AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com/media/feedlogo.gif AOL Travel Ideas http://news.travel.aol.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Robert Vietze, JetBlue Passenger, Pees On 11-Year-Old Girl On Flight (UPDATES)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/16/robert-vietze-jetblue-passenger-pees-on-sleeping-passenger/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/16/robert-vietze-jetblue-passenger-pees-on-sleeping-passenger/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/16/robert-vietze-jetblue-passenger-pees-on-sleeping-passenger/#commentsFiled under: , ,

HeatherHeatherHeather/Flickr

UPDATE, 8/16: The teenager allegedly caught urinating on a young girl on a JetBlue flight last week was actually relieving himself on the floor, claims the girl's family.

According to The Oregonian, the family released a statement that Robert Vietze was actually peeing on the floor next to their daughter's seat - not on their daughter.

"While family members have cooperated with authorities in the investigation, they neither welcome nor encourage further publicity," The Oregonian reports. "The family's main concern is the welfare of their daughter."

After being taken into custody Wednesday, Vietze was issued a federal summons for misdemeanor indecent exposure. If convicted, he could face a $1,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

Before flying, Vietze admittedly consumed five to six beers and two rum and cokes before boarding his flight. The alcohol apparently "hit him" while in the air, and he walked to seat 15A (where the girl was sitting) and relieved himself. When confronted by the girl's father, Vietze said "he had an accident," reports the paper.

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UPDATE, 8/12: 18-year old Robert Vietze was a member of the U.S. Ski Team. He has seen been kicked off the team. He is (was) considered one of the most elite skiers in the nation.

The New York Post reports that Vietze was returning from a training camp at Oregon's Mount Hood when the incident occurred. Vietze was in the running for the 2014 Olympics, but is name was removed from the team's development roster on Thursday.

"We have no comment, nothing to say," Vietze's mother told reporters outside their Vermont home.

The kicker? Turns out the girl was with her father, a Stage 4 cancer patient, and sister on the way to visit her grandmother in Long Island for the first time since her father's diagnosis.

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PREVIOUSLY, 8/11: A drunk male passenger was caught peeing on a sleeping 11-year old girl on a JFK-bound JetBlue flight on Wednesday.


18-year old Robert Vietze of South Warren, Vermont was on a red eye flight from Portland, Oregon when he started peeing on a sleeping 11-year old girl who was traveling with her sister and father, the New York Post reports.

Vietze was drunk, having consumed eight drinks, and stumbled five rows behind him (presumably towards the bathroom?!) when he started peeing on the girl. The girl's family was using the bathroom at the time.

"I was drunk, and I did not realize I was pissing on her leg," the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Vietze told law enforcement.


The unidentified girl's father caught Vietze peeing on his daughter and started screaming, "F--- that kid! I don't want him near my family!" a fellow passenger told the Post.

Flight attendants separated the father and Vietze, whom they moved to the back of the plane. They also tried to clean up the pee with soap from the bathrooms.

Yet the already exciting flight was far from over. An hour before the plane landed, another passenger started complaining of chest pains and vomited. The pilot addressed the plane, asking "Is anybody on this flight a nurse or doctor? We have a medical emergency." Yet no one stepped forward so flight attendants worked to keep him calm.

A witness told the Post that the pilots "kept coming out of the cockpit to talk to the flight crew about what was going on."

Six Port Authority cops greeted the plane when it landed at 6:30am. Two helped the sick passenger while four carted Vietze into custody.


Vietze has been issued a federal summons for indecent exposure.


This is not, surprisingly, the first time a passenger has peed on another under the influence of alcohol. Back in June, a drunk New Zealand man on a Jetstar flight from Auckland to Singapore peed on the plane's carpet, a man's leg and a woman's scarf after drinking whiskey out of Burger King cups with friends. The man, Michael Aitkin, eventually came forward and apologized profusely to his fellow passengers for his actions.





 

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]]>airplane peerjetblueman pees on girlRobert VietzeAOL Travel Staff2011-08-16T08:15:00+00:00TSA Song by Singing SOBs Cheers Up Vacationers in Montana Airport (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/03/tsa-song-by-singing-sobs-cheers-up-vacationers-in-montana-airpor/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/03/tsa-song-by-singing-sobs-cheers-up-vacationers-in-montana-airpor/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/08/03/tsa-song-by-singing-sobs-cheers-up-vacationers-in-montana-airpor/#commentsFiled under: ,

YouTube

When Glacier Park International Airport CEO Cindi Martin wanted to cheer up the vacationers standing angrily in her airport's security lines, she asked the Singing Sons of Beaches, a local parody band consisting of three elderly gentlemen with a shared passion for Hawaiian shirts, to create a new type of TSA video.

