A few weeks ago, a passenger experienced some kind of problem with (MAJOR U.S. AIRLINE). She sent a complaint letter about this (SPECIFIC EVENT) and received a printed letter back. This letter made it clear that the person who sent the letter had forgotten to use (CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE) to fill in the blanks, resulting in a Mad Libs apology of sorts. Naturally, the recipient posted it to (POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA SITE). [More]
travel
Airline: Sorry A Flight Attendant Told Passengers To Flush Their Drugs Before The Plane Lands
By 7.30.14
Australian discount airline Jetstar is busy apologizing after a crew member got on the PA system and told passengers they might want to flush any drugs they had on them before the plane landed in Sydney. This, because many travelers had just been at a music festival, and you know how kids are these days at those music festivals (they do drugs sometimes). [More]
New Hike In TSA Security Fee Means Higher Ticket Prices For Travelers
By 7.21.14
Next time you buy an airline ticket, you might notice it’s just a tad bit more expensive. That’s because the United States has a deficit to pay down, so it’s ordered the Transportation Security Administration to increase the security fee it charges each traveler. [More]
Survey: Americans Spend $800 Per Year On Unwanted Travel
By 6.25.14
How many trips do you take each year that you really didn’t want to take in the first place? It could be anything from your brother’s destination wedding on a tropical island to your friend’s kid’s graduation party a few suburbs over. What these trips have in common is that you didn’t pick the date or venue and are going because you feel you have to. Hotwire.com has coined a word for these trips: obli-cations. [More]
United Express Flight Turns Around After Passenger Allegedly Threatens Neighbor Over Cell Phone
By 6.4.14
While it might be okay to keep certain devices on in airplanes now, it could be a bit confusing to flyers which contraptions can be used, and at what times, which is understandable. But when one United Express traveler apparently didn’t like her neighbor telling her to turn her phone off, her alleged reaction prompted the flight to turn back to Nashville after takeoff. [More]
Air India Flight Forced To Turn Around After All Four Toilets Become Clogged
By 6.3.14
You know those signs in airplane lavatories that ask you to kindly not flush anything down the drain except toilet paper? Passengers on Air India planes may or may not be adhering to those polite instructions, after a plane was forced to turn around when all four of its toilets clogged. [More]
Sorry, Story Of Man Stuck Abroad After His Kid Doodles On Passport Is Probably A Hoax
By 6.2.14
I know, we all just love it when we can get our hands on a juicy story, hot off the Internet presses, that seems to be the perfect storm of situational comedy in real life. For example, Dad gets stuck in South Korea on a family trip after his kid doodles all over his passport, rendering it unusable. Kids these days! Smack on the forehead! Except it’s probably not true. [More]
Millions Of Consumers Leaving Winter Behind By Traveling This Memorial Day
By 5.16.14
Consumers have their cars gassed up and their plane tickets purchased for the unofficial start to summer that is just a week away. And the number of people partaking in welcoming summer by traveling is the highest it’s been in more than a decade. [More]
“The Sea Is Too Blue” And 9 Other Wackadoodle Things Hotel Staff Have Heard From Guests
By 5.13.14
Staying the night in new surroundings can be a stressful experience, so it’s totally understandable that some hotel guests might have a few requests to make temporary lodgings feel a bit homier, or a couple complaints if something just isn’t right. But when you’re complaining that the “sea is too blue,” you’ve got other problems. [More]
6 Things Your All-Inclusive Vacation Might Not Include
By 4.22.14 — Updated: 5.2.17
All-inclusive trips to resorts or on cruise ships can be a convenient and relaxing, since your major expenses are already taken care of. They can suddenly become a lot more stressful when you learn that the things that make a vacation fun––excursions, fancy beverages, memorable meals––aren’t part of the package that you signed on for. [More]
Teen Stowaway Somehow Survives 5-Hour Flight Hidden In Wheel Well
By 4.21.14
In news that we fear might give cheapo airlines some ideas about how to squeeze more passengers on a plane, a teenage stowaway not only managed to sneak into the wheel well of a jet, but somehow managed to survive sub-freezing temperatures and super-thin air for more than five hours on a flight from California to Hawaii. [More]
12 Things You Should Keep In Your Car For Emergencies
By 1.29.14
Snowy, icy winters make for especially treacherous driving, so you usually see lists like this published when the first storms of the year hit. That’s not quite fair, though. Emergencies come up in any climate and at any time of year. You may not need all of them year-round, but here are a dozen things that can help you out in an emergency on the road. [More]
Super Bowl Might Be A Super Bust For Area Hotels
By 1.28.14
Tickets to the Super Bowl might cost you a pretty penny, or 270,000 of them, but you can certainly find a good deal on a hotel room. The game billed as so big it needs two cities might have bitten off more than it can chew – or sell. [More]
Tips For Getting Your Checked Bag Prepped For A Flight
By 12.6.13
While most of us try to cram as much as we can into our carry-on bags — and some travelers (you know who you are) stretch the definition of “carry-on” with bags that would have been checked in the pre-fee era — sometimes you just have to check a piece of luggage or two at the counter. But before you do, there are some steps you’ll want to take. [More]
Map Combines Airport Delays And Weather So Your Travel Misery Can Have Company
By 11.27.13
Because you can’t turn a corner on the Internet or TV news without someone telling you how awful the holiday travel will be this year due to the horrendous, scary and otherwise inconvenient weather, it can be a bit of a bummer to be at an airport right about now. But you aren’t alone — your travel misery can have company by way of FlightAware’s MiseryMap, which combines weather and airport delays to get the complete, miserable picture. [FlightAware] [More]
Airlines Relaxing Change-Fee Policies Ahead Of Impending No Good, Very Bad Weather
By 11.26.13
I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bit squirrelly over here on the East Coast wondering about my flight home tomorrow to the Good Land (yes, Milwaukee, Wayne’s World fans, and no, I’ve never heard that one before), in light of the harbingers of doom at various weather services. One bright spot — many of the major airlines are already announcing relaxed change-fee policies for fliers inconvenienced by the coming bad weather. [More]
Pack For Holiday Travel Like A Boss
By 11.22.13
If you’re planning to fly during next week’s holiday travel frenzy, don’t risk overpacking or a baggage disaster. Even if you’re just taking a short car ride, these tips on suitcase packing and organization from Consumer Reports will come in handy. Always key: bring as few items as possible, color-coordinate them, and don’t bring any toiletries you don’t have to. [Consumer Reports] [More]
Don’t Drive Anywhere Without Stashing These Things In Your Car Trunk
By 9.9.13
When I bought a car from a family friend, I was delighted to open up the trunk and find a pair of gloves, tire-changing tools, and a can of Fix-A-Flat nestled on top of the spare tire. There were tissues in the center console, a stocked changepurse, maps, and even a disposable camera. Not everyone is so lucky…but what should you stock your car with when starting from scratch? [More]
