To assess the fare sales, FareCompare.com on Sunday analyzed airfares for the 25 most-traveled domestic routes in the continental USA.

On more than half the routes, non-stop coach tickets were available for travel on Dec. 10 for less than $220 round trip.

Prices were higher for travel closer to Christmas but still relatively inexpensive. For travel on Dec. 24 and returning five days later, for example, non-stop tickets were available on most routes for less than $270 round trip.

"Those holiday prices would have been double eight to 12 weeks ago," Seaney says.

Ray Neidl, an industry analyst for Calyon Securities, says passenger demand is "down sharply" because of the weak economy.

Just because fares are going down, however, doesn't mean you'll be saving any money. Many fares, while cheaper than they were a few months ago, are still higher than last year — and the new airline fees appear to be here to stay.

A passenger with a $200 ticket may pay up to $80 more round trip for two checked bags — a 40% increase on what they paid a year ago, USAToday points out.

Economic woes push ticket demand down, airfares lower [USAToday]
(Photo: flyingember )

JetBlue, I need a Wheelchair!

Before she even spoke to customer service, a representative handling JetBlue's Twitter account had responded to her, willing to hook her up directly to someone who could help.

It seems that more and more corporations are hooking themselves up with Twitter accounts to address the immediate (and über-public) concerns of the tweeting hive-mind. Has anyone else out there had a run-in with a corporate Twitter account?

Jetblue Twitter Account [Twitter]

From 10Connects:

Wheelchair-bound Elfride Kuemmel was on her way back home to Tampa Monday when a US Airways employee wheeled her on to the wrong connecting flight.

The 83-year-old wound up in Puerto Rico, where she was initially told she'd have to spend the night at the airport.

Vera, of course, objected to this idea.

"I was upset, and I told them there was no way they were going to leave her in the airport all night waiting to leave on a flight at 3:30 in the afternoon," she told the local news.

US Airways ended up buying Elfride dinner, a hotel room, and a flight back to Florida. First class.

Elderly Tampa woman ''lost'' by US Airways [10Connects]

And let's not forget the exorbitant booking fee for using miles for one of our tickets. The actual FLIGHT was only $280 round trip per ticket, but with the booking fee TO USE THE MILES TO PURCHASE A TICKET, we wound up paying over $500.

When Dean tried to convert the two tickets into travel vouchers, the airline charged him another $300. And that, readers, is when the airline killed off one of their better customer relationships.

For a trip that requires two roundtrip tickets priced at $280 each, or $560 before taxes, United managed to tack on over $800 in additional fees:

Dean doesn't have a permalink to his post—it's just up on the "News" section of his front page—so we're reprinting it below for posterity:

There seems to be a trend with me lately - it seems that, without fail, if I am on the phone with United Airlines, it's going to end in me cursing them out.

First, let me point something out. I used to be a devotee to United Airlines. For years, when we had trouble flying on American or Delta or *shudder* Southwest, United was always there as our rock - flights were usually smooth, we got decent service, and life was good. We signed up for frequent flier cards, (Even got a free upgrade to First class from L.A. to Chicago once) and I got a credit card that would give me bonus miles with them. I also had sort of a soft spot for them in my heart, given that my Grandfather worked maintenance for them for most of his life in San Francisco. After his memorial, I wound up taking a bunch of his old United memorabilia home with me, and I'm always going to treasure it, no matter what.

But coincidentally, that particular flight was where the love affair started to go south. See, it was around June, and it was when they started adding on fees for the second checked bag - which we didn't know about until we got to the gate, of course. I understood, to a degree - fuel prices were at an all-time high, and the airlines had to make up for the difference somehow. But I do clearly remember mentioning to the gate agent that "Heh... you KNOW those fees aren't going to go away when fuel prices come down again." How right I was.