Though they packed in all the information they found in old TSA videos - bring this, don't bring that - the SSOB's video is definitely a departure from traditional safety line fare. The video depicts the three men singing a sort of Caribbean shanty song while trying to sneak into the airport with shotguns and (the image is hard to forget) grinding against the metal detector.

Steve Riddle, who is a third of the Singing Sons of Beaches along with Nick Terhaar and Greg Devlin, told MSNBC, "We took the TSA video home. And, oh my gosh, it is the most boring sort of government video we're all used to seeing."

He added: "We used it all. And we made it rhyme."

The video below seems bound to win these guys a Grammy for Best Use of a Kickball in a Music Video.



 

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]]>airport securityfunnyglacierSinging SOBssinging sons of beachesTSATSA SongAOL Travel Staff2011-08-03T10:40:00+00:00Chicago On High: Time Lapse Video From The Willis Towerhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/26/chicago-time-lapse-video-from-the-willis-tower/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/26/chicago-time-lapse-video-from-the-willis-tower/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/26/chicago-time-lapse-video-from-the-willis-tower/#commentsFiled under:

Stephen Greenwood

Chicago's architecture is world famous, and while a river cruise is the best way to take in all of the structural details of the skyline, the observation deck of the Willis Tower is the best place in the city to catch a sunset high above Lake Michigan.

For 25 years, the Willis Tower held the title as the tallest building in the world. Today, it's still the tallest building in the United States and is ranked as the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.

At 1,353ft above the ground the 103rd floor Sky Deck offers views clear across the flat sprawl of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

This video opens by looking at the Near West Side, where Interstates 94 and 290 intersect, packed with rush hour traffic. Next, the sun sets behind clouds to the Northwest of downtown, with O'Hare airport on the horizon.

To the North, views of the famous skyline crowded against the shore Lake Michigan seem at contrast with the low-lying neighborhoods of Boystown, Wrigleyville and the wealthy suburb of Evanston on the horizon.

Once the sun sets and the streetlights come to life, the Loop far below the tower begins to bustle, signaling the start of another summer evening in the Second City.






 

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]]>BoystownChicagoChicago On HighChicago time lapseEvanstonIllinoisLake MichiganNear West SideOHareORDSears TowerSecond CitySunsetTallest BuildingTallest Tower in AmericaTimelapseTravel Videounited-statesVideoWillis TowerWrigleyvilleStephen Greenwood2011-07-26T07:30:00+00:00Hong Kong's Hidden Island Retreat: Cheung Chau (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/21/hong-kongs-hidden-island-retreat-cheung-chau-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/21/hong-kongs-hidden-island-retreat-cheung-chau-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/21/hong-kongs-hidden-island-retreat-cheung-chau-video/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Hong Kong's Hidden Island Retreat: Cheung Chau (VIDEO)

Chris C. Anderson/AOL Travel

"Island retreat" isn't the first thing that comes to the minds of visitors heading to Hong Kong. It's more like: massive, ultra-busy and urban - all of which are accurate. But, Hong Kong also offers a large array of diverse, out-of-city retreats many don't even consider. The island of Cheung Chau is one such place.

Cheung Chau is about a 25 to 45 minute ferry ride from Hong Kong Main Island's Central Ferry Pier. Cheung Chau is most widely known for the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which attracts around 20,000 visitors each year on May 10th.

For those not in Hong Kong on May 10th, Cheung Chau still offers a great day or couple-day retreat, especially during the summer. The weekends are usually pretty packed with Hong Kongers, but for those able to swing a weekday trip it's much more kick-back and less crowded, giving more of a true sense of the place minus the hoards.

There's no need to book a hotel in advance as Cheung Chau has a number of small, private "resorts" like Miami Resort that offer rooms ranging from $45 to $75 per night, depending on the season, if the room is sea-view, and how busy a day it is. The hotels have small booths set up right as passengers get off the ferry pier, so browse around and do some bargaining.

Cheung Chau is a great place for couples to escape to, especially those looking for a relaxing day or afternoon drinking a few beers by the beach, wandering or riding bikes along the narrow streets and trails, or sampling the inexpensive seafood and snacks.

