Weekly Weird: Babies on the No-Fly List and Smuggling Guns

It was a tough week for children in air travel, but at least some other passengers got to be entertained by cheerleaders!

TSA officers X-rayed a carry-on bag and discovered a disassembled handgun and ammo inside of child’s Mickey Mouse toy. CNN reports that the bag belonged to a man who was traveling with his four-year-old son, and that the man claimed he didn’t know he was carrying something that could be assembled into a loaded handgun. The gun was confiscated and the duo was allowed to fly, while the TSA was probably excited to have a justification for continuing to screen children.

Speaking of screening children, an 18-month-old girl was kicked off a JetBlue flight because her name is on the no-fly list. Bay News 9 reports that a couple who was flying with their daughter from Ft. Lauderdale claims that they were pulled off their flight and told that their child’s name was on a no-fly list. After half an hour, the family was told they could re-board the plane, but they refused. The family, who asked to remain anonymous, claims that they were targeted because of their ethnicity.

Bored at the airport? You won’t be if you’re flying out of China’s Dalian International Airport. CNN reports that the airport is now offering passengers a series of perks, including hiring cheerleaders to perform for passengers in the main hall. Other perks include free physicals and flight updates by text.

This is not only tastless, but also terrible advertising—using a kidnapped child to promote a vacation. The Huffington Post reports that travel company VoucherDigg used a photo of missing child Madeleine McCann to advertise a vacation rental just 35 miles from where McCann disappeared.

Did you see anything weird during your travels this week? Leave a comment below!