Asked to cite their “most problematic” trip experiences, 40 percent of those surveyed cited flight delays and 21 percent said airport security. Only 15 percent said hotel amenities and cleanliness, while 9 percent cited rental cars.
airports
New Study: Flying Is The Worst Part Of The Trip
By 4.13.07
Air Traffic Controllers Are Sleepy
By 4.13.07
Fatigued air traffic controllers contributed to four aviation mishaps in recent years, and may have been a factor in last year’s Comair crash that killed 49 people, according to federal accident investigators.
JetBlue: When Your Canceled Flight Is Not Actually Canceled
By 4.4.07
JetBlue, JetBlue, JetBlue. When you cancel a flight, should you be allowed to uncancel it? If you do uncancel it, shouldn’t you tell your customers? Customers who may have left the airport when they saw that their flight was canceled? Grace Kim and her boyfriend had return tickets on JetBlue when their flight was canceled, forcing Kim to rebook on the next available flight 2 days later. When she heard JetBlue was offering vouchers to inconvenienced passengers she called and was told she qualified. Or did she?
Ask The Consumerists: Can I Fly With No ID?
By 4.3.07
I have a friend that moved to NYC a little while ago from Iowa. She hadn’t switched to a NYS Photo ID yet, as she isn’t sure if this is going to be a permanent move, so she has been using her Iowa State Photo ID (non-Driver’s License, which is important as you’ll see) around town.
VIDEO: US Airways Baggage Handler Plays Tee-Ball With Packages
By 4.3.07
The USPS tubes and boxes were set to board America West flight 131 from San Francisco to Las Vegas this Sunday, April 1.
Airport Security Devices Of The Future
By 3.3.07
Travel writer Peter Greenberg gives us an insightful look at the creepy future of airport security. Most of us are already familiar with ‘puffer’ scanners, which, ironically, are prominent fixtures at the Statue of Liberty. They are just the beginning. The future holds several new devices, and “many of them are raising new issues regarding privacy.”
Howto: Get Your Name Off The No-Fly List
By 2.22.07
The Department of Homeland Security has finally woken up, and now admits that the No-Fly List has its problems.
Recharge Your Batteries For Free At Airports
By 2.22.07
The folks at BoingBoing are rightly angered by the trend in airports to feature pay-per-use electric charging stations. It’s bad enough that you’re stuck in the terminal, waiting for your delayed flight to finally start boarding, only to sit and wait some more while seated in 25B. Now, more and more airports are renting out their power sockets, so you can’t even recharge that laptop, cellphone, or DVD player while you’re killing time.
Baggage Handlers Busted For Stealing Credit Cards, Laptops and Cigarettes
By 2.13.07
Two young baggage handlers who are accused of stealing everything from cigarettes to laptops to credit cards were arrested last week in two separate incidents that have airport officials looking into whether those thefts were just the tip of an iceberg.
Reader Gets Chargeback For Golden Touch Transportation's Shyster Car Service
By 1.28.07
Thanks to the advice of The Consumerist and its readers, Shonda finally got a refund after Golden Touch Transportation car service ripped her off.
Airport Security Trays To Feature Advertisements
By 1.12.07
- Travelers nationwide could soon see ads for laptops, expensive cars and other products in the trays that carry their shoes and cell phones through X-ray machines at airport security checkpoints.
Elite Fliers Are Better Than You
By 12.27.06
The New York Times has an article today about the ways in which elite flying status is having a larger impact on the travel experience. Elite passengers are subject to fewer fees, get priority boarding, and enjoy privileges that regular passengers don’t. “United is testing a new check-in and boarding procedure at San Francisco International Airport that completely separates elites from other passengers. Frequent fliers are checked in, screened and boarded in their own lines. The new program, tentatively called Airport Premier Services, will be added at United’s hubs in Chicago and Washington in early 2007, and at an undetermined number of other airports later in the year.”
United Airlines Very Mean To Homeless Girl With Cat
By 12.27.06
United Airlines is a big meanypants, but we have to wonder, why didn’t she just pay the cat fee in advance?
T-Mobile’s Hotspot Refund System Encourages Breakage?
By 12.4.06
A crinkle appeared in our once happy story of how easy it was for us to get a refund from T-mobile hotspot.
Golden Touch Transportation Is A Shyster Car Service
By 12.1.06
Shonda paid for a private sedan to take her to and from the airport during a recent trip to New York City, but instead she got a shuttle crammed with other people.
Demand A T-Mobile Hotspot Refund And Get It
By 11.30.06
T-mobile’s hotspot this morning in the Charlotte airport didn’t let us on the internet, but were still charged $9.99. Visions of David Berlind’s similar battle dancing in our eyes, we called up T-Mobile, demanded a refund, and got it. Word.
TSA’s Multimillion Dollar Ion Sniffer Is “Out Of Order”
By 11.29.06
A sign on this multi-million dollar terrorism sniffing device reads, “Out of Order.” Spotted this morning in Charlotte’s airport. From the Smith’s website:
