From the monthly archives:

October 2009

When Erin Hott checks into her hotel, she’s shown to a room with an unmade bed. When she asks for clean sheets, an employee tells her they can’t change her linen until the next day. And if she doesn’t like it, she can find another hotel, but she’ll still have to pay for her room. Whatever happened to customer service?

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Jetstar Airways is an Australian discount airline that began flying between Sydney, Melbourne and Honolulu in late 2006. The Transportation Department requires the airline to file an annual report detailing disability-related complaints, which it did for 2007 — this January.

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We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the dangers of flying with the flu, and the airlines’ refusal to loosen their rigid ticket change policies. But how does it looks from the passenger’s perspective?
Meet Amanda. She doesn’t want me to use her last name for reasons that will be obvious to you in a moment. [...]

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Confessions of an infected airline passenger. Plus, is the health insurance debate missing travelers? And who is the worst airline CEO?

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Does your health insurance cover you when you leave the country? A survey commissioned by the US Travel Insurance Association suggests you aren’t.

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My former editor used to say that giving a travel company money is a lot like pulling into a parking garage. Only after you’ve driven over something that looks like a speed bump do you notice the sign that says “DO NOT BACK UP — SEVERE TIRE DAMAGE.” And then you realize the money is gone and there’s no way of getting it back.

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If you’re confused about the online travel agencies’ service and price guarantees, take a number. So am I.

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Rob Gerlach’s bus was late. Really late.

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United Airlines’ Glenn Tilton. He was the third-worst chief executive officer, according to a new employee poll conducted by Glassdoor, a company that conducts online salary surveys.

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That’s a question worth asking after the Secretary of Transportation posted a response to a column I wrote about tarmac delays.

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Should we ban alcohol on board? Plus, how do you get an airline to keep its promises, and what to do if your insurance claim is denied.

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“I’m sorry your Silver Elite status on Northwest Airlines didn’t qualify you for a first-class upgrade on your recent flight from New York to Minneapolis,” Kevin Winge quips. “All of us, your fellow passengers, shared in the incredulity you expressed so vocally to the gate agent when informed that you would be flying coach.”

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Last summer, Jennifer Patronis’ father suffered a massive aneurysm and stroke. She immediately booked a round-trip ticket from Athens to Cleveland on Delta Air Lines to be with him. Three months later, he died, leaving her with an unexpected problem: How to get back to Greece, where she lived.

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The approach of cold-weather season reminds me of tarmac delays.

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Thinking of throwing a tantrum the next time things don’t go your way when you travel? Consider what happened to Gary Zeune before you do.

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