Check out the video of our trip below.





 

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]]>cheung chauhidden islandshong kongweekend getawayweekend getawaysChris Anderson2011-07-21T07:30:00+00:00Meteora: Greek Monasteries Perched High in the Air and Open for Tourists (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/meteora-greek-monasteries-perched-high-in-the-air-and-open-for/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/meteora-greek-monasteries-perched-high-in-the-air-and-open-for/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/meteora-greek-monasteries-perched-high-in-the-air-and-open-for/#commentsFiled under: ,

Otterman56/Flickr

In Northwestern Thessaly, a few hours out of Athens, rock towers crowned with the ancient monasteries of Meteora loom over fertile valleys.

Islands of Orthodox Christianity from the high tide of a Turkish onslaught in the 11th century, the monasteries still function today, bustling with busy Snape-robed priests and icon-painting nuns.

Fortunately for visitors, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is accessible for the un-ordained and even the unholy. Elevators and gondolas service the thin, stony peaks, which offer unrivaled view of the red-roofed town's below.

Now would be the time to go. As Greece's financial troubles have reached Olympian heights, prices for a number of good's and services (and hotel rooms) have plummeted. Check out AOL Travel's guide to Greece on a budget here.

Happily, one retreat can lead to another.



 

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]]>ChristianitygreeceMeteoraorthodoxprieststhessalyturkishAOL Travel Staff2011-07-18T13:45:00+00:00Disney Alaska Cruise: There's Gold in Them There Hills (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/disney-alaska-cruise-theres-gold-in-them-there-hills/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/disney-alaska-cruise-theres-gold-in-them-there-hills/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/18/disney-alaska-cruise-theres-gold-in-them-there-hills/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Disney Cruise Alaska

Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Wonder's first Alaskan port of call is the gold rush town of Skagway, where prospectors flocked by the boatload in 1896 after the glittering ore was discovered.

While the gold supply is pretty much tapped out and Disney's boats are a little more luxe, modern-day prospectors can still get a feel for what prospecting life was like. At Liarsville, a restored gold rush trail camp, guests can take a step back in time and try their hands at panning for gold - joined by a rough and tumble group of unshaved Disney characters.

When panning begins to get tiring, visitors hop aboard the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad and take a three-hour ride up mountains and through forests. There are breathtaking views from the coaches and even the opportunity for adult-only time during the second half of the ride, when the kids are taken to an activities car and entertained.

Cruisers interested in roughing it can take in nature at canopy level on a zip-line course through the thick pine forest.

Check out the video below to learn about all there is to do in Skagway.





 

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]]>alaskaalaska cruisedisneydisney cruiseskagwayunited-statesAOL Travel Staff2011-07-18T08:00:00+00:00Barcelona Time Lapse: Spanish City At Day & Night (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/12/barcelona-time-lapse-spanish-city-at-day-and-night-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/12/barcelona-time-lapse-spanish-city-at-day-and-night-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/12/barcelona-time-lapse-spanish-city-at-day-and-night-video/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bert G Kaufman/Flickr

Ah, beautiful Barcelona. Vimeo user Loyam filmed the city of counts between May and June 2011, capturing everything from the tram and metro systems to the town's historic churches, boulevards and port.

Barcelona isn't the first stunning time lapse of a city to be done. Some of our favorites at AOL Travel include world destinations such as Chicago, Sydney, Las Vegas, New York, and Hong Kong.

What city do you want to see in time lapse? Leave it in comments, as always.

TimeLapse Barcelona from Loyam on Vimeo.



 

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]]>barcelonabarcelona time lapsetime lapse videoAOL Travel Staff2011-07-12T15:00:00+00:00TSA Hair Search Prompts Racism Accusationhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/tsa-hair-search-prompts-racism-accusation/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/tsa-hair-search-prompts-racism-accusation/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/tsa-hair-search-prompts-racism-accusation/#commentsFiled under: ,

stevendepolo/Flickr

A Seattle woman is crying "racism" after having her curly hair inspected by Transportation Security Administration officers after passing through a security checkpoint at Sea-Tac International Airport.


Laura Adiele, who is of mixed race, filed a complaint against the TSA, which has a stated policy of inspecting head coverings. She took to the airwaves to tell to tell an NBC affiliate that the search was "racially motivated."