Now, of course, fuel has dropped to the lowest price it's been in YEARS, and have they removed the fee? HA! They went one step further... because in early October, we booked a flight home so we could spend Christmas with our families. During that phone call, I discovered that not only had they added a fee for the FIRST checked bag (WHO flies without checking at least ONE bag?!) but they had increased the pet-in-cabin price from $85 per direction (It had previously been $75 the year before) to ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS per direction. Considering we'd be taking Selphie both ways, that adds up to MORE than the price of a ticket - just for the privelege of putting a dog carrier under the seat in front of us. And let's not forget the exorbitant booking fee for using miles for one of our tickets. The actual FLIGHT was only $280 round trip per ticket, but with the booking fee TO USE THE MILES TO PURCHASE A TICKET, we wound up paying over $500. The pet-in-cabin charge would be paid at the gate, of course. And don't forget the roughly $80 extra we would have to pay just to check our bags. This was the first instance where the phone call ended in extreme profanity.

Now, of course, we're MOVING BACK to California. We no longer have need for a flight from Austin to Sacramento. So, I decided to call United and see if it would be possible to convert the tickets into travel vouchers that we could use at another time. Certainly, said the reservations agent! There's only a fee of $150 per ticket to do so.

THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS?! FOR YOU TO PRESS A FEW BUTTONS AND CHANGE SOME INFORMATION IN A COMPUTER?! Needless to say, that phone call did not end in a civil fashion. I don't care if these people aren't personally responsible for these fees. They're representatives of United, and as such, they deserve to hear what I have to say. Take your fees and shove it.

And so, here and now, I officially renounce United Airlines. Call it whatever you want. A denouncement. A boycott. I don't care - the long and the short of it is this - I will never willingly fly United again, and I would urge anyone to whom customer service is important to boycott them as well. And not just United - I pledge, here and now, to never fly on another Star Alliance airline, either - domestically, this means no flying on US Airways. (Not exactly a huge loss) And I'm going to keep this up until United elects to rescind their fees for the first and second bags, and until the silly fees like $175 for a pet-in-cabin go away. But I'm not silly enough to think that the actions of one man are enough to get something done. That's why I'm calling on you guys.

I'm sure I'm not the only one furious with United Airlines for the treatment I've recieved - I'm sure many, many others have had the same experiences. Tomorrow, I will be writing up an actual, paper letter and sending it off to United, and I encourage you to do the same. If you feel so inclined, their mailing address is as follows:

Customer Relations
WHQPW
United Airlines
PO Box 66100
Chicago, IL 60666

Whether the fees go away or not is immaterial. I'm just pissed that United has $500 of my money that I'm never going to see again, and they're holding it hostage unless I pay an ADDITIONAL $300 to make use of it sometime in the next year. And so, I'm going to throw in my one profanity in this entire post - I say this so that people like my mom who don't really care for profanity can stop reading now.

Fuck you, United Airlines. You just lost a devoted customer.

Real Life Comics (Thanks to Arthur!)
(Photo: Getty Images)

Reader Aaron forwarded us the following email from United announcing that "Premier Executive" frequent fliers would now be able to board before... um, you know. Those other passengers.

Beginning November 12, our Premier Executive members and Star Alliance Gold guests will board before Seating Area 1 customers through the Economy Lane.

The new boarding order will be as follows: Global Services, 1K and customers sitting in United First will continue to board first through the Red Carpet Lane, followed by our United Business customers. Our Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold members will then be invited to board.

After all of our most-valued guests are on board and getting settled, the regular boarding process of seating areas 1 through 4 will begin.

We strive to consistently reward you, our premium customers, for your loyalty. We hope that as a Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold customer, you enjoy this added benefit

There's just something a little creepily desperate about this email, don't you think?

At least they haven't yet resorted to fear. The next email will probably read, "After all of our most-valued guests are on board and getting settled, the remaining passengers will proceed to the physical challenge portion of the boarding process, after which a King or Queen of Coach will be crowned and the losing passengers will subject to his or her cruel whims for the remainder of the flight. Also: there will be no snacks."

