Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.gadling.com/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[What the Southwest/AirTran merger means for consumers]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/09/28/what-the-southwest-airtran-merger-means-for-consumers/http://www.gadling.com/2010/09/28/what-the-southwest-airtran-merger-means-for-consumers/http://www.gadling.com/2010/09/28/what-the-southwest-airtran-merger-means-for-consumers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Southwest Airlines announced yesterday that it will acquire AirTran in a cash plus stock deal.

Here's what to expect:

1.) Good news for AirTran passengers and travel to/from/through Atlanta in general. Southwest has better service than AirTran, and lower fees (assuming that Southwest keeps the low/no-fee model, see number 4, below). Southwest is not keeping the AirTran brand.

2.) Southwest and AirTran don't have much route overlap, so the merger in and of itself won't lead to higher fares. But both airlines offer aggressive airfare sales almost weekly. We'll see fewer of these, and fares will inch up. Remember, though, that fares can only go so high before consumers stay home, drive, take the BoltBus, or Amtrak. One route that does overlap is Boston to Baltimore, which both airlines fly nonstop for $78 round-trip; but JetBlue flies the route at the same fare, so as long as there are two airlines flying nonstop on the route, prices will stay reasonable. (In fact, Baltimore probably has the most overlapping routes, so we expect fares to go up there.)

3.) More fare pressure if other airlines continue the merger dance. American and US Air must be in panic mode as Southwest continues to grow. What next? An American/US Air marriage? Frontier/Midwest combine with USAir? JetBlue+American? The Southwest/AirTran merger came out of the blue, so anything and everything could be on the table.

4.) This impacts Delta, at least at first, the most. Will Delta eliminate checked bag and ticket change fees on competing routes to/from/through Atlanta to compete with Southwest's fee model? Or will Southwest add fees? AirTran was a minor thorn in Delta's side, but Southwest is going be a major thorn. AirTran was not a particularly healthy airline financially, and Southwest is.

5.) Southwest now becomes an international airline, if it keeps AirTran's routes to Aruba, the Bahamas, etc. It also becomes a multi-aircraft airline, if it keeps AirTran's Boeing 717's along with Southwest's 737 fleet.

Continue reading What the Southwest/AirTran merger means for consumers

What the Southwest/AirTran merger means for consumers originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfarewatchdogairlineairlinesairtranatlantadeltageorge hobicaGeorgeHobicamergersouthwestTue, 28 Sep 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to avoid a $100,000 airfare]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/23/how-to-avoid-a-100-000-airfare/http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/23/how-to-avoid-a-100-000-airfare/http://www.gadling.com/2010/08/23/how-to-avoid-a-100-000-airfare/#commentsFiled under: ,

Emergency medical evacuation is a product most people probably don't think they need. It sounds almost exotic, as if one's trip would need to be inherently dangerous to justify the purchase.

Well, think again. Emergency medical evacuation is far from necessary for every vacation, but travelers concerned about potential health problems or accidents, or who are traveling to relatively remote destinations or even just taking a cruise, may feel a bit more comfortable knowing they can easily and affordably get to a health care center in the case of a medical emergency. And speaking of affordability, consider that a domestic medical evacuation can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and it can be over a $100,000 for international evacuations.

There are three main players in the emergency medical evaluation business: MedJet Assist, AirMed, and a newcomer, On Call International, which previously only sold coverage to travel insurance companies as a wholesaler. Each program offers annual subscriptions and individual trip coverage options, but the products differ somewhat, as you'll see in this chart.

Still, you can expect a similar set of benefits, not just medical evacuation, but also "family reunion" transportation (when a spouse or other relative needs to join or travel with an ill or injured family member), medical monitoring/consultation, and travel assistance services such as cash advances and legal consultation.

