Severe air turbulence causes severe injury to passengers. Follow my four easy-to-use rules that protect you during severe turmoil. Last week, Delta Air Lines Flight 175 traveled from Milan, Italy, to Atlanta, Georgia. The Airbus A350 was about 40 miles from Atlanta...
Should passengers pay for services not delivered — namely checked baggage fees? This column was taken from a set of comments presented by Travelers United to DOT regarding an NPRM for refunding checked-baggage fees. The comments show why airlines must deliver their...
Not a penny goes to travelers for tarmac delays. Here’s a dirty little secret about the Department of Transportation’s record $4.1 million fine against American Airlines for violating the tarmac delay rule, announced with great fanfare yesterday: Not a penny goes to...
All travelers should use these practical travel safety rules and avoid the painful travel scams outlined below. This summer, I’ve heard from readers about scams and problems they’ve encountered. They are not following practical travel safety rules. The...
Watch out for mandatory destination fees and other creative surcharges. Robert Kraus encountered the worst junk fee ever on a recent visit to Washington, D.C. That’s when his hotel added a surprise $20 “Daily Mandatory Destination Charge” to his...
The first airline surcharges for fuel appeared in 2003. At that time, oil had spiked to over $40 a barrel. Today, oil is in the $80 a barrel range. The original fuel surcharges were in the $10 range. Today, three things are true — and none benefit consumers — but...
Established airspace has accommodated space travel for decades. Drones and flying cars, not so long. FAA, NASA, and the military have been working for decades on the development of rockets. Big military drones have been used for more than a decade to provide distant...
With record-high temperatures across the globe, it’s more important than ever to take precautions to stay safe and healthy during excessive heat wave travel. Last month, the average global temperature broke records. This is, whether in the US or Europe, heat...
Here’s help to convince your traveling companion to join you with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership so your travel can be easier and less time-consuming when you travel together. Recently, a friend asked me what I would suggest to get his wife to finally...
Wildfires are still burning on Maui, and the death toll is climbing. What can those who love Maui do? We have been flooded with questions such as, “What can those who love Maui do?” For those who have planned vacations in the immediate future, the answer...
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.
