A few days ago, a Transportation Department official bristled when I suggested that its recent fines against airlines were little more than warning shots. It turns out the DOT isn’t done making its point.
From the monthly archives:
August 2009
Airlines are really getting carried away with these luggage fees. Last week, I noted that carriers are effectively demanding a ransom in exchange for transporting our personal property. I suggested they might try being more upfront about their fares.
Kenneth Miller thought he had squirreled away more than 100,000 Delta Air Lines frequent flier miles, which he planned to use for a special 20th anniversary trip. He thought wrong.
Nicholas Czapor books four Hilton hotel stays through a double points promotion. But the points never show up in his account, and now Hilton is offering him only a fraction of the promised award. Can it do that? And what recourse, if any, does Czapor have?
Turns out passengers are upset about rising luggage fees — and more.
Ginny Mahl is Travelocity’s vice president of sales and customer service — the woman behind the online travel agency’s vaunted “Travelocity Guarantee”. I asked Mahl about getting the best customer service from a travel Web site, and how her company is doing its part.
An exclusive interview with Travelocity’s Ginny Mahl. Plus, the truth about luggage fees and the end to the car rental “ding” scam.
US Airways raised its baggage fees yesterday, setting off what’s sure to be another round of me-toos from its competitors. Luggage fees are almost pure profit, and because there’s almost no pushback from passengers, carriers are getting away with these new surcharges.
I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next consumer advocate. So when Eric Smith contacted me with evidence he said suggests the airlines are trying to pull a fast one, I paid attention.
Better yet, this one’s a 9/11 conspiracy theory.
Will the summer of 2009 go in like a lion and and out like a lamb?
If you think fees are outrageous here in the United States, may I suggest a European vacation?
Minisha Kochar recently visited Spain, where she rented a car through AutoEurope. Before her trip, the company quoted her a “guaranteed” rate of $818.
Needless to say, that’s not the rate she found on her final bill.
You don’t have to read Federal Trade Commission rulings for a living to enjoy this guilty pleasure.
Recent news that Hertz would begin photographing its rentals got me wondering: What about the “ding” scams that have made the car rental industry millions of dollars over the last few years?
How the travel industry can win back your favor — and business. Plus, why Days Inn isn’t having a good day. And guess what’s happening to the Grand Cypress?
Days Inn isn’t having a good day. This morning, I reported on Charles McGovern, the Days Inn guest who booked a room at the wrong Days Inn and ended up losing $220. I’ve just wrapped up another Days Inn case that involves the loss of almost the same amount of money.
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