United joins American and US Airways in charging non-premium passengers for all checked bags
Following American's ballsy lead and US Airways' recent copycat move, United Airlines obnoxiously announced "two changes to its domestic checked bag policy. The service fee to check one bag for domestic travel will be $15 each way and the fee to check three or more bags, overweight bags or items that require special handling will increase from $100 to $125 or from $200 to $250, depending on the item." What isn't stated is whether the first checked bag will now be $15 and the second remain $25, or whether the first two bags will cost $15 each -- but I'm betting if United has a chance to collect $40 instead of $30, it will do so.
These charges apply to non-premium-status, back-cabin flights within the US and to/from Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands for flights beginning on August 18, 2008. The $15 service fee does not apply toUnited First or United Business or who have premier status customers with United or Star Alliance.
“With record-breaking fuel prices, we must pursue new revenue opportunities, while continuing to offer competitive fares, by tailoring our products and services around what our customers value most and are willing to pay for,” said John Tague, executive vice president and chief operating officer, according to United's press release.
Consumer advocate Christopher Elliott isn't buying it. He wrote: "When fuel prices come back down — as they are almost certain to — just pay close attention to all the new extras that have sprung up in the last few months...Does anyone think airlines will back off when times are better? Of course not. Airlines have been waiting for an excuse to charge us for anything that isn’t bolted down on the plane....No, none of these fees are going to go away...No doubt, it’s far more difficult to make a buck in the airline business than it was just six months ago because of sky-high oil prices. But that’s not the whole story. Airlines have always wanted to add these fees, and in that sense, the higher fuel costs are nothing more than a smokescreen. They are not giving us what we want, as United Airlines disingenuously claimed when it announced its new surcharges yesterday. They are giving us what they want."
Just yesterday, I recommended a chart on comparing extra fees that domestic airlines socking to passengers. Now, FareCompare's Rick Seaney is going to have to modify the chart.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Kansas Pilgrimage Places for "Wizard of Oz" Fans
Two Kansas sites celebrate the movie released 60 years ago
The foodie in me has been focusing on August 15, 2009, as what would have been
Julia Child's 99th birthday, but movie goers note it as the 60th anniversary of the "The Wizard of Oz." According to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz website, "The official premiere [of the movie] was at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, attended by most of the cast and crew and a number of Hollywood celebrities. Notably absent, however, was Judy Garland — she was on the East Coast with Mickey Rooney, rehearsing a vaudeville act."
Julia Child's 99th birthday, but movie goers note it as the 60th anniversary of the "The Wizard of Oz." According to the Wonderful Wizard of Oz website, "The official premiere [of the movie] was at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on August 15, attended by most of the cast and crew and a number of Hollywood celebrities. Notably absent, however, was Judy Garland — she was on the East Coast with Mickey Rooney, rehearsing a vaudeville act." The magical journey of Dorothy and her dog, Toto, to the Land of Oz began as a fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by W.W. Denslow and published in 1900. It was the bestselling children's novel for two years and was produced as stage musical shortly thereafter. Baum died in 1915, but his dream story lives on and on -- nowhere more so than in Kansas where the fictional Dorothy lived. .
Oz Museum
The Oz Museum, a storefront in downtown Wamego, Kansas, nine miles north of Interstate 70, is "dedicated to all things Oz." It lays claim to 2,000 artifacts. The collection includes original Baum books, objects from the 1939 movie and Oz-related merchandise produced over the years. There are also earlier silent films, including one with Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy fame as the Tin Man, and much later adaptations such as "The Wiz" starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. The Oz Museum (511 Lincoln, Wamego; 785-456-8686 or 866-458-TOTO) is open daily except major holidays.
Other Ozian Things to Do Nearby
Immerse yourself in Oz on the weekend of October 3-4 when Wamego celebrates Oztoberfest, a festival complete with vendors and live performances of "The Wizard of Oz" in the town's Columbian Theater. Cyclists can also take part in the Yellow Brick Road Bike Ride, which begins and ends at Wamego High School on Saturday, October 3. Choose from three routes varying from 15 to 50 miles. Fuel up on breakfast served from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. and start pedaling. Net proceeds from the ride help fund the WAM-SAG-MAN Recreational Trail between Wamego and a connection with the St. George and Manhattan Linear Trail.
