Flying | featured news

Deadly jetliner crashes are at their lowest since the mid-1960s. But turboprops remain less safe and parts of Africa and Latin America face safety problems.

With three antsy kids in the back, a husband resistant to bathroom breaks, and spotty cellphone coverage along the route, it's easy to think flying would be easier. If it weren't for that pesky TSA, the checked baggage fee, and having to pay for five airplane tickets, flying would be a no-brainer.

With gas prices 80 cents a gallon higher than they were a year ago, fewer Washington area residents plan to drive when traveling over the coming holiday weekend. But AAA’s annual survey of Fourth of July weekend travel found a 22 percent jump in the number of area residents who said they plan to fly somewhere.

Many air travelers know: Getting through the airport can make flying look easy. A new report shows which airports seem to make the experience painless and which can add to the frustration.