If oil drops shouldn’t fuel surchages drop too?

by Grant Martin on

Ever since oil went through the roof this summer, airlines have been instituting extra fees left and right to recoup the costs. Now, in addition to initial ticket price, passengers are being asked to pay for everything from bottled water to selecting seats to checking luggage.

Once oil returns from the stratosphere, shouldn’t the airlines rescind those fees? Don’t count on it. Many carriers claim that the changes recently made are long overdue corrections to a market that has too long been underweight. Whether or not that’s actually true, you might be hard pressed to find an airline willing to return to the “no fees” days.

Needless to say, I’m proud to report that at least the Canadian airlines are taking steps to right the ship after oil dropped.Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines just announced that they were erasing the fuel surcharges that they, instituted earlier this year — just as long as oil stays beneath $100 a barrel.

It’s nice to know that they’re not using the recent oil spike to take advantage of the everyday consumer. Now if they could just teach the American carriers the same less we’d all be in business.

And the best fall foliage is… all around you!

by Meg Massie on

We recently asked Gadling readers to tell us where they find the best fall colors. As expected, no two answers were the same. No matter where you are in the US or Canada, you’re probably not very far away from a vibrant autumn.

Some of our reader picks were:

  • New Hampshire’s White Mountains — New England is certainly renowned for its fall colors, and Gadling readers agree. The hikes in this area are spectacular any time of year, but climb a mountain in the fall and you’ll be treated to leafy fireworks in the valleys below you. For vacation information in New Hampshire, try this website.
  • Reader Marilyn casts her vote for Connecticut — Staying in New England for now, Connecticut also boasts a beautiful fall. This is also a great place to visit if you love to check out old architecture. Being here can feel like walking through the pages of a history book.
  • Don’t discount the south! Several readers backed me up when I said Virginia has some of the best leaves around. The best hiking and views are in and around the Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but a couple of Gadlingites suggest the view from Thomas Jefferson’s plantation, Monticello, and I have to agree… Even though my heart belongs to the Hokies, no one can argue against the beauty of the University of Virginia grounds, of which you’ll get a lovely view from Jefferson’s home.
  • Going still farther south, reader Dick recommends a visit to Lookout Mountain, offering spectacular views of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. While you’re there, go underground to see Ruby Falls, America’s deepest cave and largest underground waterfall accessible to the public.
  • Northeast Canada received a few votes from our readers. A reader recommends the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton for some of the best leaf peeping.
  • Donna recommends a visit to Hiram, Ohio for the best leaves. She says she’s compared it to the south as well as New England, which are no match. Not exactly a bustling metropolis, Hiram could be a wonderful place for a quiet fall getaway.
  • Skipping now to the left coast, Gael calls Northeast Washington state “one of the best kept secrets in the U.S.” Her highest recommendation is for Pend Oreille County for its scenery and history.
  • Certain Oregonians wonder why we East Coasties call our hills “mountains.” For real mountains and valleys, and truly spectacular fall colors, they say, nothing beats the Cascades in Oregon. I’ll be able to speak to the truth of this soon enough — I’m spending October in Oregon, and I hope what they’ve been telling me is true!
  • Finally, a dark horse candidate for best fall foliage comes from our own Jamie Rhein, who says the aspen trees in the mountains of New Mexico make for the most gorgeous autumn.

If you’ve got more suggestions, we’d still love to hear them. You can also share your favorite fall foliage photos with us in the Gadling Pool on Flickr.

I think the best way to enjoy fall foliage is to hike right through it. My husband is already drawing up hiking routes for us for our time in Bend, Oregon, and also at Mount Hood, and I’ve never been more excited about a walk. To find a great hike near you or your vacation destination, check out Intelligent Traveler’s “Walk Into America” series, featuring a list of reader favorites.
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Zoom joins the summer lineup of bankrupt airlines

by Scott Carmichael on

The only thing worse than seeing an airline go out of business, is watching it unfold while you are at the airport waiting to get on one of their flights. That is the unfortunate situation many passengers of Canadian airline Zoom found themselves in yesterday.

Zoom took off in May 2002 and was founded by 2 brothers who wanted to introduce low cost international travel to Canada with a fleet of 5 Boeing aircraft. The airline flew various routes from Canada to the United States, The UK, France and Italy.

One of the Boeing 757’s leased by Zoom was stranded in Glasgow and impounded when Zoom failed to pay the required air traffic control fee. Another 213 passengers were stuck in Halifax while volunteers attempted to find alternative ways to help them get to their final destination of Ottawa. Zoom naturally blames the loss of their airline on rising fuel costs and a general ecomonic downturn. They are they the 36th airline in the world to close this year according to a list posted on Wikipedia.

Sadly there really are no good tips on what to do when you are stuck at an airport after your airline goes bankrupt. All I can suggest is that you have the phone numbers for other airlines and hotel chains programmed in your phone, the quicker you get in touch with them for an alternative flight, or for a room where you can spend the night, the greater your chances are of getting home before anyone else. It is in times like this that you’ll also learn to appreciate the importance of paying for your tickets by credit card, which might help you get your money back. Don’t depend on the airline to provide you with information when things go sour, most of their staff will be the first to leave the building once they hear their employer is going under.

WestJet Offers a Blast from the Past

by Josh Lew on

Passengers on Canada’s low cost carrier WestJet might be in for a bit of a surprise if they are traveling to Prince George in northern British Columbia. During September, the airline will not be relying on their fleet of Boeing 737s to make the trip. Instead, passengers will find themselves boarding one of two Bombardier Dash-8 turboprop planes that have been leased by the airline.

WestJet’s fleet is made up of 737s. So why the change?

In the days of airline budget cuts, you might be surprised to know that the turboprop flights are not the beginning of a new cost-cutting strategy.

Construction on the main runway at Prince George’s airport will necessitate the use of a shorter runway, which is not long enough to accommodate the Boeing 737. The airline chose to continue service with the prop planes rather than taking Prince George out of the picture for a month. The Dash-8 will be able to safely land on the shorter runway.

Flights to Prince George might take a little longer during the month of September, but passengers will be able to use prop plane experience as a conversation starter at happy hour.

Passenger stabbed and decapitated on Greyhound bus; passengers question bus safety

by Iva Skoch on

Another story to be filed under “What’s wrong with people?”

Wednesday night, a 40-year old man aboard a Canadian Greyhound bus traveling from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg stabbed and then decapitated a fellow passenger, USA Today reports. He was arrested at the end of the whole thing, in case you were wondering.

This story has gotten extensive coverage all over the world. People have been quoted as saying they’ll never take the bus ever again, until safety regulations on buses are in place. I don’t know. Can you really draw conclusions from one weird case?

In case you haven’t heard exactly what happened, here is a glimpse, according to fellow passengers interviewed by Associated Press:

The victim, who appeared to be about 19, was sleeping with headphones on when his seat mate suddenly began stabbing him as the bus traveled a desolate stretch of the TransCanada Highway, a dozen miles from Portage La Prairie. He stabbed him about 40-50 times.

The bus stopped and the passengers tried to get away while the attacker allegedly began calmly and methodically carving up the man’s body. Unbelievable.

Passengers disembarked and braced themselves against the door to prevent the attacker from leaving while they waited for police to arrive. The attacker went back and brought the head to the front and dropped it on the ground in front of the passengers.

Well, this is a good time to ask the question, I guess. Would you take a Greyhound anytime soon?