Austin bought two tickets to Aruba last December. By the end of February, Orbitz had changed his itinerary so many times that now they were only flying him as far as Atlanta, and 11 days later were flying him back from Aruba—it was apparently up to him to get from Atlanta to Aruba in the first place. At this point, the only option was to request a refund, which Orbitz said would take 60 days. Two months later, Orbitz told Austin that they’ll give him his money back in 60 days. We’re pretty sure that’s 120 days total, and there’s still no guarantee Austin will see his money.
airlines
Behold, The 6 Worst Airline Passengers of 2009
By 5.6.09
Yes, Rick Seaney of FareCompare.com is rounding up the worst airline passengers of 2009 — in May. Maybe he’s optimistic and doesn’t expect the lady who drank all the hand soap from the lavatory to be topped in the many months ahead — or maybe he just wants to write a follow-up in December. Either way, we love it.
Watch Out For Foreign Transaction Fees When Booking With Foreign Carriers
By 5.3.09
Cliff logged on to his U.S. internet connection to use his U.S. credit card to buy airline tickets on Aer Lingus in U.S. dollars, a transaction he assumed wouldn’t incur a foreign transaction fee. Nope! Citibank slapped a 3% fee on the $2,600 purchase, something Cliff feels the airline should have warned him about.
Continental: No Refunds For Swine Flu Cancellations
By 5.1.09
The swine flu outbreak is making thing tough for people who had booked Mexican vacations. Reader Kurt is one such person. He got a full refund from the hotel, but is dismayed that Continental won’t extend him the same courtesy.
Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia Suspend Airline Booking Fees
By 4.28.09
If you’ve been avoiding the big travel websites because of their booking fees, you might want to reconsider. Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia have all stopped charging airline booking fees until May 31.
US Airways To Charge Fee For Paying Fee
By 4.28.09
US Airways must be running out of ideas. Instead of coming up with a new fee for a previously free service, the dullards in corporate could only muster a top-off on a pre-existing fee. See, for a while US Airways has charged $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second, but now there will be a $5 additional fee if you pay those fees in person rather than online. In other words, a fee for paying a fee. A bit of a watery effort, if I may say so . Come now, gents, put your thinking caps on. We’re looking for a little more sizzle and crackle in our airline fee innovations.
The CEO Of Delta Reveals His Secrets
By 4.27.09
Richard Anderson, the CEO of Delta Air Lines, was interviewed by the New York Times and shared his tips on hiring (ask about their family life), running meetings (no Blackberries!), and dealing with customers: “I find myself, more and more, writing hand-written notes to people,” he says. “I must write a half a dozen a day.” These are apology notes, we’re guessing.
Here's What The Airlines Are Charging For Luggage
By 4.24.09
Daniel at dansdeals.com has put together a chart of baggage fees for 22 US and Canadian airlines. Spirit takes the prize for most expensive, but there are a dozen contenders for second place. The best: Southwest, Air Canada, Porter and WestJet. If you travel with lots of luggage, you may want to bookmark this page for future reference the next time you’re purchasing tickets.
United: Move To An Empty Row For Only $156
By 4.24.09
Reader Matt is annoyed with United Airlines. On a flight from Minneapolis to Denver the passengers were crammed into coach — but there were entire unsold rows in the “$39 extra” section.
Traveler Arrested For Bathroom Emergency On Delta Flight
By 4.16.09
Is there a worse place to have sudden diarrhea than on an airplane? Well, yes, and that would be on a water slide, but let’s stay with the airplane for a bit. Joao Correa was on a Delta Airlines flight from Honduras to Atlanta last week when something bad happened down below, and he had to immediately use the bathroom. Unfortunately, there was a drink cart blocking his way and the flight attendants wouldn’t let him by.
United: If You Can't Fit In One Seat You Need To Buy Two
By 4.15.09
Starting today, United Airlines has a new policy. If you can’t fit into a single seat, you need to buy another one or stay behind.
United Airlines Won't Help Rush You To Your Dying Mother's Bedside Because "It's Time For The Ticketing Agent's Break"
By 4.12.09
Mike rushed his girlfriend to the airport to catch a flight to see her dying mother, only to watch her miss the flight because United Airline’s ticketing agent refused to help because “it was time for her to go on her break.” Passengers waiting in line were more than willing to let Mike’s girlfriend skip to the front of the line, but her sad situation apparently wasn’t enough to earn the agent’s sympathies. When his girlfriend finally reached the gate in time to watch her flight depart, the gate agent defended his colleague’s lack of sympathy, saying “management really makes us work some unreasonable schedules.”
By 4.10.09
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Good Job More than 40,000 United Airlines “front-line” workers will receive a $100 bonus because the carrier’s on-time performance topped the Transportation Department’s monthly performance rating for March, the Chicago-based airline said Thursday. [Chicago Tribune]
Newly Bought Clothes Mysteriously Escape Your Luggage And Return Themselves
By 4.3.09
Ah yes, the Philadelphia Airport. You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. A baggage handler has been charged with two counts of theft after a woman noticed that $550 worth of clothes (with the price tags still on) had mysteriously wandered out of her luggage.
7 Tips For Getting Euro Airfare Deals This Summer
By 3.25.09
6. Once you find a fare you like on an online travel agency (OTA), check the airline’s site. Many international airlines don’t share their best deals with the OTAs… you could save a bundle by buying direct. But that works in reverse sometimes too (an OTA might have a fare on Virgin Atlantic, for example, for hundreds less than Virgin is selling it for).
Spirit Airlines Charges $10 For Buying Tickets Anywhere But Ticket Counter (Again)
By 3.24.09
Habitually awful carrier Spirit Airlines is bringing back its “passenger usage fee,” which charges passengers $4.90 each way for booking tickets online or over the phone. The only way to avoid the fee is by purchasing directly from a ticket counter at the airport. Convenient!
Have Airlines Run Out Of Annoying Fees?
By 3.21.09
So, it’s not exactly good news, but between the toilet tax and priority boarding fees, Reuters thinks that airlines may have run out of “perks” worth excluding from a ticket’s base price. The bad news? All those new airline fees aren’t going anywhere. American Airlines, which last year pocketed an extra billion in “ancillary revenue,” calls them “a pretty big success story.”
Airlines Having A "Worldwide Distress Sale"? Time For A Vacation?
By 3.18.09
You know, we hesitate to use the term “fire sale” to describe airline prices but there are apparently some insane deals to be had right now according to the San Francisco Chronicle
