../../../..//2007/12/21/30-sites-to-find-cheap/
30 sites to find cheap airline tickets. We’ve heard of most of these places but some are new to us. [Travelhacker]
travel
Icelandair Overbooks Flight, Delays Return By 43 Hours, Forgets To Compensate Passengers
By 12.21.07
A reader just sent us a description of her flight back from London to Minneapolis that reads like a synopsis of a particularly unpleasant episode of “The Amazing Race.” The return flight, on Iceland air, was supposed to go from Heathrow in London to Keflavik in Reykjavik, then from there to Minneapolis. The initial flight is delayed for 2 1/2 hours—but not to worry, Icelandair tells the passengers, because the other flight is being held. When they arrive in Iceland, however, there’s no plane waiting for them—it’s been overbooked, so the airline has sent it ahead and left the passengers stranded overnight.
By 12.20.07
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Unexpected JetBlue vouchers cheer up the most jaded of frequent fliers. [Jaunted]
Air Tran Lets You Sit In Urine-Soaked Seat
By 12.20.07
WCVB in Boston says that a woman sat down on a urine-soaked seat on an Air Tran flight to Boston Sunday night. Jennifer Castellano was sitting down for about 30 seconds when she noticed that her pants were wet. She went to the lavatory to check on her clothes and..
Government Will Limit Flights Per Hour At JFK
By 12.19.07
An argument can be made that the irresponsibly overworked New York City airports are causing a bottleneck in air travel that can be felt system-wide. The blame for the area’s poor performance gets passed around between the FAA, the airlines, the airports themselves, the weather and God.
British Airways Flight Attendant Suspended For Eating Passenger's Leftover Muffin?
By 12.19.07
BA are treating the incident as theft after he was reported at Heathrow airport on Monday.
Hawaiian Air Charges $75 "Death Fee"
By 12.19.07
Hawaiian Air charged a $75 fee, per ticket, for processing the refunds after Jane Wilkens’ mom died of a blood clot and wasn’t able to take a planned vacation with her daughter and her friend, in essence, charging the late Mrs. Wilkens a fee for dying.
By 12.18.07
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Over Thanksgiving, five United Airlines workers had to go the hospital for nausea and vomiting after eating the company-provided turkey dinner. “There were questions about whether the turkey smelled quite right,” said Don Wolfel, the president of Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association Local 4, “The popular opinion was that it didn’t.” [AP]
Even If You Have Colon Cancer, Spirit Air Doesn't Give Refunds
By 12.18.07
David writes:
I had purchased a ticket on Spirit Airlines for a friend of mine in Brooklyn, New York to come and visit me in Orlando. I had purchased the ticket about three months prior to the departure date so I could get the lowest fare. To make a long story short, my friend had been diagnosed with colon cancer and had to start treatment immediately….
Get Around Delays By Bringing Airline's Timetable To The Airport
By 12.18.07
Upgrade: Travel Better has five awesome flying tips that could come in handy during the busy holiday travel season, or really, any time. We like this one in particular:
Carry the airline’s timetable, or a list of alternate flights to your destination, which can be downloaded or printed from any airline’s website. This is useful when you try for a rebooking or want to go standby. Let’s say flights are delayed two hours across the board. The previous flight might still be waiting to push back from the gate. Check the timetable you brought with you and make a beeline for that earlier flight. Try to stand by and get out early, instead of waiting for hours for your scheduled itinerary.
What a good idea! Mark says that with this tip you should also keep alternate routes in mind, so if you’re scheduled to go to LA through Chicago, it doesn’t mean you can’t get to LA by passing through Dallas. With the rise in airline delays and cancellations and overbookings, this is a tip definitely worth remembering.
By 12.18.07
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Airlines are trying to overturn a new New York State law that says airlines have to provide, “fresh air and lights, waste removal services and adequate food and drinking water” if passengers are stuck on the tarmac for over three hours. Apparently that’s just too onerous a request. [NYT]
By 12.18.07
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How to join that crazy club of airline mileage runners who take flights simply for the frequent flier miles and perks. [Gadling]
Hey Continental Airlines, North Korea Isn't The Same As South Korea
By 12.17.07
My wife (a South Korean citizen and non-immigrant to the U.S.) was initially denied check-in due to the fact that their “computer” stated that she was required to have a Visa to enter Mexico. We quickly informed the attendant (Donna [redacted]) that the Republic of Korea aka South Korea aka NOT North Korea, is a treaty nation with Mexico and that tourist Visa’s for minimal stays are not required.
12 Year Old Kid Flying Alone? Don't Expect Too Much Help From Southwest
By 12.17.07
Southwest escorts children 5 through 11 who are traveling alone, but “once you hit 12, you’re considered a youth and not an unaccompanied minor,” said Teresa Laraba, the airline’s vice president for ground operations.
Unlike most airlines, Southwest is nice enough not to charge for escorting younger kids, but you’re out of luck once your precious little brat turns 12. So what should you do?
Peter Pan Driver Idles Bus For Thirty Minutes To Punish Passengers Who Complained About Swerving
By 12.15.07
A Peter Pan bus driver took revenge on passengers who complained about his unsafe driving by refusing to let anyone off the bus while making an unexpected thirty minute stop in Framingham, MA. One angry passenger who noticed the driver’s erratic swerving, Brian Moore, blogged about his experience as a surprise hostage on the trip from New York to Boston.
Yes, New York City Cabs Take Credit Cards
By 12.15.07
New York taxi drivers have resigned themselves to a fate with credit cards, according to a New York Times investigation. Cabbies struck twice this year to protest regulations forcing them to accept credit of all stripes. To see if cabbies are following the new rules, the Times asked five reporters to hop in twenty cabs each with one question: “I’ve only got a credit card, is that O.K.?”
Confessions Of An Airline Executive
By 12.15.07
Threatening to complain to the media or the Department of Transportations is the single best way to reach an airline’s executive customer service team, according to an anonymous airline executive. The jaded executive also shared his dour insights on the availability and effectiveness of short-term sales.