(Photo: afagen )

FEE - $10 more for:

• Priority boarding (getting on the plane first)
• Priority disembarking (getting off the plane first)
• Expedited baggage delivery
• Priority rebooking in case of flight cancellation
• Complimentary meals/hotel accommodations when a flight is either cancelled or substantially delayed
• In-flight Internet access
• Guaranteed space in the overhead bin
• In-seat power
• Premium snack/meal offering
• A freshly laundered pillow/blanket set that you may keep after the flight
• An amenity kit with earplugs, eyeshades and toiletries to keep you refreshed on the plane
• A wait of 10 minutes or less to clear security checkpoints
• Sitting away from parents traveling with babies/small children

• Savings for not checking bags
• Savings for not earning frequent flier miles
• Savings for only bringing aboard one small piece of carry-on baggage (e.g., only a purse or computer bag)
• Savings for being the last to board
• Savings for using online check-in instead of a kiosk
• Savings for using either a kiosk or online check-in instead of a human agent
• Savings for having my checked luggage to be among the last to be delivered
• Savings for sitting in a middle seat
• Savings for making no changes to your ticket prior to departure
• Savings for not getting free water, coffee/tea, juices or soft drinks in flight
• Savings for having a seat that does not recline
• Savings to sit close to parents traveling with babies/small children

How about a $10 savings for helping out fellow sleepy passengers...

Airline considers $10 surcharge for baby-free seating, priority disembarking [ELLIOTT] (Image: Getty)

• Sidestep
• Kayak
• Yapta
• Farecast
• Priceline

[Lifehacker] (Photo: balmes)

Southwest Airlines Files Minneapolis Airfares - Let the Fare Wars Begin [Rick Seaney] (Photo: Reflection717)

The change occurs Jan. 1, when United's "elite" Mileage Plus members will earn a minimum 500 miles for any flight, Robin Urbanski, a spokeswoman, said in an e-mail message.

United also will credit their accounts retroactively for flights made since July 1, when UAL unit dropped the minimum award for all Mileage Plus members.

The change shows the value airlines place on retaining the loyalty of passengers who fly the most. American Airlines said last week that it would drop a minimum award in favor of actual miles flown for all except its elite-program members, saving money by reducing the number of passengers eligible for free trips.

United opted to add back the minimum guarantee for elite travelers to "keep our program competitive with other airlines and reward our most premium members," Urbanski said.

The rest of you plebs will, of course, still only get the actual amount of miles flown.

United Airlines restores mileage credit in bid to keep loyal customers [IHT]

From the AP:

Customers who purchased Delta tickets on or before Wednesday, and who are traveling on or after Dec. 5, will be charged $50 for a second bag, but will be permitted to check their first bag without charge based on Delta's previous policy. Customers flying in first or business class, including SkyMiles Medallion members and WorldPerks Elite members, will be able to check up to three bags, up to 70 pounds each, for free, Delta said.

Delta Air Lines adding first bag fee [IHT]
(Photo: Flying Photog )

From Elliott.org:

The agent asked for our ticket for our son. I will not go into all of the details, but an hour later (and 35 minutes to flight departure), we were forced to pay 332 euros ($423.10) to get my son a ticket so he could return back to the states.

Words cannot describe my outrage at the time, especially the justification of the fees ($320 fuel surcharge - $160 each way??!!). How can they legally charge that much when our ten pound infant does not even have a seat?

Delta responded to this complaint with a form letter explaining that kids need a ticket — which is 10% of the regular fare. The only problem? He'd already paid that fee when he booked the tickets. The $320 was explained to him as a fuel surcharge.

Should passengers who don't even get a seat and weigh 10 lbs be charged this fee? Seems a little silly doesn't it?

Waaaa! Baby gets socked with surprise $320 fuel surcharge on Delta flight [Elliott] (Thanks, Shaula!)
(Photo: So Cal Metro )

Northwest, Delta deal gets done [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo: So Cal Metro )

ORBITZ (in clipped, offshore-outsourced call-center perfect English diction): Mr. Popken, is this a business trip?
BEN: Yes.
ORBITZ: What business are you in, Mr. Popken?
BEN: I'm a blogger.
ORBITZ: What is a "blogger?"
BEN: Someone who blogs. Heh. It's a special kind of website with lots of posts arranged in reverse chronological order.
ORBITZ: I see.
Long silence.
ORBITZ: So you are like Perez Hilton?

