They drink too much, bang on cockpit doors, smoke in the bathroom, light blankets on fire, and break things. It seems like we’re constantly reporting on disruptive passengers interfering with commercial flights, and there’s good reason: air rage incident reports from airlines are up worldwide, according to a new report. [More]
travel
Traveler Sues Emirates Because He Was Seated Next To Obese Man For 9-Hour Flight
By 9.27.16 — Updated: 5.5.17
We all like to have as much space to ourselves as possible while flying, but sometimes that’s just not the reality. Close quarters on a nine-hour Emirates flight led to a lawsuit from one passenger who claims his trip was ruined because of the “spillover” from the obese man seated next to him. [More]
Travelers Just Want To Know What A Flight Will Cost Upfront
By 9.26.16
There are all kinds of annoyances involved in flying, whether it’s that jerk in front of you who slammed his seat back into your knees or the fees you pay to check a bag and select your seat. But one of the most infuriating things for passengers these days? Not knowing how much your airfare will cost by the time all is said and done. [More]
Using Uber Outside The U.S.? Make Sure You Don’t Pay $146 For An $11 Ride
By 9.23.16
One of the conveniences of Uber is that, rather than trying to figure out to flag down a taxi in every possible language and culture, you can use the same service to hail a ride in dozens of countries on every non-Antarctica continent. However, if you’re using Uber abroad, be sure to check your bank statement afterward to make sure that you’re not getting taken for a ride financially. [More]
American Airlines Diverts Flight After Disruptive Passenger Bangs On Cockpit Door
By 9.22.16
An American Airlines flight heading to Dallas/Fort Worth from Ontario, CA made an unscheduled stop in Lubbock this morning because of an unruly passenger who reportedly banged on the cockpit’s door. [More]
Marriott Preparing To Battle Expedia, Priceline With New Starwood Assets
By 9.22.16
With online travel agency options whittled down following the $1.6 billion Orbitz-Expedia merger in 2015, and hotels already offering customers perks for ditching the third-party travel sites, it might be hard to imagine the rivalry between the likes of Expedia, Priceline, and major hotels could get more contentious. But it apparently can, and is about be thanks, in part, to the completion of a mega-hotel merger between Marriott and Starwood Resorts. [More]
Historic Inn Offering Amnesty For Guests Who Pilfered Items In The Past
By 9.19.16
If you’re the kind of person who may, ahem, “accidentally” walk off with more than a few free bottles of lotion when you check out of a hotel, this message could be for you: a historic inn in Massachusetts is asking that guests (or their descendants) return any property they may have taken in the past, no questions asked. [More]
Google Debuts Personalized Travel Planner Dubbed “Google Trips”
By 9.19.16
As anyone who’s ever found themselves standing around a police station in Spain at 3 a.m. calling mom back in the U.S. for their own hotel info can attest, it can be really tough when you’re lost in a foreign country or city without an Internet-connected device. Google wants to make those kinds of experiences easier and help travelers coordinate their activities with a new travel planning app called “Google Trips.” [More]
Airbnb Inches Closer To Full-Service Trip-Planner With Latest Acquisition
By 9.19.16
Airbnb has had success in providing a platform for travelers looking to stay somewhere other than hotels, but lodging is only one aspect of a trip. Where to eat? What to see? Airbnb’s recent acquisition of a startup travel-planning service shows that the company is inching toward offering one-stop shopping for travelers. [More]
Ridiculously Long TSA Lines Could Return This Fall
By 9.19.16
Gird yourselves, travelers: although the Transportation Security Administration recently patted itself on the back for keeping security screening lines moving at airports this summer, the soul-crushingly long lines some folks experienced in the spring could be the reality again this fall. [More]
Spare Electronics Battery Catches Fire Aboard Delta Air Lines Flight
By 9.16.16
Crew aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Norfolk, VA to Atlanta this morning extinguished a spare electronics battery that caught fire in the rear of the aircraft. But no, Samsung says it probably wasn’t a Galaxy Note 7. [More]
British Airways Flight Diverted After Drunk Passenger Became “Abusive” Toward Crew
By 9.9.16
Think of all the work it takes to put a giant metal flying machine in the air, filled with people, and get it to where it’s supposed to go. Which makes it almost worse that it only takes one intoxicated person to force that plane to change course. This time, it was a British Airways flight that had to be diverted on the way to Orlando. [More]
TSA: Most Travelers Waited 30 Minutes Or Less In Airport Security Lines This Summer
By 9.7.16
Remember four months ago, when everyone was cranky at the Transportation Security Administration because of epically long security screening lines at the nation’s airports? Now that the summer is over, the agency wants everyone to know that it drastically cut wait times in the last few months. [More]
United Flight Diverted After Drunk Passenger Breaks Plane’s Bathroom Door
By 9.6.16
A United Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Nashville on Monday night, after an apparently intoxicated passenger broke one of the plane’s bathroom doors and threw up in the sink. [More]
Delta’s Recent System Outage Cost The Airline $100M In Lost Revenue
By 9.2.16
Remember that major systems outage that hit Delta last month, prompting the airline to ground all flights worldwide? In addition to majorly ticking off customers who had their travel plans disrupted and grabbing the attention of lawmakers who have since demanded an explanation for these kinds of outages, Delta lost a whole lot of money. [More]
United Airlines CEO Admits The Company Should Probably Treat Customers Better
By 9.1.16
There must be something in the water this week: while American Airlines is urging customers to stop being such jerks in order to have a better flying experience, United Airlines’ CEO is admitting that the carrier could probably improve its relations with customers. [More]
JetBlue Puts Kids On Wrong Planes In Unaccompanied Minor Switcheroo
By 9.1.16
It sounds like a classic movie switcheroo, but it’s one that gave the families of two five-year-old boys a bit of a real-life scare: JetBlue apparently confused the children, putting a boy who was supposed to go New York City on a flight to Boston, and a boy meant for Boston on a plane to New York City. [More]
Transatlantic United Airlines Flight Diverted After 12 Injured During Severe Turbulence
By 8.31.16
A United Airlines flight from Houston bound for London was diverted to Shannon Airport in Ireland, after extremely bumpy skies injured 12 onboard. [More]
