NMTD Manuelito Visitor Information Center

Above, Manuelito Visitor Information Center off Interstate 40. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Drivers entering New Mexico from Arizona on Interstate 40 are welcome to take a break at the Manuelito Visitor Information Center which is about 4 miles east of the Arizona border and Lupton, Arizona on the eastbound side. Gallup is about 13 miles east on Interstate 40.

Above, parking is available for passenger cars, RVs and big rig trucks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here, maps and travel guides are available to visitors. There are restrooms and vending machines. There are also kiosks for picnicking.

According to the official website:

New Mexico’s four highway Visitor Information Centers serve more than half a million travelers annually. Maintained by the NM Department of Transportation or the General Services Department and operated by the New Mexico Tourism Department, they provide New Mexico True travel and tourism information. Visitor Information Center staff are knowledgeable members of the hospitality industry who assist travelers and work with the state's tourism industry to promote destinations, events and activities in New Mexico. Specific Visitor Information Center location and contact information and telephone numbers appears above. Contact the Visitor Information Centers directly to discuss special promotions, general travel information about New Mexico and the surrounding areas and/or events taking place across the state.

Above, kiosks with picnic tables are available to travelers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

New Airline Rules On Refunds and Hidden Fees

Air travel has been more than a hassle these past few years, I have found.

I have had flights canceled and delayed on different occasions. Also, I have had airlines or TSA hold or misplace my luggage. 

All that may be changing for the better.

According to KRQE News 13:

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Getting travel refunds and avoiding extra fees could be easier for fliers soon, thanks to two new federal rules. On Wednesday, the Transportation Department announced regulations to require quick and automatic refunds and to crack down on hidden costs. 

When travel plans go wrong, it can be a hassle to get your money back. 

“In theory passengers are already supposed to be refunded for a cancellation or a major delay. In practice, it often doesn’t work that way,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. 

That’s why Sec. Buttigieg says the Biden administration is issuing a new refund rule that will force airlines to automatically refund travelers if their flights are significantly delayed or their baggage gets lost for an extended period of time. 

Passengers won’t have to fill out a bunch of online forms of wait hours on the phone for their refunds. Under the rule airlines must issue refunds within a week, offering cash or a credit card refund first instead of travel vouchers or flight credits. 

To read more, go here.

Interstate 40 Closure

 

I just took a look outside and there are no lights from traffic on Interstate 40. The only lights are from homes in our community and those of Iyanbito Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Interstate 40 will reopen the eastbound side shortly. 

It will be closed again tonight.

Interstate 40 To Be Closed Eastbound From Gallup 2 Nights

Tonight and tomorrow night are going to be interesting.

Eastbound Interstate 40 from Gallup will be closed both nights from 9:00 to 6:00 for road repairs at Coolidge (MM 44) due to a constant pothole problem. The only way the New Mexico Department of Transportation can make effective repairs is to close the highway.

From KOAT:

The New Mexico State Police have alerted motorists planning to travel east on I-40 through Gallup, that the road will be closed at Exit 16 between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday, March 27 and 28.

With no detour available at that location, travelers have been advised to seek overnight accommodations in Gallup.

Exiting eastbound out of the city will be prohibited during the planned night work. No detour is available. Traffic will not be permitted to use local routes.

Stuck In Traffic

Above, looking east near Coolidge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After checking my mailbox at the Flying J, I decided to go do some grocery shopping in Thoreau.

Unfortunately, it took me over and hour and a half to go the 15 miles to Thoreau. Eastbound Interstate 40 ground to a halt at the construction area at the Coolidge off-ramp. It seems that a large pothole formed in the single lane that was open. So the New Mexico Department of Transportation stopped all traffic so that repairs could be made.

Above, looking west. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

They did do a temporary fix last night, but that came apart today. We sat stopped for an hour and a half for the repairs could be done. 

Luckily for me, I wasn't too far from the beginning of the stoppage as traffic was jammed all the way to Gallup. When we got the go-ahead to proceed at 1:45, I was able to get going and out of the area in no time.

After doing my shopping and was headed back home, I saw a line of traffic as long as the eye can see in the eastbound lanes.

Interstate 40 Today

Interstate 40 at the McGaffey/Fort Wingate exit yesterday was flooded by heavy rains from a thunderstorm that came into the area during the afternoon hours.