Adiele claimed that other white women with big hair were not searched and that she felt violated when a female officer fondled her curly coiff. A TSA spokesman reacted by pointing out that this is the first hair related TSA scandal, which is actually pretty impressive considering the number of scandals the TSA has had.

The hair-search controversy is probably a tempest in a teapot, but its half-life (and the fact it got any traction at all) are a pretty good indicator of the contempt that people seem to harbor for the TSA.

 

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]]>airport securityblack hairhairHairStylestsaAOL Travel Staff2011-07-08T11:20:00+00:00Running of the Bulls 2011: Get Out of the Way! (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/running-of-the-bulls-2011-get-out-of-the-way-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/running-of-the-bulls-2011-get-out-of-the-way-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/08/running-of-the-bulls-2011-get-out-of-the-way-video/#commentsFiled under: ,

running of the bulls

AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos

While we stateside were still cozy in our beds, daredevils from around the world were trying not to get trampled by bulls in Spain.

Today marked the third day of the San Fermin Festival in the northern city of Pamplona, best known for its Running of the Bulls. What most people probably don't know is that the famed running, or encierro, is not a singular event. The practice occurs at 8 a.m. every morning from July 7 to July 14.

With the shot of a firecracker, a stampede of bulls is released from its pen to run a 900 yard route through the town to the bullring. In front of them are throngs of runners hoping to make it there before the bulls do. Behind a double fence built along the route - or from rented apartment balconies - sane spectators watch in safety.

So far this year, four men didn't fare so well: One had the misfortune of being gored in the leg while the others fell or were trampled, reports the International Business Times.

Watch the video below for a taste of the chaos.



 

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]]>pamplonarunning of the bullssan fermin festivalspainAOL Travel Staff2011-07-08T08:57:00+00:00Chicago Timelapse: Zipping Through the Canals (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/07/chicago-timelapse-zipping-through-the-canals-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/07/chicago-timelapse-zipping-through-the-canals-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/07/chicago-timelapse-zipping-through-the-canals-video/#commentsFiled under:

bryce_edwards/Flickr

Chicago-area filmmaker Philip Bloom mounted a camera on a boat and took a trip to and through the Windy City, capturing the pulse of the humming town, the business of its waterways, and a colorful firework display.

The video serves as a nice reminder that Chicago is, and always has been, a water-centric town.

As Bloom heads toward the city, bright reflections bounce between skyscrapers. The light slowly fades. Boats turn to fireflies as dusk arrives and Bloom heads back to the dock, leaving the glowing city in his wake. Just another day in Chicago.


Chicago by boat: A timelapse journey from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.




 

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]]>chicagoChicagoBoatfireworksskylineTimeLapsewater taxisAOL Travel Staff2011-07-07T11:30:00+00:00Solar-Powered Plane To Make First Trans-Mediterranean Flight (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/05/solar-powered-plane-plans-for-first-trans-mediterranean-flight/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/05/solar-powered-plane-plans-for-first-trans-mediterranean-flight/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/07/05/solar-powered-plane-plans-for-first-trans-mediterranean-flight/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Melissa_bel/Flickr

A team of Swiss engineers have announced their plan to fly the world's most advanced solar-powered airplane across the Mediterranean in 2012, then around the world in 2014.

Encouraged by a recent flight to Belgium and France, the team is considering flying to Morocco next year.

The pilot and engineers on the Solar Impulse team will be challenged by the trans-Mediterranean trip as the plane is very sensitive to turbulence. It will also have to remain airborne for 48 hours.

Pilot Andre Borschberg told the Associated Press: "We'd like to be able to do flights of a duration of two days, two nights, which is a big challenge for only one person on board."

Borschberg added that if the 1,200-mile trip to Morocco from Switzerland is successful, the team will attempt flying onward to Turkey before returning home.

Last year, Borschberg completed a 26-hour nonstop test to prove that the 12,000 solar cells attached to the Solar Impulse's 207-foot wingspan can absorb enough sunlight to keep the four-engine plane in the air through the night. What is one more day?



 

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]]>airplaneflightmediterraneansolar airplanesolar panelssolar planeswissswitzerlandVilmarie Estrella2011-07-05T09:10:00+00:00Up Close and Personal with Boeing's 747-8 at the Paris Air Show (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/inside-and-upclose-with-boeing-747-8-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/inside-and-upclose-with-boeing-747-8-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/inside-and-upclose-with-boeing-747-8-video/#commentsFiled under: ,

jeffmcneill/Flickr

The Paris Air Show this week has offered plane manufacturers an opportunity to show off a ton of new hardware, but no aircraft has caught the crowd's imagination like the massive Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental.


