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Travel Weekly
4 days ago
- Politics
- Travel Weekly
TSA's shoe-removal policy may be coming to an end
The TSA's longstanding policy that requires flyers to remove their shoes during the security process could be coming to a formal end. At a press conference at Washington Reagan Airport on Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem plans to announce a new policy "that will make screening easier for passengers, improve traveler satisfaction, and reduce wait times," according to a DHS media advisory. The event is taking please on the heels of numerous reports, from travelers and the media, that the TSA has already stopped requiring flyers to remove shoes during screening, at least at some airports. The TSA stopped short of confirming the change in a Monday evening email. "TSA and DHS are always exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the passenger experience and our strong security posture," it said. "Any potential updates to our security process will be issued through official channels." A 20-plus year policy The shoe-removal policy formally took effect in 2006. In practice though, the screening procedure began at U.S. airports five years earlier, after British national Richard Ried attempted to detonate bombs in his shoes aboard an American Airlines flight. The policy doesn't apply to members of the TSA Precheck program, children 12 and under and flyers 75 or older. Many countries around the world have already abandoned shoes-off requirements as security screening technology has improved.
Boston Globe
30-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
New Staples retail boss takes it ‘easy'
In January, Warkentin became president of Staples' US retail operations. One of his first big moves as the top executive: launching a new campaign around the familiar fat red button, with billboards, store signs, and social media posts. (The button shows up as 'E.B.' on LinkedIn.) And yes, you can still buy buttons that say 'that was easy' for your office cubicle. The Easy Button concept is in keeping with Staples founder Tom Stemberg 's ethos around making life easier for customers, Warkentin says. Advertisement 'It wasn't just a marketing campaign,' Warkentin said. 'It was a commitment.' The idea takes on new resonance now that the company has pivoted to focus more on services and less on traditional brick-and-mortar retail, particularly as consumers and small businesses are using less paper, once the lifeblood of a Staples store. In that regard, Warkentin cited several growth areas such as same-day sign printing, TSA Precheck enrollment, tech support, and 'iPostal' digital mailboxes. Warkentin said he doesn't expect to significantly add to the company's network of 900-plus stores in the United States, but he does want to optimize the stores Staples already has. Advertisement 'What you hopefully are seeing is the evolution of a strategy playing out where we're moving more towards a service-based approach versus a product-based approach, which is where the whole 'Easy campaign' comes in,' Warkentin said. 'Leveraging something from the past and applying it to something that's new and more modern.' For Mass. CEOs, competition is on the menu The 'C' word seems to be everywhere you turn these days. Case in point: State Street chief executive Ron O'Hanley and Rapid7 chief executive Corey Thomas are hosting an unusual dinner meeting on Wednesday, and 'competitiveness' is on the menu. The meeting is unusual because O'Hanley and Thomas invited board chairs of local business associations as opposed to the associations' chief executives — other executives whose day jobs involve leading companies, not trade groups. O'Hanley chairs the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership , and is the former chair of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce 's board, a role he handed off to Thomas a year ago. In their invite, they write that the challenges to the state's economic competitiveness have never been greater. They cite headwinds facing leading industries, and existential threats posed to universities and hospitals. They point to high construction and housing costs, as well as taxes. And they express concerns about roads and public transit. Their stated goal: to identify actions that local business leaders can take to address 'what is now a critical situation.' The meeting follows a Pioneer Institute report in April, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data, showing that private sector employment in Massachusetts remains 0.74 percent lower than in January 2020 — the third-worst showing of any state. And on Thursday, the Massachusetts Business Roundtable released a report showing an increasing number of their members are hiring remote workers in other states to fill jobs. Advertisement 'Massachusetts has more going for it than it has challenges,' said Citizens Bank executive Lisa Murray , who plans to attend as chair of the Roundtable. 