Dave Pflieger | What To Do If Your Flight Is Delayed

Dave Pflieger, aviation professional with decades of experience, explains what you should do if your flight is delayed.

Here is an excerpt:

“A flight delay or cancellation is any traveler’s worst nightmare, however that doesn’t mean that a bit of preparation isn’t going to come in handy in order to tackle these difficulties and overcome them. Knowing rules and regulations may come in handy in order to take full advantage of the situation.
Know your rights
Depending on the airlines, different rules may be in places once a flight is canceled or delayed. Free re-bookings or refunds may come into place, along with being places on a similar flight with another airline – anything to make a customer satisfied, after all. Check the fine print to make sure what the rules are so you can be ready if the time comes.

Bought the flight with a credit card?
This isn’t a well-known fact, but buying airfare with a credit card may entitle the buyer to many protections, such as receiving compensation for a delay, or special rules that kick in once a flight is interrupted. Make sure to keep all documents on-hand in order for the process to be as quick and easy as possible.”

To read the full article, written by Dave Pflieger, click here.

Boeing Has Recently Been Hacked

The popular airline manufacturer Boeing has recently been hacked with malware that took out some of its automated manufacturing tools. The infected units are said to have been exclusive to plants in North Charleston, South Carolina. The tools were used as part of an assembly line that produces both a 787 Dreamliner model as well as a wing manufacturing assembly line. Here is a basic overview of the situation.

What Is Malware?

Malware is, in essence, malicious software. The sole function of malware is to infect a program and cause harm. Malware has no beneficial purposes and is designed by those who have a variety of ill intents. This can include but is not limited to:

• Infecting Computers With Viruses
• Installing Spyware
• Installing Ransomware
• Worms

All of these malware types can potentially damage a computer beyond repair. The motives of malware creators vary but usually involve seeking money in return for removing the malware.

What Is Being Done To Stop Future Attacks?

Boeing has stated that their cyber security team is ever vigilant about the possibility of cyber attacks. The team was able to quickly spot the intrusion and disable it before it was allowed to infect other areas of the business. Thousands of other expanding businesses are also beefing up their cyber security divisions to better protect all types of sensitive information.

Are These Hacks Becoming More Common?

Unfortunately, as technology improves, so does the technology at the disposal of cyber criminals. The number of malware attacks each year is on the rise. In fact, over 9 billion recorded malware attacks occurred on businesses and private citizens in 2017 alone. As these types of attacks continue, the defense against them will have to improve as well.

Businesses all over the world are facing hacking attempts each and every day. These companies will have to be more diligent about either hiring employees or outsourcing other businesses to better protect their own information as well as the sensitive information of consumers.

Hawaii Makes Smoking Age 21

I think that at this point it’s safe to say that smoking is bad for you and your health. Numerous studies have show that tobacco is bad, inhaling smoke is bad, and the myriad of chemicals they put in cigarettes are just as bad, if not worse, than everything else listed above. While the popularity of smoking has been declining recently, there’s no denying that it is still popular across the country and making people sick every year.

 

 

In an attempt to cut down on the health and human costs of smoking, various cities (most noticeably New York City) have raised the legal age of purchasing cigarettes from the previous age of 18 to 21. Hawaii is the latest to raise the age in an effort to limit the amount of cigarettes (both traditional and electronic) sold and to lead to a healthier population. Hawaii is also the first state to attempt this sort of legislative change, meaning that it is going to be a battleground between pro and anti-smoking factions. There were also most likely be cries of personal freedoms and infringements thrown into this as well.

However, there is one thing that may make it so the controversy doesn’t really take much flight. Hawaii is home to numerous US military bases and all of the bases have expressed support and approval for the new law. A Navy spokesperson said that the new laws would help maintain both soldier health and readiness and that it would go into effect on the bases. Like the alcohol age, critics are saying that if a person is willing and able to die and kill for their country, they should be able to smoke. Since the law is brand new, warnings will be handed out instead of fines for the first 3 months.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

4 New Travel Startups to Check Out

Travel can be intimidating. There are a lot of places to go, a lot of things to do, and a lot of areas to see. There are lots of foods to eat, drinks to drink, and experiences to experience. Thankfully, with the rise of technology and an increase in startups across the country, there are companies specializing in helping you in every way. Here are 4 travel startups you should look at the next time you’re planning a trip anywhere on this earth of ours.

1. NirvanaTrip: This startup is meant for the travelers who voyage for their soul and spiritual reasons. It aims to connect spiritual and religious travels with each other across the world so that they share advice, places to see, and anything they have experienced. It can also help set up and plan trips to specific areas and for pilgrimages.
2. Choice N Cheers: Have you ever arrived to a city only to wonder where you could grab a drink and explore the local scene? Choice N Cheers aims to change that by creating a comprehensive list of the best bars in the area as well as the quickest and most efficient route to get there. It wants to make meeting locals an easy and fun experience.
3. Routes: Routes is an interesting new company that wants you to share your route with others. It allows you to link your favorite places together and create a travel guide to get from one to the other. The routes are then voted on by other users, with the most popular showing up for easy viewing.
4. STAPPZ: STAPPZ allows you to take pictures and map them out, creating a visual guide for others users and letting them get a taste of the things that they may seem. It’s a cool way to explore a city and figure out what’s worth the effort of finding.

These 4 companies are just some of the new ones springing up every day to help with travel purposes. Read here and here for more.