Who needs to actually travel in order to write guide books? Not Thomas Kohnstamm.
travel
Hey, Thanks For The Bed Bugs!
By 4.14.08
Sarah is experiencing every traveler’s worst nightmare. Bed bugs!
I just started reading The Consumerist. I did a search on bedbugs to see if you had any posts, and then thought I’d tell you my own story after reading about the people who found bedbugs in a Santa Monica hotel. In August of last year, I stayed at the Holiday Inn in Santa Monica.
Update: Westin Casuarina Refunds Extra Charges, Apologizes To Customers
By 4.11.08
Last week’s news that the Westin Casuarina hotel in Las Vegas was surreptitiously charging conference attendees for the organizer’s unpaid bill generated enough bad press that the Westin did an about-face this week, and sent out letters on Tuesday telling affected customers it is reversing the extra charges. A Westin spokesman said, “We’ve decided as a matter of customer relations to issue the refunds while continuing to pursue payment from The Coaching Center” in Austin, Texas. The Westin also says the refunds are an “effort to show our good faith,” which we assume means “please don’t sue us.”
By 4.11.08
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Continental is going to charge $25 each way for the privilege of checking a second bag. [Bizjournals]
Frontier Airlines Joins Airline Bankruptcy Conga Line
By 4.11.08
Frontier Airlines has joined the conga line of bankrupt airlines today, according to a statement from the company.
These Headlines Are Getting Repetitive: AA Cancels 570 More Flights
By 4.11.08
American Airlines has canceled 570 more flights today, upping their total number of cancelled flights (this week) to A BAZILLIONTY. (Ok, 3,000.)
How To Avoid Extra Travel Fees
By 4.10.08
Kiplinger tries to help you save money on your next airline “flight”—we have to put quotation marks around that word now, since the prospect of actually getting up in the air seems purely hypothetical at this point—with their latest travel article. A lot of the advice boils down to, “Find out what each airline charges extra for, then choose a different airline,” but it’s helpful to have everything in one article for a quick reference.
American Cancels 933 More Flights, Raising Total To Over 2,500
By 4.10.08
The trouble continues at American Airlines! They’ve cancelled 933 more flights today. This raises the total number of flights canceled this week to 2,500, as the airline struggles to perform a backlog of neglected safety inspections on its MD-80 aircraft.
By 4.9.08
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Delta has canceled a few flights on MD-80 aircraft. [Fox Business News]
American Airlines Cancels 500 Flights, Grounds Additional Planes For Safety Inspections
By 4.9.08
American Airlines has announced the cancellation of upwards of 500 flights as they inspect the way a bundle of wires are attached to the MD-80 aircraft. These new inspections stem from FAA concerns about the way American handled the last round of emergency inspections.
Canceling A ResortQuest Reservation? It'll Cost You $190 In Taxes And $95 In Fees
By 4.6.08
ResortQuest hit William’s wife with over $285 in fees when she canceled less than a day after making her reservation. Over $190 ostensibly went towards taxes, which raised William’s eyebrow and led him to fire off an Executive Email Carpet Bomb demanding an explanation.
What To Do If You Hold Skybus Tickets
By 4.5.08
Defunct budget airline Skybus plans to issue full refunds to all ticket holders. The airline announced last night that they were done flying less than two weeks after former CEO Bill Diffenderffer quit to pursue a book-writing career. While everyone who hasn’t yet traveled will soon be reunited with their cash, what about passengers who are in the middle of a trip? Let’s ask Air Force Sergeant Gary Patterson.
Skybus Airlines Ceases Operations
By 4.5.08
Skybus has just announced that it will stop flying starting tomorrow, Saturday April 5th. “Skybus struggled to overcome the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier…Our financial condition is such that our Board of Directors felt it had no choice but to cease operations,” said the company in the tombstone posted on its website. The dream of ultra-low-budget air travel was too beautiful to let live…
By 4.4.08
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Encouraging travelers to “Get your Choo-Choo on and Celebrate National Train Day,” if you buy a ticket today for travel on Amtrak on May 10th, it’s a buy-one-get-one free. [Amtrak]
Contact Info For Westin Casuarina In Las Vegas
By 4.4.08
If you were one of the conventioneers who got charged extra fees by the Westin Casuarina, we suggest you talk to your credit card company or contact The Coaching Center (according to the Houston Chronicle, the company’s president is refunding the charges directly to those affected). If you need contact info for management at the hotel, however, an anonymous tipster sent in a list of phone numbers and email addresses.
Gold Medal Travel Demands $200 To Correct Typo, Won't Issue Ticket Otherwise
By 4.4.08
Gold Medal Travel, a UK-based travel agency, is holding a woman’s ticket hostage. Even though Northwest airlines says the ticket will be fine and they have no policy like what Gold Medal claims, Gold Medal says the ticket will be forfeited if the woman doesn’t give them an extra $200 to correct a…
Getting Money Back From Bankrupt Airlines: Credit Card May Have Trip Insurance Built-In
By 4.3.08
Here’s yet another way to get your money back if you find the airline you’ve booked tickets with should suddenly cease to operate: trip insurance may be one of the default benefits on your credit card. If you booked with a credit card, call up the company and ask. For instance, Citi PremierPass Elite MasterCard comes with Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance for free. Reader Jhayme says they are refunding ATA Airlines passengers who purchased their ticket in full on the card up to $1500. The number to call to submit a claim is 1-800-950-5118, and there is a claim form that should be submitted American Express has a similar program called Travel Delay Protection, that will reimburse passengers if they cannot be rebooked on a new flight within a certain time period. I believe this costs $9.95 per trip. With two airlines going bankrupt, it may be a good idea for people to look into these programs.” Those credit cards may be evil, but for big ticket items, their buyer protections can come in handy sometimes.
Westin Casuarina Update: Hotel Also Forces You To Sleep With Strange Men
By 4.3.08
Randy saw our post earlier today about the Westin Casuarina in Las Vegas and wanted to share his own experience with them. In honor of the Casuarina’s increasingly sketchy reputation, we will add lightning to their photo.
