Keep cellphones off on planes, survey says

Are you eager to chatter away on your cellphone at 35,000 feet in the air? Not so fast. More Americans oppose cellphone use in flight than support it, according to a survey released recently by the U.S. Department of Transportation. About 45.2 percent of U.S. residents surveyed think cellphones should definitely or probably be barred from airplane cabins, 39.7 percent think they're definitely or probably OK if they don't interfere with aircraft communications and 15 percent aren't sure.

Like it or not, some foreign airlines are moving to equip their planes for cellphone use. U.S. flights are a different story: Government regulators say cellphones might interfere with ground or air communications and are balking at giving the go-ahead. However, Internet access could start soon. Delta and some other airlines are testing and outfitting planes with Aircell Wi-Fi.

Britain straightens out

hand-baggage rules

Britain has finally standardized its airport policies on hand baggage, giving approval to most airports to remove a one-carry-on-bag-only restriction. Passengers now can carry two pieces of hand luggage at all airports out of which British Airways flies, the airline said recently.

Some British airports had permitted only one piece of hand luggage, and a laptop or purse counted as that one piece. That snarled travelers in transit from international flights, including from the U.S., who had been able to start their journeys with two carry-on items.

For details on British Airways' new hand-baggage rules, see www.britishairways.com/travel/bagcabin/.

Beware of fraudulent international driving permits

AAA is urging U.S. residents who plan to drive while traveling abroad to avoid purchasing fraudulent international driving permits (IDP), especially over the Internet.

International driving permits are official translations of a motorist's driver's license for use when driving in another country. AAA is one of two organizations authorized by the U.S. State Department to sell the documents to valid U.S. driver's license holders. The American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA) is the other.

The Federal Trade Commission has alerted consumers to the online scams by bogus brokers, and posted information at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/idpalrt.shtm. The FTC says fake licenses are sold through unsolicited e-mail for $60 to $400. AAA sells them for $15.