BEN: Sure, we're both bloggers. But we write about different subjects.
ORBITZ: Do you write about celebrities?
BEN: Ah, no, I write about customer service and consumer affairs. So watch out!
ORBITZ: I always deliver an excellent customer service experience every time so I have nothing to fear from any blogger.
BEN: That's excellent.
ORBITZ: How am I doing so far?
BEN: Great, you're doing a great job.
ORBITZ: Thank you for that compliment, Mr. Popken.
BEN: Anytime.

(Photo: Getty)

The reason: Airlines fly the same schedule most days regardless of passenger demand. Just about as many flights take off Tuesday as fly on Friday, regardless of how many people want to fly that day.

Now that's changing, potentially removing some of the best bargains from the skies just when economically strained passengers need cheap seats most. More advanced scheduling systems are letting airlines tailor departures to better match demand and introduce flexibility into their traditionally rigid schedules.

"This is a game-changer," said Bill Owen, lead scheduler at Southwest Airlines. "It lets us be amazingly nimble."

Rats. Cheap seats will still be there, of course, but they'll be harder to find. It'll take more than just searching for flights on a Tuesday.

Southwest Airlines is already saving money:

It took several years, but the company built the idea into a home-grown schedule "optimizer," and used it on real schedules for the first time in 2004. The computer took six airplanes out of Southwest's schedule without cutting any flights, a saving of $180 million in aircraft purchases. The schedule was run through the system again in 2006, and earlier this year, a more advanced system was put into regular use. "We've been able to decrease almost every devil that plagued us," said John Jamotta, senior director of schedule planning at Southwest.

The upside for travelers is that the airline is more efficient and able to offer more flights when their customers want them. Something they hope you'll appreciate more than a cheap weekday ticket.

Savvier Airline Schedules, Fewer Cheap Fares [WSJ]
(Photo: Zonaphoto )

Why did it change its mind? Who knows. Previously, the plan was to let flight attendants be the porn police and instead only block Skype and other internet phone services.

Now the Dallas Morning News says:

American said that it is working with Aircell LLC "to implement technology to filter pornographic content over the Gogo inflight Internet service."

Delta will also be filtering porn when it launches its own WiFi service.

American to filter out porn on its Wi-Fi [DMN via Gothamist]
(Photo: benh57 )

Sprintholidayoffer.com [Official Site via Fry's Forum] (Thanks to Luis!)

TSA Likely to Relax Restrictions on Liquids in 2009 [The Middle Seat] (Photo: AP)

"One more drink per flight = $4 million a year" [Airline Biz Blog | Dallas Morning News] (Thanks to Paul!)
(Photo: skyfaller)

• Crossing any border by land or sea, unless you're on a cruise, will require a passport
• Visas for people coming to America will be completely electronic
• Tickets prices for flights to and within Europe will have to be disclosed in-full and up-front, taxes, fuel surcharges and all.

...I flew from Sacramento to the connection hub in San Diego, where I had a 25 minute layover. While I would not have chosen a 25-minute layover, Southwest doesn't give you your flight times until you've booked....the two gates were in separate parts of the building, separated by security...

UPDATE: Brandon got a refund after a Southwest rep on Twitter saw the story on Consumerist. (He also agrees his statement about not getting the flight times was incorrect, details inside...

I had to be rescreened through security, which took twenty minutes, and run to the gate, carrying my shoes, belt, laptop and backpack.

Upon arriving, a hostile gate agent told me I could not board without first putting on my shoes. After an exchange with this gate agent, she denied me boarding altogether, and I watched my flight (and my bags) leave without me.

As it turns out, all the other flights to Baltimore were sold out until roughly Wednesday, and unless I wanted to fly standby and take my chances, I would have to make other arrangements. Not wanting my bag to sit in Baltimore for two days, nor my brand new boss (I was supposed to be starting a new job today) to fire me, I opted to make other arrangements.

