United Airlines secretly raises ticket change fees

by Grant Martin on

We are officially in the era of airline fees. Over the past few weeks, major carriers across the country have been implementing extra fees to check second bags on their aircraft. Now, beginning with United Airlines, they’re starting to charge higher fees to change your ticket.

The way the regular system works is as follows: when you buy a ticket you purchase your seat in a certain fare class, ranging from a full fare in first class to a deeply discounted ticket in coach. Among the tickets in your class of service, most are non-refundable tickets that you basically can’t return after you swipe your card. Most airlines allow you to change that ticket however, with various stipulations. Often times the ticket needs to be in the same fare class and in all circumstances the airlines are going to hit you with a hefty fee. This varies from 50$ upwards based on the airline, class of ticket and elite status that the passenger may have with the airline.

In this instance, United raised their fee from 100$ up to 150$ to make any changes to your ticket. And they didn’t even tell anybody when they did it last Friday night. News is just slowly seeping out now.

Often times, airlines will make these changes to affect the bottom tier of passengers, exempting many of the first class and elite customers. But not in this case. This is a unilateral 50$ increase in fees across the board, so even if you’re super a super special elite passenger you still get screwed. Cool huh?

I wouldn’t doubt if other airlines started increasing their fees to change tickets as well. Perhaps soon they will start charging for padding on our seats and the right to sit down?

Big in Japan: Cherry blossoms in outer space?!?!

by Matthew Firestone on

The cherry blossoms (sakura; ??????, ??) have come and gone here in Tokyo, which means that spring fever is now in full effect. Of course, if you missed your chance to pen haikus about Japan’s most famous flower, fear not as cherry trees may soon be blooming in the final frontier, namely outer space!

While modern Japan is seemingly unconnected to the whims and nuances of the natural world, the Japanese still retain a tremendous amount of love and respect for the humble cherry blossom. So, what better way to inject a boost of patriotism into the country’s declining space program then by sending Japan’s most enduring symbol to the farthest reaches of mankind!

According to a recent announcement by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the organization is sending seeds to its laboratory at the International Space Station, which is currently in orbit above the Earth.

The official aim of this experiment is to observe how the seeds are affected by microgravity, though a few papers in Japan have already hinted at the future possibility of space tourism. Indeed, who could think of a better hanami (?????) or cherry blossom-viewing party than one that takes place in zero gravity!

According to officials at JAXA, this summer school children will pick about 200 fallen cherry tree seeds, including ones from three so-called “ancient trees,” which have been designated by the Japanese government as national treasures, and are regarded as producing some of the country’s most beautiful blooms.

One of the ancient trees is a Takizakura (滝桜) or “cascade cherry blossom”, which blooms annually for three weeks in the tiny rural town of Miharu, and attracts heaving crowds that number several hundreds of thousands.

If all goes according to the plan, the cherry tree seeds will be sent into orbit at a highly-publicized launch later this year. According to Ms.Yuko Otake, a spokeswoman for JAXA, “Scientific observation is one reason [for the launch]. But we also want the seeds to travel in space on our behalf as few ordinary people can go now.”

In Miharu, a small town that rarely sees much fuss and commotion outside of the cherry blossom season, there is already an incredible amount of anticipation regarding the event. According to town official Sadafumi Hirata: “We are very proud that our tree was selected among many cherry blossoms that represent Japan.” Even more excitement came from the lucky kids who will get to pick the seeds this summer for lift off in October.

Again, if all goes according to plan, the seeds will remain in outer space for six months, and then will be brought back to earth for planting. So, with a little luck, Japan may soon have its first extraterrestrial cherry tree in the years to come!

** All photos were taken by yours truly at Tokyo’s famous Shinjuku-gyoen **

Tracks4Africa puts a continent at your fingertips

by Jeremy Kressmann on

A trip to Africa requires some serious preparation. Guidebooks. Vaccinations. Maps. Tourist visas. Mosquito nets. Hiring guides. For many people, the very idea of the African continent conjures images of huge steamer trunks, pith helmets and mountains of travel gear. But for the technology-inclined, the mysterious continent author Paul Theroux once dubbed “the dark star” is becoming just a little bit more accessible, thanks to Tracks4Africa.

Essentially a giant community mapping project, Tracks4Africa is a non-profit organization that maintains user-generated GPS maps of some of the more remote and “eco-sensitive” areas of Africa. Although the project originally started as a way for outdoor enthusiasts to preserve some of Africa’s most unique plant and animal life, it has since blossomed into a full blown database of “off the beaten path” sights in Africa. More than 1,400 adventure travelers have contributed data on everything from recent elephant attacks to ghost towns and covered countries ranging from Ethiopia to Mozambique. And because it’s entirely user-created, there’s a good chance users will also have access to the most current information on the ground. Take this in contrast to an Africa guidebook from Lonely Planet, which might not get updated for several years (if at all).

All you need to get started with Tracks4Africa is a compatible GPS unit and a sense of adventure. Armchair adventurers take heart – the Tracks4Africa database is also viewable through Google Earth. Now get out there and find me a nice date plantation to check out in Namibia.

World’s most dangerous destinations

by Iva Skoch on

When writing my blog about the recent violence in Chicago last night, I stumbled upon the Forbes list of the world’s most dangerous destinations for 2008.

Here they are:

  • Somalia
  • Iraq
  • Afghanistan
  • Haiti
  • Pakistan
  • Sudan
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Lebanon
  • Zimbabwe
  • Palestine

Although some of these might not exactly be tourist destinations, it is interesting how that list has changed over the years.

Forbes writes that “in the 1970s, a traveler’s worst nightmare might have been a hijacked plane or hostage crisis. Today, the threats are equally perilous but reflect the changing times. Now, a tourist or business traveler might worry more about terrorist attacks on mass transit, getting caught in a spontaneous uprising or a bombing of a nightclub or hotel.”

CEO David Cush on the future of Virgin America

by Grant Martin on

On a recent Virgin America flight, Gadling had the opportunity to sit with CEO David Cush and chat about budget carriers, bankruptcy and the the future of one of the fastest growing airlines in the United States. Blogger Grant had the pleasure of speaking briefly with Mr. Cush, the excerpts from which we’ve posted below:

Grant: You’re actually not the only person with a tie on the flight. I kept mine in my pocket though.

David Cush: I’m taking this off as soon as we get to the launch party.

G: So Virgin brought you in from American Airlines. How has the transition been between operating at a legacy carrier to at a low cost carrier startup?

DC: For me personally it’s been a lot of fun. You can be a lot more creative here and the decisions we make can be implemented a lot faster. It’s been really great.

G: And with the higher volatility in the Low Cost Carrier market, have you been affected at all by the recent market?

DC: Well we have the benefit of having funding from a strong investment group, so that significantly helps from the investment standpoint. So we’ve been alright.

G: I bet. So with the departure of many airlines from the middle of the country, has Virgin America got any plans to expand?

DC: We do have one or two more routes opening up before the end of the year

G: Any clues as to what those might be?

DC: We do want to continue expanding our north-south routes similar to the Los Angeles – Seattle route that you’re on right now. But I can tell you that it will be east of the Mississippi.

G: You should totally move in on Skybus’s old territory.

DC: …..

G: Anyway, thanks for having me up to first class.

DC: Thank you.