Priya says Virgin Atlantic sprung a hidden $220 fee on her for a flight to India late last year. She paid the fee but started fighting for a refund immediately.
airlines
Airlines Could Start Charging Extra For Credit Cards
By 11.2.09
Could extra fees for using a credit card to pay become the airline industry’s hot new trend?
Mother And Child Kicked Off Southwest Flight Receive Apology, Free Travel
By 11.1.09
Earlier this week, a 2-year-old boy drowned out preflight announcements on a Southwest Airlines flight with his screams of “I want Daddy!” and “Go, plane, go!” So the airline kicked the child and his mother off the plane.
United Loses $12,418.28 Of Famous Rock Climber Steph Davis's Gear
By 10.30.09
Pro rock climber and base jumper Steph Davis is always superstitious about her last “flight.” On any trip, the last jump off the cliff in her wing suit, she’s sure something will go wrong. Recently, her fears came true, but not while hurtling herself off the Eiger. It was her flight on United, who lost $12,418.28 of her gear, including parachute.
US Airways Shrinks
By 10.28.09
US Airways has announced it plans to lay off a thousand employees, about 3% of its workforce, and will cut flights and focus mostly on four hubs: Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, DC.
4 Questions That Will Fix The Travel Industry
By 10.27.09
When will we see an airline passenger bill of rights? Why aren’t there 5-star and 2-star airlines? How do you deal with hotels filling review sites with fake testimonials? These questions came up in a conversation about the travel industry I had the other night. Here’s some possible answers:
You Accidentally Forget You Don't Live In Baltimore, And AirTran Fixes It
By 10.26.09
Here’s a heartwarming email from reader Joy. She accidentally booked tickets from Baltimore instead of Philly and AirTran not only fixed this mistake — they didn’t charge her extra.
Expect Airlines To Keep Hiking Ticket Prices As Holidays Approach
By 10.16.09
This year it’s a seller’s market when it comes to buying airline tickets, reports the New York Times, so if you must travel via plane, buy early and try to be as flexible as possible.
TSA Takes Baby Away From Mother?
By 10.16.09
UPDATE: The TSA has posted their CCTV video of the incident from 9 different angles. In the video, the child is never picked up by TSA agents or removed from the mother’s sight.
DOT To Airlines: Sorry, But People Like To Change Their Underwear
By 10.14.09
The United States Department of Transportation has finally warned airlines: Most people don’t like to go for more than 24 hours without brushing their teeth and changing their underwear.
Founder Of FlyersRights Says Delta Hacked Her Email Account
By 10.14.09
Kate Hanni, the founder of the passenger advocacy group FlyersRights.org, has filed a lawsuit against Delta Airlines in which she claims they hacked her email account and acquired personal email messages sent between her, some journalists, and a guy who was at the time working for Metron, a company hired by the FAA to investigate Delta.
Your Plane Is Probably On Time, Thanks To The Recession
By 10.11.09
The good news, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution? For the last few years, air travel delays have decreased and travel has become almost bearable. The bad news? That’s because of the decrease in travel due to the recession, and economic recovery will mean more delays. Yay.
More Airlines Add $10 Travel Surcharge To More Holidays
By 10.10.09
Since consumers didn’t whine too much about the addition of $10 “just because” fees airlines imposed on busy travel days, they’ve added fees on more days. Goody for us!
Airline Urges Passengers To Leave Their Urine Behind
By 10.7.09
In a new and exciting airline cutback effort, an airline is now asking passengers to relieve themselves before getting on the plane in order to decrease passenger weight and save fuel. No, we’re not making this up. And no, it’s not Ryanair.
United Lets You Pre-Pay Your Baggage Fees
By 10.6.09
United has just announced a program where you can pay $250 to have their normal checked baggage fees waived for a year. The plan covers 2 bags per passenger, up to 8 passengers “traveling under the same confirmation number.” Current fees are $20 for the first bag and $30 for the second, so if you travel solo a lot and always carry two bags you’ll have to make six trips before you enjoy any savings. On the other hand, if you’ve got a big family trip planned in the next year, this may be a way to shave a little off the fee gouging. But only if you’re stuck with United; BestFares.com notes that “SouthWest offers 2 free bags for free and JetBlue offers the 1st bag free.”
JetBlue Is An Excellent Airline
By 10.5.09
Having taken JetBlue for the first time last week, I must say I throughly enjoy their services. First, I got a round-trip non-stop flight to Seattle for only $279.20, tax included. Awesome.
Should Airplane Passengers Be Allowed To Make VoIP Calls?
By 9.30.09
Until now, airplane cabins have been blessedly free from idle phone chatter thanks to FAA regulations. Now, thanks to the introduction of wi-fi on commercial flights, it’s time to ask: should passengers be able to use Skype, Google Voice, or another VoIP service of their choice to make phone calls in the air?
United: Bad Toilet Timing Leads To Delay, Arrests
By 9.28.09
Two passengers were arrested on a United flight from LA to New York after one of them jumped up and ran to the bathroom after being instructed to remain seated by a flight attendant. Apparently the man just needed to use the bathroom — like now.