Continue reading How to avoid a $100,000 airfare

How to avoid a $100,000 airfare originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfarewatchdoggeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicamedevacmedical evacMedicalEvacMon, 23 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[So google is buying ITA Software. What does it mean for you, air traveler?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/08/so-google-is-buying-ita-software-what-does-it-mean-for-you-air/http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/08/so-google-is-buying-ita-software-what-does-it-mean-for-you-air/http://www.gadling.com/2010/07/08/so-google-is-buying-ita-software-what-does-it-mean-for-you-air/#commentsFiled under: ,

First of all, what is ITA Software? Briefly, it's a technology company based in Cambridge, MA that provides the airfare search software behind such sites as Orbitz, Kayak and many airline web sites. Its claim to fame is that it digs deeper into airline reservation systems than some other technologies, and usually finds fares that are only available via the airlines' own websites. And it allows users to do an easy flexible date search over any 30-day period.

But: It does not provide searches on Southwest AIrlines, Allegiant Airlines, Ryanair, and a few other smaller carriers. Similarly, low-cost leader Spirit Airlines keeps its best fares for Spiritair.com.

Nor can ITA calculate promo code or some other special airfares that the airlines reserve for their own web sites.

Recently, for example, US Airways tweeted fares from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv for $99 each way plus tax, summer travel. JetBlue tweets frequently as well, with $10 fares. United recently tweeted 20% off discount codes. These deals were not picked up by ITA Software. If airlines increasingly market their best deals through narrow channels, and keep them from ITA, it will further change the fare finding game. My thinking is that if airlines can figure out how to eliminate all third parties, such as profitable Southwest has done, they'll do it.

Continue reading So google is buying ITA Software. What does it mean for you, air traveler?

So google is buying ITA Software. What does it mean for you, air traveler? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfareairfarewatchdoggoogleitaita matrixItaMatrixThu, 08 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[British Airways' re-launched First is worth every mile]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/british-airways-re-launched-first-is-worth-every-mile/http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/british-airways-re-launched-first-is-worth-every-mile/http://www.gadling.com/2010/06/09/british-airways-re-launched-first-is-worth-every-mile/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Recently, I spent $75 to get a seat in British Airways' new and improved first class cabin from New York to London, and although my original flight was ash-canned, I did eventually get there. And to paraphrase the Beatles, man, I did not have a dreadful flight.

To quickly explain: I signed up for a British Airways-branded Chase Visa Card ($75 annual fee) and was awarded 100,000 bonus frequent flyer miles, enough to cover the 75,000 (one-way) required for a ride way in BA's newly-refreshed premier cabin. Heck, I don't fly much these days, and my 56-year-old posterior isn't as padded as it used to be, nor are my joints quite as supple, so $75 for a little comfort is just what the chiropractor ordered.

Had I actually bought that seat? Well, honestly, on my salary and at my pay grade, that would have been unlikely. It would have cost several thousand dollars-more if I paid full freight, less if I had bought a heavily discounted fare.

As it turned out, that Iceland volcano had other plans for me, and my flight was canceled. My hopes of attending a reunion at my Oxford college, where I was a graduate student 30 years earlier, were vaporized.

But last week, I was invited as a guest of BA, in my capacity as an airfare/airline pundit, to give First Class another shot.

Continue reading British Airways' re-launched First is worth every mile

British Airways' re-launched First is worth every mile originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfarewatchdogbritish airwaysBritishAirwaysfirst classFirstClassgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaWed, 09 Jun 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A modest proposal: Let's ban large carry-ons altogether]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/04/19/a-modest-proposal-lets-ban-large-carry-ons-altogether/http://www.gadling.com/2010/04/19/a-modest-proposal-lets-ban-large-carry-ons-altogether/http://www.gadling.com/2010/04/19/a-modest-proposal-lets-ban-large-carry-ons-altogether/#commentsFiled under: ,

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last week would ban airlines from charging for carry-on luggage, according to Reuters. Two senators rightly point out that carry-ons often contain items that are "important for the safety and health" of travelers, including medication and eyewear.

