Consumerist
complaints
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fees
Airlines Could Start Charging Extra For Credit Cards
Could extra fees for using a credit card to pay become the airline industry's hot new trend? More » -
brats on a plane
Mother And Child Kicked Off Southwest Flight Receive Apology, Free Travel
Earlier this week, a 2-year-old boy drowned out preflight announcements on a Southwest Airlines flight with his screams of "I want Daddy!" and "Go, plane, go!" So the airline kicked the child and his mother off the plane.
Southwest has since apologized to the child's mother, and offered a refund and travel voucher.
Southwest apologizes to mom on Calif. flight [AP]
(Photo: woodleywonderworks)
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revenge
United Airlines Loses "United Breaks Guitars" Singer's Luggage
Dave Carroll, the musician who recently wrote a catchy new jingle for United Airlines, told the New York Times that on a flight with United this past Sunday they lost his bag. What's worse, United employees wouldn't let him leave the baggage area for more than an hour because they said the bag was just delayed. United told the paper, "We will fully investigate what regretfully happened."
"With Video, a Traveler Fights Back" [New York Times] (Thanks to Alan and Ray!)
(Photo: Doug Letterman) -
airlines
US Airways Shrinks
US Airways has announced it plans to lay off a thousand employees, about 3% of its workforce, and will cut flights and focus mostly on four hubs: Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. More » -
airlines
4 Questions That Will Fix The Travel Industry
When will we see an airline passenger bill of rights? Why aren't there 5-star and 2-star airlines? How do you deal with hotels filling review sites with fake testimonials? These questions came up in a conversation about the travel industry I had the other night. Here's some possible answers: More » -
above and beyond
You Accidentally Forget You Don't Live In Baltimore, And AirTran Fixes It
Here's a heartwarming email from reader Joy. She accidentally booked tickets from Baltimore instead of Philly and AirTran not only fixed this mistake — they didn't charge her extra. More » -
travel
Expect Airlines To Keep Hiking Ticket Prices As Holidays Approach
This year it's a seller's market when it comes to buying airline tickets, reports the New York Times, so if you must travel via plane, buy early and try to be as flexible as possible. More » -
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security theater of the absurd
TSA Takes Baby Away From Mother?
UPDATE: The TSA has posted their CCTV video of the incident from 9 different angles. In the video, the child is never picked up by TSA agents or removed from the mother's sight.
UPDATE 2: Nic responds to the video by saying, "in the video, it looks as though my son is playing happily in his stroller while i am being searched with a wand. obviously this is the big discrepancy with my story, since he was not in my sight at that time, and one that i too am thoroughly looking into. neither of the two phone calls i placed while seated in security are in the video either. what is shown in the video is incomplete as it leaves out when the security agent took my son to a separate area and out of my sight. this matter is one that is being handled between my family and the TSA."
Mommyblogger Nic tells the horrifying story of how TSA agents took away her child because the clip on his pacifier set off the metal detector yesterday. More »
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lost luggage
DOT To Airlines: Sorry, But People Like To Change Their Underwear
The United States Department of Transportation has finally warned airlines: Most people don't like to go for more than 24 hours without brushing their teeth and changing their underwear. More » -
delays
Founder Of FlyersRights Says Delta Hacked Her Email Account
Kate Hanni, the founder of the passenger advocacy group FlyersRights.org, has filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines in which she claims they hacked her email account and acquired personal email messages sent between her, some journalists, and a guy who was at the time working for Metron, a company hired by the FAA to investigate Delta. More » -
airlines
Your Plane Is Probably On Time, Thanks To The Recession
The good news, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution? For the last few years, air travel delays have decreased and travel has become almost bearable. The bad news? That's because of the decrease in travel due to the recession, and economic recovery will mean more delays. Yay. More » -
travel
More Airlines Add $10 Travel Surcharge To More Holidays
Since consumers didn't whine too much about the addition of $10 "just because" fees airlines imposed on busy travel days, they've added fees on more days. Goody for us! More » -
greenwashing
Airline Urges Passengers To Leave Their Urine Behind
In a new and exciting airline cutback effort, an airline is now asking passengers to relieve themselves before getting on the plane in order to decrease passenger weight and save fuel. No, we're not making this up. And no, it's not Ryanair. More » -
slight savings
United Lets You Pre-Pay Your Baggage Fees
United has just announced a program where you can pay $250 to have their normal checked baggage fees waived for a year. The plan covers 2 bags per passenger, up to 8 passengers "traveling under the same confirmation number." Current fees are $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second, so if you travel solo a lot and always carry two bags you'll have to make six trips before you enjoy any savings. On the other hand, if you've got a big family trip planned in the next year, this may be a way to shave a little off the fee gouging. But only if you're stuck with United; BestFares.com notes that "SouthWest offers 2 free bags for free and JetBlue offers the 1st bag free."
"Premier Baggage" [United via Best Fares]
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jetblue
JetBlue Is An Excellent Airline
Having taken JetBlue for the first time last week, I must say I throughly enjoy their services. First, I got a round-trip non-stop flight to Seattle for only $279.20, tax included. Awesome. More » -
potential for rudeness
Should Airplane Passengers Be Allowed To Make VoIP Calls?
Until now, airplane cabins have been blessedly free from idle phone chatter thanks to FAA regulations. Now, thanks to the introduction of wi-fi on commercial flights, it's time to ask: should passengers be able to use Skype, Google Voice, or another VoIP service of their choice to make phone calls in the air? More » -
when ya gotta go
United: Bad Toilet Timing Leads To Delay, Arrests
Two passengers were arrested on a United flight from LA to New York after one of them jumped up and ran to the bathroom after being instructed to remain seated by a flight attendant. Apparently the man just needed to use the bathroom — like now. More »
