Yesterday, a gorilla* stormed through the offices of Samsonite Corp, the “world’s top luggage maker,” and jumped up and down on their financial status. Their retail unit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will close approximately half of their 173 stores.
travel
Carry Liquids On A Plane In 2-Liter Bottles
By 9.3.09
“Baby Soda Bottles” are 2-liter bottles before they’ve been heated and formed into their soda bottle shape. In this pre-bottle stage, they make waterproof, hard-to-crush containers for small objects, and they hold approximately 2 ounces of liquid which makes them useful for air travel. Oh also, you can use regular 2-liter bottle caps on them.
People Love Airplane Wi-Fi, But They Don't Love Paying For It
By 8.28.09
The WSJ’s latest “Middle Seat” column is about that holy grail for all internet-lovers — airplane Wi-Fi. It turns out that people love, love, love it… but pay for it? Nah.
American Airlines Raises Baggage Fees For Flights Abroad
By 8.28.09
If you thought you could escape American Airlines‘ increased domestic baggage fees by only flying abroad, think again: AA is raising checked bag fees for some international flights to Europe and India.
US Airways Raising Bag Fees By $5 On Most Flights
By 8.27.09
Providing that you check your bags online at least one hour before your flight, US Airways says it will begin charging $20, instead of $15, for the first checked bag and $30, instead of $25, for the second. Those who choose to check bags at the airport can expect $25 for the first and $35 for the second, an increase of $5 per bag.
Don't Bother Visiting The Grand Canyon Skywalk
By 8.27.09
Update: We asked the Skywalk to confirm that they have a “no-refunds” policy. Their answer is at the bottom of this post.
How To Cook A Meal In Your Hotel Room
By 8.24.09
We’ve never looked at a hotel’s bathroom counter and thought, “I could probably roll out some dough right there.” We’ve also never tried to use an iron for a hot plate, or shoved uncooked spinach into the coffee maker. But now that we’ve watched this proof of concept video from George Egg, we may consider going grocery shopping the next time we’re stuck in a hotel with an overpriced room service menu.
Gee, There Was A 6 Hour Tarmac Delay At New York's JFK Airport
By 8.24.09
So, we’ve recently noticed that the new cool thing for airlines to say when they mess up is some variation of, “We tried to make them comfortable,” as if they were escorting you to meet your maker instead of transporting you to Minnesota to see your grandmother and eat “bars.” We think this is creepy. We think they should stop saying this.
Southwest Customer Exposes Self, Punches Another Passenger, Then Strips Naked
By 8.21.09
Here’s an issue you probably didn’t expect to run into on your flight from Oakland to Las Vegas. According to the SF Chronicle, a man exposed himself, then punched a passenger who screamed. After that, he decided to strip naked and resist while flight attendants and other passengers subdued him. The flight was turned around and both the man and the woman he punched were taken to the hospital. They apparently don’t know each other, and the man is wanted on drug charges.
Wi-Fi Coming To Southwest Airlines Next Year
By 8.21.09
Southwest says a test of Wi-Fi on its planes was successful, so they’re going to expand the service to all of their planes next year.
Update: BoA ATM Card Dispatched To Stranded Traveler After Return To U.S.
By 8.21.09
After stranding reader Shannon in Siberia with no functioning ATM card, Bank of America has reached out to her and made up for the situation. Sort of. A new card was immediately dispatched, but the corresponding PIN didn’t show up until five days later. She did, however, receive a $100 Amazon gift card for her inconvenience.
Don't Bother Visiting These Tourist Attractions
By 8.19.09
Andrew Harper at Yahoo!’s travel site has published a list of U.S. tourist destinations that aren’t worth the time it would take to tromple* through them on your way to the gift shop. We’re disappointed he left Seattle’s Pike Place off the list, but the rest are pretty spot on.
Dave Carroll Launches Second "United Breaks Guitars" Song And Video
By 8.18.09
Musician Dave Carroll hit the jackpot with his first song, “United Breaks Guitars,” last month. The song, the video, and the subsequent media coverage formed a perfect anti-ad for United’s poor handling of customer property. Now he’s released the second of his planned three-song cycle and this one has more of a “we could have had something together” feel to it. Like any sequel, it’s about 600 times more elaborate. We’ll always love “United Breaks Guitars” most of all, but it’s great to see Carroll continue his one-man shaming of an airline for not doing the right thing when it had the chance.
American Airlines Misplaces Your Grandmother, Twice
By 8.13.09
Every once in awhile we post a sad story about someone’s 85-year-old grandmother being left at the gate because nobody came to push the wheelchair. This is one of those stories. The difference, however, is that in this case American Airlines left the woman at the gate, apologized, got her a hotel, brought her back, and left her with a Skycap. She missed the second flight too.
Transportation Secretary Would Like To Ask Continental A Few Questions
By 8.11.09
The horrific tarmac delay in Rochester, MN has come to the attention of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. LaHood apparently has a blog, and on it he’s asking some questions about the delay.
Couchsurfing Can Help You Save Money And Make Friends While Traveling
By 8.11.09
CouchSurfing is an online community of friendly hosts who are ready and eager to throw their convertible couches open to travelers from across the world. The service offers more than a free place to crash; it connects travelers with like-minded people who are excited to share their enthusiasm for their hometown. But aren’t you going to be immediately robbed and stabbed by the opportunistic lechers lurking on the internet, you ask?
BoA Strands Customer In Siberia With No Money
By 8.11.09
Bank of America has cut off Shannon’s debit card and says she has to get a new one. This would otherwise be a minor inconvenience except for the fact that Shannon is in Irkutsk, Russia on a 2-week Trans-Siberian trek.