But can we please keep in mind that Spirit Airlines' now infamous decision to charge for carry-on luggage only applies to items too large to fit in the seat in front of the passenger? You can still carry on personal items for free, and that would include a large purse, brief case, or backpack into which you can stuff whatever essentials or valuables you desire. Coats, strollers, cameras, and certain other items are also carried in-cabin for free.

Let's get real here. To avoid looking disingenuous, Spirit should simply ban carry on bags altogether rather than making them a profit center. And the US Congress should let airlines conduct business as they see fit, and if it really cares about airline passengers, instead legislate a solution to the real safety risks of carry-on luggage.

Spirit's CEO, Ben Baldanza, with some justification, claims that the overhead bin fee will discourage carry-on overcrowding and lead to safer air travel, both for flight attendants and passengers, who are sometimes injured when lifting heavy bags into the bins and by bags falling out of the bins, despite the airlines' constant "bags do tend to shift in flight" PA announcements.

But most likely, safety isn't the real issue here, at least not for an airline CEO. Baldanza also suggests that the airline will be able to board and deplane their aircraft faster, which implies that Spirit will profit by faster airport turnarounds, and thus be able to complete more flights per day and earn more revenue per plane (or fly more passengers with fewer multi-million dollar jets).

Is safety the real issue here?

Continue reading A modest proposal: Let's ban large carry-ons altogether

A modest proposal: Let's ban large carry-ons altogether originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfare watchdogAirfareWatchdogairlinesairplanebaggagechecked baggagechecked luggageCheckedBaggageCheckedLuggagegeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaluggageMon, 19 Apr 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Once a free perk, many airlines now charge for advanced seat selection]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/26/once-a-free-perk-many-airlines-now-charge-for-advanced-seat-sel/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/26/once-a-free-perk-many-airlines-now-charge-for-advanced-seat-sel/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/26/once-a-free-perk-many-airlines-now-charge-for-advanced-seat-sel/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A recent Airfarewatchdog poll revealed that after checked bag fees, the most hated airline fee is the one extracted for advanced seat selection. This used to be entirely free, but no more.

Say you log on to JetBlue's Web site to book a flight. You choose one, you select a seat you like - paying $10 or more per leg for more room up front or in an exit row. Bang. You're done.

Now try doing the same on Delta.com - what, you want an exit row? You want to sit up front? Better have your SkyMiles number handy.

Got none? Back of the bus, sir.

Let's say you're on the Web once more, surfing the site of Denver-based low-fare flyer Frontier. Here, you book the lowest fare available - clever you! - there will be no getting anywhere near a seating plan, let alone any selecting of favorite aisle seats up front. Not until 24 hours before takeoff, you won't - and then, let's hope that all that's left isn't the dreaded middle seat.

Continue reading Once a free perk, many airlines now charge for advanced seat selection

Once a free perk, many airlines now charge for advanced seat selection originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfare watchdogAirfareWatchdogairplane seatsAirplaneSeatshobicaseat selectionSeatSelectionFri, 26 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/16/where-did-all-the-bargain-fares-to-europe-go/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/16/where-did-all-the-bargain-fares-to-europe-go/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/16/where-did-all-the-bargain-fares-to-europe-go/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Will this be the summer of our discontent when we search for cheap airfares to Europe? Is the party over?

In January 2009, US Air kicked off the summer selling season with tax-included fares for peak summer travel to Europe in the $500's and $600's but that was nothing compared to the $200 and $300 fares that appeared later in the spring and summer.

But that was last year. The winter just ending is the first time in memory that we didn't see dead-of-winter deals to Europe. In winters past, the airlines went into panic mode, selling fares for February travel for as low as $250 or $300 round-trip including taxes, even on nonstops from New York to Paris. This winter, however, fares remained stubbornly stuck in the $600's, $700's and even $800's to most destinations, although there were a few fleeting $500 bargains to such places as Dublin, Barcelona and Madrid.