'We need to make sure we're telling that story, so we're focusing on and highlighting all the amazing things that happen here. . . . But we can't be naive and stick our head in the sand, and not address the issues that are as clear as day.' For Boston Arts Academy, a big check from big fans When Mayor Michelle Wu Josh Boger and Amy Boger to step up. The couple has supported the visual and performing arts high school for several years, ever since they received an inquisitive visit by some academy students to their Summer Street studio. Josh Boger is a scientist by training, and a former chief executive of biotech powerhouse Vertex Pharmaceuticals, while his wife is a retired pediatrician. But now he's much more focused on photography, particularly underwater, and she's more focused on ceramics. Boger said it was a no-brainer for the couple to donate that final $1 million, to make the match sought by the anonymous donor and bring the total amount raised by the Boston Arts Academy Foundation to $35.9 million — wrapping up the campaign. The couple had donated to BAA before, he said, but this is their largest single gift to the school. They were recognized by Wu at a reception at the Parkman House on Friday. (The gift will go to a scholarship fund, to support BAA graduates in college, named after foundation chief executive Denella Clark .) Advertisement He said he's impressed that admissions are not based on middle school grades, but instead on auditions and portfolios. He believes many students who are artistically inclined can go on to become great mathematicians and scientists; the pursuits of arts and of science are more similar than many people realize. He probably gets as much out of the student visits as the kids do — if not more. 'It's the questions they ask, and I realize that they're seeing certain aspects [of my photography] for the first time,' Boger said. 'That makes me more interested in those aspects. . . . It reminds me to look at it more carefully.' Wu sees mounting interest in office conversions Interest continues to build in Mayor Michelle Wu 's tax- That's the message the mayor conveyed at an Associated Industries of Massachusetts meeting on Thursday, after AIM chief executive Brooke Thomson asked what her administration is doing to help address the region's housing shortage. Wu touted her conversion program, which offers developers a 75-percent property tax break over 29 years. She noted projects totaling nearly 800 units are in the pipeline, soon to climb to around 1,000. The hope: bring more life to a downtown hurt by the rise of remote work, while creating more housing. Advertisement Actual construction, though, Wu rattled off several other city housing initiatives, and she fielded a separate question from Thomson about buttressing the city's competitiveness. She indicated that perhaps the most important draw for businesses is 'making sure Boston is a city where employees, where people, want to build their lives.' There was little indication of how some of Wu's more progressive policies — increased requirements for affordable housing, for example, or climate-friendly construction — faces some resistance in the business community. A number of prominent executives have donated to Josh Kraft, her challenger in the fall election. To introduce Wu at the AIM event, M&T Bank regional president Grace Lee talked about how Wu stood her ground before confrontational members of Congress in March, over immigration policies. Wu hearkened back to that moment when Thomson asked about the mayor's controversial rollout of more bike lanes, a rollout that Kraft targeted 'When I was sitting in that congressional hearing room in D.C.,' Wu recalled, 'and the questions were coming fast and furious and trying to, you know, call me names, and this and that, I quickly realized, . . . none of these congressional Republicans have been in a bike lane meeting in the city of Boston.' Advertisement Jon Chesto can be reached at
USA Today
19-06-2025
- USA Today
TSA may pull you aside if you have these 4 letters on your boarding pass
TSA may pull you aside if you have these 4 letters on your boarding pass Show Caption Hide Caption What you need to know about airport security rules and checkpoints Here are TSA rules that you need to know and what to expect at each airport checkpoint. The code "SSSS" on a boarding pass stands for "Secondary Security Screening Selection," requiring additional screening at TSA checkpoints. Reasons for the "SSSS" code can include last-minute ticket purchases, one-way cash payments, travel to specific countries, suspicious behavior, or random selection. Passengers with "SSSS" on their boarding pass should allow an extra 15-45 minutes for security screening. As the temperatures rise and the skies clear up, you might be looking forward to a summer vacation. But before flying to your destination, you'll have to go through screening at a TSA checkpoint. Loading and unloading your luggage during the process is a hassle. But TSA can also pull you aside for additional screening if they find something on your boarding pass. Here's what to know. What will happen if there's an 'SSSS' on your boarding pass If your boarding pass has "SSSS" on it, TSA will pull you aside for additional screening. "SSSS" stands for "Secondary Security Screening Selection," which means you'll have to take an extra few steps beyond regular security protocols, according to Islands. This is not just for regular pass holders. Even those with a Trusted Traveler Program, such as Global Entry and TSA Precheck, or a CLEAR access purchase, may also be pulled for additional screening if they find those four letters on their boarding pass. Why is there an 'SSSS' on my boarding pass? The code can appear on anyone's boarding pass. A few common reasons for this group of letters include: Purchasing a last-minute ticket; Booking a direct one-way flight and paying in cash; Flying to or from a country flagged by the U.S. State Department; Raising suspicions at the airport; Selected at random. If you do find this quartet of letters on your boarding pass, allow 15–45 minutes of extra time to get through security at the airport. Annual traffic at airports in 2024 The TSA reported a total of 904,068,577 commercial passengers in 2024. That number was up from 858,548,196 passengers in 2023, according to TSA checkpoints. That's an increase of 5.3%. As of the end of May, 403,784,688 commercial passengers have passed through TSA checkpoints in 2025. Jim Ross contributed
