSA to install a new bag-scanning machine at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. "The machine uses the same technology as CT scanners, providing a 3D image of bag's contents, and is expected to be operational in late July," reports The Verge. From the report: The new scanner, which will be used at the airport's Terminal 8 security checkpoint, will allow TSA to rotate a bag's image 360 degrees to show its contents. American Airlines says this should provide a more effective way for agents to inspect bags for explosives and other prohibited items. TSA administrator David Pekoske tells CBS News that the new machines could allow for liquids, gels, aerosols, and laptops to be left in bags. The TSA plans to have 15 of the new CT scanners at airports by the end of the year, and are authorized to purchase up to 240 of the machines, which cost $300,000 each, in 2019. The technology has also been tested at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and in Boston.

  2. Airlines Restrict 'Smart Luggage' Over Fire Hazards Posed By Batteries (npr.org)

    Hardware · Power · · posted by BeauHD · from the safety-first dept. · 108 comments
    An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: Airlines including American, Delta and Alaska have announced restrictions on so-called smart luggage because the lithium-ion batteries found in many of these suitcases pose a fire risk. "Beginning Jan. 15, customers who travel with a smart bag must be able to remove the battery in case the bag has to be checked at any point in the customer's journey. If the battery cannot be removed, the bag will not be allowed," American said in a statement on Friday. The same day, Delta and Alaska announced similar policies on their flights.

    American's policy dictates that if the bag is carry-on size, passengers can take the luggage onboard, so long as the battery can be removed if needed. If passengers need to check the bag, the battery must be removed and carried onboard. But if the bag has a non-removable battery, it can't be checked or carried on. An FAA spokesman told The Washington Post that the airlines' policies are "consistent with our guidance that lithium-ion batteries should not be carried in the cargo hold."

  3. The Web's Longest Disclaimer

    Yro · Humor · · posted by timothy · from the that's-gotta-be-a-joke dept. · 380 comments
    An anonymous reader writes "American Airlines are nominated for the 'longest website enduser agreement' category with customers requiring to accept this mammoth 'I accept' dialog before using their site. The tale of the tape includes: 181 paragraphs; 3482 words; and 22411 characters. However even mentioning this is probably in violation of the text."

  4. The Joys Of Big Business; or Why AT&T Long Distance Sux

    News · News · · posted by Hemos · from the rant-time! dept. · 426 comments
    So, as today is a somewhat slow day, and I've had the galling experience of dealing with the phone system today, I thought I'd give a small piece of my mind about that wonderful practice known as phone slamming, and what wonderful practices Big Business likes to engage in.

    I've recently moved to Boston, as those who've been on IRC with us, and watched the news lately have seen. It's great -- I love the city, and I like where I live. When moving, I had to do the typical thing of signing the house up for electric, gas, water and all that good stuff. One of the interesting things that Boston differs from Holland in is that you can have different local phone providers. Not being very happy to start with concerning Bell Atlantic/Verizon, I opted instead for another giant media company, MediaOne. They only offered local service, not long distance, so I selected MCI Worldcom as my long distance. I'd been happy with them before, and they offered me frequent flyer miles.

    I'm happily going along this morning, deleting submissions when I get call from MCI Worldcom wondering why one of my lines has left MCI. After spending the 30 minutes to convert my line back, I become progressively more frustrated.

    You see, the FTC had given MediaOne and AT&T permission to merge, which they did recently. Since then, I've gotten a call a day on my lines, asking me to switch to AT&T for long distance. I refuse. It costs more, and I don't get frequent flyer miles. I've told them this, but they somehow persist, thinking perhaps that they can wear me down, like so much water on rock.

    But they evidently decided that me saying No meant Yes, and so slammed me. I hate this practice. What a waste of time and energy. And they know that they'll lose my business, and that if I get my gumption up I'll call the State AG's office. I think is illegal. If not, it should be.

    How many other people have had problems with this?