Tag: News

  • Airline offers child-free economy class on some flights

    Tired of rowdy, squawking kids when you fly? Well, one airline is offering a child-free zone, but it will cost you.

    MALAYSIA- Tired of rowdy, squawking kids when you fly? Well, one airline is offering a child-free zone, but it will cost you.

    Air Asia X is now banning kids under 12 from the first seven rows of economy class on flights throughout the Far East and Down Under. The extra charge is between $11 and $35.50 (if you want to pick your exact seat).

    Hannah Walker, mother of two young girls, thinks it’s a good idea, “People with kids always feel really bad when their kids are being loud and other people are trying to have their quiet time or sleep.”

    Erica Joseph, who has never been on a plane with noisy, crying kids, says she wouldn’t support an airline that banned her children from any section. “I wouldn’t because that’s discrimination against children,” she says.

    The “Quiet Zone,” as Air Asia calls it, is sectioned off by toilets and a bulkhead. But let’s be real– if a baby’s screaming, nothing’s gonna block the sound.

    “Well, I think it’s kind of annoying,” says five-year-old Chloe Walker while waiting on her parents to get their luggage at Hobby Airport.

    But Nhung Nguyen, who’s a bit older and wiser, says folks should be a little more sympathetic, “It’s annoying, but you were once a child.”

    “Kids are kids,” says Marcus Freeman who’s against any kid-free zone on planes, “If you don’t have any tolerance for kids, then you probably shouldn’t been riding a plane. You should probably ride the Greyhound.”

    It’s hard to do that over the ocean, but you get his point.

    Stephanie Mumme, mother to two rowdy young boys, has a good point of her own: “I think it would be fair if the kids also had a place in the back, like maybe a little playground or when you pulled down the (table tray), there’d be little games… they could play with. That way they’re also happy.”

    We’re not sure if any airline is considering that, but one thing’s certain– if they do offer it, there will be a new fee attached!


  • Gasoline prices hit record, pushed by bets that prices will rise

    Hedge funds, commodity pools and other high-roller investors have thrown close to $12.5 billion into a collective bet that gasoline prices will rise.

    Hedge funds, commodity pools and other high-roller investors have thrown close to $12.5 billion into a collective bet that gasoline prices will rise, and some analysts say its one reason why gasoline prices are at a record for this date in California and nationally.

    The details were contained in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission report released Friday, showing that betting on higher gasoline prices was closing in on the highest level ever of $13 billion, set last March.

    “There has never been this much money bet on higher gasoline prices this early in the year,” said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.

    The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. is $3.587, which is 7.8 cents higher than the record for Feb. 11, set last year.

    In California, the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 14 cents over the past week to $4.054.

    Jeff Spring, a spokesman for the Auto Club of Southern California, said that was not only a record for today. Spring said it was also the earliest week in the year that the state’s average topped $4 a gallon.

    Analysts said was suffering mostly because its refineries have more scheduled maintenance than usual and because it is heavily dependent on more expensive foreign oil.