This chart, which comes to us courtesy of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, is quite revealing. And at the same time, misleading.
September 2010
Gerald Besses did not have a good stay at the Days Inn in Port Richmond, Calif. To put it mildly.
Patricia Lenhart’s husband woke up one recent morning covered in bug bites. Bedbug bites.
We’ve had quite the discussion about car rental damages this week, but now it’s your turn to sound off. A weekend poll asked when you think it’s appropriate for a car rental agency to come after you with a damage claim, and a majority of you (about 75 percent) said the only time it’s OK is when you acknowledge the damage and sign a claim form.
Tarmac delays revisited, the Southwest-AirTran merger and the other side of Oahu.
It would be tempting to stay on the touristy side of Oahu, catching a gentle wave on one of Waikiki’s beaches, or doing a luau at one of the many fine hotels in Honolulu. Nothing wrong with that. But it’s not us.
Bogus car rental damages seem to be a recurring theme on this site. This week’s edition of “can this trip be saved” takes one of those cases in its crosshairs.
This morning’s big news — some observers have even called it “shocking” — is that discount carriers Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways are headed to the altar in a $1.4 billion merger.
That’s not an academic question, given all the recent stories about excessive car rental claims on this site. And yes, it still is the weekend. I’m in another time zone. (But I’ll be back on the mainland tomorrow.) Here’s the link to the survey. I’m also interested in your comments. Should car rental companies go [...]
Tarmac-delay rule gives air travelers more respect
Not a week seems to go by without getting a press release from a restaurant claiming to embrace the sustainable food movement. I have been unimpressed. Isn’t all food, by its very definition, sustainable?
on a recent flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix on US Airways, Sarah Andrus left her jacket underneath the seat in front of her. “It was a gift from a friend and unique,” recalled Andrus, a director for an Olean, N.Y.-based manufacturing company. “I called the airline with low expectations of recovering my jacket, but I thought I’d give it a try.”
Next time you check into the Fairfield Inn in Sandusky, Ohio, mind the safe in your room. They’ll add a $1.07 fee to your confirmed rate for having one — whether you want it or not.
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Apart from a few soundbites, the airline position on fees hasn’t been fully articulated. So I asked an airline to do just that.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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