Apr 27th, 2013 at 10:00AM: The big news in the travel industry this week was that United and US Airways raised the cost of changing tickets from $150 to $200. This means that if you need to change your ticket for any reason prior to departure, whether you got stuck in traffic on the way to the airport or your pet goldfish died, you're going to have to pay a little bit more.
Gouging? Probably. Expected? Definitely. As ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
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How To Deal With The Ridiculous New Airline Change Fees
Apr 27th, 2013 at 10:00AM: The big news in the travel industry this week was that United and US Airways raised the cost of changing tickets from $150 to $200. This means that if you need to change your ticket for any reason prior to departure, whether you got stuck in traffic on the way to the airport or your pet goldfish died, you're going to have to pay a little bit more.
Gouging? Probably. Expected? Definitely. As ...Sneaky And Insane International Air Fees To Avoid
Apr 21st, 2013 at 3:00PM: Sure, no one likes to pay luggage fees. But $800 for an oversize bag? That's the international air fee from Lufthansa for a checked bag that weighs in between 73 and 100 pounds. Over 62 inches? Those jumbo bags are $800 too. Lufthansa ranks at the top of the list for fees on international flights, but they are in no way the only airline standing by with sky-high fees.
"The flying experience has ...Fees And Penalties Waived By Travel Companies: Nice Or Strategic Move?
Dec 9th, 2012 at 4:00PM:
Frequent travelers know that fees and penalties happen when we change plans. Booked elements of a travel plan, especially when discounted, often carry heavy charges to prevent changes. But when major disruptive events happen – situations beyond our control that force plans to be modified – travel companies often waive those fees. It seems like a logical, good business move to make. ...Budget Justice: How To Survive On Spirit Airlines
Dec 4th, 2012 at 9:00AM: Like many others, I operate on a shoestring budget, more often than not, out of stubbornness. I prefer to call it budget justice, a principle of savings that guides people like me to needlessly circle the block for a free parking space only to miss the event that got me into my car in the first place, or, worse yet, to time and time again book flights on Spirit Airlines, the ultra low-cost carrier ...Airline Fees: You Get What You Pay For Or Weapons In Travel Class Warfare?
Jun 29th, 2012 at 1:00PM: Last month, the media was abuzz over increased airline fees for pre-assigned seating, with many concerned that it would especially affect families who want to sit together for no additional cost. Even New York Senator Chuck Schumer got involved, asking airlines to waive fees for families traveling with children. Rather than look for victims or call airlines "anti-family," however, look at the ...Breaking: Delta to refund taxes collected during FAA shutdown
Aug 1st, 2011 at 3:02PM: There was hope and outcry last week after news broke that as part of its partial shutdown, the FAA wouldn't be collecting the fees that it assesses against domestic airline tickets. Looking forward to a tax holiday, many travelers started searching for tickets only minutes after the tax break went into effect -- only to learn that airlines had raised their ticket prices to wipe out any savings -- ...Airline fees are worth more than Facebook
Jun 13th, 2011 at 3:30PM:
Outside the travel world, everyone's marveling at the prospect of a Facebook IPO, which could be valued at as much as $100 billion. So, what are we missing while we fawn over Mark Zuckerberg's creation? How about the slow, stodgy, ugly airline industry. Known for a painful user experience and a steady decline of free features, the likes of Delta and American Airlines are outdoing the hottest ...Ask Gadling: You missed your flight
Nov 10th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
Even in this day and age of flight delays and cancellations, it's always not the airline's fault that you miss your flight. It happens: you oversleep, get stuck in traffic, or just run late on the way to the airport and miss your flight. A few months ago, my husband and I were heading out of Istanbul for the weekend and because of unusually long security lines and non-functional check-in kiosks, ...Flying Wizz Air, European low-cost airline
Sep 13th, 2010 at 10:00AM:
I just flew with Wizz Air, a major budget airline in Europe whose name and stunts I had previously only snickered over. It turns out in addition to offering low fares across Europe, they are also the largest carrier in Hungary (at least according to Wizz, Malev Hungarian would beg to differ) and a major player in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria. Last week I traveled to Bulgaria (look for some ...Hidden airline fees under attack, industry pushing back
Sep 8th, 2010 at 2:00PM: It isn't so much the airline fees that are being targeted these days: it's the extent to which they are hidden. Three advocacy groups are pushing for airlines to do a better job of disclosing how they'll nail passengers for extra cash. So, a battle of paper is emerging. On one side, advocates are pushing a petition to get airlines to open the kimono a bit more. And on the other, airlines are ...Southwest wins on bet against extra fees
Aug 1st, 2010 at 5:00PM: How did Southwest score its recent record revenue? Well, it could be because it isn't jacking up fees for all the extras. The decision to do business the old fashion way seems to have been good for a quarterly profit of $112 million and may provide a good reason for other airlines to reconsider these unpopular measures.
