Some people prefer home-sharing services like Airbnb over hotels because they would rather stay in a cozy apartment than in a sealed-up room with of a chain hotel. Others choose these services because they feel they are saving money over the cost of a traditional hotel, but how much you save — or if you’re saving at all — depends on where you stay and how you book your hotels. [More]
Are You Really Saving Money When You Get A Room From Airbnb?
By June 18, 2013
Expedia Doesn’t Really Care That The 25-Acre Hawaiian Vacation Rental You Booked Is Now Closed
By June 11, 2013
You go online to book a vacation through Expedia.com and there it is — your dream Hawaiian house, located on 25 secluded acres with an ocean view. So you book the 6-day package through the site and jet off with a couple of your friends for fun in the sun. But when you get there, your Pacific island fantasy is shattered. [More]
Jersey Shore Landlord Caught Renting Out Uninhabitable Properties And Homes He Doesn’t Own
By June 6, 2013
The New Jersey coastline can be a goldmine for owners of rental properties, as vacationers flock to the Atlantic Ocean every summer looking to rent for anything from a few days to the entire season. But one landlord is accused of bilking dozens of renters by taking their money for homes not fit for human habitation, some of which he doesn’t even own anymore. [More]
Airbnb Cancels Reservation Because You Don’t Want To Post A Video Of Yourself
By May 30, 2013
One month ago, home-sharing service Airbnb began rolling out a program called Verified ID, which requires some U.S. users (and eventually people in other parts of the world) to go through a verification process that uses social media logins — either Facebook or LinkedIn — and offline proof of ID, like a scanned license or passport. But what if you don’t use Facebook or LinkedIn? [More]
Royal Caribbean Passenger Says Crew Wouldn’t Let Her Leave Her Cabin After Daughter Fell Overboard
By April 17, 2013
Last September, a 21-year-old woman on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship fell overboard and lost her life. In a recently filed lawsuit, the woman’s mother says she was kept under guard in her cabin for days after the incident and that she was not allowed to leave her room or contact her other children. [More]
In Wake Of Poop Cruises, Senator Calls For Passenger Bill Of Rights
By March 18, 2013
After last month’s “poop cruise” disaster on the stranded Carnival Triumph, one lawmaker is asking for the travel industry to police itself and create a standard passenger bill of rights so consumers know what is expected — and what forms of redress are available — when things go wrong. [More]
Carnival Forced To Cancel 12 More Upcoming Cruises Aboard Stranded Ship
By February 13, 2013
With the Carnival Triumph and its 4,000 passengers still being towed back to port following an engine room fire earlier this week, the cruise line operator has had to pull the plug on a dozen additional upcoming voyages for the ship. [More]
Southwest Raising Bag Fees, Will Start Charging For No-Shows
By December 14, 2012
Hours after announcing a $29 million settlement over its drink voucher program, Southwest Airlines revealed plans to add $300 million in new and increased fees, along with a policy change that will certainly irk some frequent Southwest travelers. [More]
Southwest Owes Passengers $29 Million In Free Drinks
By December 14, 2012
August 1, 2010 is a day that many Southwest Airlines Business Select fliers know well. It’s the day on which the carrier stopped allowing these passengers to carry over their unused free drink vouchers to future flights. More than two years and one class-action settlement later, Southwest is having to buy a lot of rounds. [More]
3-Day Delay For United Flight Results In Brawl With Airport Employees
By July 16, 2012
When you’ve been stuck for days simply trying to board your flight back home, it’s understandable if things get a little tense. But you don’t necessarily expect it to degrade to the point where you are involved in fisticuffs with airport employees. [More]
You Can't Score A Free Plane Seat For Your Baby By Putting Him On Your 3-Year-Old's Lap
By December 30, 2011
As any parents who have flown with little babies probably knows, many airlines will not require a ticket for children under two years of age, so long as the child is seated on an adult’s lap. But U.S. Airways had to give the boot to a family of six after the parents figured they could simply seat one of their under-2 children with their ticketed 3-year-old. [More]
Lawmakers Ask TSA To Place Passenger Advocates In Airports
By December 12, 2011
Considering all the negative press the Transportation Security Administration has received in recent years over its invasive airport security screening procedures, it couldn’t hurt for the TSA to have staffers on hand whose job it is to consider the best interest of the passengers. [More]
It Could Now Cost You Over $400 To Check A Bag On Some Flights
By September 20, 2011
Fees for checked bags vary wildly, from absolutely nothing to arm-and-a-leg-and-an-ear. And according to a new round-up of fees from the various carriers, you might need to throw another limb in there if you’re checking an oversize bag on your international flight. [More]
Consumer Groups Scold Airlines For Pocketing Tax Money During FAA Shutdown
By September 14, 2011
Surely you remember the recent FAA shutdown, during which the government couldn’t collect taxes on airfares, leading the airlines to temporarily raise their base prices and pocket an estimated $70 million a day. Now a coalition of consumer groups, including our benevolent benefactors at Consumers Union, are voicing their displeasure for this and other anti-consumer behavior. [More]
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against TSA From Man Who Wrote 4th Amendment On Chest
By September 13, 2011
Many of you will remember the story from earlier this year about the man with the Fourth Amendment written on his chest who filed a lawsuit against the TSA, alleging that he had been wrongfully detained after he stripped down to his running shorts at an airport security checkpoint. Now comes news that a federal judge has dismissed complaints against almost all defendants in the lawsuit. [More]
Airlines Waiving Re-Booking Fees With Hurricane Irene On The Way
By August 25, 2011
A really nasty woman named Irene is about to swoop in from the tropics and potentially screw up air travel for everyone. So in advance of the hurricane, many airlines are playing nice with their re-booking fees and policies for flights to and from destinations affected by the storm. [More]
British Airways To Start Pumping Signature Scent Into Jet Cabins
By August 25, 2011
How many times have you boarded a plane and thought, “You know what would make this flight even more fun? If there was a signature scent being pumped through the cabin!” Well then maybe you should start flying British Airways, which will reportedly be smelling up their jets in the near future. [More]
Hotel Gives Away My Room, Hotels.com Won't Give Me My Money Back
By August 22, 2011
For all the confirmation e-mails and reservation numbers you receive when booking a room through Hotels.com — and most third-party discount reservation sites — there is still a slim chance that you’ll arrive at your destination only to find out your room has been sold off to someone willing to pay more. [More]
