Air Traffic Control safety funds proposed by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Now, it goes to the Senate. $15 billion is appropriated to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Air Traffic Control safety funds. Following several...
Here are three reasons why a weather-delay makes schedules @#%*!+$# A client emailed me in a cranky mood. His plane to San Francisco was stuck in a weather delay for two hours, and then was sitting on the tarmac in Newark for over an hour. He was a victim of...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspects travelers’ laptops and cellphones when they enter the U.S. I have five tips to maintain digital privacy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been inspecting U.S. citizens’ and international...
When an airline does not provide service or if refunds are not provided, use DOT’s Web form. During the pandemic, Travelers United fielded hundreds of complaints. I personally told travelers that if they wanted action they should complain to the Department of...
Is it stealing from your hotel room when you take pens and bath amenities? What about robes and towels? When Lynn Culver checks into a property, she helps herself to the soaps and shampoos in her room. If housekeeping replaces the items, she takes the new ones, too....
Ancillary airline fees must be disclosed during the buying process to make the free market work. This talk was given in November 2013 before IATA’s World Passenger Conference (to which no passengers seem to be invited to attend) held in Dublin, Ireland. The post...
Your hotel room is a reason travel agents matter. They are the key to the magic of hotel human touch. When travelers check into hotels, they usually expect the hotel to have their name, credit card information, and bedding request. And their frequent guest membership...
Want hotel room safety? An unmarried woman was traveling for work. At a Marriott, while she was sleeping, a male stranger came into her room. She assumed hotel room safety. What’s crazy about the incident is it wasn’t a mistake. Apparently, a man went to...
We need common airline flight credit rules for airfare refunds and flight credit protection. The refund issue has been screwed up for consumers since the beginning. It is a major issue with more than $10 billion in outstanding flight credits, estimated by the Wall...
The long-haul flight between Doha, Qatar, and Auckland, New Zealand, is one of the longest in the world. It seems to never end and crosses 10 time zones in 16 hours. How do you choose the right airline for a long-haul flight like that? It’s not an abstract...
These accomplishments have been achieved by working closely with our members, national media, the travel industry, the Department of Transportation (DOT), Congress and many other agencies.
– Removal of restaurant fees from DC area eateries — this is an ongoing project
– Creation of DOT Dashboard to outline consumer rights after cancellation of a flight
– Bi-partisan bill to eliminate hotel resort fees introduced into House of Representatives
– Creation of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections
– Advertised airfares now include airfare plus, mandatory taxes and fees
– Lost/damaged/delayed luggage compensation limit increased to $3,800
– Passengers have 24 hours to change or cancel their nonrefundable tickets without penalty
– Once an airfare is purchased, that airfare and ancillary fees cannot be increased
– Families flying together act passed by Congress that requires family members 13 years of age and younger to sit with other family members at no additional cost.