Aol Travel had a man on the ground to check out the new 467-passenger behemoth, which Boeing is billing the 747-8 as a more efficient answer to the 747-400, its current heavyweight.

The 747-8 will have to sumo wrestle Airbus's new A380 for supremacy if it is going to become the go-to choice for long-range hauls. So far, Airbus has booked more orders, though that takes little away from Boeing's engineering achievement. Either way, airline passengers can expect to be boarding something massive sometime soon.

Video shot and edited by Hunter Stuart.



 

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]]>720p747-8Dreamlinerparis air showvideoAOL Travel Staff2011-06-23T11:15:00+00:00Hurtigruten Cruise Ship Live Streams Voyage, Sets Ratings Record (PHOTOS)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/hurtigruten-cruise-ship-lives-streams-voyage-sets-ratings-recor/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/hurtigruten-cruise-ship-lives-streams-voyage-sets-ratings-recor/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/23/hurtigruten-cruise-ship-lives-streams-voyage-sets-ratings-recor/#commentsFiled under: , ,

NRK

This may only happen in Norway: Live video feed of a Hurtigruten a cruise ship sailing the coast of Norway for six-days has set a ratings record in the country.


This may only happen in Norway: Live video feed of a Hurtigruten a cruise ship sailing the coast of Norway for six-days has set a ratings record in the country.

The fjord trip entitled "Hurtigruten--Minute by Minute", broadcast by Norway's NRK, was watched by 2.54 million Norwegians--more than half the country's population! Additionally, 7% of viewers came from Denmark, and 4% each from Germany, the U.K., France, and the United States.

The MS Nord-Norge sailed 1,460 nautical miles along the coast; it's voyage was streamlined on the NRK2 website for 134 hours straight (check it out here), Variety reports.

It took a crew of 22 with 11 cameras to capture the journey.

The ship left from the southwestern city of Bergen on Thursday and docked on Wednesday morning in Norway's northernmost point, a town on the Russian border called Kirkenses where the sun doesn't set in summer.

The highest volume time? Midnight on Sunday when the ship sailed into the Trollfjord in Lofoten, showing the Midnight Sun.


Well-wishers across the country met the ship at its ports of call. Even the Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, got in on the action, Tweeting: "This is Norway at its absolute best."


According to the NRK website, the cruise line has been sailing the Norwegian coast since 1893, and it's been dubbed "The World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage."

Check out some of the stunning views armchair travelers were able to see below, all courtesy of Flickr's nrkbeta.

%Gallery-126920%

 

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]]>hurtigrutenlive streaming cruisems nord-norgenorway cruisesnorwegian cruisesKate Auletta2011-06-23T08:15:00+00:00Man in Women's Underwear Allowed to Fly US Airwayshttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/man-in-womens-underwear-flew-us-airways-before-sagging-pants-ar/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/man-in-womens-underwear-flew-us-airways-before-sagging-pants-ar/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/man-in-womens-underwear-flew-us-airways-before-sagging-pants-ar/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Man in Women's Underwear Flew US Airways Before Sagging Pants Arrest

DearEdward, flickr

A man clad in only women's undergarments flew from Fort Lauderdale to Phoenix on a U.S. Airways flight six days before a college football player was arrested at San Francisco International Airport after a dispute with airline personnel over his pants being excessively saggy.

The unidentified passenger wore a blue ensemble: tighter knickers, a tie-front sheer coverlet, thigh-high socks and sky-high heels. (For an elderly gentleman, he had very nice legs.)


"We don't have a dress code policy," U.S. Airways spokeswoman Valerie Wunder told the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained a photograph of the scandalous flyer. "If they're not exposing their private parts, they're allowed to fly."


The arrest of Deshon Marman triggered some discussion of racial profiling and Marman's lawyer was eager to strum that chord after the cross-dressing pic surfaced, telling the Chronicle: "A white man is allowed to fly in underwear without question, but my client was asked to pull up his pajama pants because they hung below his waist."


U.S. Airways has maintained its position that Marman was removed from his flight because he failed to comply with a captain's request, not because his attire was somehow not up to snuff.

US Airways Lets Man Fly Wearing Women's Underwear



UPDATE: We owe a thank you to commenter Brett Smith, who caught this indiscrete gentleman on video in the Charlotte Airport. Mr. Smith was not alone. Turns out videos of this fellow, who calls himself Howard in one clip, are basically a YouTube genre.

