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• Your say: Reaction to airline pay-per-weight proposal
• Will a website keep Brits from crashing while on holiday?
• Lost in Hawaii, found in Taiwan: Tourist’s camera returned after 5 years in the Pacific
• What you should know before your next flight
• Funeral tourism in Sulawesi: Is it ethical?

Your say: Reaction to airline pay-per-weight proposal Posted: 27 Mar 2013 07:00 AM PDT Proposed changes to airport/airline policies -- anything air travel, really -- incite strong opinions.  This week, a story on a "pay as you weigh" scheme for airlines proposed by an economist in Norway drew heated reactions from around the world.  The controversial paper outlines three different models for calculating air tickets based on passengers' weight. Published on Tuesday, Airline 'fat tax': Should heavy passengers pay more? received more than 2,200 comments in less than 24 hours. While airlines and air travel bodies were unresponsive or slow to react to the concept, CNN users didn't hold back. The more sensible responses ranged from hearty approval for the economic principles behind the idea, to outrage over a potentially discriminatory policy.  "I agree with this. If one's weight incurs extra costs for the airline they should pay for it. I also think that if total weight is taken into account from the beginning and paid for then it will dissuade people from trying to bring huge suitcases on as carry-ons, freeing up space for everyone to place something in the overhead compartment, thus speeding up the boarding process, thus reducing flight delays," commented Nick Reynolds.   This will inspire you to lose weight :P RT @cnni: Airline 'fat tax': Should heavy passengers pay more? @cnntravel on.cnn.com/15PkWKd — Ryan (@ryl313) March 26, 2013 Others found the idea of weighing passengers ridiculous and offensive.  "So, some of us with a little flesh are doomed? Carrot and stick? Reining in obesity?" tweeted Robert Madoi.  Some users rightly pointed out that the proposed scheme would charge higher fees for not just overweight travelers but those who may be tall and naturally heavier. "I'll be willing to bet that not a single person arguing this is acceptable is a bit over average in height or weight. For those of us who are over average, even if we are not fat, this feels inescapably like discrimination," wrote "gulwhiz." Some readers argued that the current system is actually discriminatory.  "It isn't discrimination, it's physics. The thrust of the article is, that there is a pound per mile cost that is unavoidable. Thus shipping one passenger's oversized package should not be collectively paid for by others. In other words, far from discrimination, everyone will then have to pay their fair share. Frankly, there is conversely discrimination with the current system as it historically unfairly favors those who carry more weight onto the plane but had paid less per pound transported. In essence it would be righting a wrong," injected Ralphrepo.  One reader, seabass, agreed with the principles, but voiced skepticism about how this would actually be implemented at an airport.  "For argument sake, let's say that the fly by weight is implemented. How do you propose to get the accurate weight of the person? Wait in line at the airport to get weighted and entertaining yourself while a person at the front of the queue disagrees (with) the weight from the machine for 45 minutes? Arguing with the check-in desk because their cash account is $10 short and try to get a refund because the airline refuse (to) fly them? There are so many scenarios that would cause significant delays," wrote seabass.  More delays in a world where passengers have to throw away water bottles while in line to remove our shoes on cold dirty floors, get X-rayed and possibly patted down? Imagine the comments then. More on CNN: 10 ways to improve the travel industry right now

