Tag Archives: air travel

Cracking Down on Carry-Ons

Weeks ago when American Airlines announced it would be charging passengers $15 to check in their first piece of luggage (and $25 for the second bag) every travel analyst in the country echoed the same comment: Beware of an impending crack down on carry ons. Sure enough a few days ago American Airlines announced it will be clamping down on the size of carry-ons (and you can bet other carriers will follow suit in a timely manner). American is the first airline to issue a statement regarding carry-ons. According to an American spokesperson, the airline usually adds extra staff during … Continue reading →

Taking to the Skies this Summer? Don’t Forget Your Wallet

And don’t forget to fill it with wads of green… you are going to need it if you want to quench your thirst, have a snack, or use the bathroom. I’m kidding about the last one, but at the rate that airlines are assessing additional fees for drinks, pretzels and luggage these days could paying to use an airplane’s lavatory really be that far off? If you are taking to the skies this summer you might want to review the following fee changes recently implement by various carriers throughout the United States. Then pack your wallet accordingly. US Airways In … Continue reading →

More Bad News for Cash Strapped Flyers

Well, I guess this means I have to stop picking on American Airlines. On Thursday United Airlines announced it plans to join American and charge passengers $15 for a first checked bag. American set the precedent for the charge and now it appears baggage fees are becoming an unavoidable part of U.S. air travel. First, it was the $25 charge for checking a second bag now this $15 fee for the first bag… before you know it U.S. carriers will be charging travelers for each carry-on they lug on board planes. Blame it on the record fuel prices they say. … Continue reading →

Say Good Bye to Free Pretzels and Peanuts

Can the airline industry really do anything more to shock us? I’m afraid to ask. And I don’t really need to given US Airways latest announcement. One travel analyst referred to it as the “ultimate cost-cutting move,” yet somehow I am not at all surprised that US Airways has decided to eliminate free snacks in coach class on all its domestic flights. The new rule went into effect on Sunday the same day the carrier matched last week’s fare hikes by United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The increases are from $10 to $60 per round trip and … Continue reading →

Baby Born at 37,000 Feet

People living in Northern Canada could have never known what was going on in the skies above their homes last week while they were eating dinner. A female passenger on a Korean Air Lines flight was giving birth to a baby. According to reports, Jadan Brown was delivered last Wednesday by his father Larry, an emergency medical worker, and a Korean surgeon who happened to be onboard the flight from the Philippines to New York City. Isn’t it amazing that whenever a major medical emergency occurs on a flight (major enough to make headlines, anyway) that a doctor, nurse or … Continue reading →

Fighting Back—Disgruntled Passenger Sues Airline for $1 Million

If I were a lawyer I might have done the same. Possibly. In a move that should come as no surprise to any passenger who has experienced a travel nightmare courtesy of a commercial airline, a New York lawyer just announced that he is suing Delta Air Lines for $1 million. According to court documents, Richard Roth claims that the carrier ruined his family’s vacation by leaving them stranded in an airport for days and treating them like second-class citizens. Roth, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of himself and his mother, said he planned a Christmas 2007 trip to … Continue reading →

More New Airline Fees

Okay, now I’ve heard everything. By now you know that American Airlines is charging passengers $15 to check in a single piece of luggage (and $25 for the second) on flights. And I’m sure you are well aware that most airlines are now charging more for extra legroom in their cabins and that the price of food and beverages is going up too. Well, now you’ll also have to dig deeper if you want to bring antlers on board Frontier Airlines. Yes, you read right—antlers. As in antlers that are normally connected to an animal’s head. Frontier Airlines (which, by … Continue reading →

Mere Mortals Aren’t the Only Ones Who Get Delayed

Here’s a refreshing note on the state of flight delays: Apparently even the giants of professional basketball are not immune to travel inconveniences. According to ESPN, after their series-clinching win in the NBA Western Conference semifinals Monday night, the San Antonio Spurs had hoped to fly to Los Angeles immediately after the game to get ready for the next playoff round against the Lakers… only fate had different plans for the team. Turns out the Spurs experienced something we mere mortals face on an ongoing basis when flying the not-always friendly skies—a delay. The team was reportedly forced to spend … Continue reading →

Freaky Flight Attendant Starts Fire on Plane

Talk about a disgruntled worker. Be happy you weren’t on this flight: A Compass Airlines jet carrying 72 passengers and four crewmembers was forced to make an emergency landing in Fargo, North Dakota last week when an angry flight attendant deliberately set a fire in the plane’s restroom. Luckily no injuries were reported, but those on board the flight said the incident led to some very frightening moments. According to news reports, Eder Rojas, a 19-year-old flight attendant with Compass, was allegedly upset about his work schedule so he decided to set the plane on fire. But he only partially … Continue reading →

How Do You NOT Know When Your Child has Gone Missing at an Airport?

A real life version of the big screen hit “Home Alone” took place in Canada on Monday and despite hearing the story multiple times I still don’t see how a 23-month-old boy could be “inadvertently” left behind in a gigantic airport. So here’s the deal: According to The Vancouver Sun, a family immigrating to Canada from the Philippines claims the mix-up occurred during a last minute scramble to a catch their plane. Jun Parreno, the boy’s father, told the paper he, his wife and the tot’s two grandparents were desperately trying to make their connecting flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg … Continue reading →