Southwest insists that it behaved appropriately and denied be boarding under Article 10 of the Contract of Carriage (which basically says they can refuse to fly anyone for any reason) but refuses to provide me a refund, under Article 90.

I've left more than one phone message for Fred Taylor and his assistant. None of them have been returned. I've spoken with their customer relations department and their general 1-800 number and gotten no satisfaction beyond a "well sorry that happened but your fare is non-refundable."

I am home now, and my boss was understanding, but it still sucks. I may file a chargeback to get my money from Southwest.

C'mon, Southwest, you couldn't have held things for 30 seconds so the guy could put on his shoes?

UPDATE: Brandon responds your comments:

Couple notes on the comments...

1. I arrived at Gate 1 and was supposed to leave out of Gate 9. Between Gate 1 and Gate 9 is a security checkpoint. Had I arrived at Gate 3, I would have been fine.
2. As for the altercation with the gate agent, I told her I was going to complain to her supervisor about her attitude when I got to BWI, and at that point she told me I wasn't flying on this flight and I could complain to her supervisor right then and there.

Oh, and as for the flight times, they are right: you do get told after you pick the tickets. I was incorrect about that part. And I did notice the flight times when I booked on July 8 (after I got the email); however, knowing San Diego as I thought I did, I figured it would be no problem. And Southwest has always had an exemplary record with regards to holding flights for connecting passengers and rerouting those who are going to miss connections.

UPDATE 2: Brandon got a refund!

I had contacted Christie on Twitter (@SouthwestAir) and she and I were talking this morning before you posted my story. After the story was posted, she was able to convince customer relations to refund my entire return trip ($212). Thanks very much for your help!

(Photo: AComment)

The problem was that the person who wrote the apology letter mixed up the gender of Dr. Madduri—which led him to believe it was about the female flight attendant in question—when really he was the individual with the "bizarre behavior." When you read it with this new understanding, it becomes clear that Southwest fully sided with the flight attendant and never meant to communicate with Dr. Madduri about the issue.

"Dear Sivaprasad Madduri: Sometimes an explanation for the reason why things happen isn't always possible, and the bizarre behavior of the individual during your June 26 flight to Las Vegas supports this point. While I'm unable to explain the circumstances surrounding the disruption, I think it's important to offer my heartfelt apologies for any concerns you may have had as a result of this event. Naturally, we don't want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future, or for it to be your last recollection of traveling with our Company.

"In fact, we would consider it a privilege if you gave us another opportunity to provide you with better memories. I am confident your next trips with Southwest Airlines will be more pleasant and to prove just that, I sent a LUV Voucher to every person (except, of course, the lady who caused the disruption) who was onboard your flight."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on Dr. Madduri's arrest and the apology letter back in July, and they were able to get a slightly different story from Southwest that naturally makes the airline come off in a better light, but still leaves many questions unanswered:

Brandy King, the spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, said flight attendants were required to explain the cockpit-door and front-galley regulations as part of the preflight announcements.

Yes, but many of us zone out during those announcements.

King said the flight attendant tried to explain the regulation to Madduri during the incident. The criminal complaint, filed by the FBI, makes mention of a second flight attendant who allegedly tried to explain the regulation to Madduri after he returned to his seat after his first effort to get to the lavatory. The complaint says the first flight attendant again tried to explain the regulation to Madduri when he made his second attempt. The complaint states that Madduri said, "I'm not listening to you."

Did the FBI talk to any of the other passengers? That would settle the argument. Sadly, the FBI office in Las Vegas did not return repeated phone calls.

"Doctor now regrets pleading guilty over incident on airplane" [STLtoday via airliners.net]

Southwest has since told Dr. Madduri, "We don't want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future," and they've offered him a $100 voucher. It turns out the "apology" was meant for the other passengers, and was in fact about Dr. Madduri.

From Rediff:

Ironically, even before he filed his complaint with the Southwest Airlines officials, he got a letter from Frederick Taylor Jr, senior manager at the airline's customer service communications, offering a $100 voucher for a future flight.

