A Feb. 18 announcement from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that passengers will be fined for carrying prohibited items through security checkpoints is not a new policy and will not affect passengers caught with cosmetic scissors, Swiss Army knives and similar items, says a TSA spokesperson.
TSA has, though, increased its fines for violations. The agency has had fining authority since its inception and has brought more than 4,500 civil penalty cases.
The agency’s policy states that travelers with good attitudes may escape fines altogether, presumably meaning playing dumb could get you off. Fines range from $250 for minor infractions to $10,000 for carrying high explosives like hand grenades and dynamite. Fines are payable by mail, not on the spot.
For a list of fines for prohibited items by category see www.tsa.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/FINALSanctionGuidance.doc.
Orbitz adds car rental info
In an effort to make it easier for customers to compare car rental prices, Orbitz, the online travel site, has upgraded its service to display the total price travelers can expect to pay for a rental car on the first page of its search results, in addition to displaying the weekly or daily charge.
Now Orbitz includes mandatory taxes and fees in its display, enabling customers to compare the total price each company would charge for a particular location and date without clicking further along in the booking process.
An Orbitz competitor, Travelocity, initially displays car rental results with a daily or weekly rate, but customers can re-sort the choices to view the total price charged by each company displayed in a grid. Expedia displays search results with a daily or weekly rate; customers must click each option to view prices including taxes and fees.
Spain trains get speedier
A new high-speed train service connecting Madrid and Barcelona shaves about two hours off the previous trip time of seven hours between the two cities. Six Alcaria trains, as the new trains are known, run throughout the day in each direction, linking Atocha Station in Madrid and Sants Station in Barcelona.
All trains stop in Zaragoza and Lleida, while others also stop in Guadalajara, Calatayud, Tarragona, Reus and a handful of other cities along the way.
Each train has a restaurant-bar car and eight passenger coaches, three for Preferente Class and five for Turista Class. A Preferente Class ticket includes a meal; passengers can order vegetarian, diabetic, saltless and children’s meals at no extra charge when booking their journey.
The round-trip fare between Madrid and Barcelona is $144 (at $1.22 to the euro) in Turista Class and $222 in Preferente Class. A one-way ticket is $72 in Turista and $111 in Preferente. For more information see www.renfe.es.
