Central to Amtrak's charm is that taking a train still makes you feel like a human being, rather than flying veal. You can show up 2 minutes before the train pulls out of the station, there's ample legroom and space to move around (dining car!), everyone isn't breathing recycled rage-air, and a friendly person takes your ticket and gives it a punch. However, you'll see less of that bygone ritual this summer, when 1,700 conductors will start using iPhones to scan tickets. more ›

What do horse sausage, dried penis and mangoes have in common? Answer: They're some of the foods commonly seized as contraband at JFK's international terminal, thanks to an adorable beagle named Izzy. City Room visits Izzy at her workplace today, taking a tour of the airport's "grinding room," the special area in the customs section where illegally imported foodstuffs are taken care of. more ›

Nevermind those pesky strip searches—people still like to bring guns on planes, goshdarnit. The TSA has found 1,238 firearms, or roughly four a day, at airport checkpoints last year. It's unclear whether that figure includes the many, many stun guns that seem to keep popping up around New York, but either way—that's a lot! more ›

Construction to revamp the JFK's international terminal, Terminal 4, has been underway since 2010, with the goal to gussy up the outdated structure and add several new gates, among other things. Today, the Times takes a peek at how things are going over there, despite the fact that the project won't be finished until at least 2013. And what they found, is, surprisingly, kind of good? more ›

It's not often that we agree with Donald Trump, but he was right when he called LaGuardia a "third-world airport"—okay, maybe he's exaggerating a bit, but we back his sentiment. It's crowded and dirty, with the saddest Auntie Annie's pretzel stand we have ever seen—even the Port Authority boss says it's a dump! But could the much-maligned airport finally be getting a makeover? more ›

Want to see how your luggage gets from point A to point B when you check it at the airport? Well, sit back and relax, here's a short but sweet video showing one (drug free) bag's journey from Atlanta to New York: more ›

A 19-year-old Bronx woman was caught on her way back to New York from Jamaica for allegedly trying to smuggle three pounds of cocaine in her shoes. It doesn't quite compare to this, but still, the blow doesn't look like it was stashed there on accident. more ›

Are you gearing up to get out of town this holiday weekend? Better hit the road now if you want to get there in time, according to a new traffic report from the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management. more ›

Today's air travelers are barely allowed to bring colostomy bags on a plane, so we're not entirely sure why a passenger would think she can fly with five grenades in her bag. And yet, that's exactly what one Belgium-bound passenger tried to do this weekend at Newark Liberty Airport. more ›

It's the day before Turkey Time, which is one of the two busiest travel days of the year (the other? The Sunday after Thanksgiving), as millions hit the road to see family and friends—or get away from family and friends. The AAA estimates "42.5 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend," up 4% from last year. The Port Authority says five million will be using its bridges, tunnels and airports. more ›

Drug traffickers, apparently tired of storing their stash in hangers, saris and sneakers, have found a new place to hide the goods: your luggage. So now you can pay a "checked baggage fee" AND bail when you're busted for being a drug mule! more ›

Puny humans, Mother Nature does not care about your Thanksgiving travel plans! In a fit of bad timing the worst weather this week by far will be Tuesday night and Wednesday, the busiest travel days of the year. A weak cold front passed through the city this morning and we'll be drying out during the day. Despite the increasing sun the temperature is going to hold steady in the lower 50s for much of the day. more ›

Today, Bloomberg news releases the shocking news that it's freaking expensive to get out of town during Thanksgiving, which is not news to anyone who's ever heard their parents say, "Of course you don't have to come home; hopefully Grandma Tilly will live long enough to see you next year." more ›

A pilot in a LaGuardia-bound flight from North Carolina got locked in the bathroom of his own plane last night, triggering an accent-fueled terror scare that was completely, totally, absolutely, ridiculously unnecessary. more ›

Pot-loving Euro-trippers, start checking Priceline if you want one final hurrah in Dutch "coffeeshops"—the Netherlands are poised to start banning tourists from cannabis-selling cafes with the goal of "combating drug tourism and the accompanying public nuisance." What will Woody Harrelson do?! more ›

Laser pointer pranksters, be warned: the Federal Aviation Administration is coming for you! The FAA has launched a manhunt for laser-wielding criminals after a spate of suspiciously connected attacks against pilots at LaGuardia Airport over the weekend. more ›

Get a temporary cure for your own case of winter wanderlust tonight at McNally Jackson bookstore in SoHo, where a bevy of stars will align to share their tales of travel with the poor souls who can't afford to jet off to Tanzania on a moment's notice. Lights, Camera...Travel! is a new anthology from Lonely Planet, featuring 33 stories from some of the most well-traveled people in the film business, some of whom will be celebrating its release tonight. more ›

Last week, the full lineup for this year's Open House New York weekend was announced, and while dozens of amazing off-limits spaces are already opening their doors, there's always room for a few more, like the retro-fabulous TWA terminal at JFK Airport. more ›

Frequent flyers with four-legged friends probably already know this, but short-nosed dogs like bulldogs, pugs and Boston terriers are being banned from many airlines. The reason? They keep dying in transit. more ›

The city's three major airports are resuming and rescheduling the hundreds of flights cancelled by Hurricane Irene, though officials warn that not everything is hunky dory just yet. more ›

Airlines have begun cancelling hundreds of flights to and from New York-area airports as Hurricane Irene draws closer—bad news for travelers trying to get the hell out of Dodge. more ›

Apparently laser pointers never, ever, get old! The fun-time favorite of legions of 12-year-olds are once again being used to blind pilots at local airports. The latest incidents involved two planes on their way to Newark Liberty Airport, and the authorities are on it. more ›

In a brazen bid to attract more customers, United Continental (remember when the two airlines merged?) announced today a slew of customer upgrades ($550M worth of them to be exact), which comes as a bit of good news for the thousands of travelers who are destined to get stranded at the airline's biggest carrier, Newark Liberty Airport. more ›

Sacre bleu! Is this the start of an unseemly new trend? French actor Gerard Depardieu hopped on the "drunkenly peeing on a plane in public" bandwagon last night, allegedly relieving himself on the carpet of a City Jet flight from Paris to Dublin. more ›

Turns out that Robert Vietze, the 18-year-old who allegedly got drunk and peed all over a sleeping 11-year-old girl on a JetBlue redeye to New York earlier this week, is a member of the US Ski Team who probably just pissed away his chance at Olympic glory. more ›

The JetBlue redeye from Portland to JFK made a strong bid for Worst Flight Ever yesterday, when a drunk 18-year-old boy allegedly peed all over a 11 year-old girl in her seat, which did not go over well with her father. Oh, and then someone puked. more ›

Just one more travel-induced headache: luggage-related larcenies are up almost 30 percent at JFK airport, so maybe think twice before checking that bag. And don't expect to get it back once it's gone—only 28 of the 299 complaints filed this year have lead to arrests. more ›

Unless you seriously love the smell of Auntie Anne's lingering in your hair or paying $34 for a neck pillow that won't inflate properly, it's probably best to avoid Newark Liberty Airport, which is the airport you are most likely to get delayed at. Hope you brought a book! more ›