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Travel

checked bag fee

Northwest Airlines Begins Charging $15 For First Checked Bag Today

Reader Colin says he just got charged for his first checked bag on Northwest Airlines: More »

sales

Morning Deals

  • Woot: Soundcast Audiocast Wireless Audio System for $49.99
  • American Signature Furniture: Urban Living Queen Panel Bed for $299
  • Dell: Flip Video 30 Minute Camcorder for $49.99 Shipped after rebate
Highlights From Dealhack
  • Vann's: Klipsch iGroove HG iPod Speakers $100 Shipped
  • Mac Connection: Apple iMac $1099 + Free VMWare Fusion Software
  • Chefs: Labor Day Sale: Save up to 80% off Cookware, Kitchen Tools, & More
Highlights From Bargainist
  • Southwest: Fares starting at $59 one-way
  • Purina: Free bag of Purina Yesterday's News cat litter
  • Arizona Jeans: 50% off select jeans and all shoes

midwest airlines

The Legroom Party Is Officially Over At Midwest Airlines

Midwest Airlines loyalists, prepare to be upset, the airline is adding 11 seats to its formerly roomy coach section. In addition to converting good seats to less good ones, they're adding a charge for the remaining quality seats. More »

airline fees

Top 3 Most and Least "Fee Crazy" Airlines

Airline fees are a controversial topic these days, so we look a look at the fees that airlines were charging and picked the top 3 most and least "fee crazy" airlines. Avoiding fees is hard, so why not try to avoid the airlines that charge them instead?
More »

security theater

Woman Removes Bra To Get Through TSA

Nancy Kates's large underwire bra set off the metal detector in the Oakland, California airport. A TSA agent pulled her aside and patted her down, which set off Kates' personal privacy alarm. "I said, 'You can't do that.' She said, 'We have to pat you down.' I said, 'You can't treat me as a criminal for wearing a bra.'" Kates was given the option to "submit to a pat-down in a private room" or not fly. Instead, she took off her bra and passed through security just fine. Hooray for personal freedom! More »

happy endings

EECB Scores $100 Direct Hit On United Airlines

It took a little negotiating but reader Noah was able to get United Airlines to honor the agreement that their CSR made, despite the fact that it was a violation of some kind of deeply sacred policy. More »

airlines

4 Ways To Cope With Frustrating Airline Cutbacks

What should you do when your airline calls to let you know that they've decided to randomly cancel your flight? Travel guru Christopher Elliott gives us the following nightmare scenario: More »

air canada

Air Canada Cuts Inflatable Life Vests In Order To Save Fuel

Airlines are cutting things like entertainment units, snacks and beverages in order to raise revenue and cut fuel costs, but what about those inflatable life vests? Do we need those? Air Canada's regional airline "Jazz" doesn't think so. More »

Airlines Have Bumped 343,000 Passengers This Year

Over a quarter-million passengers were bumped from flights in the past eight months, a number that is set to grow as airlines try to boost anemic profits by slashing fleets. The Department of Transportation requires airlines to compensate bumped passengers with cash or vouchers, but savvy passengers can leverage their situation to negotiate heftier payments... More »

travel

8 Ways To Ward Off Thieves While Traveling

The summer travel season might be winding down, but that won't stop thieves from trying to paw your precious valuables. Keep them at bay with the following eight tips... More »

airlines

U.S. Airlines Now Charging As Much As $400 To Carry Surfboards

Airlines and surfers must be involved in some secret war, because how else can you explain why airlines are targeting them so savagely right now? Sure, snacks cost us $9, bags are $50 each, and seat belts will probably soon be auctioned off during the preflight check—but if you're a surfer, you can expect to pay up to $200 each way to bring along your board, pretty much blowing out the budget of any surfer who isn't Patrick Swayze. More »

nickel and dimed

United Airlines Thinks You're Willing To Pay $9 For A Snack

United Airlines is obviously not to familiar with the dollar menu at McDonald's because they're convinced that you'll pay up to $9 for their "Buy-On-Board" snack offerings, says the Wall Street Journal. More »

no more free lunch

United Airlines Drops Free Snacks In Coach And So Much More...

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that United Airlines will no longer offer free snacks in coach starting September 2nd. They are also dropping complimentary meals in business class except for "premium transcontinental flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to New York." Shockingly, this move coincides with the airlines' expansion of their "buy-on-board" food offerings, says the Chronicle. More »

tsa

TSA Martinet Claims Her Unpublished Rules Trump Real Ones

TSA, can you at least train your agents to do their jobs properly? We'd appreciate it even more if you'd discipline (read: fire) those who go all stupidly power-mad and think they have to "win" every encounter, even when it means making up new rules on the spot. Here's a story of a soldier who lost a day of leave because one of your agents caused so much trouble. In the end, the soldier says he's happy with the outcome—"Using standard Consumerist customer service doctrine (polite, patient, proper channels and then EECB), I won"—but we're still floored by how difficult you made his trip home. Oh, and NWA, you were no help either. More »

American Airlines has launched broadband internet service on nonstop flights from New York to San Francisco, New York to Los Angeles and New York to Miami for a fee of $12.95 [Bizjournals]

celebrity cruises

Celebrity Cruises Won't Let Passenger Leave Ship And Go Home

Hank went on a cruise with his family to celebrate his grandmother's 75th birthday. Because of a change in his work schedule, Hank had to leave early to return home to California. But when you're a guest of Celebrity Cruises, YOU ARE A GUEST OF CELEBRITY CRUISES. There is no "return home" for you! Be quiet! Eat waffles! More »

greyhound

Contact Info For Greyhound Bus Lines

There's not a lot of contact info on the web for Greyhound or its executives, but one determined customer has put a lot of effort into documenting what there is. Here are mailing addresses and a few unpublished phone numbers for people in the Greyhound executive offices. More »

virgin america

Virgin America Anniversary Flight From Hell

Adam is writing in to say that in the year that Virgin America has been operating, he feels that they've forgotten how to run their airline. The first time he flew with them, his flight was delayed and his laptop adapter melted. He got a free flight. The second time he flew, about a year later, his flight was delayed, the airline ran out of food, his luggage was ripped open and his valuables disappeared, and the baggage claim rep laughed at his misfortune. More »