Even Frankfurt, typically the cheapest gateway to the Continent, saw no amazing deals as in past winters.

So what's going on here, and how does this bode for travel this spring and summer?

Of course, only fools dare to predict how an irrational airline industry will react, so we'll steer clear of hard and fast prognostication. However, the bargain-less winter does not give us much hope.

Continue reading Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go?

Where did all the bargain fares to Europe go? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfareAirfareDealsairfaresAirfareWatchdogAirline ticket pricesairline ticketingairline ticketsAirlineTicketingAirlineTicketPricesAirlineTicketseuropeEuropean unionEuropeanUniongeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicahobicaTue, 16 Mar 2010 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Everything you need to know about buying airfares as cheaply as possible, in 500 words or less.]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-buying-airfares-as-cheaply-as/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-buying-airfares-as-cheaply-as/http://www.gadling.com/2010/03/01/everything-you-need-to-know-about-buying-airfares-as-cheaply-as/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If I could tell you just one thing, it would be this: sign up for free fare alerts. Time and again, I see articles whose main point is to crown one search engine-Kayak, or Travelocity, or Momondo or whatever-as the best bet to find a low fare. But usually, the price differences in these "bake off" comparisons are small potatoes, if they exist at all, because all airfare sites pretty much use the same fare data provided by the airlines. That said, meta search engines such as Kayak and Tripadvisor will do a better job at finding the relatively few fares that the airlines sell only on their own sites.

There is no one "magic bullet" airfare search site! The only sites that perform better on international fares are those selling "consolidator" fares, but these often come with caveats and extra restrictions, such as "miss your flight and you have to buy a whole new ticket" (you get what you pay for).

The big savings come from realizing that airfares can have wild and sudden swings, like stocks on the S&P 500. You may not have time to check them hour-by-hour or day-by-day, but airfare-tracking sites do, and will alert you when a fare goes down, sometimes by hundreds of dollars, either to a level you specify or by a percentage amount.

So sign up, it's free! Some alert systems require that you first search for a fare before they'll offer free email alerts; others let you sign up before searching. Here are some sites that offer alerts:

Continue reading Everything you need to know about buying airfares as cheaply as possible, in 500 words or less.

Everything you need to know about buying airfares as cheaply as possible, in 500 words or less. originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfare watchdogAirfareWatchdogairlineairplaneairplane ticketsAirplaneTicketsbudget-travelcheap ticketsCheapTicketsgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaMon, 01 Mar 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Sometimes, collecting frequent flyer miles with a credit card pays off]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/22/sometimes-collecting-frequent-flyer-miles-with-a-credit-card-pa/http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/22/sometimes-collecting-frequent-flyer-miles-with-a-credit-card-pa/http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/22/sometimes-collecting-frequent-flyer-miles-with-a-credit-card-pa/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Are frequent flyer miles worth collecting anymore? I've asked that question elsewhere, and have been advocating the use of credit cards paying up to 5% cash back as a better alternative for many travelers who rack up most of their miles using airline-affiliated credit cards. For many people, now that there are new fees associated with cashing in miles, the answer is no.

Most of us travel domestic economy, and $25,000 spent on a frequent flyer credit card only gets you a domestic coach ticket, assuming you can even find available seats and aren't paying a fee to cash in the miles at short notice or to redeposit them if you change your mind. That same $25,000 spent on a 5% cash back card gets you $750 which you can spend anyway you wish. You might even be able to find a seat to Hawaii. Try that with your frequent flyer miles.

So do I personally collect miles with a frequent flyer credit card? You bet I do. Recently, I applied for a British Airways Chase Visa card ($75 annual fee), but only because they were awarding 100,000 miles after you charged a paltry $2000 to the card (caveat: sadly, this offer is no longer available). My BA Executive Club account had something like 300 miles in it, so it was time to top it up. I wasn't planning on going anywhere in particular, but just a few days ago I learned that my Oxford college was having a reunion, and I thought, fun, might as well go.

