This weekend we read about a new Disney resort in Hawaii, a man caught with snakes in his pants and we find the airplanes that disappeared from JFK as the hurricane rolled up the eastern coast.
New Disney park in Hawaii
This week at Ko Olina, Hawai‘i, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa opened its doors and welcomed its first guests. Before sunrise, while the guests were still waiting, Goofy kept them entertained.
Walt Disney Imagineers worked hand in hand with locals to create Aulani—a place that celebrates Hawaiian culture, history and traditions. From contemporary Hawaiian art featured throughout the Resort, to myriad recreational activities, culinary programs, excursions and more, Aulani immerses Guests in the legends of the islands so you can experience the true enchantment of Hawaiʻi.
Man arrested with snakes in his pants
A man was arrested at Miami airport after security screeners said they found snakes and tortoises inside his trousers as he tried to board a flight for Brazil.
The US Transportation Security Administration said the man had seven exotic snakes and three tortoises wrapped in nylon bags that had been stuffed into his pants.
He was discovered as he went through a body scanner at one of the airport’s security checkpoints on Thursday and arrested by US Fish and Wildlife Service officials for violating animal trafficking laws.
When a Hurricane Threatens, Airplanes Go Into Hiding
During last week’s hurricane, where did all the planes go? Jaunted got word from JetBlue that they were sent, ironically to Florida, where hurricanes normally reign.
In order to get flights heading out on schedule, airlines must fling their planes back to the airports in the first place. You see, when a severe storm approaches such as a hurricane, an effort is made to clear the airport of planes and put them into “hiding” at other airports as much as possible. Nobody wants to see an overturned or damaged multi-million dollar flying machine after some wind and rain.
During Irene, one of the airlines most transparent about their emergency procedures was JetBlue. Not only are they being proactive about rebooking customers on Twitter (just have a look at their feed), but their COO Rob Maruster shared this pic of a deserted Terminal 5 at JFK with storm clouds overhead.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