Mr. Smith's video:





Another video:





You just can't look away can you?:

 

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]]>airlinesdragdress coderacial profilingracismUS AirwaysAOL Travel Staff2011-06-22T11:00:00+00:00Delta Airlines Passenger Pissed About Urine-Soaked Luggagehttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/delta-airlines-passengers-pissed-about-urine-soaked-luggage/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/delta-airlines-passengers-pissed-about-urine-soaked-luggage/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/22/delta-airlines-passengers-pissed-about-urine-soaked-luggage/#commentsFiled under: , ,

YouTube

Sy Haze is pissed off because he's pretty sure his luggage was pissed on by a Delta employee at some point between the time it left London and the time it arrived in Minneapolis a few days later than its owner, having gone walkabout in Boston.


In the YouTube video below, Haze takes us on a guided tour of the destruction: stolen aftershave, urine-soaked clothes and toothpaste everywhere.


Haze also says in the video that Delta rather inefficiently sent his bag from London to Boston, back to London, back to Boston and on to Minneapolis.


This is just the latest example of a YouTube-fueled Delta scandal. A video made by a soldier who the airline charged for carrying extra luggage went viral earlier this month. The airline was forced to apologize and change its policy on active duty military officers' luggage fees.


Perhaps Haze's video will result in the airline adopting a "No Urinating on Passengers' Luggage" policy.



Update: Delta responded to the Sy Haze situation by giving the following statement to Time Magazine's Newsfeed blog:

"We are talking with the customer to apologize for the misdirected bag and secure information on the condition in which his bag was returned to identify a cause and offer resolution. As it relates to the actual handling of the bag, if anything happened outside of our normal procedures it is unacceptable and will be closely reviewed."

 

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]]>deltaDeltaAirlinesLondonluggageminneapolispeeAOL Travel Staff2011-06-22T10:15:00+00:00HD Timelapse: Nighttime Around the World (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/18/hd-timelapse-nightime-around-the-world-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/18/hd-timelapse-nightime-around-the-world-video/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/18/hd-timelapse-nightime-around-the-world-video/#commentsFiled under: ,

HDtimelapse.net

We know, we know. Another time lapse. But this one, by HD Timelapse.net, is reminiscent of one of our all-time favorites, Le Flaneur.

Much like Le Flaneur, this time lapse video focuses on cities of the world at night.

The video scans over 14 cities around the world, from Stockholm to Boston, Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles.

The one downside of the video? The music sounds like it's right out of "Mission Impossible," making an otherwise calm film incredibly tense.

Nevertheless, it's an incredible look at cities of the world. Want more? Check out our own time lapse, Hong Kong on High.

WATCH below:

HD Time Lapse Footage Showreel 2011 - Night Rush Around the World 2 from HDtimelapse.net on Vimeo.



 

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]]>cities at nighttime lapse videotime lapse videosKate Auletta2011-06-18T09:00:00+00:00Takabisha, World's Steepest Rollercoaster, to Open in Japanhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/worlds-steepest-rollercoaster-to-open-in-japan/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/worlds-steepest-rollercoaster-to-open-in-japan/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/worlds-steepest-rollercoaster-to-open-in-japan/#commentsFiled under: , ,

World's Steepest Rollercoaster to Open in Japan

natalie419, flickr

A new rollercoaster in a Japanese resort town beneath Mount Fuji has bragging rights: Over a little less than a half mile of track, the Takabisha features a bundle of twists and turns and the steepest vertical drop of any ride on earth.


According to the Daily Mail, the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park is set to open the ride in mid-July, shortly before a host of woozy kids start throwing up all over the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park. The $37 million ride drops about 130 feet at 121 degrees, which is damn close to freefall.

The current Guinness World Record holder for steepest rollercoaster is the Mumbo Jumbo in Malton, England, which has a 112 degree dip. The Jumbo last made headlines in 2010 when a minor mishap resulted in several riders dangling from one of its loops for 20 minutes.

The Takabisha, like the Mumbo Jumbo, will likely be dethroned fairly quickly. A theme park arms race has been ramping up over the last several years as engineers find innovative ways to restrain passengers and distribute the weight of massive tracks.

The Japanese, ever-willing to stomach all sorts of centrifugal indignities, are leading the charge. The country already has the Steel Dragon, which boasts the world's longest track, and the awesomely named Thunder Dolphin, which you sort of have to see to believe.


