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.”
fees
Gift Cards Are The Most Popular Gift
By 12.19.06
The 2006 Deloitte report on gift cards is out, and it’s official. Gift cards are the single most popular gift this holiday season. But are they a good buy? Sort of. It seems that due to consumer pressure, and FTC pressure, stores are improving their customer service/disclosure of fees when it comes to gift cards. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t still a lot of problems. The Montgomery County, Maryland, Office of Consumer Protection which assesses dozens of cards annually, has released their 2006 report. The report evaluates 40 different gift cards, looking for things like whether or not the card can be replaced if lost or stolen, whether the cards have an expiration date, and whether fees are assessed to the card’s balance. Basically, you want to avoid the following cards:
Why Are There Taxes On Frequent Flyer Miles?
By 12.14.06
Why are “free” frequent flyer miles taxed, asks Katie.
Skype-Out Will Cost $30/Year On Jan 31
By 12.13.06
Starting January 31st, 2007, Skype users placing calls to domestic numbers will pay an annual fee of $30 for unlimited usage.
EXCLUSIVE: CHASE Screws Struggling Card Members Harder
By 12.5.06
Chase yesterday decided to put the screws harder to its most struggling credit card customers, an insider tells us.
Even Physicists Are Not Smart Enough to Avoid Getting Screwed By Orbitz
By 12.4.06
We’re not saying the rest of you are dumb, but when physicists from CalTech can’t manage to make travel arrangements without getting stuck with hundreds of dollars in “change fees,” there might be a problem with the website. And by problem we might mean “scam.” And by scam, we might mean, “policies designed to increase fees by being deliberately confusing and overly restrictive.” In this case, Sean, a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology, was trying to book a new ticket with money from a credit on a previously canceled ticket, which is much harder than identifying the unified field theory.
Banks Cash Big Checks First, Maximizing Overdrafts
By 11.22.06
USATODAY research indicates banks typically process checks in order of highest balance, maximizing overdraft fees charged to the customer, critics contend.
Lower Your AT&T Bill, Illinois
By 11.22.06
Illinois AT&T customers looking to save can now sign up for a new reduced plans.
National City Bank Loves Inexplicable Overdraft Fees
By 9.29.06
Let’s play a game. Can you spot the problem below?
T-Mobile Happy Endings!
By 9.27.06
Last week, David complained about T-Mobile charging him double what he expected. When he phoned the cellphone company, they disputed the basis of his complaint, calling him a liar. We posted the story.
Bank of America Will Get Your C-Note Back
By 9.26.06
Eagle-eyed reader Bruce points out that while Bank of America may be giving out 100 bucks…with the fees they charge they’ll be getting it back from you soon enough.
T-Mobile: U R a L1AR! LOL!
By 9.20.06
David is very unhappy with T-Mobile. Last month he upgraded to a PDA phone in order to receive his emails on-the-go, as so many of us do. Anyway, after some confusion about what features are necessary to accomplish this, David added text messaging to his account via T-Mobile’s website and the emails started flowing on in.
DirecTV: Not Ready for Some Football
By 9.19.06
Reader Brandon had emailed with a dilemma. He lives in an apartment building that provides his cable via Qwest and DirecTV. After dropping $100 on a DVR, Brandon was informed that the dishes on his building were too old to receive local channels, which is the whole reason he bought the DVR in the first place. To add insult to injury, Qwest decided Brandon wasn’t paying a bill they never actually sent him, so they cut him off and are demanding $65 bucks.
Verizon To Loosen Grip on Fees, Balls
By 6.29.06
Saying goodbye need only be as proportionally painful as the depth of the relationship, Verizon Wireless announced Wednesday. Starting this fall, the termination fee charged on its two-year contracts will be pro-rated. This is a further goodwill gesture in addition to Verizon’s lower cancellation fee, $175 versus a standard $200 or even $250.
Our Friend, Hidden Fees
By 6.27.06
A new article in the Boston Globe explains why hidden fees work. You may have gotten that printer for free with your computer but you could be paying $1,500 in ink cartridges over the next four years.