"Sometimes, an explanation for the reason why things happen is not always possible, and the bizarre behaviour of the individual during your June 26 flight to Las Vegas supports this point," Taylor said in a letter accompanying the voucher. "While I am unable to explain the circumstances surrounding the disruption, I think it is important to offer my heartfelt apologies for any concerns you may have had as a result of this event".

"Naturally, we don't want this experience to affect your feelings about flying with us in the future, or for it to be your last recollection of traveling with our company. In fact we would consider it a privilege if you gave us another opportunity to provide you with better memories."

Here's Dr. Madduri's story in his own words:

[I am] a physician from India who immigrated to the United States 38 years ago and [has] been in private practice in South East Missouri for more than a quarter century.

On June 26, 2008, I traveled from St Louis to Las Vegas to attend AAPI annual convention by Southwest flight 1226. Two hours into the flight, I tried to go to the bathroom ( I take a blood pressure medicine with diuretic that makes one 'go' more often). As I was sitting in row six, I walked to the front lavatory. The flight attendant, named Lora Lee Minton, abruptly stopped me and essentially shouted at me, "Go back! This bath room is occupied, and you cannot stand here."

Shocked and dumbfounded at this unfriendly behavior, I went back and sat in my seat. Two minutes later, I saw the lavatory door opening and I got up and walked towards the bath room again. The same flight attendant (Lora Lee Minton) screamed at me, "I told you not to go to that bathroom," and started pushing me into my seat. I was totally confused at this erratic behavior, and told her that I had been taking medicine and I had to go to the toilet. I even tried to walk past Ms.Minton as I was very uncomfortable.

"I told you not to go," she pushed me into my seat! I was lost. I flew many times but had never experienced a rude and unfriendly behavior like this. Confused and not knowing what to do, I went back and sat in my seat. I saw the pilot came out of the lavatory, walked into the cockpit and closed the door behind him. Later I could use the bathroom.

The sequence of events that followed were more frightening and beyond the scope of any one's imagination. As the plane landed in Las Vegas , I was escorted by two police officers and was handed over to the FBI. The FBI interrogated me at length and for the first time, I was told that the flight attendant, Ms.Lora Lee Minton, reported that I was causing 'disturbance' during the flight. I was also told that when the pilot is out of the cockpit, no one is supposed get up from their seat, till the pilot goes back to his seat. This apparently is a federal law being enforced since 9/11 and no one ever told me, nor was it announced during the flight.

That night I was taken through federal centers for further investigation. I was hand-cuffed, finger printed and was 'processed' as a common criminal. I was told repeatedly that my background was checked and I had no criminal record. Even after checking my back ground and even after confirming it by calling my family members (Our two children that live in St Louis and Houston, Texas ) and my professional partner (urologist from Poplar Bluff, Missouri ), I still had to go through the harassment. I was dragged through Federal court buildings that night with hand and ankle cuffs, left in cells for hours before I was interrogated and was threatened repeatedly with abusive language: 'Shut up,' 'I am going to kick your ass,' to name a few. Finally I was taken to a federal detention center in Las Vegas and was ushered into a large jail cell! I spent the night in jail with 43 prisoners - most of them drug dealers and picked up at street fights!

The next day I went through processing in a federal court building and presented in front of a Federal Judge. The public defender told me that my 'case' was decided and I would be released if I pleaded guilty and paid a fine of $2,500. He also told me that I could refuse to plead guilty, contest the judgment and even could win, but could be taking a long time, cost more and might result in multiple trips to Las Vegas.

Exhausted, depressed and completely deflated, I agreed to what ever the public defender suggested and got out after 24 hours of 'living hell'.

I endured the most horrifying and traumatic 24-hours of my life for a crime I sincerely believe I did not commit. A simple statement by the flight attendant (Lora Lee Minton) in normal tone of voice that I was not supposed to wait in front of the toilet when it was occupied by the pilot, would have saved the ghastly ordeal.

