Southwest today announced a major revamp of its frequent flyer mile program. Under the new system, travelers will get points based on their airfare amount. There will also be no blackout dates or seat restrictions (existing members will get grandfathered in). The airline also introduced three new fare buckets, “wanna get away,” “anytime,” and “business select” with increasing points per dollar to redeem and total points required for a free flight. So not only are you getting from point A to point B, you’re also polishing valuable math skills. Southwest came out with 3 videos to explain it all: [More]
airlines
Delta Auctions Off Flight Bumps To Lowest Bidders
By 1.5.11
A reader over at Marginal Revolution spotted Delta’s new system where when you check in at the kiosk it asks you to bid on what it would cost to get you to volunteer your seat. Below the entry box it says, “Delta accepts lower bids first.” Genius! [More]
Alaska Airlines Delivers Your Bags In 20 Minutes Or You Get 2,000 Free Miles
By 12.30.10
Reader Andrew is happy to report that taking advantage of Alaska Airline’s guarantee that you’ll have your bags within 20 minutes of landing is pretty painless. His bags didn’t show up after 35 minutes and when he called in they gave him a choice of two different “we’re sorry” options. [More]
68-Year Old Punches Teen For Not Turning Off iPhone On Flight
By 12.29.10
A 68-year old man was arrested for punching a teenager after the kid wouldn’t turn off his iPhone during the final approach for landing. [More]
Which Airports Actually Use Their Body Scanners?
By 12.28.10
Lists of which airports have installed the controversial backscatter screening devices are one thing, but they’re not actually super-useful. An airport might have the screener on site, but that doesn’t mean they’re actually “backscatting” with it. It could be gathering dust or just for hanging coats on. [More]
American Airlines Yanks Fares From Orbitz
By 12.23.10
In a contract tussle, American Airlines has removed all of its fares from Orbitz. [More]
Virgin Passengers Not Named Madonna Wait 3 Hours To Get Off Plane
By 12.22.10
When bad weather forced a London-bound Virgin flight to reroute from Heathrow Airport to Stansted, passengers had to wait three hours on the tarmac before they could disembark. A select group did, however, get to leave the plane after about an hour. No, they weren’t disabled, sick or parents with small, noisy children. The group making an early exit consisted of once-popular singer Madonna and her entourage of about 15 people. [More]
$568 To Change A US Airways Flight? Complain And Get Transferred To Little Caesar's Pizza
By 12.14.10
Kyle was annoyed that when he had to change his US Airways tickets, he not only was charged a ticket change fee, he also didn’t get any refund, even though the new tickets were cheaper than his old ones. When he complained and asked for a supervisor, he found himself transferred instead to a purveyor of doughy circular objects, covered in cheese, and ruled over by a diminutive dictator. [More]
Actor Josh Duhamel Kicked Off Flight For Refusing To Turn Off Blackberry
By 12.8.10
Actor Josh Duhamel, who plays Captain William Lennox in the Transformers series, was kicked off a flight last week after he refused to stop texting on his Blackberry while it was taxiing. The Air Wisconsin plane was forced to return to the gate and disgorge the actor. Now he says he’s learned his lesson. [More]
Delta CEO Listens To This Frequent Flyer's Plea
By 12.8.10
Chris didn’t really have a serious consumer “problem,” but he had an issue that regular customer service channels couldn’t help him with. He’s a very frequent flyer, but had been accumulating miles through Alaska Airlines, even though he now does all of his flying with Delta. He sent off concise and businesslike executive e-mail carpet bomb explaining his dilemma, and promising Delta all of his business if they’d match his l33t MVP Gold status. [More]
Silly Human, U.S. Airways Policies Are Not Based On "Logic"
By 12.3.10
As a Consumerist reader, Chris really should have known better. He tells Consumerist that he tried to change his US Airways flight reservation due to a change in his plans, but the quirks of scheduling meant that he would end up paying more money to take fewer flights. [More]
Woman In Wheelchair Strips To Lingerie, Still Gets TSA Patdown
By 12.2.10
In protest of the enhanced TSA pat-down, a woman arrived at the airport this week wearing only lacy black lingerie and holding her white poodle. She had hoped that if she “had nothing to hide” then she could avoid a pat-down. She failed in this endeavor. Naturally, it was captured by a fellow passenger and uploaded to YouTube. [More]
Handy Guide To Major Airlines' Voucher Policies
By 12.1.10
Airlines might give you a travel voucher when if you’re bumped from a flight or there was a fare reduction, but not all vouchers are created equal. The fine print can vary from airline to airline, with different expiration dates and fees. Airfarewatchdog has a got a cheat-sheet table for you breaking down all the vouchers so you can save your eyes from bleeding. [More]
Parody: TSA's New List of Banned Carryon Items
By 12.1.10
The holidays are here so that means it’s time for the TSA to release a new list of items that you think would bring holiday cheer but actually need to be banned to protect national security. UCBComedy’s The Brig parodies TSA policies in this new sketch that is probably more disturbing (warning: blood n’ candy canes) than uproarious. [More]
"Disturbed" Passenger Gets Naked On Delta Flight
By 11.29.10
With all the TSA controversy lately, you might assume that a passenger who strips naked on a flight from Chicago to New York would be making some sort of statement about the 4th amendment. Nope. [More]
Get The Most Out Of Your Frequent Flyer Miles
By 11.24.10
Lifehacker has some good reminder tips about how to get the most mileage out of your frequent flyer miles. Just like how you book a regular ticket, being flexible about your airports, adding connections, and flying on slow travel days can help you stretch their miles to their max. What frequent flyer mile strategies do you use? Sound off in the comments. [More]
Are You Participating In "Opt-Out" Day?
By 11.24.10
The day is finally here. No, not the day before Thanksgiving. Something far more important than spending time with your family, National Opt-Out Day. People who are doing it plan to, when asked to step through the body imaging machine, opt-out and get the enhanced pat-down instead. Are you gonna do it, or do you think it’s stupid – or worse? Take our poll! [More]
Your Morning Cup Of TSA Backwash
By 11.23.10
American citizen with free time declines both backscatter scan and patdown upon re-entering country, ends up being able to walk through security without doing either even after cops are called. [NO BLASTERS!]
TSA head makes ad explaining why there’s nothing to fear. Message belied by ominous grey background. [YouTube]
Reporter goes through pat-down to show us how easy it is. “He uses the back of his hand to check the front of my groin area.” [KDAF]
An “I’ll be groped for Christmas” holiday jingle. [YouTube]
Man opts for third choice: stripping down to his skivvies. Is then arrested and walked through two terminals in his underwear. [NBC San Diego]
SNL reimagines TSA as a sexy 80’s hookup company. [Hulu]