Will a website keep Brits from crashing while on holiday? Posted: 27 Mar 2013 02:59 AM PDT A new website by the United Kingdom's Foreign Office aims to keep British nationals safe while driving in foreign countries.  Part of a new road safety campaign, the site was developed in response to reports of a high number of road traffic incidents affecting British tourists and expats in popular destinations, such as Thailand, Australia and Spain. "In Thailand, a country with 50,000 British residents and over 870,000 British visitors per year, there were 68,582 road traffic incidents resulting in 9,205 deaths involving both Thai residents and tourists in 2011," says the United Kingdom government post announcing the new campaign. "In contrast 1,901 people were killed in road accidents in the UK in 2011." Road traffic deaths are the second most common cause of death for British nationals in Thailand, says the Foreign Office.After deaths from natural causes, road traffic deaths are the most common cause of death for British nationals in Thailand and cause a high number of hospitalizations, it adds. "British nationals using the roads in Thailand should bear in mind that road laws and driving customs here are different from those in the UK and road conditions, driving standards and road traffic regulations can vary," said Mark Kent, ambassador to Thailand.  Even if you're not British, the new online tool is pretty handy as it lets people click on the country they plan to drive in and access specific road safety advice.  More on CNN: Appy traveler: Best new apps for travelers  Strange laws of the lands The British Foreign Office report also highlights some of the unusual road laws Britons should be aware of before heading out on any European road trips.  For example, in France, all drivers are required to carry a breathalyzer. In Scandinavia, it is illegal to drive without headlights, even in daylight.   In Spain, if you need to wear glasses, you are required to carry an additional pair when driving. And in some Spanish cities, cars must be parked on different sides of the road according to the day of the week.  Serbia's laws include a requirement that all cars need to be equipped with a tow bar and three-meter-long rope. And finally, our favorite: in Belarus, it is illegal to drive a dirty car. Bet the car wash industry there is thriving.  Do you prefer to rent a car or motorbike to get around when on holidays abroad? Share your experiences in the comments box below.

Lost in Hawaii, found in Taiwan: Tourist’s camera returned after 5 years in the Pacific Posted: 26 Mar 2013 10:59 PM PDT Few tourists are lucky enough to be reunited with lost items, especially if they've been lost while diving. But U.S. tourist Lindsay Crumbley Scallan recently became an exception to that rule when, five years after losing it, her camera was returned to her. Even better, the memory card was still functioning and she has been offered a round-trip ticket to Taiwan to retrieve it. Scallan lost her camera during a night scuba dive in Maui, Hawaii, in August 2007. She returned to the beach the next day to look for it. Hard to believe this spent the last five years bumping along the floor of the Pacific Ocean. "Of course, we didn't find it, so at that point I just gave up," Scallan told Hawaii News Now. "I was pretty disappointed because I had all my vacation pictures on there. Plus, the cost of the camera."  More than five years later and 5,000 miles away, presumably having bumped along the floor of the Pacific Ocean, it washed up on a beach in Taitung, on the east coast of Taiwan, and was picked up by two China Airlines' staff, Douglas Cheng and Tim Chuang. More on CNN: 15 bizarre items left behind by travelers It was covered in barnacles but to their surprise the camera, batteries and memory card were working. The pair spent several hours studying the photos and traced a name on a catamaran, "Teralani 3," which, after further research, they discovered was registered in Maui. Best "lost property" notice ever? The Taiwanese airline then created a Facebook page, "China Airlines is looking for you," with a few images of Scallan from the memory card. They also reached out to Hawaii News Now to help search for the owner. The airline found Scallan two days later after a friend identified her. "I just was floored that it was my camera and it was all my old pictures and it was amazing," said Scallan. "I just couldn't believe it had floated so far, so long ago and the memory card was still intact." "We have a web conference with Scallan tomorrow," said a China Airline's representative. "We would like to invite her to Taiwan to collect the camera but she just started a new job so we're not sure how we can work out the time yet." Thus paving the way for her new supervisor to become the best -- or worst -- boss ever.

