Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Does traveling (or living) well have to mean spending a lot of money?

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

splashing-in-the-sea.jpeg
(credit: notsogoodphotography)

We read the Frugal Traveler section of the New York Times from time to time, though frugality is not something all our members are familiar with. But today’s article about spending a weekend in Rio de Janeiro for less than $100 sounded like a lot of fun. The kind of fun you might miss if you spent $2,000 instead.

In this case, the writer has an amazing experience for less than a Benjamin because he’s open to new (and potentially uncomfortable) experiences. So why not make it a point to travel the road less recently paved now and then?

Think about what you really want. Is spending the only way to get it? Is brand-name really worth more to you than generic? Can you see as much of a new city from a high-rise as you can from the street?

Now take a look at your Spend page – what do you spend most of your money on? Is that what makes you happy?

Airlines Busy Inventing New Perks for Spendy Travelers

Sunday, March 13th, 2011


(photo credit: Richard Moross)

Don’t worry; you don’t have to pay to use the lavatory. Yet.

  • It seems like the airline industry has been struggling financially forever. But it’s never been as obvious as it is today, when most carriers are charging $30 for an extra carry-on bag and eliminating complimentary meals.
  • The main source of these fees is the steady increase in fuel prices airlines have seen in recent years. But with every new charge comes with a new disgruntled customer.
  • Now, instead of taking away amenities that used to be included in the price of a ticket, airlines are coming up with new services to sell to travelers. More of an “added value” approach than a cost-cutting spree.
  • Flyers willing to shell out can board the plane early, get a seat with extra legroom, or splurge on a champagne brunch – yes, even in coach.

Facts & Figures

  • Airlines increased their prices six times in the first two months of 2011
  • Fees for things like extra carry-on bags and snacks accounted for 5% of all industry revenue in 2010 – that’s $22 billion

>> What do you think?

Hotel Owners Not Sure About Online Review Sites

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Well, that’s not entirely true. Hoteliers with happy customers are reaping the benefits of increasingly visible recommendations. But not every hotel has happy customers…

  • The popular hotel review resource TripAdvisor.com is facing lawsuits from hotels claiming the site is bad for their businesses.
  • Anyone can post an anonymous review of a hotel on the site. TripAdvisor argues that this makes for the most honest reviews, but opponents say it creates a protected space for libel and defamation. Sites like TripAdvisor are usually exempt from these accusations because they just publish reviews – they don’t write or edit them.
  • TripAdvisor typically doesn’t remove old or inflammatory reviews, but it does allow hotel owners to post responses to negative reviews. In response to the popularity and influence of these review sites, consulting firms have sprung up promising to monitor and control online customer feedback.

Facts & Figures

  • There are 35 million hotel reviews on TripAdvisor.com.
  • TripAdvisor was sued in 2009 over a review that claimed the owner of a hotel restaurant was seen buying drinks for a prostitute.
  • Revinate, a San Francisco image protection firm, charges hotels hundreds of dollars a month to track online reviews.

Best Quote

“We have pretty happy customers, so something like TripAdvisor works in our favor.” – Niki Leondakis, President and CEO of Klimpton Hotels

Holiday Airfares Rebounding From 2009

Monday, October 18th, 2010

The airline industry hasn’t had it easy in many, many years. But now that things are starting to look up in the economy, airlines are happily finding themselves with more paying customers paying more for their tickets.

  • The airline industry is finally recovering from the blows dealt by 9/11 and the global economic crisis… which means higher ticket prices for everyone.
  • This holiday season – the biggest travel season of the year – customers can expect to see fare increases of 7% to 18% over last year’s prices.
  • Because many travelers have been avoiding flying to save money, recent optimism about the economy is catapulting them back into airports. At the same time, airlines haven’t increased the number of routes or planes in their fleets.

