We didn’t need another survey to tell us that customer satisfaction had fallen to a new low in the travel industry. But we got one, anyway.
From the monthly archives:
May 2008
Paying extra for a better seat, a meal, or to offset higher fuel costs — we get that. But other airline fees make absolutely no sense. Here are the top five.
On a nonstop flight to Las Vegas, Spirit Airlines loses Michael Germano’s checked luggage. He files a missing luggage report and a lost luggage claim, but the airline is ignoring his requests for compensation. What’s going on, and how can Germano get Spirit to respond?
Thieving TSA? You might be forgiven for thinking so. Since it was created in 2001, the agency has fired about 200 employees accused of stealing.
Five people. That’s how many bothered to comment on the Transportation Department’s latest rulemaking proposal that would force airlines to report more details about delays. If you’re not shocked – no, outraged – by that number, read on. You will be.
As anyone with a pulse knows by now, a passenger flying on a so-called “buddy pass” is suing JetBlue for forcing him to spend most of a flight on the toilet. The JetBlue spin machine is just getting warmed up (I note some pro-blue comments on our sister blog, Tripso that appear to be the work of bluewashers). But there’s a lot more to this story.
Fasten your seatbelts, folks. It’s almost that time of year again. Seems everyone is thinking about summer travel this week — whether it’s silly predictions or summer blockbusters, or maybe just surviving. I’ve got it covered from every angle. Plus, there’s a fun new MSNBC column about boarding a plane and a troubleshooter involving Cognac and a cruise.
Take your travel company to small claims court? Easier said than done. Before filing your paperwork, here are three things to consider, courtesy of my friends in the legal community.
The European Union is aggressively pursuing online travel agencies that sell airline tickets under false pretenses. A new report by EU authorities reveals that 1 in 3 Web sites have been written up for “misleading advertising and unfair practices” since last fall. You don’t need me to tell you we have the same problem over here. But where’s our government?
Four theme parks. Three kids. Two adults. And one seemingly impossible assignment: to visit every Disney World resort on the same day.
Why would anyone get on an aircraft while in the throes of a contagious, debilitating viral infection? Maybe the question should be: Why not?
When Jerry Leonard and his wife transfer from their cruise ship to a train, they give Princess their luggage, which includes a bottle of Cognac. The luggage is lost and later found, but the cruise line confiscates the Cognac. Should it replace the bottle – or is he out of luck?
I’m baffled by Expedia’s latest marketing campaign, a tie-in to the upcoming film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The other day, my friends over at the online travel agency sent me a fedora in a box along with a note that promised I could “Travel like Indiana Jones, starting today.”
With fuel prices near $4 a gallon, car rental companies are turning to a little-known practice called gas reclamation to squeeze every last penny from their vehicles. In the process, they may be squeezing their customers too, according to a car rental insider who has performed degassing services for a major agency.
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