I was told repeatedly by the prison guards, some of the FBI officials (not all of them were rude), the prison inmates who heard my story that the reason I was targeted was because of my skin color (brown) and ethnic background (South Asian, Indian).

When I returned home, I did not feel like lying flat and take the abuse, more so the incident involved not only me but an entire race and ethnic group. I sent my story to local, state and national news papers including all the major Indian news publications. The response was overwhelming: the news papers were very receptive; I received numerous e-mails, letters, phone-calls, sympathy and supportive cards; every one wanted me to 'fight-it-out' and 'not to keep quite and do nothing.'

I did send my story to ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of Missouri and Nevada , yet I haven't heard from them yet, though I was told that my experience had merit. I contacted attorneys locally as well as in St Louis and was told that they were looking for proper attorneys that specialize in civil liberties cases; I was told by some that I should not have pleaded guilty and should find eye-witnesses that would testify in my favor.

During 30 years of my stay in America , I never felt so threatened nor my rights so violated as I did that fateful night. 'You are not guilty until proven otherwise', the anthem we are made to believe all the time was turned out to be not true; I was guilty until prove my self innocent. I was treated like a guilty person and was never given a chance even to tell my side of the story. Even after the incidence, I am finding it difficult to prove my innocence. I want Southwest Air Lines to realize their mistake and drop charges against me. I did contact Southwest airlines and was informed that they were standing by their stewardess and the issue had no racial profile or bias.

(Thanks to Ashish!)
(Photo: Cubbie_n_Vegas)

American's spokes person described the program thusly:

"PriorityAAccess benefits provide a differentiated experience for our top customers at the ticket counter, at security checkpoints and at the gate," he said.
...
"Customers with PriorityAAccess privileges will be invited to board first or board at any time through their exclusive PriorityAAccess lane, which allows them to bypass lines after general boarding has begun," the airline said.

The Dallas Morning News says that the following airports will be getting special security lanes for AA's preferred customers:

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will get the dedicated security lanes, along with Chicago, New York Kennedy and LaGuardia, Miami, Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Francisco, Boston and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

American Airlines plans to give best customers priority [Dallas Morning News]
(Photo: jayRaz )

Spirit suckered the Bahamas, supposedly the epitome of relaxation, not annoyance, to serve as the airline's first spam advertiser. More will follow.

Spirit's press release asks: Where else can you find 100 percent saturation with a targeted captive audience that will be actively engaged by your ad for an average of three hours?

Spirit is right. Saturation does have an effect. A profoundly negative effect. After starting at the same taunting ad for three hours, we'd want to stab every ad exec and airline official with a Hurricane-sharpened palm tree. But we're vindictive and have "anger issues." Who would you stab?

Spirit Airlines Launches Mile High Media (Press Release) [Spirit via Jaunted]

The attendants, who initially opposed the program, would "riot" if the airline tried to return to the old system of free nonalcoholic beverages, President Scott Kirby said Thursday at a Calyon Securities conference in New York.

"Logjams in the aisles, significant trash collection, lines at the restrooms — all those things are largely gone on US Airways because fewer people are buying and drinking sodas," he said. "We spend less money, we generate a little revenue, and those problems are largely gone."

The spokesperson for the flight attendants in question thinks Scott Kirby is full of you know what:

"Kirby's comment that we would riot is just his way of telling himself they made the right decision," said Mike Flores, president of the Assn. of Flight Attendants-CWA at US Airways.

"This is the very tip of the iceberg on what they're going to want us to sell," Flores said. "It's going to be everything from pillows and blankets to cellphone chargers."

Fun.

US Airways sees benefits of charging for drinks [LA Times]
(Photo: Jenna Belle )

Oil Is Cheaper, But Airline Fees Are Here to Stay [WSJ via Consumer World Blog] (Photo: Maulleigh)

Starting tomorrow, all tickets purchased for flights after Nov. 10 will be subject to the new fee. Members of the military traveling on orders, "Premier" frequent fliers, and first or business class customers will be exempt from the charge. Reuters says that United expects to increase its revenue from "merchandising efforts" (including baggage fees) by $700 million in 2009.

