Double-booked at Days Inn
It happens all the time. You book a hotel room, only to find a better price later. But when Julia Rayan cancels her higher-priced room at Days Inn, she’s in for an unpleasant surprise: Turns out there is at least one other reservation that went uncancelled. Now she is being charged for a room she didn’t use. What’s going on here?
Never flying alone
When you are deaf-blind, technology is an ever-present companion. I travel with a laptop for e-mail, phone and Internet access. I use a G.P.S.-equipped Braille Note note-taker to get information about my surroundings.
Florida wage hike questioned
Three months ago, Florida mandated a $1.00 increase in the state minimum wage, to $6.15 an hour. The national rate is $5.15 an hour. Those most affected seem to be workers who depend on tips for the bulk of their income.
A repriced airline ticket
When Tracey Crockett received an e-mail saying her flight had been rescheduled, she expected some minor adjustments. What she got instead was a four-hour change, an extra trip to the airport and two surprise surcharges.
Attendants strike back
Things are getting a little tense on commercial flights these days. And no wonder. As the busiest summer in the history of commercial aviation winds down, many crew members have reached a breaking point.
Are you certified?
Even though I travel quite a bit, I hate to fly, and although I know commercial airliners are much more reliable than smaller aircraft, I always feel inexplicably safer on a six-seater than a 747.
Travel managers face changes
About one-third of all corporate trips will be purchased online this year, according to projections by the research firm PhoCusWright. Together, the three major online agencies now claim a bit less than a 10 percent market share, a number that PhoCusWright expects to grow to 15 percent by 2008.
Worst seat on the plane
You flying somewhere this month? If so…chances are you’ll feel that economy-class seat long after you’ve gotten off the plane. Commentator Christopher Elliott knows why.
Last-minute travel tips
Learn last minute travel tips for last minute delays from Christopher Elliot, the ombudsman at National Geographic Traveler.
No Room at the Riu
There’s a hurricane bearing down on the Bahamas, and Marifran Manzo-Ritchie is worried about her upcoming all-inclusive vacation. But when she calls her travel agency to ask about its cancellation policy, a phone representative deletes her reservation. Manzo-Ritchie is charged a cancellation fee and is left to fend for herself. Did Orbitz make a mistake? And if so, what does it owe Manzo-Ritchie?
Your own personal air fare
When Jim Jacobs hears a “ding” coming from his desktop computer, he thinks about discount air fares like the $122 ticket he recently bought for a flight from Tampa to Baltimore on Southwest Airlines.
Several times a day, Southwest sends Mr. Jacobs and hundreds of thousands of other computer users discounts through a new application called [...]
Gas allowances from fantasyland
John Putzier figures he loses money every time he drives his 2001 Infiniti QX4 on a business trip. The standard reimbursement of 40.5 cents a mile can’t keep pace with soaring gas prices, insurance bills and maintenance, he says. Yet Mr. Putzier, a human resources consultant in Prospect, Pa., in Butler County near Pittsburgh, says some clients pay him as little as 27.5 cents a mile.
Hotel rewards get generous
As an elite-level frequent guest with several major American hotel chains, including Marriott and Hilton, Tom Nieman is accustomed to being singled out for special treatment at hotels. But Mr. Nieman, a vice president of KeyBank in Phoenix, admits he was taken aback by the perks at the Pacific Palms during a recent stay.
One trip, two tickets, no refund
Q: I purchased a round-trip ticket from Sacramento, Calif., to Lincoln, Neb., on United Airlines’ Web site. Before I confirmed and paid for the ticket, I reviewed my transaction and realized I had entered the wrong month for my return. I clicked the “back” button, corrected the information, and then paid for the ticket. When [...]
Subway token saves the day
I don’t mind spending money on business travel when it’s appropriate, but I can’t stand wasting it. Once, I bought wingtip fuel tanks for a colleague’s Piper Apache. It gave the four-seat prop plane enough range to reach a broadcasting symposium in Switzerland via Greenland.