UPI
17-06-2025
- Business
- UPI
JPMorgan Chase boosts Sapphire Reserve credit card annual fee to $795
The JPMorgan Chase & Co. sign hangs at the bank's headquarters on Park Avenue in New York City. On Tuesday, Chase announced it would nearly double the annual fee on its Sapphire Reserve premium credit card to $795, in exchange for additional travel perks. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 17 (UPI) -- JPMorgan Chase is banking on a slew of new travel rewards to justify a massive annual fee increase of 45% on its popular premium credit card. The bank announced Tuesday that its Sapphire Reserve card will now cost users $795 each year in exchange for double the value of points for select travel offers, a $500 annual credit on select resorts and a $300 dining credit for select restaurants, starting next Monday. "It's been almost 10 years since Sapphire first launched, and we really think we tapped into something special in the premium card space when it did," Chris Reagan, president of branded cards at Chase, told reporters last week. "But we know that the industry has changed a lot since then." In addition to travel perks and airport lounge access, the card will include a free Apple TV+ subscription, a $300 DoorDash credit and a $300 credit for StubHub tickets. The card also features a $120 credit for TSA Precheck and Global Entry. Chase said it also tweaked the points structure on the card with eight-times the points -- more than double -- on purchases through Chase Travel, four times the points on flights and hotels booked directly and three times the points on dining. Five times more points can be earned on "eligible" transportation, along with points for everyday spending, according to Chase, which touted its "new points redemption accelerator program" that will replace what first drew customers to Sapphire Reserve. "We're bringing elevated benefits and greater value in the areas that our current members are most passionate about," said Sam Palmer, general manager of Chase Sapphire, who promised the new Sapphire Reserve will deliver "over $2,700 in card member value." Those who spend more than $75,000 a year in card purchases will see even more benefits. Chase launched its Sapphire Reserve card in 2016 before it quickly became one of the most popular premium credit cards for travel, according to travel news website One Mile at a Time. "When the Sapphire Reserve first came out, it was a solid middle-class play that offered champagne travel on a beer budget," said senior Bankrate analyst Ted Rossman. "These premium cards are going more luxury, and I wonder if the $800 fees are becoming too much for some to stomach." While the changes for new cardmembers go into effect Monday, existing cardmembers will not see the changes -- or increased annual fee -- until Oct. 26.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
You need a REAL ID to fly in a plane starting May 7 — except in 5 states
Starting tomorrow, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at U.S. airports will no longer accept state-issued IDs that are not REAL ID-compliant at TSA checkpoints. Before boarding domestic flights, all airline passages ages 18 and older must to present REAL ID-compliant identification or another approved ID, such as a passport, a passport card, or a U.S. Department of Defense ID. The new rule also applies to TSA Precheck members. As opposed to a standard state IDs, REAL IDs are a valid form of federal identification. Massachusetts residents can check the top right corner of their driver's license or Mass ID for a star, which distinguishes the ID as REAL ID-compliant. Five states — Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont — issue Enhanced Driver's Licenses and Enhanced IDs, which are also valid alternatives to a REAL ID. Travelers who cannot provide one of the approved IDs will likely be subject to delays and additional screenings, and may not be admitted past the security checkpoint. You can view the full list of approved IDs on the TSA website. Under the new regulations, citizens will also need a REAL ID to access federal government buildings, military installations and nuclear power plants. REAL ID requirements differ by state. In Massachusetts, residents can acquire a REAL ID by providing a birth certificate or passport and verifying their social security number with a social security card or W-2. They also must show proof of Massachusetts residence, such as a lease, mortgage, or utility bill. Residents can start the REAL ID application process online by visiting the RMV's Online Service Center and scheduling an in-person appointment at a RMV Service Center of AAA branch (for AAA members). The latest from MassLive Read the original article on MassLive.
