Ten things that can (and will) spoil your vacation

by Scott Carmichael on

Vacation is meant to be a fun time – a chance to get away from it all and enjoy yourself. But things happen in life that can really mess up those plans.

In this gallery, we’ve collected ten of the worst things that can happen on a trip that will really screw up your vacation.

If you are lucky, you’ll only run into one of them, but the really unlucky traveler may be thrown a combination of problems, turning a fun vacation into a horror vacation from hell.

Check out our lineup of ten things that can spoil your vacation here.

On-time airline improvements continue, third month in a row

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Airlines in the United States posted an improved on-time performance rate in April relative to the same month the year prior – stretching their streak to three. The 19 largest airlines were on time 79.1 percent of the time in April 2009, compared to 77.7 percent in April 2008. The industry also performed better than it did in March 2009, showing a month-to-month improvement from 78.4 percent. An on-time arrival is defined as being within 15 minutes of the scheduled time … which has already been buffered comfortably by the airlines.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 7.4 percent of April delays resulted from aviation system issues. Late-arriving aircraft caused 6.2 percent, and factors within the airline’s control (e.g., maintenance or crew problems) accounted for 4.8 percent. Extreme weather and security together didn’t even account for 1 percent of delays. The most delayed flight was Northwest Airlines Flight 803 from Atlanta to Honolulu. It was late 97 percent of the time.

The DOT also found that:

  • Cancellation rates improved to 1.5 percent in April 2009 – from 1.7 percent in April 2008 and 2.1 percent in 2009.
  • Nearly 50 flights had taxi-time waits of greater than three hours
  • Mishandled baggage rates improved to 3.79 per 1,000 from 4.99 in April 2008 and 4.12 in March 2009

Customers complained to the DOT 781 times about airline service, compared to 1,112 in April 2008. But, it was up from the 705 the previous month.

So, the airlines are generally posting some positive numbers – Fight 803 notwithstanding. Why? Are we looking at a vast improvement across an entire industry … an industry that clearly can’t afford to invest in doing a better job?

Let’s not go crazy, here.

The airlines are doing a better job because they don’t have to deal with as many people. Fewer asses are occupying seats, which eases the burden of boarding passengers, pushing back on time and keeping track of their luggage. Ironically, success is the path to failure, as selling more seats would give airlines an operational burden they’ve proved they’re ill-equipped to handle.

Pay to pee on Ryanair no joke

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Remember when we called Ryanair’s plans to charge for lavatory access a stunt? Yeah, we do, too. Those were simpler days, I guess. It turns out, that stunt concealed an even larger one. CEO Michael O’Leary announced that the airline will begin charging one pound (around $1.65) for access to the special rooms at the front and back of the plane.

I actually see some restraint on the press-whorish CEO’s part. I expected him to break the fee down by bodily function, charging a premium for what results in a bit more time. After all, time is money, and one person’s long stay could cost a few extra bucks because other passengers may not get their turns.

But, the savvy airline leader is hedging his bets … as he did with the fat tax, which is now off the table (O’Leary calls it “impractical”). No start date has been revealed; only a two-year time horizon was given. But, he does say, “We are serious about it.”

There’s only one way to make this better, and O’Leary’s found it. Instead of charging for the existing abundance, he’s planning to tear a few out of each plan, in order to make room for more seats. This works in two ways. First, there are more people on the plane who become potential piss-payers. Also, there are fewer lavs, creating a scarcity of resources.

Southwest Airlines new fees: Pets, children and baggage

by Jamie Rhein on

Starting in June, Southwest Airlines is allowing for pets on board for a $75.00 pet fare. This doesn’t mean the animal that won’t fit in a small carrier can climb on board. The carrier will count as a carry on bag. Hmmm, what if the pet fits in a purse and no one knows it’s there?

In the human realm, there’s another fee being tacked on in June for children flying solo if they are between the ages of 5-11. The $25 is to help cover the cost for making sure that junior, as an unaccompanied minor gets the extra assistance needed. Flights need to be direct, otherwise no solo travel for your pre-adolescent offspring.

In another effort to bring in more money, another $25 is being tacked onto the overweight baggage fee. On a positive note about this overweight baggage stuff, I imagine travelers aren’t hurting their backs as much dragging belongs from pillar to post.

If you compare the fees other airlines charges for these services, as reported in this AP article, Southwest is still a cheaper option. The $75 charge or a pet seems like a bargain, although AirTran’s fee is just $69 for one-way.The most expensive is Delta. The on-board pet can cost $150 to $277.

Delta backtracks on extra bag fees

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Delta is caving to competitive pressures, cutting its plans for extra bag fees on international flights. The airline says that others have not matched its fee of $50 for the second bag checked on international flights. Now, it will only apply to travel between the United States and Europe. The fee is effective July 1, 2009.

Originally, this new fee was supposed to bring the battered airline (aren’t they all?) – which also happens to be the world’s largest – another $100 million in revenue. That’s a lot of cash, but it’s probably realistic. After all, fees for extra bags brought Delta an additional $177 million in 2008, and it was good for an extra $1 billion for the airline industry as a whole.

First and business class passenger are exempt, given the exorbitant sums they’re laying out already. Also, active military passengers will not have to pay for a second bag – which is as it should be.