Even if you travel abroad only occasionally, you may be familiar with some of the better airports internationally.
Like wide-open spaces? Vancouver (B.C.) International Airport is your terminal. Shopping? Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport is your preferred stopover in Europe. Tidy? Dubai International Airport, winner of the latest International Air Transport Association customer survey, fits the bill.
The good [...]
From the yearly archives:
2003
No sooner had we settled into our room at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove than we heard a knock at the door. Aren, our 16-month-old son, toddled over to open it, but his tiny hands couldn’t reach the knob. “Room service,” the voice on the other side announced. Did we order room service? Hardly, but that didn’t stop a hotel employee from delivering a silver tray with an enormous, freshly-baked M&M cookie – Aren’s favorite – to our room.
Q: I took two students and my wife to a conference in Washington last May. On the way back, when we transferred planes in St. Louis, we learned there was only one seat left on the 16-passenger plane to Paducah.
It was the last flight of the day and American Airlines wanted to give us [...]
When traveling, we often leave our common sense behind. That’s fine if we’re on a vacation – a missed connection here or a surcharge there isn’t a big deal when we’re off the clock. But for folks who travel for a living, doing something stupid can cost a company a lot of money.
I’m here to [...]
It could be the architecture – the soaring cathedrals built on Roman ruins – that draws visitors to the ancient Hungarian city of Sopron. Or maybe it’s the sidewalk cafés, with their delectable pastries such as the dense chocolate Sachertorte or the Ferenc Rahozzi, a multilayered cheesecake, which bring them to this town along the Austrian border. Then again, it’s probably the teeth.
Q: In May 2002, my husband and two daughters went on a seven-day land/sea Disney vacation for our 10th wedding anniversary. On the morning before we set sail, we went to the Animal Kingdom. We headed straight to Kali River Rapids since it usually has a long line.
As we approached the final turn leading [...]
Q: Is there a rule against pictures of airplanes while at the gate? The reason I ask is that I was on a Delta Air Lines flight from Newark to Atlanta recently. I was taking pictures of the plane that I was about to board and a Delta employee asked me to stop taking pictures. [...]
On a recent trip to Quebec City, Canada, I opened my suitcase to find that a mission-critical item hadn’t made it with me. It was something so essential to the success of my trip, in fact, that immediate action needed to be taken.
I’d forgotten to bring any underwear.
I found a department store the following morning [...]
Q: I shopped around for months to find a fare I could afford to fly my dad and his wife out to see their grandson. I got a great fare on United Airlines through Expedia and booked a ticket online.
Since then, things have gone downhill. I inadvertently used my stepmother’s nickname rather than the [...]
Should you bring your own meal on your next airline trip – or buy it on the plane?
Free food on shorter flights is gone. The major carriers eliminated their air fare in a recent cost-cutting effort, and not a moment too soon. Few people liked the in-flight meals to begin with.
But travelers don’t want to [...]
Q: I recently earned a free companion ticket on ATA. I applied for the travel certificate but don’t recall ever receiving it by e-mail. It may have been sent, but I know that I don’t have it and have never used it.
ATA refuses to reissue the certificate. It seems ridiculous that they can’t reproduce [...]
Remember when air travel was an elegant experience that passengers dressed up for? When meals were served on china with real silverware? And doting flight attendants pinned honorary plastic wings on the lapels of wide-eyed youngsters? I do, because I was one of those kids. I was charmed by crew members who made me feel like I was sitting in first class, even though I had a seat in economy. And, of course, I wanted to grow up to be a pilot. Every boy who was lucky enough to fly in those days wanted to be a pilot, especially after a visit to the cockpit.
Q: I recently booked a trip to Las Vegas for my parents for their 57th wedding anniversary. Since my parents aren’t young, I also bought trip cancellation insurance through my travel agent.
Within three weeks of the making the reservations, my dad developed a severe bladder problem which would prevent him from traveling. His doctor [...]
The closest most air travelers will ever come to a first-class seat is the humiliating “perp walk” to the economy-class section during boarding.
No, we aren’t criminals, but we sure feel like second-class citizens when we shuffle past the already boarded elite passengers, who glare at us between sips of their mimosas as if we’re no [...]
Sign up for my 
Give loyalty programs a lift
October 16, 2003
Why do business travelers feel betrayed by recent changes in airline loyalty programs? Ask frequent fliers, and they will tell you that the airlines’ revisions make it difficult – and more often, impossible – to reach those coveted elite levels. The only way to qualify for the most sought-after flier perks, such as seating upgrades and complimentary lounge access, is to buy pricier tickets.
Be the first to comment