Meanwhile, airline stocks "mostly rose" as oil prices fell below $96 a barrel, after reaching as high as $147 over the summer, said the AP.

Airline shares rise on falling oil, upgrades [Forbes]
United Airlines doubles second-bag fee to $50 [Yahoo!] (Thanks, Liz!)
(Photo: Zonaphoto )

Here's a head's up - Continental has canceled dozens of flights going into and out of Houston (IAH)...but they haven't told anyone. They canceled my outbound flight to California through Houston (which, fine, understandable), but didn't send me so much as an email or phone call, like most carriers do. It wasn't until I tried to check this morning that I was met with their proposed new flight plan (see attached.) It's sad and hilarious at the same time. Needless to say, I've rebooked since then.

I'd have been in trouble at the airport if I hadn't tried to check in this morning, so just a warning to anyone trying to fly across the country today - the airlines, particularly Continental, are doing their usual awesome job at handling the situation. I'm not so much upset about changing my plans, it's the total lack of communication from Continental and the completely useless "solution" they tried to offer.

(Photo: FlyGuy92586)

A few weeks ago, I became very frustrated when frequent flier miles weren't posting to my account...I called every few weeks but kept getting shuffled around by the service reps. Finally, a little over two months after the flight, I emailed Larry Kellner, Continental's CEO. I hoped at least one of his Executive Assistants would call me back. 45 minutes later, Larry Kellner called me himself. I couldn't believe it. He was apologetic and explained why that hadn't posted. He also told me to email him back if they hadn't posted within a week. I logged in the next day to my OnePass account, and the miles had posted.

There are plenty of awful companies out there, but after this, I can say for sure that Continental isn't one of them.

And once again, that's the power of taking it to the top. Now, quick! Spend them before they're totally worthless.

(Photo: Mark J Burns)

Nicholas writes:

Orbitz is amazing for getting your flights fixed if you can get a supervisor on the line. I was on a business trip that involved multiple stops. Naturally one of my flights was canceled early in the trip, which threw off all of the remaining flights.

Orbitz called me about 2 1/2 hours before my flight, let me know and recommended (after putting me on hold to verify with USAir) that I travel from the small regional airport that I was in to the nearest international airport to catch a flight sooner. A $240 cab ride later I find myself at the international airport with all USAir flights canceled, and most of Southwest still flying.

USAir then informed me that because my origin airport was changed they could not get me onto an earlier flight to a different destination airport that was about as close to my destination as the original. (Destination = Utica, NY. Airports = Syracuse/Albany)

They then booked me a flight anyway, but told me I had to immediately book my return flight. I told them I'd call them back once I setup a new meeting. They said I had to book it right then and there. I explained that because I had to cancel one meeting already I didn't know when I could reschedule a new one. Luckily during this argument I got a call from one of the guys I was supposed to meet. I got the meeting scheduled, but lost the [USAir] call.

When I called back they had already taken back the ticket they issued me in the previous phone call and basically said I was SOL.

The Orbitz CSR then put me on a (secret) conference call with USAir where the USAir rep essentially said I should have never been given the ticket in the first place and that it's not his problem. The Orbitz CSR then asked me if I heard what the USAir rep had said, I replied that I wasn't too happy about it, and that I wanted my flights booked immediately. Apparently USAir reps don't like it when customers get to hear them not doing their jobs, judging by all the yelling and threats directed at the Orbitz CSR. I had the rest of my trip booked in 15 mins.

The first level of Orbitz CSRs are morons and absolutely not worth talking to at all. I was a passenger on a trip someone else booked, but every CSR insisted on asking me personal information about the person that booked the trip. No amount of logic could progress the conversation. After losing my temper I achieved a 50/50 ratio of getting a supervisor or getting hung up on.

We're not sure of the lesson here, except that it helps to be told immediately when a leg of your flight is canceled. It also helps to have a feisty customer service supervisor on your side who won't take "No" for an answer, but we're not sure how you ask for that person when you call in.