In a roundup of coverage on the airline's quarterly financial results, USA ...Airline fees: Please don't lie, don't be moronic
Jul 9th, 2010 at 9:00AM: As much as you may hate ancillary fees on airlines, they're clearly making a difference. The nickel-and-diming of the average passenger was good for a whopping $7.8 billion last year ... up 42 percent from 2008. Airlines are making serious cash on inconvenient fees, which means they aren't going away. The coming travel market recovery (look for it in 2011) will put more asses in seats and, of ...Hotels explore a la carte pricing
Jun 13th, 2010 at 12:00PM: We've spent plenty of electrons over the past two years griping about the almost comstantly arising airline fees. Paying to check bags, get blankets and so on has become part of the misery that comes with getting on a plane these days. Meanwhile, the hospitality industry managed to stay above the fray. The same pressures affecting the airlines came to bear on hotels, as well. And, the constraints ...Germany bans Ryanair from charging credit card fees
May 21st, 2010 at 10:00AM: Ryanair has been handed a nasty blow to its business model in Germany when their federal court banned the budget airline from charging credit card fees on flight reservations.
The case was brought against Ryanair by the German consumer protection agency who complained about the fee. Every ticket booked for Ryanair flights comes with an additional fee, varying between $2 and $5, and there is no ...Fees passengers hate actually make sense
Mar 13th, 2010 at 4:00PM: I honestly don't have much of a problem with all the extra fees being tacked on by airlines. They have an obligation to their shareholders to deliver results: it's a fact of life. And, realistically, they don't do us any good if they can't afford to put planes in the air. But, I suspect I'm in the minority on this one. A recent online poll by Airfarewatchdog.com sought to learn which fee ...Expedia drops telephone booking fees
Nov 5th, 2009 at 3:30PM: There is a bit of a war going on between the various large online travel sites. They are battling each other to see who can provide the best service, with the lowest fees. Of course, this war really only has one winner - consumers.
This morning, Expedia announced the removal of all telephone booking fees for trips booked through their service. This may not sound like a very important change, ...50% of air travelers will fly with the flu to avoid a fee
Oct 24th, 2009 at 11:30AM: I'm a one of the those people who always seems to get sick after a long plane ride. A few days post-trip, I suddenly get a runny nose, sore throat and all the other telltale signs of a cold, most likely contracted from a sick passenger. Usually it's minor, and I'm out of commission for only a few days.
I guess I've just been lucky that it hasn't been the flu, because, according to a recent ...The $10 airline peak "surcharge" is here to stay
Oct 7th, 2009 at 2:30PM:
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Last week, we reported on a new money making scheme concocted by the airlines. In a nutshell, they are raising fares by $10 on the busiest days of the year. The scheme started as a fee from one airline on three days around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then other ...United to try checked luggage buffet
Oct 6th, 2009 at 4:00PM: Do you always travel with two bags to check? Some people don't travel light, and they know that, in this new world of airline fees, they're going to have to stomach an extra charge as a result. Under a new United Airlines plan, you'll be able to "subscribe" to extra bag privileges. Instead of paying $20 for the first bag checked and $30 for the next one, you can shell out $249, buffet-style, and ...British Airways offers free companion fare
Oct 1st, 2009 at 2:30PM: Fly on British Airways between now and January 29, 2010 and you could earn a free companion fare for your next flight.
To get the free ticket, you need to sign up for the Executive Club (which is free) and take a round-trip flight to any one of the 300 destinations to which the airline flies. Then, book another ticket January 4 to July 30, 2010 for travel January 11 to December 15, 2010. You'll ...