Would you climb aboard the Takabisha?
Yes. You only live once.2700 (54.9%)
No. You only live once.2215 (45.1%)


 

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]]>amusement parksdragonfujiJapanrideRidesRollerCoasterAOL Travel Staff2011-06-17T10:00:00+00:00Tunisia Revolutionizes Tourism Advertisinghttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/tunisia-revolutionizes-tourism-advertising/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/tunisia-revolutionizes-tourism-advertising/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/17/tunisia-revolutionizes-tourism-advertising/#commentsFiled under: ,

gallagher.michaelsean/Flickr

In a bid to profit from its current reputation for political instability and violence, Tunisia has taken to the streets of London with a series of tourism ads making light of the country's recent civil conflict, CNN reports.
"They say that in Tunisia, some people receive heavy handed treatment," says one bus-side advertisement. "They say Tunisia is a real hot spot," says another.

The "They" in the ads seems to refer to journalists writing stories about torture and fighting during the country's revolution this year.

If the goal of the ads was to get people talking (it was), they are working. But the ads will have to do more than stir up conversation. Tunisia is desperate for tourism revenue: According to Reuters, tourist revenue in 2011 is on track to be down 50%, some $3.5 billion, from 2010.

Prior to the revolution, Tunisia had been a popular sand and sun destination for many Europeans, but the prospect of riots has made the Mediterranean country less appealing and forced Tunisian tourism officials, who insist their country is perfectly safe, to advertise heavily on the continent.

New ad campaigns will be sprouting up soon in France, Italy and Spain. No word yet on
whether they will obliquely reference that time Bedouins sacked Tunis or the invasions of the Nazis.

Come on down!




 

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]]>advertisingarab springtourismtravelTunisiatunisia protestsAOL Travel Staff2011-06-17T08:45:00+00:00Train Conductor Confronts Very Educated Womanhttp://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/train-conductor-confronts-very-educated-woman/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/train-conductor-confronts-very-educated-woman/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/train-conductor-confronts-very-educated-woman/#commentsFiled under: , ,

YouTube

There is always at least one person on your train (bus, plane, hovercraft, velocipede) who insists on imposing their conversation on everyone else.


In this video, which went viral in a hurry on Thursday, a woman suffering from a virulent strain of self love is confronted by a conductor for being too loud, completely loses it and, for no clear reason, trumpets her educational achievements.

I bet they taught her some neat multi-syllabic words in graduate school. Maybe she knows the word "schadenfreude."


Maybe it's just time for her to enroll in finishing school or for all of us to adopt the Japanese system of publicly shaming the hell out of anyone who behaves like this.


Oh wait, that's what the internet is for:

 

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]]>cellphonecellphonescollegeeducationFightingShut UpAndrew Burmon2011-06-16T15:00:00+00:00Joe Ayala, Larry Chen, Stranded Travelers, Go Wild at Dallas Airport (VIDEO)http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/joe-ayala-larry-chen-stranded-travelers-go-wild-at-dallas-air/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/joe-ayala-larry-chen-stranded-travelers-go-wild-at-dallas-air/http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/06/16/joe-ayala-larry-chen-stranded-travelers-go-wild-at-dallas-air/#commentsFiled under: ,

2 Stranded Travelers Go Wild at Dallas Airport (VIDEO)

screenshot, djplasmid, YouTube

What would it be like to have free reign of an empty airport? If it's anything like what Joe Ayala and Larry Chen got to experience in Dallas, it would be pretty epic.

Thanks to a missed connection, Joe, a photographer, and his friend Larry found themselves stranded overnight in the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. So, they decided to make the best of it - and film the whole thing.

The video shows the duo running free throughout the airport, pretty much living out every kid's fantasy. There's playing on the escalators, wheelchair races, handstands in the tram, foam fights in the bathroom and beat boxing on the intercom. Though, the highlight is without a doubt when one of the men sneakily steals an ice cream parfait cup...and proceeds to chug a self-poured beer.

Not everyone thinks its all fun and games, however. According to a report by the local CBS affiliate, the video has raised a number of concerns. Some wonder how this could happen when airports are supposed to be secure. One man panned the cost these shenanigans could have for the traveler.

Wonder if they paid for that beer?

WATCH:



 

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]]>dallas fort worth airportstranded travelersRebecca Dolan2011-06-16T14:45:00+00:00