So, Puerto Rico is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States. Its head of state is Barack Obama. Its currency is the US Dollar. So why is one of Chris Elliott’s readers being charged an international transaction fee on her Visa? [More]
travel
Watch Out For Undisclosed Resort Fees When Using Sites Like Priceline
By 12.28.09
Travel consumer advocate Christopher Elliott has a new post about an undisclosed $15/day “resort fee” that Trump International Hotel Las Vegas plans to tack onto a customer’s bill. The surprise is that the customer reserved the room through Priceline, and thought when he made the reservation that Priceline was telling him the final room rate. [More]
Next Time You Fly, Prepare To Be Patted Down And Computerless
By 12.27.09
Are we not allowed to have electronics with us in the cabin when we fly now? Is it true that we can’t get up in the last hour of a flight, and everyone gets patted down now? Most importantly, what about the electronics? [More]
Comfort Inn Driver Rescues Abandoned Holiday Inn Customers, Then Takes Them To Wendy's
By 12.23.09
Here’s a nice holiday-themed story of how a kind Comfort Inn driver not only helped out a group of stranded travelers, but even agreed to take them to get food after they checked into their hotel. Maybe he was hoping for some big tips, or maybe he’s got some grudge against the local Holiday Inn. (Or maybe he’s a nice guy.) Whatever his motivation, he probably just earned some repeat business for Comfort Inn. [More]
If Wall Street Ran The Airlines
By 12.23.09
The Baseline Scenario has written a pitch-perfect article that pretends financial industry types are now speaking for the airline industry. It’s filled with appeals to the free market, and lots of threats about how the American Way of Life will collapse if we can’t let passengers sit for more than three hours on tarmacs. [More]
Man In Wheelchair Unimpressed With Greyhound
By 12.21.09
According to Richard, Greyhound has some real work to do when it comes to making people in wheelchairs not feel like second-class citizens. Even in snowy weather and with delays, you don’t really want a driver telling a passenger that he should have brought an attendant if he wanted to get on the bus. [More]
Master Chart Of Airlines Fees
By 12.21.09
Before you travel through the sky in the belly of a silver tube at hundreds of miles per hour, wouldn’t it be nice to know which extra fees you might be charged for doing so? Kayak has a great chart for doing just that. [More]
Tarmac Imprisonment Limited To 3 Hours
By 12.21.09
Airlines must let passengers stuck in airplanes stranded on the tarmac get off after 3 hours, the Transportation Department today ordered. They’re also now only allowed to starve you for 2 hours, after which they must serve pizza or a reasonable facsimile. Toilets must be functional during the entire time as well. [More]
UPDATED: Greyhound Stood Me Up And Won't Refund My Ticket
By 12.21.09
Miriam says she bought a Greyhound ticket in November, but the bus skipped her stop without notifying her. She couldn’t get the company to cough up anything more than a voucher for a future trip. She writes: [More]
American Airlines Flight Grounded Because Of Threatening Note
By 12.18.09
Do not write a mean note and leave it in an airplane bathroom. The AP is reporting that a Chicago-bound American Airlines flight was grounded because of a note that a passenger found in the lavatory. [More]
10 Things To Know To Keep Your Luggage From Getting Lost
By 12.18.09
It’s late night at the airport and you’re the only one left standing at the baggage couresel, waiting for your luggage to arrive. The same blue duffel passes you like a broken record. Reality sinks in. Your baggage is lost. Tears form. Then, a rustling of rubber flaps. A form begins to emerge from the wall. Could it be, your lost bag? No, it is a man, a baggage handler man, covered in dust. He pats himself off and plants himself before you and begins a soliloquy. He is here to tell you you the 10 ten things you need to know to keep your bags from getting lost: [More]
Allegiant Refunds Vegas Traveler For Hotel Bumping
By 12.18.09
Blogger Krystalatwork complained she was bumped from Harrah’s on a Vegas trip and had to stay at Flamingo, then was promised a refund that was slow in coming. [More]
Notorious Passenger Of Size Was Given A Full Row To Himself
By 12.4.09
A photo allegedly taken by a flight attendant that has been making its way around the internet has prompted an investigation of safety procedures by the FAA, says the New York Post. [More]
Reach American Airlines Customer Service
By 12.2.09
American Airlines unpublished customer service number is 817-963-1234. Press 00 and say “agent” to get an operator. Don’t press 3, because that’s just a trick. [More]
Passenger Of Size Allegedly Has Picture Taken By Flight Attendant
By 12.1.09
We can in no way confirm that this is true, but the Telegraph is reporting that this photo was “reportedly” taken by an American Airlines flight attendant who wanted to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats. [More]
Check Luggage Limits Online And Dodge Baggage Fees
By 11.30.09
How fat a bag can I bring? The ad-supported LuggageLimits compiles the carry-on and checked baggage rules for 90 airlines. Just enter your airline, ticket type, departure and arrival city and it will tell you if you’re likely to hit any fee turbulence with your luggage. [LuggageLimits via Lifehacker] [More]
Math Skills Not Required To Bake Pie Chart Ad
By 11.25.09
Anonymous Math Geek sent us this ad for the Stratosphere, a Las Vegas casino. The wizards are using tricky geometry to convince you that the casino gives you more bang for your Benjamin. AMG writes: [More]
