In yet another sign that the Transportation Department is serious about protecting the rights of consumers, the government this morning fined US Airways $40,000 for failing to disclose the full price consumers must pay for air transportation.
“When consumers shop for air travel, they have a right to know how much they will have to pay,” [...]
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us airways
Can you force an airline to follow its own rules? Phil and Margaret Warker wanted to know after a disastrous return flight from Nassau to Washington via Miami. US Airways blamed the weather and offered them a $100 flight voucher for the trouble.
In yet another sign that the government has adopted a “get tough” approach in dealing with the airline industry, the Federal Aviation Administration today proposed near-record penalties against two airlines for safety violations.
Unlike some of my esteemed travel writing colleagues, I won’t make the mistake of confusing a few tarmac delay activists with the entire passenger rights movement. Still, the August airline performance numbers, which have just been released by our friends at the Department of Transportation, merit a closer look.
Ethel Schweitzer’s husband falls ill before a trip to Las Vegas, and the couple cancels their vacation. Now US Airways wants to keep their money. Why can’t it offer them a refund?
Michael Winn is the president of a private university, a US Airways frequent flier, and according to at least one flight attendant, an imminent threat to security. Why else would he have kicked Winn off a recent flight from Charlotte to Phoenix?
Every now and then I come across a case that leaves me deeply conflicted. This is one of those times.
The Transportation Department has fined three airlines for consumer rule violations, signaling a new “get-tough” approach to the airline industry, if not in practice, then at least in principle.
Remember Jerry Ginnis, the traveler who booked a Bermuda vacation online, only to have the reservation taken over by a travel agent? The original story provoked an outcry from the travel agency community, and a follow-up post did little to placate it. I didn’t name the travel agency in either post because I wanted to wait for its its side of the story. Well, the wait is over.
Jerry Ginnis’ says his first mistake was asking a travel agent for a quote on a Bermuda vacation. He’d already found a terrific price online — a week at a luxury resort for $2,800, about 40 percent off the normal rate — but a friend suggested that he call.
When it comes to online booking horror stories, Lisa O’Brien deserves an award. The online agency and airline that tried to help her does not.
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: Your 11-year-old son is scheduled to fly home on his own, but on the eve of his departure, the airline tells him his ticket is no good. Specifically, he has no ticket. It happened to Meera Gopalan this weekend.
It’s no secret that the airline industry has seen better days. But how bad is it? Not as bad as the mainstream media would like us to believe, according to airline analyst Robert Herbst, who publishes the Web site Airlinefinancials.com. And not so good that we shouldn’t be cautious with future bookings, he adds.
Believe it or not, the latest celebrity death has a travel angle. TV pitchman Billy Mays, who was found dead in his Tampa home this morning, was a passenger on a US Airways flight yesterday. His son first reported the news on Twitter.
And here’s where things get a little weird.
The highly respected TV Newser blog [...]
If you’re delayed on your way to the airport because of a summer thunderstorm, you might think you’re out of luck. Most airlines now gladly charge you a full walk-up fare for the next flight when you don’t get to the gate on time — even if it’s for a reason beyond your control. But here’s a secret.
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