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It's Still Possible to Save on Airfare . . . After Booking
You've done your homework on plane fares, but, when seeing the cost begin to climb, panic and purchase. Two hours later, the price is back down again even lower than before. I feel your pain, but don't slam your keyboard and give up.
I'm Asking: Would You Pay For Advanced Seat Assignments?
Ahh, remember when you booked a plane ticket and that was the last time you took out your wallet? I sure do, but with all the standard à la carte charges now, there are only so many potential fees left — like picking out seats?
Earlier this month, British Airways announced a charge ($16 and up) to book seats in advance, up to 355 days whether you're riding in first or business classes .
How Airlines Could Jam 50% More Passengers on Planes
Most of you were pretty baffled when China's Spring Airlines announced it was considering selling standing-room seats on its planes, and the newest news in air travel might be just as jarring. British design company Design Q has come up with a concept it estimates would allow for a 50 percent increase in the number of passengers on board.
The design consists of rows of passengers sitting sideways and facing each other, instead of staring at the seat back in front of you.
Twitter Your Airline Complaints While Traveling
There are plenty of savvy ways to use Twitter — and some not-so-savvy ways — but new uses for the social networking tool spring up every day. According to an article in The New York Times, Twitter is quickly becoming an effective way to get a company’s attention when you’ve had an unpleasant customer experience.
Since any complaint on Twitter can quickly go viral, sometimes a disgruntled tweet can get you more attention than a call to customer service — especially when you’re traveling and don’t have time to sit on hold.
I’m Asking: Will You Travel This Year?
The recession has put a huge dent in the demand for air travel, and consequently, airline ticket deals seem to be getting better every week. Still, experts predict airlines will suffer empty seats this Spring as travelers opt to stay home or take a staycation instead of expensive trips.
Will you be cashing in on your vacation days and joining the ranks of consumers who are still dishing out funds for travel, or do you plan to sit tight at home and rely on exotic foods to cure your wanderlust?
Thinking of Taking a Trip? Some Airline Tickets Are on Sale
While most airlines have supersized their ticket prices to cover rising fuel costs others have begun to reduce rates on certain routes in an attempt to bump up demand. The New York Times put together a sale list that highlights bargains that could spark a little wanderlust in any homebody. The best deals include:
- American Airlines and its affiliate, American Eagle, have been offering some low fares to the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Mexico and Bermuda.
American Airlines Pulls Out of Some Price Comparison Sites
American Airlines' Internet presence will be reduced when, on August 1, its fares disappear from a couple of the most popular travel comparison websites. According to Budget Travel, American's fares will no longer be included in search results on Kayak.com and Sidestep.com, but they'll continue to appear on Mobissimo (has anyone ever used that site?) and Farecast.
There's some speculation — backed by a comment from Kayak's CEO Steve Hafner on a related Techcrunch post — that American wanted the site to stray from its proconsumer philosophy by suppressing search results from competing sites.
New Trend In Air Travel? Airport Kiosks Want Us to Be Thirsty
With less Americans able to afford faraway Summer vacations and more people dismissing flying for other means of travel, it seems the airport economy is affected beyond the struggling airlines. While traveling over the weekend I was alerted to a subtle change in airport kiosk protocol — purchasing a magazine prompted cashiers to suggestively sell me something additional.
It’s been common practice to ask a customer, “Will that be all?” when she approaches to pay for her items.
News Flash: Boarding Passes As Billboards
Now that we can briskly check into flights online, airlines are capitalizing by selling ad space on our boarding passes. Several major airlines have signed onto the plan and hope proceeds will help counteract the cost of fuel.
The ads will feature destination-related information like weather, attractions, and restaurants, and passengers will be given the option of printing their boarding passes without the advertisements.
Brilliant or Baffling: Mini Motel
Generosity on behalf of airlines is no longer common practice, meaning less airlines are giving away hotel vouchers for canceled overnight flights. Stranded passengers can either book themselves a nearby room or post up in the airport for the night.
Frank Giotto was inspired to find a better sleep solution for unfortunate travelers spending restless nights in the airport.
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