Today, I had to go to Gallup to do some grocery shopping and found that it looked pretty much normal except for some debris and puddles along the side of the highway.

From what I could see, Route 66 alongside I-40 was a muddy mess. It will take a while for the New Mexico Department of Transportation can get it cleared.

Here's a couple of photos of Interstate 40 with the bridge to McGaffey overhead:

The Most Punctual Airline In The U.S.

Above, a Hawaiian Airlines jet being readied for
departure from Honolulu. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most often these days, airline travelers get frustrated by poor service, fees, high ticket prices along with flight delays and cancelations by U.S. carriers.

Some flight delays and cancelations cannot be helped. But there is one airline that meets expectations year after year in punctuality.

Travel + Leisure reported:

Hawaiian Airlines continues to live up to its reputation for timeliness as the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has named it most punctual for the 18th year.

According to data released by the DOT last month, the carrier was on time for 90.14% of its 60,654 flights operated in 2021, making it the number one American airline for punctuality.

This marks the 18th consecutive year that the Honolulu-based company has earned that honor. The punctuality rate even tops its own 2020 percentage, which was 87.5% on-time for its 45,504 flights that year.

 To read more, go here.

Zion's Old Shuttles and There's No Money To Replace Them

Above, a shuttle bus comes into view as I was photographing The Watchman. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Zion National Park in Utah has shuttles available for park visitors to use and to keep the canyon unclogged from cars.

It is unknown how long the shuttles will be available. They are at least 20 years old and the park desperately needs to replace them.

According to the Associated Press:

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — Every day, packed shuttles chug through Zion National Park carrying thousands of hikers, bikers, tourists and locals into the country’s third most visited National Park.

The nearly 40 buses they have on hand have carried passengers since 2000, and haven’t been replaced since, much to the dismay of visitors and park officials alike, the Spectrum newspaper reports.

Between the upkeep and many repairs, 79% of all park entrance fees go toward just keeping the shuttles running, totaling to about $5 million a year. Though, new estimates suggest that number is nearing closer to 65%.

These buses are not even manufactured anymore, forcing the rangers to cannibalize broken down buses for parts, or even buy them off of eBay.

Not to mention the noise and emissions caused by running that many propane buses up and down a scenic, serene canyon, which disturbs wildlife.

Zion is not ignorant of these problems. They’ve been desperately trying to secure federal funding to replace the shuttles since 2017.

But Zion has been repeatedly denied this urgent funding by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Zion’s partners don’t know why.

To read more, go here. 

The 24-Hour Flight Cancellation Rule

Above, an All Nippon Airways jet at Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have had my flights canceled on occasion. Usually, it they were weather-related (snow) or "maintenance". I haven't requested any refunds, just a re-booking on another flight. I have not had to cancel a flight while traveling.

There is a 24-hour flight cancellation rule that many travelers don't know about. Thanks to the good folks at Condé Nast Traveler, it is all spelled out in an article from May.

It begins with:

In the age of COVID-19, knowing the ins and outs of getting a refund for an airline ticket has never felt more important. Passengers who are navigating an ever-changing web of travel restrictions and personal risk factors need flexible change and cancellation policies. But even before airlines started waiving fees and issuing refunds during the coronavirus crisis, there was the 24-hour flight cancellation rule, which helped passengers get their money back no matter what type of ticket they booked.

The Department of Transportation’s 24-hour refund regulation states that all airlines flying in the U.S., even international carriers, must issue a full refund if the reservation is canceled within a one-day window. Here’s what to know about this helpful policy for when you want to cancel a flight within 24 hours. 

It’s a customer service standard set by the Department of Transportation that says airlines must let travelers hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours without payment, or allow a purchased reservation to be canceled within 24 hours without penalty and with a full refund to the original form of payment. All airlines operating to, from, and within the U.S. must comply with the 24-hour rule. The clock starts ticking on the 24 hours once the ticket purchase has been made.

 There are some exceptions that people should be mindful of.

To read more, go here. 

Those Dreaded Signals Are Back

Above, the signal from Jamestown last fall. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following is not an April Fool's joke (wish it was).

The reconstruction work on the bridge between Jamestown and the Flying J across Interstate 40 is starting again, beginning today. The NMDOT has put up the signals again as bridge traffic will be crossing on one lane as it did last fall.

