Staying Home for Labor Day

by Josh Lew on

After reminding themselves that three-and-a-half dollars is still a lot to pay for a gallon of gas, many Americans have decided to stay near home instead of hitting the road during the Labor Day holiday.

The staying at HQ thing is nothing new. The number of people on the road was significantly down during both Memorial Day and July 4th. AAA did the math and predicted a 1% drop in auto travel over Labor Day and an even more significant 4.5% drop in air travel compared to last year. But there was good news for train and bus companies, the new dynamic duo of travel. According to AAA’s survey, the ridership on these modes of transit will rise more than 12%.

Many people will just be staying at home, opting for a barbecue and a soak in their kids’ inflatable pool. I guess people will just have to look towards Thanksgiving and the New Year for a better travel climate. Right?
According to Farecast, airline tickets will be 35% more expensive this holiday season than the 2007 holidays. Looks like the trend of staying home isn’t going to go anywhere.

British Airways Will Repay Customers After Fraud Ruling

by Josh Lew on

If you flew British Airways between the U.S. and England from August 11, 2004 to March 23, 2006, you may be in luck. BA was caught charging passengers a fuel surcharge that went beyond the actual cost of the gas. The scandal also involved Virgin Atlantic, so travelers who flew with that airline during the above dates are eligible to get in on the action.

Don’t start getting excited or jumping up and down like you’ve won the lottery. The maximum refund per person will be around $20. Still, that’s four beers or five lattes or a fairly decent haircut (in some cities).

Those who are eligible for a refund can apply online with their ticket info, passport number, or frequent flier card. Those who didn’t fly BA or Virgin can still feel good because, for once, big airlines got caught with their hands in passengers’ pockets.

With most airlines going out of their way to cut costs and nickel and dime passengers with added fees, it might not be the last time something like this happens.

Several BA and Virgin execs involved in the surcharge scandal will be doing some hard time after being charged with fraud.

Related Article

10 tips for smarter flying


A definitive look at the airlines’ rule 240

by Grant Martin on

Our good friend over at Airfare Watchdog, George Hobica, rolled up his sleeves this past week and dug deep into the muck of rule 240, the near-mythical term dictating how an airline needs to treat you in the case of a cancellation or misconnection. It’s kind of a tricky rule to wrap your head around, so I’ll let George explain it for you here:

“Rule 240 originally stated that in the event of a cancellation or flight misconnection, the airline would have to put you on their next flight out, or, if that wasn’t “acceptable,” on the next flight out of a competing airline if that flight would get you to your destination sooner, all at no additional cost to you. If only first class was available on the other airline, then they had to upgrade you. This only applied in circumstances under the airlines’ control, such as crew failing to show up, or mechanical problems.”

Back in the day each airline had one of these rule 240’s, but since deregulation in the industry many have stricken this rule from their operations. Each carrier, however, now has some derivative, which is where Airfarewatchdog came in and compared the differences.

It’s a handy guide if you ever get marooned by the airlines on the road and need to leverage a trip back. But a word of warning from a frequent traveler if you want to invoke rule 240 or some manifestation thereof: make sure you do your homework, know your airline, its rules and how they can apply them – you need to stay on the offensive if you’re going to get what the carriers have promised you.

Grab a scotch, take a deep breath and start reading the rules per airline over at Airfarewatchdog.com here.

Airfare Specials Put Asia Within Reach

by Josh Lew on

Even the most savvy Travelocity user is having a hard time finding airfare deals these days. The days of crossing the Pacific on a whim are all but over.

Now it’s still possible to book your flight, but only after you’ve taken a second job to cover the cost of the purchase.

Maybe that’s a little too dramatic, but you get the gist. Airfares ain’t what they used to be, and it’s getting worse. That makes finding a good deal like searching for a boarding pass in a haystack.

But however rare they might be, there are deals out there. There are even some that can put you in Asia for less than one grand.

Seoul-based Asiana Airlines is leading the pack when it comes to special offers. This Fall, they are offering plenty of sub-four-figure fares to destinations across Asia including Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei. The catch: you have to take a weekday flight and your cities of departure are limited to New York, Chicago, LA, and San Francisco (plus a single flight from Seattle to Seoul). But on the positive side, Asiana is one of the few airlines rated 5-star by Skytrax. You won’t have any suspect airline meals plopped down in front of you en route and your might actually have enough leg room.

Searches of other airlines’ websites yield similar prices, but Asiana’s seem to cover the most destinations.

So, you see, there is no need to get that second job. Your evenings can still be spent planning your next trip to Asia (or in front of the TV).

Elliott reads the fine print for you

by Justin Glow on

Does anyone ever read the fine print when purchasing airfare or booking a hotel room? I’ll be honest — I never do. But Christopher Elliott and his band of smart consumers do, and he wrote a quick piece on “5 travel traps lurking in the fine print.” They are,

  1. Caution: our ships may sink
  2. We’re not responsible for your checked luggage
  3. Something stolen from your room? Tough luck
  4. We can take your rental car back anytime we want
  5. We remove your miles and change our program rules whenever we please

Not that any of this will actually get me to read the fine print, but I now peacefully accept that most major companies who require me to sign a contract can rip me off, steal my belongings, and even kill me without an ounce of responsibility. Surprise, surprise. It’s a sad realization in a world of lawyers and people who will do anything and everything to sue.

Head over to Elliott’s blog to read the details.