What you should know before your next flight Posted: 26 Mar 2013 07:00 PM PDT We've all done it. We've all stared at that half-full can of soda that's just been poured into our cup, wondering what the flight attendant plans on doing with the rest of it. But here's the thing -- you can have the whole can, you just have to ask, they'll give it to you. This and other pearls of wisdom are being shared by pilots, flight attendants and cabin cleaning crew on the social-news website, Reddit, much to the delight of travelers who don't often have such a frank exchange with the people who know the skies the best. Even if you already know about airlines' "give 'em the whole can" policy, chances are there are passenger nuggets in the Reddit story you don't know about. Bathrooms Airplane bathrooms can be unlocked and opened from the outside. All of them. Every pilot and flight attendant knows how, and probably a number of the passengers do, as well. So be careful what you're trying to pull in there. Cabin lights When taking off and landing at night, lights are turned off in the cabin to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. In the event of an evacuation, you'll be able to see better. Blankets, pillows, magazines The pros say don't use the blankets and pillows if they aren't wrapped in sanitary plastic, unless you enjoy sharing unknown pieces of humanity with random strangers. Also, the magazines are probably the dirtiest things on an airplane … Opening doors mid-flight Ever stood next to the emergency door and worried about some maniac yanking it open at 30,000 feet? Relax. Individuals simply don't have the strength to open a door in-flight. Try it and you may freak out your fellow passengers, but at high altitude that door simply won't budge. (CNN travel guru Richard Quest says it's not just a case of strength and air pressure, but one of design. He says the design aircraft manufacturers use these days makes it impossible for a passenger to open a door while in-flight.) Flight deck visits Think flight deck visits are verboten after 9/11? Not so. "It's OK … when the plane is on the ground, it's the best part of my job, especially when the passenger is interested and has lots of questions," says one pilot on the Reddit story. "You can ask during boarding to take a peek in depending on how busy we are, but it's better after landing when everyone is disembarking." What they won't tell you during emergencies "If we're not going to make it, we're definitely not going to tell you," says one flight attendant on the Reddit story. "The last thing we need before we die is a riot." On the subject of emergencies, CNN's Richard Quest has a tip of his own: keep your socks on and your shoes handy. "Do not remove your shoes during take-off or landing," says Quest. "If something were to happen during take-off or landing and you'd need to evacuate the plane, you wouldn't want to be running on the runway over debris and burning fuel in your socks, now would you?"

Funeral tourism in Sulawesi: Is it ethical? Posted: 26 Mar 2013 02:59 PM PDT For eight hours the bus hugs the tropical Indonesian coast and winds up through green mountains full of coffee and cacao plants. I'm apprehensive. I'm going to a funeral, perhaps two. But I don't know when the funerals are taking place or who the funerals are for. I'm going to be a funeral tourist. Shaped like an octopus with outstretched arms, Sulawesi is one of the most distinct islands in the vast Indonesian archipelago. Eight hours from the airport and the port city of Makassar lies the town of Rantepao, the capital of the North Toraja regency. The Torajan people are known throughout Indonesia for their elaborate multi-day funerals that include water buffalo sacrifices and for their unique cave and rock graves. Rock grave by the side of the road in the countryside of Tana Toraja regency near Batutomonga. Although Christianity came to the region at the turn of the last century, Torajans have continued following many of their ancestors' rituals. Funerals are part of daily life in Rantepao -- everyone knows when a funeral is happening. The woman at the hotel tells me on my first day to go for the funeral of the wife of a politician. In the early 1970s, tourists here were rare, averaging a few thousand a year. Then a government tourism campaign and the documentary film series "Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey" cast the spotlight on Toraja. A lifelike tau tau (effigy) and coffin are at the center of funeral proceedings in the village of Ke'te' Kesu'. By the early 1990s, the Toraja regency was experiencing a tourism boom with more than 200,000 foreign and domestic tourists visiting annually. Following terrorist attacks in Indonesia and fear of avain flu and natural disasters in the 2000s, numbers dropped to around 20,000 a year. Welly Moe, a Torajan native and secretary at a travel agency, says the question she's most often asked is: "When and where is the biggest funeral ceremony being held?" Traditional Torajan homes, called tongkonan, dot the landscape of the regency. Funeral ethics Is it ethical for me, as a foreigner, to be a guest at the funeral of a stranger? I ask Welly if she feels that tourists are being invasive when they come to watch funerals. "No," she says. "Any tourist can go to a funeral and