MIAMI AIRPORT ADDS ELECTRONIC PASSPORT KIOSKS

U.S. and Canadian travellers can have their passports processed via a self-service kiosk Miami International Airport has now launched Passport Express, new automated passport control kiosks, which allow U.S. and Canadian citizens to have their passports processed via a self-service kiosk instead of a customs and border protection (CBP) officer. Thirty-six Passport Express kiosks have been installed in Miami's North Terminal and another 12 will be installed in the airport's South Terminal in 2014. Every four kiosks do the work of approximately one CBP officer, making the 36 new kiosks in North Terminal the equivalent of adding nine new CBP officers to Miami's international arrivals area. Implementation of the kiosks also relieves CBP officers to process more non-U.S. citizens. The average time for Global Entry processing is 40 seconds. The program targets those who leave the country at least four times per year, mainly airline personnel and business travellers

AMERICAN AIRLINES & JETBLUE OK'D FOR EXPANDED MOBILE-DEVICE USE

JetBlue Airways began offering its passengers the option of using Kindles, iPads and other personal electronic devices (PEDs) gate to gate on Friday afternoon. American Airlines announced that it, too, had received FAA approval to use PEDs gate to gate. In a press release it posted on its website, JetBlue said that it had received FAA approval of its plan allowing PED use below 10,000 feet, just one day after the FAA had announced the new policy. JetBlue said that it was first airline to offer use of PEDs under 10,000 feet to its passengers. JetBlue said its first approved flight was Flight 2032 from New York Kennedy to Buffalo. American said on that it had received FAA approval for allowing PED use under 10,000 feet on its entire mainline fleet as well as regional aircraft operated by American Eagle Airlines. Some American Eagle flights won't allow the expanded use of PEDs until later this year. Customers need to secure their handheld devices by holding them or placing them in a seatback pocket. Previously, these devices needed to be stowed under a seat or in an overhead bin during taxi, takeoff and landing. Larger items, such as laptops, still need to be stowed during taxi, takeoff and landing.

Canadians are on the move.......

Canadians love to travel and according to the recently published Global Tourism Watch summary report by the research department of the Canadian Tourism Commission, in 2011 alone, took 32.7 million trips abroad and spent US$33.1 billion on their adventures.

More Canuck statistics:

• Canadians have almost doubled their spending on international travel since 2005, pushing Canada to sixth place in terms of global tourism expenditures;

• The US is the primary destination for Canadians on the road, who made more than 21 million trips there in 2011. The launch of Brand USA and its aggressive marketing efforts to lure Canadians over the border poses another challenge to the local Canadian tourism industry;

• Everybody loves the sunshine, including Canadians who take much of their leisure travel to hot spots such as Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico during the winter;

• Domestic travel is vital to Canada’s economy: Canadians took 229 million domestic trips in 2010, which accounted for 80% of total tourism receipts:

• Canadians take great pride in their country, ranking it first in terms of being friendly, beautiful, informal, liberal and confident;

• Nature, cultural activities and unique or local experiences get Canadian travel pulses racing the most, but there is a growing appetite for city activities;

• Facebook is the No. 1 social network for Canadian travellers, with almost 75% using it in the past three months. YouTube (50%) and Twitter (18%) are the other heavyweights on the social scene;

• Nearly three in 10 Canadian travelers use social networks to share images or stories while on the road, with one in five doing so via smartphones.

Souirce:  Canadian Tourism Commission -  Global Tourism Watch

DELTA PASSENGERS ALLOWED TO USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES THROUGHOUT FLIGHTS

Delta said that the Federal Aviation Administration approved its plan for the use of personal electronic devices under 10,000 feet. Delta customers can do so immediately, the airline said on Twitter. Devices must weigh under 2 pounds and stow easily in seatback pockets. The FAA said that airlines could allow the use of personal electronic devices from gate to gate, including during takeoffs and landings, once airlines establish that aircraft operations won't be affected by the devices. The FAA also has to approve airline revisions of fleet manuals, safety announcements and training.