Facts & Figures

  • The airline industry lost $58 billion between 2001 and 2009.
  • For the first time in 10 years, 86.3% of all available seats were filled on major airlines in June.
  • An estimated 41 million Americans will fly this November and December.

Best Quote

“It’s all about supply and demand. When people want to travel, it’s going to be more expensive.” – Tim Smith, Spokesman for American Airlines

Air Travelers Pump Up The Crankiness

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

See? Someone is listening.

  • The Department of Transportation received 8,797 complaints about airlines from consumers this year. That’s 32% more than last year.
  • This sharp increase in complaints is strange, since airline performance doesn’t seem to have decreased since last year. Planes are taking off more or less on time and keeping customers in their seats. This year’s complaint levels are at about the same level as in 2008. Airline service improved in 2009, resulting in fewer complaints.
  • The DOT explains that this year’s spike may be a side effect of an easier online complaint tool. Airlines blame bad weather. Customers blame the airlines. They say that when problems do arise, customer service is bad at best and hostile at worst.

Facts & Figures

  • Delta was the target of the most DOT complaints this year.
  • Complaints about airlines’ failure to provide alternate transportation have increased 82% this year.
  • “Misinformation” complaints have jumped 70%.

Best Quote

“This was so egregiously outrageous.” – Patti Sachs, burned United Airlines customer

Solar Powered Plane Spends More Than A Day In The Air

Friday, July 9th, 2010

Solar power supporters are jumping for joy as a solar powered plane accomplishes the impossible…

  • On July 8, an experimental solar powered plane completed its first flight lasting more than 24 hours, marking a huge milestone in solar energy technology.
  • The plane, called the Solar Impulse, was piloted by André Borschberg. The plane gets its power from thousands of solar cells that absorb energy projected by the sun and store it so that the plane can continue its flight after dark.
  • The initial goal of the project was to prove that a plane of airliner-size could successfully stay aloft indefinitely by recharging its batteries each night. With the success of the Solar Impulse, the project’s founders hope to eventually create a plane that can circumnavigate the world using solar power.

Facts & Figures

  • The Solar Impulse weighs 3,500 pounds.
  • Total flight time was 26 hours and 9 minutes.
  • During the flight, the Solar Impulse reached a maximum speed of 78 miles per hour.

Best Quote

“I’ve been a pilot for 40 years now, but this flight has been the most incredible one of my flying career. Just sitting there and watching the battery charge level rise and rise thanks to the sun. I have just flown more than 26 hours without using a drop of fuel and without causing any pollution.” – André Bourschberg, Pilot

Why do you have to declare what you bought when you go through customs?

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

Customs can be confusing, tiresome, and tedious – and that’s before you reach the hour-long line at JFK. Before getting off the plane (or crossing the border from Mexico) you’ll have to fill out a customs form detailing exactly what you bought and how much it cost. What’s the point though? And why does the government care?

The U.S. government isn’t actually interested in whether you are bringing jeans or a pair of shorts back – it cares that you are bringing something back. Just like people can’t freely enter the country, there are also laws governing which items can be brought back. Items already illegal in the U.S. (like Cuban cigars) are obviously banned, but the government also looks at the value of your purchases. In most situations, if the total dollar value of your items is above $800, there will be a duty (tax amount) assessed on that extra value. If you purchased $923 in clothes, you will only be taxed on $123 and not the full amount. It may seem like the government is making you pay unnecessarily, but they’re actually cutting you a break.

When you buy something in the U.S., no matter how much it costs, you will also be paying a tax on the good. When you’re at customs, you actually are being allowed $800 of tax-free goods – that’s a pretty good deal. Above that amount, the government is only collecting what it normally would receive had you been shopping in the U.S.

A Traveler’s Check is…

Monday, July 27th, 2009

A traveler’s check is a a pre-printed check issued by a financial institution (the first was American Express) that serves the same purpose as cash, but is not accepted at every store (unlike cash). People often use these when traveling because, unlike cash, they can be replaced if lost or stolen.