So I went to spend some miles. What I found at ba.com was pretty shocking. On the day in April that I wanted to fly from New York to London, I had exactly one option: a first class seat for 75,000 miles. And the return didn't look much better, although there were several business class seats on BA's new London City Airport to JFK all-business-class flight for 50,000 points. Award seats in economy (not that I was devastated) were sold out in both directions.

Needless to say, I didn't have enough points, but BA kindly suggested that I buy the outward-bound first class flight with miles plus $285 in cash and $163 in fees and surcharges. Not that my return flight was free either. I got hit with a fuel surcharge plus taxes and fees of $358.

So my "free" flight, including the BA Chase card's $75 fee, ended up costing me $881. Still, not bad considering that when I checked on Expedia.com, these same flights would have cost over $14,000 had I bought them with cash. Lesson learned: if you play your credit cards right, collecting frequent flyer miles with them can indeed pay off. Just don't expect to have a lot of seat choice or to get something for nothing.

George Hobica is the founder of Airfarewatchdog[TM], the most inclusive source of airfare deals that have been researched and verified by experts. Airfarewatchdog compares fares from all airlines and includes the increasing number of airline-site-only and promo code fares.

Sometimes, collecting frequent flyer miles with a credit card pays off originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>credit cardcredit cardsCreditCardCreditCardsfrequent flyer milesFrequentFlyerMilesgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicamilesMon, 22 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What? You're still paying the airlines to carry your bags?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/19/what-youre-still-paying-the-airlines-to-carry-your-bags/http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/19/what-youre-still-paying-the-airlines-to-carry-your-bags/http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/19/what-youre-still-paying-the-airlines-to-carry-your-bags/#commentsFiled under: ,

Now that the airlines have raised, yet again, their fees for checked bags, it's time to take another look at the alternative: shipping your bags, or better yet (if you're staying in one place once you arrive) just the contents of your bag ahead of your arrival using economical ground shipping services.

Why deal with the airlines, when UPS Ground and FedEx Ground offer better tracking, insurance and security, can be much cheaper in some scenarios, and will actually refund your shipping fee if there's a delay or loss? No waiting in line at the airport! No pilferage! No schlepping!

Airfarewatchdog.com has looked at four domestic route scenarios (short, medium, and long haul) and compared three shipping services and two airlines (one with high bag fees, and one with low fees) to see how much you can save by not entrusting your bags to the airlines.

Continue reading What? You're still paying the airlines to carry your bags?

What? You're still paying the airlines to carry your bags? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baggagebaggage feebaggage feesbaggage handlersbaggage theftBaggageClaimBaggageFeeBaggageFeesBaggageHandlersBaggageTheftcouriercourier serviceCourierServicefedextrackingupsuspsTue, 19 Jan 2010 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Lies, damned lies, and airfare statistics]]>http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/12/lies-damned-lies-and-airfare-statistics/http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/12/lies-damned-lies-and-airfare-statistics/http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/12/lies-damned-lies-and-airfare-statistics/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Recently, I was asked by a news service if Airfarewatchdog would be interested in providing airfare statistics on various routes to compare average airfares from month to month and year to year.

I don't think this was the answer they were hoping for, but this is what I told them:

It's really, really hard to get accurate, meaningful airfare statistics. In fact, it's pretty much impossible. There are so many different types of fares sold, such as consolidator (bucket), corporate, and negotiated fares, in addition to published airfares. And airlines do not divulge, for competitive reasons, how many seats they actually sell at what fares on what routes. The airlines' published fares are public record, and they do report overall revenue figures for the airline as whole, but ticketed fares route by route, or airport by airport? My friends who are airline insiders tell me it'd never happen.

As Singapore Airlines spokesperson James Boyd explains, "When an airline launches a sale, it's an attempt to grab market share. An airline would never publicize how many seats were sold at what price on what routes, because it would give competitors too much information."

