Tag Archives: air travel

Money Saving Travel Tips for Cash Strapped Flyers

By now you know that a single flight could easily put a major dent in your family’s budget. From rising airfares to insane luggage fees to the “brilliant” idea of charging passengers for everything from water to pillows and blankets, airlines are not ruling out any means to milk flyers for everything they are worth. If you are planning to fly in the near future now is the time to devise ways you can get from point A to point B without going broke. Here are some tips: WEIGH YOUR BAGS BEFORE HEADING TO THE AIRPORT The ol’ human scale … Continue reading →

More Airline Fees: Pillows, Blankets, Water and More

What’s next, having to pay to use the toilet mid-flight? Another day, another announcement from airlines saying that they simply can’t stay in business unless they find another way to earn some extra cash. The latest brilliant money making idea: JetBlue’s plan to charge passengers $7 for a pillow and blanket set. It’s no joke. But before you cancel your reservations you should know that the carrier is quick to point out that you are free to bring along your own pillows and blankets (though doing so will mean you will be able to carry on little else). Frankly, I … Continue reading →

Delta Death

I could make a terrible tie-in between the following sad travel incident and the fact that Delta Airlines just announced it will now be charging passengers on domestic flights $50 to check in a second bag, but out of respect for Michaele Carnahan, I will restrain myself. According to news reports, the 61-year-old was found dead in the restroom of a Delta Airlines plane shortly before the aircraft landed in Atlanta yesterday morning. A spokeswoman for the airline said it was unclear how the woman died or how long she was in the plane’s lavatory before she was found. Responding … Continue reading →

Luggage Fees Increase—AGAIN!

You’ve got to be kidding! Then again, are any of us really shocked to learn that a major airline has increased luggage fees yet again? About 12 hours ago Delta Air Lines, the nation’s third-largest carrier, announced it plans to double its fee for checking a second bag to $50 each way on a domestic flight as a way to… you guessed it… offset the high cost of fuel. Reps for the Atlanta-based carrier said that the changes will apply to customers who purchase a ticket on or after Thursday for travel on or after August 5, 2008. So here’s … Continue reading →

Saying Farewell to In-Flight Movies

Think back to your last airplane ride. Did you have to pay for the standard airline issued headphones, which enable you to watch the in-flight movie or were they free? Now, how many of you remember a time when there was no in-flight movie? For those of you who raised their hands to the latter you should feel right at home on upcoming US Airways flights. Yes, it’s true; yet another reduction in airline services has been unveiled and this time the 2-hour entertainment block got the ax. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, US Airways is going to eliminate in-flight … Continue reading →

One Flight You Wouldn’t Want to be On

Quick… think back to the strangest flight you have ever been on. Now, compare it to the one passengers onboard a recent American Airlines flight experienced and see how it stacks up: As if the emergency landing in Oklahoma City wasn’t bad enough consider what travelers onboard American Airlines Flight 725 were thinking when they saw a naked man strolling through the cabin and later watched as he tried to open an emergency exit door while the plane was 30,000 feet in the air. According to authorities, the flight, which left from Boston en route to Los Angeles last Friday … Continue reading →

The Dirt on Dirty Airplanes

If you thought that the restrooms on your last flight departing from Los Angeles or San Francisco international airports were filthy wait until you see them now. Passengers complaining about unclean facilities say they were “repulsed” and “disgusted” at the sight of the bathrooms. But get this–the people in charge of cleaning the onboard restrooms are not disputing the claims. Union workers who clean airplanes at both the L.A. and San Francisco airports blame the dirty bathrooms on serious understaffing and lack of equipment. The maintenance workers claim they aren’t being given the time or resources to properly do their … Continue reading →

Entire Family Gets Kicked Off Plane—What would you do?

Imagine spending thousands of dollars to fly yourself, your pregnant sister and your four young children from Detroit to Seattle, but instead of getting to your final destination without incident you end up at a police station in Phoenix and details of your horrific encounter are splashed in newspapers from coast to coast. Hard to fathom, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Wendy Slaughter just a few short weeks ago. Slaughter, her four young children, and her expectant sister were traveling on a Southwest Airlines flight from Detroit to Seattle and had gotten as far as the Phoenix Sky … Continue reading →

Fall Fare Sale

After months of sky-high airfares, some carriers are finally offering a break to customers. Timing is key. After all, we are slowly moving from the busy summer season to the less hectic fall travel period, which is why airfare sales are popping up with more frequency. If you have been holding off on flying because your budget simply can’t take the hit, you will be pleased to know that help is in sight. Right now a number of airlines have slashed fares to as low as $66 one-way. Even flights to Canada and Mexico are reasonably priced. But as always … Continue reading →

Honest Pilot Refuses to Fly

Is honesty truly the best policy? It’s a question passengers onboard a cancelled United Airlines asked themselves yesterday after their pilot announced he was too upset to fly. It may be the first time in commercial aviation history that an emotionally distraught pilot has walked off the job minutes before he was set to take flight. His decision left hundreds of travelers stranded and many more scratching their heads wondering how a situation like this could have happened in the first place. According to news reports, the angry United Airlines pilot was scheduled to fly a plane full of people … Continue reading →