The Secret Lives Of Congressional Air Travelers

by Libby Zay on

We here at Gadling have been closely following how furloughs have affected air traffic controllers, and subsequently how backed up airports got when flight delays started cascading across the country. But we were also surprised when Congress voted to reverse these cuts – and like many others who loudly voiced their opinions online, we wondered who, exactly, is benefiting from the decision.

It seems Bloomberg Businessweek has found the answer, claiming lawmakers aren’t pampering wealthy business travelers, but instead catering to their own needs. “There is no more pampered class of air traveler than members of Congress,” the news outlet writes, detailing how our representatives have their own special parking spaces at Washington’s Reagan National Airport. This “freebie” ends up costing the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority nearly $739K in foregone revenue each year.

Of course, that’s not the only perk lawmakers get at the airport. Businessweek is reporting they also never have to worry about rushing to catch a shuttle out of town because airlines allow them to simultaneously book multiple flights in the event the lawmaker is late or a flight gets canceled. This means they can get booked on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. flights without having to incur the fees the rest of us would for the luxury.

Many lawmakers fly frequently, and it’s not just back and forth from Washington to their districts. In some cases, they’ve been known to jet set around the world at taxpayer expense, as is the case with Democratic Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, who racked up $23,646 on an around-the-world trip in February. So although we’re happy things are less congested at airports, we’re wondering if the rush to get things squared away was necessary – or if lawmakers just wanted to make sure they got home at a good hour.

[Photo credit: Flickr user ​Telstar Logistics]

Man With Tourette’s Barred From Plane After Repeating ‘Bomb’

by Libby Zay on

Uttering the word “bomb,” especially at an airport, is definitely cause for concern in this day and age. But in the case of a 19-year-old man who got kicked off a JetBlue flight for saying the word over and over again, he had an excuse: Tourette syndrome.

According to the Associated Press, Michael Doyle of Rockville, Md. was set to go to San Juan, Puerto Rico, through Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National Airport. Doyle made it past security while repeating “bomb” – and even had paperwork to document his illness, a neurological disorder that can cause uncontrolled speech – but after being seated on the plane a JetBlue pilot asked him to leave due to “security concerns.”

Doyle told ABC News he had the Boston Bombings on his mind and tried to tell himself not to say the word. “When you try to suppress Tourette’s, it comes out even worse,” he explained, adding he repeated the word approximately 100 times. So what do you think? Were his enunciations cause for concern, or can we as air travelers never be too careful? Doyle, by the way, was offered a free round-trip ticket on another JetBlue flight, but there is no guarantee he will be allowed to fly at a later date.

[via USA Today]

[Photo credit: Flickr user ​Willamor Media]

Richard Branson Makes Airplane Hookups Easier By Letting Travelers Send Each Other Drinks

by Anna Brones on

If you travel when you’re single, the following scenario may sound familiar: You get a friend to drop you off at the airport early, you make it through security and grab a coffee or a pre-trip beer, you wander to your gate and board, scoping out the people around you. You sit down in your seat – damn, how did you get stuck sitting in the middle row again? – and you secretly cross your fingers hoping for someone attractive to sit next to you instead of that overweight man/woman with overgrown nose hairs making their way down the aisle.

Attractive person saunters by. If only you had been in row 30A instead of 28C.

But thanks to Richard Branson, there’s help.

Virgin America is now offering Seat-to-Seat Delivery, making it easy to flirt with that hottie (scare them?) a few rows back by sending them drinks, snacks and even meals. Nothing better than hitting on fellow travelers. Who better to explain how it works than Branson – king of international affairs – himself?

The best part about it? Given the fact that airplane food has become so expensive, your potential mile high club partner probably won’t turn the free drink/food down.

No jokes about salty nuts please.

How To Deal With The Ridiculous New Airline Change Fees

by Grant Martin on

The big news in the travel industry this week was that United and US Airways raised the cost of changing tickets from $150 to $200. This means that if you need to change your ticket for any reason prior to departure, whether you got stuck in traffic on the way to the airport or your pet goldfish died, you’re going to have to pay a little bit more.

Gouging? Probably. Expected? Definitely. As airline prices continue their slow appreciation over the years decouple from the actual inflation rate, they’re turning to more and more ancillary fees in order to gain revenue. We saw it in baggage fees and in-fight meals and entertainment. Ticketing fees were bound to increase.

Rather than get angry about the fees, let’s focus on moving forward. Change fees only apply when you need to change your ticket, so the first thing that passengers can try to do is book the right ticket. A little-known rule when purchasing tickets is that the airlines have to give passengers 24 hours to cancel or change a reservation. At American Airlines you can put a ticket on hold until midnight the next day. United will let you cancel a reservation at no charge within 24 hours. And online travel agents like Orbitz and Expedia will cancel most reservations within 24 hours if you call their customer support and carefully draw out your complaint.How does holding or canceling a reservation empower a passenger? It lets you find the right ticket, book it, think about your schedule over night and finalize your itinerary. Not a week goes by when I don’t have one or two tickets on hold at AA.com – it’s both a failsafe and a backup if the price changes the next day.

Once booked, it behooves a traveler to know your schedule. We’re in an era of ultra-long security lines, mergers and sequester delays, so plan ahead and get to the airport early. On the flip side of that equation, if the airline is delayed because of bad weather or a mechanical issue, the leverage transfers to the passenger. Take a look at the departures board and try to get on an alternate flight on the same airline. Usually the passenger change fee is waived if the airline is experiencing irregular operations (IRROPS).

In the worst case when you actually do miss your flight, your options are fairly limited, but a little known rule that is still in effect on some airlines might save you some time. Called the flat tire rule, this loophole might let you change your itinerary to a later departing flight at little or no cost – but you have to know how to frame your complaint. Consumer writer Chris Elliott has a series of great articles on the topic, which varies by airline. You can read the thorough reporting here.

As with most changes to ancillary fee pricing, it’s important to note that these changes only apply to everyday travelers on deeply discounted tickets. One could logically get around these fees by purchasing semi flexible or fully refundable fares, or by reaching the top tiers of an airline’s elite program. But 95% of passengers won’t have the time or financial means to make this investment, especially when fully flexible fares are often 2-3 times the cost of an economy ticket.

Unfortunately, your best bet to avoid change fees lies in carefully planning your itinerary and executing on the day of departure. In the worst case, you’ll get to the airport a couple of hours early and will need to visit the pretzel counter at Auntie Annies.

[Photo Credit: Flickr user dykstranet]