take some photos. But you have to know that a funeral ceremony is a private ceremony, so it's better if tourists go there with someone who knows the deceased's family or relatives." Before heading to the funeral of a grandfather with a large family, my guide, Pak Agust, tells me it's customary for guests to bring bags of sugar or cartons of cigarettes as gifts for the family. Locals in Kampung Dole wear traditional Torajan clothing for funeral proceedings. Kathleen Adams, professor of anthropology at Loyola University Chicago, first visited and began studying Toraja in the early 1980s. "Tourism has become systematized. Torajan funerals now have VIP guest reception pavilions for tourists," Adams says. "Torajans have to offer, by ritual practice, some coffee or candy to guests. So there is some expectation that you are going to be spending money, so tourists are expected to bring things." Pasar Bolu, the water buffalo market, is a quick ride from the main street in Rantepao. Vendors show off their animals in a large field and prices go well into thousands of U.S. dollars per water buffalo. Torajan funerals aren't cheap affairs. Families sometimes keep the bodies of the dead in their homes for years while they save enough money to hold the elaborate multi-day ceremonies that can include the slaughter of up to 24 water buffalo. Pak Agust laughs when I tell him that, thanks to the elaborate funerals, Torajans are stereotyped as wealthy in other parts of Indonesia. He says Torajans live poorly so they can afford their funerals. After driving through the countryside where women and men harvest rice from terraced fields next to traditional homes called tongkonan, we arrive in the small village of Kampung Dole and follow a large crowd to a group of men standing in a circle holding hands, singing a prayer. The first day of the five-day funeral is underway. In the hierarchical Torajan society, water buffalo sacrifices show a family's standing and wealth and follow ancestral beliefs that the animals accompany the dead to the afterlife. A water buffalo is slaughtered during funeral proceedings. It's butchered soon after and the meat is distributed among family members. Wealthy families may slaughter more than 20 water buffalo during funeral proceedings. At the funeral, a buffalo is tied to a stake at the center of events. A man brings out a long blade and in one quick swoop the buffalo's throat is cut. One tourist faints. The animal is immediately butchered and the meat divided among family members. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) acknowledges that animals are still used in cultural and religious ceremonies around the world but adds "culture is no excuse for cruelty." Traditional tau tau (effigies) at the Tampangallo burial cave. Some families keep tau tau in their homes for fear of their theft in open burial caves. "All tourists have the opportunity to help reduce demand for events that exploit animals by choosing not to attend them," the WSPA says. "Going to and paying for these events encourages their continuation while also reinforcing the idea that it is acceptable for animals to suffer pain and exploitation." In Toraja, however, water buffalo sacrifices are considered necessary. "People feel the need to carry on rituals with water buffalos. Tourists are there, but are kind of an afterthought," Adams says. "It's about paying respect to the dead and giving your relatives a proper send-off." Skulls inside Londa burial cave. Adams admits that some tension between tourists and locals does exist, centering on tourists overstepping boundaries and causing incidents during rituals. "It's more disappointing when tourists sit in inappropriate places, not if they didn't bring something," Adams said, recalling an incident when a foreign tourist got too close to a buffalo and sustained injuries. For travelers who want to get close to water buffalo, Pasar Bolu, the water buffalo market, is a quick ride from the main drag in Rantepao. Pigs are carried to the village of Kampung Dole. They'll be sacrificed as part of the funeral proceedings. A large field full of buyers and sellers negotiate the price of buffalo while the animals wander about and eat grass. Beautiful blue-eyed albino buffalos sell for thousands of U.S. dollars. Before leaving the funeral it's customary to give your gift to family members and sit with them for some coffee and sweets. As I get up to leave, a grandmother clad in black clothing, with a sly grin spreading across her face, tells me she has two sons. The implication is clear: she'd be happy to celebrate a wedding after the funeral. When to go: Funeral high season occurs during the dry season, peaking from June to August. Getting there: Daily flights from Jakarta and Bali to Makassar are available. From Makassar you must head overland to the Tana Toraja regency. The bus trip from Makassar to Rantepao is approximately eight hours. Companies including Metro and Bintang Prima depart from the main bus terminal in Makassar daily. Bus tickets start at around US$9 per passenger. Guide information: Both Moe and Adams advise hiring a local Torajan guide to get the best cultural insight possible. My guide was Agustinus Galugu (Pak Agust); agustinus.galugu@yahoo.com; +62 85 255 570 938.

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