The best one can do is to compile sales data from large ticket sellers, such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz, route by route, and figure out what consumers actually paid for their tickets over various time periods. Still, this data will not include all fares sold to the public (in addition to the fare types mentioned above, airlines are increasingly selling special promo code fares on their own web sites in order to drive web traffic and undercut the third party online agencies). And none of the online travel agencies sell Southwest Airlines' or Allegiant Airlines' fares, so that's another missing piece of the puzzle.

Continue reading Lies, damned lies, and airfare statistics

Lies, damned lies, and airfare statistics originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfarewatchdogairlineairlinesbudget-travelgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicahobicaplane tickegtsTue, 12 Jan 2010 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Come fly the polite skies]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/21/come-fly-the-polite-skies/http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/21/come-fly-the-polite-skies/http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/21/come-fly-the-polite-skies/#commentsFiled under:

I have a request.

Can't we all just get along up in the air? Can't we be just a little-no, make that a lot-more polite?

Consider: I was sitting in first class on a recent flight (yes, I used miles to upgrade) and the guy next to me flagged down a passing flight attendant by shaking his half empty highball glass at her. "More ice!" he bellowed. To which she replied, rather sweetly under the circumstances, "What's the magic word!" To which he more or less replied, "Don't try to teach me manners, just get me more ice." (I mean, really, can you believe this jerk? What is it with some airline passengers thinking they're grand poobahs just because they bought a $200 airfare and upgraded it with miles?) So the flight attendant answered him, "Sir, the ice is in the galley. Get it yourself." If I didn't have to sit next to this bozo for another two hours, I would have shouted out "woo hoo!". And had I been she, I would have omitted the "sir.'

My seat mate was lucky that all he got was a well-deserved come-uppance. John Reed, a customer on American Airlines flight 614 from Sacramento to Dallas on December 6, had a less pleasant encounter with a flight attendant. As reported extensively in the blogosphere, Mr. Reed, a first class passenger with executive platinum frequent flyer status, asked a flight attendant for a glass of orange juice, was excoriated for doing so ("I guess you don't know how this works," she reportedly told him), and ended up getting a written FAA misconduct notification from the pilot. Reed and his fellow first class passengers all insist that the flight attendant was completely out of line and perhaps mentally unstable, and American has issued an apology to all those affected.

Continue reading Come fly the polite skies

Come fly the polite skies originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airlineairlinesairplaneflight attendantFlightAttendantgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicahobicaMon, 21 Dec 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A memo to airline passengers]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/01/memo-to-airline-passengers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/01/memo-to-airline-passengers/http://www.gadling.com/2009/12/01/memo-to-airline-passengers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

If you don't want to pay what it's worth, then stop whining about air travel.

I won't take credit for that pithy remark. It was made by a travel editor friend of mine, the New York Post's David Landsel, over Thanksgiving dinner.

But it's been ringing in my ears ever since.

Because let's face it: we're not paying enough for commercial air travel. Airlines have cut costs to the bone, slashing pay, eliminating services, deferring new planes, hedging jet fuel purchases, and all the rest. And yet they're still losing billions.

But while the cost of most everything else we buy, in inflation-adjusted dollars, has gone up (notable exceptions being things like TVs and phone service), the price of air travel has gone down over the last several decades.

Back in the early 1960's, when a gallon of gas cost 29 cents, a flight from New York to LA could be bought for as little as $250 round-trip. Today, you can fly that route for as little as $178 round-trip when there's a cutthroat sale going on, but that gallon of gas costs 10 times as much. A brand new Ford Pinto cost $1999 in 1972. And that $250 flight, in 1960 dollars, works out to about $2200 in 2009 greenbacks.

