Archive for the 'Angry Traveler' Category
Fliers like Alaska and JetBlue, but airline customer satisfaction falls
June 30, 2009 8:01am
Baggage and other fees frustrate us, and pricey tickets make us petulant. In fact, the flying public is so annoyed that satisfaction with airlines fell for the third year in a row, hitting a four-year nadir, a new survey found.
Blame it on the economy.
“Twenty-nine percent of overall satisfaction is driven by pricing and costing,” said Paula Sonkin, vice president for travel and real estate industries for J.D. Power and Associates, the company in Westlake Village that released the report today. “Given the economy and the fact that 29% is the cost and all the fees… it’s not surprising that satisfaction went down again.”
But there are bright spots. Based on a 1,000-point scale, among traditional carriers, Alaska has become a flier favorite, scoring 671, followed by Continental (669). And JetBlue (750) continues to be the low-cost darling, with Southwest and WestJet close behind (both at 736).
Customers found much to love about these carriers, including the flight crew (Alaska), in-flight services (Continental), the aircraft (JetBlue) and costs and fees (Southwest).
The Titanic Awards reveal the world’s worst in travel
May 19, 2009 5:01pm
Who do you think has the world’s worst national cuisine? I said Lithuania, but Doug Lansky, author of ”The Titanic Awards,” to be published by Peigree/Penguin and released in spring 2010, said consensus revealed that travelers disliked their meals from the U.K. the most. On the Web, Lansky, who has written several books, including the “Signspotting” series for Lonely Planet, has already started taking nominees for the world’s worst in travel.
Take the survey: Who has the world’s rudest flight attendants, dirtiest beaches, most dangerous country roads, even the worst architecture? Speak your mind by taking this quick and easy survey. Sure, the long list of obscure countries might make a person who takes an international trip every year still feel a bit under-experienced - but Lansky says that skipping questions (there’s a blank space at the top of the list) is totally natural.
In a nutshell, the Titanic Awards are the Darwin Awards for travel — only nobody dies.
Finding recourse for broken promises
April 16, 2009 9:05am
On the Spot by L.A. Times Travel editor Catharine Hamm
Question: In June 2006, my family and I went on a cruise to Alaska. When we were in Anchorage, we bought several pieces of artwork at a local gallery. One of the pieces needed some work, and it was supposed to be shipped to me in six months. After six months, I called the gallery and was told that it was not ready. It’s now been more than three years, and I’m still waiting for the artwork. I don’t want to sue. I just want my money back or some artwork worth $6,500, which is how much I paid for it.
– Narcisa Kiner, Santa Clarita
Airline code-sharing results in unforeseen baggage fees
January 1, 2009 6:00am
On the Spot by L.A. Times Travel editor Catharine Hamm
Question: I booked my family of four on an Alaska Airlines flight operated by American Airlines. Alaska does not charge for checking the first bag, but American did charge me ($120 total). Alaska has washed its hands of these charges. Can you help?
–John Volo, Huntington Beach
On the Spot: Does a family deserve a ticket refund when a child dies?
December 26, 2008 11:50am
On the Spot by L.A. Times Travel Editor Catharine Hamm
[Read On the Spot in 2008: A year of your travel questions answered]
Question: In the spring I booked two sets of flights: One on United Airlines to Europe for my husband, 11-year-old daughter and me and a second trip on AirTran from LAX to Atlanta for the three of us and for my 27-year-old daughter (who was traveling from Denver on the same dates and times to meet us in Atlanta). Both sets of tickets were nonrefundable.
My older daughter became ill in May and died eight weeks later. Obviously, losing a child is devastating, and we had and have no desire to travel anywhere.
When I contacted United, even though my deceased daughter was not on our itinerary, within two weeks, I received a complete refund. AirTran, on the other hand, refunded my deceased daughter’s airfare but not ours. I was told I had one year to use the tickets and they would not, under any circumstances, give me a refund. Can you help?
–Maggie Jacobs, West Hills
Who’s to blame when there’s an unwanted charge for extra frequent flier miles?
December 10, 2008 2:47pm
On the Spot by Catharine Hamm
I recently traveled round trip from LAX to Washington, D.C., on United. United told me I could print my boarding pass and pay the baggage fee online. I did that, but as I was making my selection, I had to opt out of several costly offers. When I returned from Washington, I asked the hotel concierge to print the boarding pass and pay the baggage fee. When I got home, I noticed that one of the pages the concierge printed was an acceptance of a $137 charge for United’s Award Accelerator, which increases the value of flier miles. I called United’s customer service reps, but they refused to cancel the charge. Can I get my $137 back?
