I live in Philadelphia and if I want to visit a friend in Chicago for a weekend, it will cost me several hundred dollars for a round-trip ticket on U.S. Airways. For significantly less money, I could book what’s known as a “hidden city” ticket from Philadelphia to Orlando via Chicago, and then just get off the plane when it stops in Chicago. Most airlines ban the practice, but there’s not much they can do to stop it. They can, however, sue to stop a website from promoting and booking these verboten fares. [More]
air travel
25 Million Travelers Will Fly During Thanksgiving Holiday In The U.S. This Year
By 11.6.14
The holiday travel season will be kicking off to a strong start over the Thanksgiving holiday this year, with almost 25 million travelers predicted to take to the skies on U.S. airlines, more than did so during the same period last year. And that’s not to mention train [More]
Passenger Arrested For Groping, Kissing, Putting Headlock On Flight Attendants
By 10.30.14
A Delta Air Lines passenger on board a flight from Atlanta to Denver apparently didn’t get the memo that the days of people looking the other way while you sexually harass a flight attendant are far in the past. Furthermore, if you double-up on your creepy actions by messing with two (2) attendants — and you put one of them in a headlock while trying to kiss her — you’re going to be arrested when that plane lands. [More]
7 Habits Of Highly Obnoxious Travelers
By 10.17.14
Traveling is supposed to bring joy and relaxation into one’s stressed-out life, but not all of us can fly in private planes with only those people we know we won’t want to beat senseless with a swim noodle before the jet lands. Since we all want to land without resorting to fisticuffs or threats of forcible early deplaning, there are certain behaviors from which we’d all be wise to abstain while traveling. [More]
Couple Accused Of Stealing $45K Worth Of Luggage From Airport
By 10.17.14
Did you have a bag go missing at the airport last spring? If the airport was Sea-Tac International in Washington, we have a pretty good idea what might have happened to it. [More]
Rapper Will.i.am Late For United Flight, Throws Twitter Tantrum
By 10.9.14
When you’re flying internationally, you should be sure to leave plenty of time until your flight when you arrive at the airport, especially if you plan to check bags. Let’s say three hours if you’re flying out of a sprawling air metropolis like New York City’s JFK airport. These limits apply even if you are famous. Yes, even if you’re one of the Black Eyed Peas. [More]
United Airlines Reply Robot Returns, Responds To Complaint By “Mr. Human”
By 10.1.14
The fill-in-the-blank customer service robot that gave us the heartfelt letter apologizing to (CUSTOMER NAME) for (SPECIFIC EVENT) has returned — and like all sequels, this time… it’s personal. [More]
New Zealand Woman Claims Plane Dumped Feces On Her House
By 9.30.14
Years ago, I lived in an inexpensive and terrible apartment under the flight path for the local airport. It doesn’t take long to adjust to the noise, and you can admire the planes or just ignore ’em. There’s one thing that you can’t learn to tune out, though: mystery feces from above on your house and car. [More]
This :34 Clip Of The Line At O’Hare Airport Will Make You Glad You’re Not Flying Today
By 9.26.14
As you might have heard, a fire — apparently set by a disgruntled employee — at an Illinois air traffic control center early this morning has resulted in more than 1,300 flights being canceled in and out of Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports. If you want to get a sense of how badly this screwed up everyone’s day, this short video will do that for you. [More]
American Airlines Betting Travelers Will Pay $8K To Sleep Awkwardly In A Cubicle
By 9.19.14
The most expensive airline ticket for domestic travel right now will cost you around $8,000 to fly first class on American Airlines from New York City to Los Angeles. And for all that extra cash, you apparently get some better food and the opportunity to nap in the equivalent of a tiny office cubicle. [More]
American, Delta Sue Operators Of Scammy Travel Clubs
By 9.5.14
We’ve told you before about travel club scammers who send out notices claiming that you’ve won free trips from Travelocity or travel vouchers from airlines that sound like they exist (but don’t). The airlines have always responded to these stories by saying they would have their lawyers look into these types of scams, but at least two major carriers are actually doing something about it. [More]
This Is Getting Old: Another Flight Diverted Over Reclining Seat Spat
By 9.2.14
First it was that United flight where a passenger used an illegal device to prevent the person in front of them from reclining. Then an air marshal on an American Airlines flight arrested a traveler who wouldn’t give up on his complaint about the woman in front of him putting her seat back. Delta now continues this trend, diverting a flight that was almost at its destination because one passenger thought her tray table was for napping. [More]
Delta Hands Over 7-Year-Old Passenger To Wrong Person
By 8.22.14
Delta has got some explaining to do. Not only did the airline hand over a 7-year-old unaccompanied traveler to the wrong person when she arrived at her destination, but that wrong person happened to be the mother who recently got out of jail for kidnapping and beating the girl back in 2008. [More]
Airlines Worried Another Icelandic Volcano Could Screw Up Air Travel For Everyone
By 8.20.14
It’s been four years since the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted, sending a massive cloud of ash into the skies and effectively bringing air travel to a halt in the normally busy North Atlantic. Now the airlines in the busiest area for international travel (and the good people of Iceland) are concerned about another Icelandic volcano that is showing signs it might erupt. [More]
Alaska Airlines Employee Volunteers To Return Lost Cat To Owner 2,300 Miles Away
By 8.15.14
Imagine losing your cat on the very day that you are planning to move thousands of miles away. And then, miraculously, someone finds your feline friend a few weeks later. But by that point, you’re so far away that you can’t afford to fly or drive back to bring him back. [More]
Yet Another Airline Passenger Arrested For Groping Sleeping Woman
By 8.12.14
To all air travelers, but mostly to my fellow males — What the hell is wrong with some of you? It pains me to write yet another story about a passenger accused of molesting a sleeping woman in the seat next to him, but it apparently happened over the weekend on a United flight from Tokyo to Newark. [More]
American Airlines Cutting First Class Meals For Shorter Flights
By 8.5.14
It always seemed a bit silly and extravagant to me that first class travelers received full meals, even on short flights. But when you pay so much to sit in that VIP section, you have to get something better than just more legroom and nicer flight attendants. Alas, now that American and US Airways have merged, it’s time for the couple to start getting rid of stuff they don’t think they’ll need for the future together — and that includes food for all top-dollar passengers on short flights. [More]
The $100 Carry-On Bag Fee & Other Airline Charges You Can Avoid
By 8.5.14
You can do all the research in the world, waiting for just the right time to get that airline ticket at the lowest possible price, only to later find out that you waited too long to pay for your checked bags, or that your luggage is too heavy, or a number of other things that can spoil your bargain airfare by tacking on ugly and unnecessary fees. [More]
