Ticket tricks may be legal
Unless you’re a travel industry insider, you’ve probably never heard of a “hidden city” or “back-to-back” itinerary. But these two ticket booking tricks can save you big money on your next vacation-sometimes more than 50 percent off the published fare. Which may be one reason you’ve never heard of them. Airlines claim that both hidden cities and back-to-back (or b2b) tickets are illegal because they’re a violation of their tariff rules. They say travelers who take advantage of these loopholes are breaking their contract, and they’ve gone to great lengths to keep people like you from finding out about them.
Into thin air
Q: We were about to board an America West flight when the attendant informed us that we could not take our bags on the plane even though they met the size and weight requirements. I explained that I did not wish to release the bags because they contained expensive computer equipment that I could not [...]
We can’t all be road scholars
The road can be a cruel, unforgiving teacher. Especially when it comes to technology. Take it from me. I’m writing this column from a public library as a direct result of one of the road’s more painful lessons. My laptop computer, which I depended on for this trip, is history-the victim of dreaded OS decay. Yesterday evening when I tried to boot the Gateway Solo up it screamed at me-”Beep! Beep! Beep!”-revealing only a dark screen and a clicking hard drive.
The Travel Technologist logs off
Farewell, Travel Technologist. Good-bye, Biztravel.com. I never imagined I’d have to write this column. But now, because of circumstances that no one could have anticipated, I do. We’re history. Before I sign off, though, I wanted to do a few important things.
Will they allow cell phones on planes?
The cellular phone, which played a pivotal role in last week’s terrorist attacks, is now at the center of another controversy. Travelers who used to reluctantly respect the airlines’ ban on wireless devices now are vowing to defy the rules, and a confrontation appears inevitable.
What’s it like to fly?
Planning to fly this week? There’s good news and bad news for travelers who are headed to the airport.
First the good news: the dire warnings of lengthy check-in procedures and frequent delays are, in some cases, unnecessary. Passengers who took to the skies after last week’s terrorist attacks report that while security is often noticeably [...]
High on high-speed access
Excuse me while I wipe the virtual egg off my face. I was wrong about business travelers not wanting high-speed Internet access in their hotel rooms, as I claimed in a recent column. More and more road warriors are looking for speedy connections, and they’re willing to pay for the privilege.
Air travel cautiously resumes
If you’re planning to travel by air during the next few days, anticipate lengthy delays, rigorous security checks, and a series of other unexpected inconveniences.
For example, electronic tickets won’t always work. In some cases, both a paper ticket and photo identification will be required for air travel. It’s best to check with your carrier before [...]
How will this change travel?
The tragic terrorist attacks that leveled the World Trade Center in New York and punctured a hole in the Pentagon have changed the way we will travel forever.
But how?
The government froze commercial airline travel as a first response - an unprecedented measure that practically guaranteed no further air assaults, but also grounded passengers and hampered [...]
What if you don’t want to fly?
If you’re having second thoughts about air travel in the aftermath of the tragic events in New York and Washington, rest assured. No one is going to force you to fly. And a refund may be available.
Even though your airline ticket may come with every restriction known to you - and perhaps some of you [...]
Orbitz takes flight
The early results are in, and the new and controversial online travel site, Orbitz, is mostly living up to its promise of low fares and customer-friendly service. Orbitz was spawned in the late 1990s, when airlines were struggling to reclaim some of the revenue earned by travel agents and Web sites for distributing tickets (commissions paid for domestic flights totaled $2.1 billion last year). Five carriers - American, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United - joined forces to create what became Orbitz.