Our fire chief posted the following:

Good Morning Jamestown. I had a visit from NMDOT just now. The lights are being set up again starting today. The traffic pattern is going to be different (though he insisted it was the same, smh), he says it will run counterclockwise. But, the length of time the light stays green will remain at 6 seconds. I apologize but he insists they will not change this due to traffic volume off of the highway. I tried to advocate the best I could, he is the same guy from last time and is difficult to communicate with. He says any concerns should be directed to Mr. Jeremy Madrid in Gallup NMDOT.
Please be careful and pray alot.
Chief M. Shultz
Whispering Cedars Fire Department

We get only six seconds of green light. That's about as long as the time it took Oswald to shoot JFK to death. It is going to be a major hassle again and they are inviting a lot of accidents (we had a lot of them during fall) at the bridge.

DOT Fines 3 Airlines For Violating Passengers' Rights

Three airlines were smacked down with fines for violating passengers' rights, according to an article in Travel + Leisure.

They wrote:

On Friday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) fined Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines for violating various consumer protection rules, Reuters reported. 

According to the DOT, the largest fine was given to Frontier Airlines, which was fined $400,000 for violating oversales and disability rules, while American Airlines was fined $250,000 for failing to make timely refunds to passengers. Delta Air Lines was also fined $200,000 for filing inaccurate baggage reports.

To read more, go here. 

Springdale Feeling The Growth of Zion's Popularity

Above, Utah State Route 9 in Zion National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hordes of visitors to Utah's Zion National Park are taking a toll on the State Route 9 through the towns of Springdale and Rockville.

The Department of Transportation is taking steps to refurbishing the highway.

KUTV reported:

(KUTV) For years the roads leading to Zion National Park have been slowly weathering away due to the millions of visitors come to the park every year. 

Rockville and Springdale, Utah, are two cities impacted, especially during tourist season. The Utah Department of Transportation is currently working on a two-phase project that will give State Route 9, and the five-mile stretch of road going through the cities and park a face lift. 

Project manager with UDOT, Chris Hall, said it will cost between $12 to 14 million to complete the whole two-phase project. Phase one starts in Rockville.

To read more, go here.

How Passenger Rights May Change

Above, an Airbus A380 at LAX. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the Obama Administration now history, people are beginning to wonder what changes, if any, will take place with the Dept. of Transportation where it concerns airline passenger rights.

According to Condé Nast Traveler:

As the Obama administration leaves Washington, D.C. and power changes hands, travelers might be wondering: What’s going to happen to the dozens of airline passenger protection rules that took effect—and others that are still pending? 

First, some context. During the past eight years, an unusually active team over in the Transportation Department pushed through a slew of new rules affecting air travel, starting with the three-hour tarmac delay requirement, which levied stiff punishments on airlines that held fliers in planes for hours on end. That was followed by other other policies, which allowed passengers to hold reservations for 24 hours before making final payment, increased compensation for passengers who were bumped; and a requirement for airlines to advertise prominently the full price of an airline ticket, including all taxes.

Since President Trump knows the travel industry inside and out, having run hotels and an airline, some are cautiously optimistic that no real changes will be made, especially on protections that have been in place for years and are popular with the traveling public.

To read more, go here.

In-Flight Phone Calls Under Consideration

The idea of allowing in-flight phone calls is not one I like. Who wants to hear some inconsiderate loudmouth idiot chatting on his/her phone in the confinement of an airplane's cabin?

That's what may occur if the Department of Transportation lifts the current ban on in-flight cellphone calls.

According to Japan Today:

WASHINGTON —Airlines could let passengers make in-flight phone calls using Wi-Fi under a proposal from U.S. federal regulators. 

Flight attendants and others have complained that the calls could be disruptive. But the Department of Transportation said that it envisioned allowing the calls if airlines tell all customers about the policy when they buy their tickets. 

That way, customers could make other travel arrangements if they feared sitting next to passengers chatting on their phones. 

There is a 60-day comment period, and the proposal leaves the door open to the possibility that federal officials could still impose an outright ban. 

The Federal Communications Commission prohibits passengers from making cellphone calls during flights, but not Wi-Fi calls.

To read more, go here.