MaryAnne Smith, Irvine
Answer: Yes, but not because there are clear-cut good guys and bad guys here.
Does it bother you that the travel industry is getting laughed at?
August 6, 2008 12:04pm
On Monday night, Jay Leno used the new miscellaneous airline fees as part of his monologue. He poked fun at U.S. Airways for charging passengers for water, JetBlue for charging for pillows and blankets and Delta for their second-bag price hike to $50. It was hilarious when Leno said, “People are just going to be wearing all their clothes as they travel. People getting on the plane with six pairs of underpants, three pairs of shorts. Everybody will just be waddling up to the plane,” but in reality, is it funny at all?
Yesterday, when American Airlines Flight 31 had to make an emergency landing, someone used Fark to make a joke that passengers would probably be charged $10 to be evacuated.
Why are travelers being hit so hard and when do we consider it below the belt?
Wireless hotspot provider Boingo wants you to turn to them for a little pain relief. They are offering discounted Wi-Fi day passes as aspirin. [Updated 5:25 p.m.: The original version of this post said the passes were free.]
Cheap car rental deal gone bad: What’s your nightmare?
July 22, 2008 10:46am
Remember how I was telling you about this great car rental deal that I found with Ace Rent a Car? Well, like most things you think are too good to be true — and are — my car rental deal turned out to be just that: too good to be true. Why I didn’t smell the signs, I don’t know. I think I was too blinded by the cheapo price. Nonetheless, I want to pass on my hard-earned wisdom so it doesn’t happen to you.
Deal I thought I had: In my post, “Unacceptable car rental rates - tips for getting a deal” I found a deal with Ace Rent a Car that included 10 days of car rental for only $264. It had taken me a while to find it, but the big name car rental brands were over $700 for the same dates.
What really happened: I had made the reservation for 4 p.m. I got into SFO and took the train to the car rental office where I called them for further shuttle instructions. This was about 5:15-5:30 p.m. The man who answered said that my car had been given away since I didn’t turn up at 4 p.m. and that I should have called him immediately when I knew I wasn’t going to arrive on time. I was appalled but then I thought – is this why they don’t take any money up front?
Angry traveler: In a nation of whiners, should airlines join the chorus?
July 11, 2008 1:35pm
Former Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas has said we’re a “nation of whiners.”
Others have suggested that the 12 CEOs of major airlines who this week signed a letter asking consumers’ help on the question of oil speculation belong to that class.
I’m not so sure.
On Wednesday, Northwest Airlines announced it was adding a $15 fee for the first checked bag. It joins several other airlines, including LAX biggies United and American, in adding the fee. Northwest also increased its fee for booking a frequent-flier ticket to $150 — you know, the tickets that are supposed to reward you for being loyal.
Northwest says these two measures, along with an increase in ticket change fees ($50 domestic and as much as $150 internationally) will generate as much as $300 million in revenues.
Now I’m no fan of the airlines. They jerk us around, giving us things such as more legroom (remember when American removed seats to make us more comfortable?), meals (remember when you had not only a meal but a choice of entrees?) and in-flight entertainment (US Airways announced this week that its 500-pound in-flight movie system would disappear on domestic flights because it weighs too much and uses fuel) and take them away.
Unless you’re a short person who doesn’t eat much and finds himself endlessly amusing, modern air travel probably isn’t your cup of tea.
Angry Traveler: Use SIR, with love
June 28, 2008 1:00pm
“If your brat doesn’t stop kicking my seat, I’m gonna deck him and you.”
“Get your lousy hands off my seat back, you moron.”
“Will you shut your trap? I want to sleep, and I don’t need to spend time making so-called conversation with someone who obviously didn’t get past the third grade.”
I’ve never actually said these things. I’ve been tempted, though. I bet anybody who travels, especially by air, has been.
Maybe it’s because we’ve never “rude proofed” ourselves.
That’s the premise of a great new book by P.M. Forni, founder of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University. Forni is a professor of Italian literature, but his writings on behavior are so world-class that I keep hoping he’ll leave Alighieri and Eco to others.
He has followed up “Choosing Civility” with “The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude,” an engaging tome that begins with “Eight Rules for a Civil Life.”
As with “any kind of medical situation, it’s better to prevent the situation than to try to cure it,” he said in an interview this week. “That’s why I spent a considerable amount of pages [explaining how] you can be that kind of person people are less likely to be rude to.”
