travel
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13 sites to check out, and in what order, when scrounging for cheap airplane tickets.
Get Free Stuff At Starwood Hotels By Being A Regular And Complaining A Bunch?
According to a Starwood hotel insider, the chain has a super-generous comp policy. Her story, and an expert’s take on whether she’s full of beans, inside… “Most companies empower their employees to make the customer happy by offering discount or coupons – to an extent of course. I believe Starwood Hotel’s is called “Never Say No.” We were given the OK, with manager approval, to spend $1K/day to do whatever it took to make guests happy…”
American Airlines Offers 6 Month No Interest No Payments Financing
American Airlines is offering no interest no payments for 6 months on airline tickets purchased through an offer on their website. This means that, essentially, one can purchase an airline ticket in the same way that one purchases, say, furniture or a camcorder.
Northwest Airlines Canceles 240 Flights, Acts All Mysterious About It
Northwest Airlines canceled a ton of flights over the weekend but aren’t talking about why, according to the Houston Chronicle.
The pilots union on Monday blamed Northwest management for causing many of the cancellations because, the union argues, there aren’t enough pilots scheduled to fly the busy summer schedule.
The pilots union claimed that at least 240 flights were canceled. The airline blamed the weather and declined to say how many flights were canceled. According to the Chronicle, they declined to say whether the spike in cancellations would “persist.” Mysterious!
Sprinklers Douse Travelers At LAX
A water pipe broke, dousing travelers and workers and causing an evacuation at Los Angeles International Airport Sunday. Fun! From CBS:
At the Southwest Airlines check-in counter, computers were covered in plastic. The baggage claim area on the lower level was cordoned off, and sawdust and puddles of water lined the floor.
U-Haul's Trucks Are Unsafe, Not Maintained
Part 2 in a LA Times investigation into U-Haul’s business practices and safety record isn’t any less bleak than part 1. The LA Times investigation has uncovered that U-Haul fails to properly maintain their aging fleet of vehicles while mechanics “hang paper” (forge safety inspections and repairs) to keep the trucks and the money rolling.
During a yearlong investigation, Times journalists surveyed more than 200 U-Haul trucks and trailers in California and other states and found that more than half were overdue for a company-mandated “safety certification,” a check of brakes, tires and other parts typically required every 30 days.
U-Haul Knowingly Rents Deadly Trailers
U-Haul knowingly rents unsafe tow trailers that have the potential to kill customers. A yearlong investigation by the L.A. Times found that U-Haul’s practices unnecessarily expose customers to the dangers of trailer sway.
Traveling downhill or shaken by a sharp turn or a gust of wind, a trailer can begin swinging so violently that only the most experienced — or fortunate — drivers can regain control and avoid catastrophe.
Trailers can sway when towed by vehicles lighter than the trailer. U-Haul regulations allows trailers to outweigh the tow-vehicle by up to 25%, openly flouting guidelines set by automakers. For instance, U-Haul allows a 2007 Crown Victoria to haul 4,400 pounds, even though Ford suggests that the 4,100 pound vehicle tow no more than 1,500 pounds. “Two U-Haul competitors, Penske and Budget only rent trailers to customers renting trucks heavier than the trailers. Safety is the reason.”
Donate Your Frequent Flier Miles To Charity
Why bother with frequent flier miles when you can donate them to charity? The donations are tax-deductible, making them an attractive alternative to the Sisyphean challenge of ferreting out an eligible seat.
Many non-profit organizations have frequent flier mileage donation packages, and several major air carriers have developed charitable programs using earned miles. Some are exclusive partnerships geared to one or two specific charities, while others have multiple organizations with quarterly or monthly rotations, allowing all the participating charities equal time to receive miles.
Peter Greenberg lists several charities that accept miles as donations, from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, to Save The Dogs, an Italian non-profit committed to rescuing stray dogs in Romania. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
United Blames Human Error For Computer Failure
“It was human error during routine testing,” United Chief Operating Officer Pete McDonald told airline employees on a recorded call. “An employee made a mistake and caused the failure of both Unimatic and our backup system.”
Grandmother Busted By The TSA For Trying To Sneak A Bread Knife Past Security
Cecilia Beaman is a 57-year-old grandmother, a middle school principal and part-time terrorist. She was busted by the TSA for attempting to sneak a 5 1/2 inch bread knife with a rounded tip and a serrated blade onto an airplane.
Continental Airlines Sewage Flight, Eyewitness Account
“To be blatantly honest, I was more nervous than I had ever been on a flight,” said [passenger] Collin Brock. “I’ve never felt so offended in all my life. I felt like i had been physically abused and neglected. I was forced to sit next to human excrement for seven hours,” said Brock.
Here’s what happened: Mid-way through the flight, the toilets stopped working. The flight made an unscheduled stop in Shannon, Ireland to fix the problem…but the problem wasn’t fixed. Shortly after take-off a sewage geyser started, and this time Continental didn’t turn back.
Sir, That's Not Fecal Water Flooding Your Cruise Ship Stateroom, That's Brown Glue
I and my family recently took a cruise with Holland America Lines to Alaska on the ms Statendam. Two days into the cruise my brother’s stateroom was affected by an overflowing toilet one room down. The ship’s response? Put big fans in the room and not acknowledge it or apologize in any other way.
News Footage Of The United Airlines O'Hare Traffic Jam
Airplanes were still allowed to land at O’Hare even though there were no available jetways at the United terminal. Wow, this looks like fun! —MEGHANN MARCO
United Airlines Computers Fail, All Flights Grounded
United Airlines experienced a computer glitch that grounded all of their flights today, according to the AP.
United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said the airline did not yet know what caused the outage between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. CDT, when departures were able to resume.
Northwest Airlines Will Not Trade A Hot Meal For Pringles
So I told the flight attendant “no thanks” to the dinner — but instead, I said, I would like a can of the Pringles that, as I’d heard over the P.A., were being offered for sale in coach.