I suspect that Aunt Em was a teetotaler, but these days, the Oz Winery is operating a few doors from the Oz Museum The tasting room pours samples and sells wines labeled “Witch in a Ditch,” “A Witch Gone Good,” "Lion's Courage," “Run, Toto, Run!” and even "Auntie Em's Prairie Rose." The winery is at Oz Winery 417A Lincoln Avenue, Wamego; 785-456-7417.
Dorothy's House
I think of it as dueling Dorothys. Miles and miles from Wamego in southwestern Kansas, not far from Oklahoma, is the town of Liberal, location of Dorothy's House, built in 1907, donated to the Seward County Historical Society, moved to its present location on the Coronado Museum grounds and furnished to replicate the house shown in the movie "The Wizard of Oz." Former governor John Carlin recognized the house as the official home of Dorothy Gale in 1981.
The museum now includes The Land of Oz attraction, comprising "5,000 square feet of animated entertainment - good and bad witches, the Munchkins, talking trees, winged monkeys, and of course, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto, too." Visitors can wander down the Yellow Brick Road with Dorothy, Auntie Em or Uncle Henry as their tour guide. The complex is at 567 East Cedar Street, Liberal; 620-624-7624.
The museum also seems to host an OzFest in mid-October, but the most recent information on the website is from 2007, so if you're interested, call to check details before heading out.
Website Compares US Airline Fees, Features
Eye-opening fee comparison helps budget-conscious travelers plan their flights
Rick Seaney's incredibly useful, majorly consumer-oriented website, FareCompare, recently did all air travelers a great big time-saving favor with a chart comparing add-on fees levied by 16 domestic airlines. He documented the fee for talking to a real human being to make a reservation (free to $20 per person), checked bags (free to $15 for the first checked bag; free to $25 for the second), charge for preferred seating including extra leg room (not offered to $109); snack packet (free or not offered); beverage (free to $4 for selected non-alcoholic beverages), meals none or free to $11), alcoholic beverages ($1 to $6), oversize bag fee ($29 to $360), overweight bag fee ($29 to $150), pets ($35 to $359, or not permitted), unaccompanied minor (free, or $35 to $100), curbside check-in (free to $3) and change fee for non-refundable tickets (free to $150). Seany includes asterisked conditions, so you can really figure out how much you'll be paying for such "extras," many of which were once not extras at all.
Sometimes, travelers don't have much of a choice or airlines, and other times, they do, and this chart will help separate more customer-friendly carriers from those that are less so. Thanks, Rick.
Rick Seaney's incredibly useful, majorly consumer-oriented website, FareCompare, recently did all air travelers a great big time-saving favor with a chart comparing add-on fees levied by 16 domestic airlines. He documented the fee for talking to a real human being to make a reservation (free to $20 per person), checked bags (free to $15 for the first checked bag; free to $25 for the second), charge for preferred seating including extra leg room (not offered to $109); snack packet (free or not offered); beverage (free to $4 for selected non-alcoholic beverages), meals none or free to $11), alcoholic beverages ($1 to $6), oversize bag fee ($29 to $360), overweight bag fee ($29 to $150), pets ($35 to $359, or not permitted), unaccompanied minor (free, or $35 to $100), curbside check-in (free to $3) and change fee for non-refundable tickets (free to $150). Seany includes asterisked conditions, so you can really figure out how much you'll be paying for such "extras," many of which were once not extras at all.
Sometimes, travelers don't have much of a choice or airlines, and other times, they do, and this chart will help separate more customer-friendly carriers from those that are less so. Thanks, Rick.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
OpenSkies Set to Take Off
Enhanced-service airline to begin flying New York-Paris
OpenSkies' toll-free number is 866-581-3596.
