The weight of victory
I had been nominated for my first-ever British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for my score of “The Motorcycle Diaries.” The awards, which are known by their acronym, the Baftas, are the United Kingdom’s equivalent of the Oscars.
How to sink a story
Did the cruise industry kill a story about passenger disappearances? It might have. During my research for this article, I spoke with several sources who gave me a “heads up” that another outlet — a major newspaper on the East Coast — was working on a similar story.
Who polices the ships?
Mention crime on cruise ships, and George Smith, the honeymooner who vanished from Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas last year, comes to mind — particularly if you watch cable TV. But Connie Eagerton is reminded of another kind of disappearance: the $32,000 worth of jewelry she found missing from her suite on a recent Mediterranean cruise.
The check is in the mail
Hurricane Wilma closed down her hotel in Cancun, forcing Jean Fagan to cancel her vacation. But despite promises to send her a refund, Travelocity is dragging its feet. Why does it take six months for Fagan to get her money back from an online agency?
Never say this
If the flight attendants on your last flight seemed a little snippy, please don’t take it personally. They have their reasons. It isn’t just that most of the major airlines are broke, that employee pensions are being cut, or even canned, or that employee morale is in a tailspin. No, that’s just the half of it.
Airlines add surcharges
Looks as if the nation’s air carriers want to make their fares appear cheaper than they really are — and chances are, they’re going to get away with it. You could almost hear the collective sigh relief coming from the industry’s Washington lobbyists earlier this month, when the deadline for comments on this proposed rule change passed.
Take this job and cut it
My company used to promote a knife set — a cleaver, steak knives, a 12-inch bread knife and a chef’s carving knife. They were sharp and menacing-looking, with black handles and serrated steel blades.
A long layover
A six-hour mechanical delay on Michael Nelson’s return flight to Philadelphia turns into a two-day layover in Europe. US Airways initially offers Nelson 600 euros in compensation, but then downgrades him to a $200 travel voucher. Is the airline shortchanging its customers?
Letters to Charlotte
Some airline rules make perfect sense. Others do not. When I received the following e-mail string from reader Kristina M. Reser-Jaynes, I wondered whether I should take it up with Northwest Airlines or include it in a story about airline rules. Instead, I decided to republish it (with her permission) on the site without commentary.
Another NASA?
Like many Americans who cherish a free press, I was disturbed to read about NASA’s efforts to muzzle James E. Hansen, the director of the agency’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In a recent report in The New York Times, Hansen disclosed that the agency’s public affairs staff had begun to review his coming lectures, papers, and Web postings.
Chafing at a new contract
It is not difficult to find a business traveler who is hopping mad at Hertz these days. Krishna Kumar, a program manager from Santa Clara, Calif., for instance, says he was taken aback by the car rental company’s decision to tighten its terms and conditions. “When I saw them,” he said, “I was very upset.”
Trumping travel costs
Another week, another online travel site opens for business. Most promise bargain basement rates. What sites find you the best bang for your travel buck? Tess gets the scoop from Christopher Elliott.
Don’t blame your agent
When something goes wrong on a cruise, can you turn to your travel agent for help? I’ve been pondering that question since my recent column about port taxes provoked an outcry from the agency community. In the story, I suggested that travel agents should stick with their customers even after the ship has sailed. For example, the reader I was trying to help wanted to get a refund for taxes collected on several missed ports.
We are not crooks
My article about online hotel reviews drew an interesting response from Ideal Hotel in Paris. The property’s owner, Nawar Alsaadi, e-mailed me and suggested that this scathing review was posted on TripAdvisor by someone who didn’t stay at his hotel.
Bagged by oversize fees
Brent Gaubatz’s big bin gets to Atlanta without a hitch. But on the return flight, AirTran bags Gaubatz with a $65 oversize luggage fee - for the same piece of luggage. Are the agents using different measuring tapes in Atlanta? And will Gaubatz ever see his $65 again?