Continue reading A memo to airline passengers

A memo to airline passengers originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfareairfarewatchdogairplaneairplane ticketAirplaneTicketbudget-travelgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaplane ticketPlaneTicketticketicketTue, 01 Dec 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why people aren't flying. (Hint: It's not just the fares)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/23/why-people-aren-t-flying-hint-it-s-not-just-the-fares/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/23/why-people-aren-t-flying-hint-it-s-not-just-the-fares/http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/23/why-people-aren-t-flying-hint-it-s-not-just-the-fares/#comments
Think that all airlines are losing business during the recession? Not quite. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways saw their traffic jump 9 and 10 percent, respectively, in September, while United's was down 6 percent. Other airlines suffered traffic declines as well. Could it be that consumers are flocking to airlines known for having better service (e.g., JetBlue's extra legroom, free snacks, and live TV) and lower fees than most of their competition (Southwest has lower fees across the board where they do charge a fee)? Is one reason the airline industry is in such dire shape because the product has deteriorated to the point where people just don't want to fly at any price?

A recent reader poll by Consumertraveler.com crowned Southwest as respondents' favorite airline, with 71 percent saying that service was the reason why. The same poll revealed that "comfortable seating" was the main reason consumers who chose JetBlue as their favorite did so.

Airlines are losing money ($11 billion worldwide this year, according to one estimate), fewer people are flying, and, despite capacity cuts, the average fare paid is going down. Now one would think that if you have fewer seats to sell you'd be able to charge more for those remaining. But while scarcity pricing works in most other industries, it appears not to in air travel. The airlines park planes in the desert, but fares stay the same on most routes or go down (depending on which statistics you believe, average ticketed fares have fallen about 20 percent this year compared to last, far more than prices have dived in most other industries). So why is there insufficient demand for air travel?

Continue reading Why people aren't flying. (Hint: It's not just the fares)

Why people aren't flying. (Hint: It's not just the fares) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfareairfarewatchdogairlineairplanebudget-travelflygeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaFri, 23 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Welcome to the first airline-owned restaurant!]]>http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/21/welcome-to-the-first-airline-owned-restaurant/http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/21/welcome-to-the-first-airline-owned-restaurant/http://www.gadling.com/2009/09/21/welcome-to-the-first-airline-owned-restaurant/#commentsFiled under: ,

Airfarewatchdog visited recently a new restaurant in our neighborhood and boy were we surprised at what we saw on the menu.

That's right, diners! This restaurant is under new management! At Trans Air Airlines, we sure weren't making money flying people places, so we thought what the heck, why not try the fine dining business to earn some "ancillary revenue" as we like to call it. While you're waiting for your server to take your order, please enjoy reading about this exciting new concept!

First of all, we'll now be giving discounts if you buy your meal online in advance of your visit. If you must cancel your reservation, we will provide a refund, minus a $100 "service fee" ($250 for foreign-sounding menu items, such as Coq au Vin). If you have commenced your meal but cannot finish it for any reason, there are no refunds. This applies, for example, if you choke on a fishbone, turn blue, and collapse face first into the mashed sweet potatoes.

And although we aim for exemplary service (we are Trans Air, after all), please be advised that from time to time, due to circumstances beyond our control or any other Force Majeure event (that's a French term meaning "anything we refuse to take responsibility for"), we reserve the right to cancel your meal without notice. Or we may substitute an entrée of our choosing, say, the Steak and Frites a la Nonstop ($17.95 plus meals tax, sales tax, Federal meals excise tax, city kitchen inspection fee, electricity surcharge, and whatever other fees we can dream up now or in the future) with the Connection Burger ($7.95) or any other meal of our choice. As per our policy, in the event of such substitution you will receive a refund for any price difference, minus a "service fee" (see above). Meal delivery times are also not guaranteed, although delays of more than six hours are uncommon. Unfortunately, we require that you remain at your table while waiting.

Continue reading Welcome to the first airline-owned restaurant!

Welcome to the first airline-owned restaurant! originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>airfarewatchdogairlineairline feesAirlineFeesairplanebudget-travelfeesgeorge hobicaGeorgeHobicaMon, 21 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST