flying

Passengers queue up at Greece's Thessaloniki Makedonia Airport on Sept. 2. Recommendations about physical distancing prove hard to follow at airports — and in the jetway leading to the plane.

Coronavirus FAQ: What's The Advice About Traveling In The Delta Variant Era?

1:18pm September 03, 2021

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

Here are questions to ask yourself — and databases to check — before making the decision to take off as the highly contagious coronavirus variant continues spreading.

The relatively empty flights of past months are filling up as more people get vaccinated — and make summer plans. Are there still risks to weigh?

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: To Travel Or Not To Travel? Plus, Tattoos And Vaccines Can Mix

12:18pm March 26, 2021

by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred

Airports are getting busier, but the CDC hasn't issued new guidelines for vaccinated folks. What's a wannabe traveler to do? And is it OK to get a vaccine if you just got tattooed? Or have no spleen?

Air passengers wearing practically full-body coveralls at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in India.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?

6:21pm September 18, 2020

by Marc Silver

Some passengers don a disposable suit over their clothes to help shield themselves from the coronavirus. Is that helpful? What about gloves, face shields and goggles? Also: A blanket idea!

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: Is It Safer To Fly Or Drive? Is Air Conditioning A Threat?

7:06am May 30, 2020

They're not exactly easy questions to answer. In the first case, you must consider motel cleaning regimens and the hazards of driving vs. the risk of sitting next to a sneezy air traveler.

Passengers wear masks on a Myanmar National airlines flight out of Yangon. Many airlines now require passengers to don masks.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQs: How Risky Is It To Fly? Is There Any Way To Reduce The Risks?

3:37pm May 15, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

As places around the world begin reopening, people are thinking about flying again — and wondering if it's safe.

A helicopter flies in Brazil in 2014. Some helicopter trips — like personal or private helicopter rides — are more likely than others to end in a fatal accident.

National

Kobe Bryant's Death Puts A Focus On Helicopter Safety

1:25pm January 28, 2020

by Camila Domonoske

Some helicopter trips — like personal or private helicopter rides — are more likely than others to end in a fatal accident. A crash killed the former NBA star and eight other people on Sunday.

Airplane passengers fly on a British plane in 1960. Travelers can often exhibit bizarre behaviors as a result of the conditions within the airplane cabin.

Science

Cool Your Jets! Science Might Explain Your Weird And Emotional Airplane Behavior

3:50pm July 14, 2019

by Josh Axelrod

The reason some passengers weep uncontrollably or order strange beverages in the sky might be related to high levels of noise and air pressure in the cabin.

For those who are scared of flying, an array of apps, websites and classes teach relaxation techniques and explain how airplanes work.

National

After Boeing Crashes, More People Want Help Taming Fear Of Flying

5:01am April 17, 2019

by Jasmine Garsd

If you're scared of flying, the news of two recent airline crashes might have you in jitters. Instructors who help people overcome that fear say enrollments have doubled since the incidents.

Queue Listen Now

JetPack Man flies through the air at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 6, 2011, in Fort Worth. Backers of a new $2 million competition hope to encourage the development of personal flying vehicles.

National

Wish You Could Soar? A $2 Million Contest Aims For Personal Flying Device

1:52pm September 27, 2017

by Glenn McDonald

A group of aviation companies and advocacy groups, backed by Boeing, have announced a competition to develop a safe and easy-to-use personal flying vehicle in the next two years.

Passengers check in for flights with United Airlines at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. United, American and Delta now offer no-frills "basic economy" fares.

New 'Basic Economy' Airfares May Not Be As Cheap As You Think

12:24pm March 20, 2017

by David Schaper

All three of the biggest U.S. airlines now offer no-frills, discounted fares called "basic economy." Now there's evidence that it's not any cheaper, but is a way to raise standard economy fares.

Queue Listen Now