With airlines folding like a loser's poker 
hand, OpenSkies, a new British Airways subsidiary, is set to inaugurate flights between New York's JFK International Airport and Paris's Orly Airport beginning on June 19. Not only is this remarkable in light of the currently ailing airline industry (all-business-class, transatlantic MaxJet being among the recent casualties), but because an airline's legal ability to fly between two foreign countries without stopping in its own country is a relatively recent development in the global transportation industry. The agreement permitting this type of routing is known as Open Skies -- hence the name of the new airline.
hand, OpenSkies, a new British Airways subsidiary, is set to inaugurate flights between New York's JFK International Airport and Paris's Orly Airport beginning on June 19. Not only is this remarkable in light of the currently ailing airline industry (all-business-class, transatlantic MaxJet being among the recent casualties), but because an airline's legal ability to fly between two foreign countries without stopping in its own country is a relatively recent development in the global transportation industry. The agreement permitting this type of routing is known as Open Skies -- hence the name of the new airline.OpenSkies fuel-efficient Boeing 757 aircraft are configured with three classes of service but only 82 seats total -- remarkable because most airlines cram as many as 200 passengers into this type of plane. That in turn might make it a tad more fuel-efficient, though I'm not sure what weighs more -- an average passenger plus his or her baggage or one of those fancy seats -- and OpenSkies are fancy indeed. The top class, called "biz" (trademarked and lower-case theirs), has 24 seats that offer 78 inches of legroom, enough for an NBA star, and convert into 180-inch flat beds. Meal and beverage service will be personalized, a lot like hotel room service -- or so it seems.
The 28-seat mid-level cabin, called "prem plus" (and sometimes written "prem+"), features comfortable reclining seats with footrests and 12 inches more legroom than most airlines offer premium-economy passengers. Both offer universal plug-ins for laptops and other electronic devices. The economy cabin, called "economy," has just 30 leather seats, coat hooks and, like the costlier cabins, a personal entertainment system with more than 50 hours of audio and video programing. Biz and prem plus passengers can check three pieces of luggage free, while economy flyers can check in two.
One thing that the airline's website neglects to mention (or at least I couldn't find it) is whether OpenSkies passengers can accumulate or redeem British Airways frequent-flyer miles. Fares reportedly begin at $554 one-way in economy and $1,746 one-way biz. When BA president Willie Walsh announced OpenSkies in January, industry observers speculated that other airlines would follow with similar-format spin-offs flying between the US and the UK. Now, who knows?
OpenSkies' toll-free number is 866-581-3596.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Smart Car Promotes Austrian Airlines
Cute-as-a-button mini-car on the streets of New York & Washington
I first spotted Smart Cars in Europe -- maybe even in Vienna -- and was captivated by their adorable fuel-efficient and space-saving qualities. Now, some years later, Smart Cars are not an unusual sight on the streets of Boulder. Smart Cars in Austrian Airlines livery and sporting a little airplane-style tail section are plying the streets of New York and Washington to promote the carrier's business class service. If you spot one and peer inside, you'll see that the driver is dressed like an airline pilot.
The concept behind this whimsical campaign is to position Austrian Airlines business class as providing "the smartest ride to Europe." The cars will be in New York until Labor Day and then for the the following two weeks in Washington, D.C. Adding an extra element of "cool," the uniformed "street team" are handing out free bottles of cold water to passersby.
Business class is appealing to travelers who aren't on a budget, but for those minding their travel dollars, the back of Austrian Airlines' planes fly between Vienna and New York, Washington and Toronto (and other world cities) on the same schedule as the front of the plane -- and economy-class travel really is much more in the Smart Car spirit than business class. In fact, the Austrian Airlines Vacation Center is currently booking air-and-land packages for fall for as little as $999 per person, per week. That's what I call smart!
I first spotted Smart Cars in Europe -- maybe even in Vienna -- and was captivated by their adorable fuel-efficient and space-saving qualities. Now, some years later, Smart Cars are not an unusual sight on the streets of Boulder. Smart Cars in Austrian Airlines livery and sporting a little airplane-style tail section are plying the streets of New York and Washington to promote the carrier's business class service. If you spot one and peer inside, you'll see that the driver is dressed like an airline pilot.
The concept behind this whimsical campaign is to position Austrian Airlines business class as providing "the smartest ride to Europe." The cars will be in New York until Labor Day and then for the the following two weeks in Washington, D.C. Adding an extra element of "cool," the uniformed "street team" are handing out free bottles of cold water to passersby.
Business class is appealing to travelers who aren't on a budget, but for those minding their travel dollars, the back of Austrian Airlines' planes fly between Vienna and New York, Washington and Toronto (and other world cities) on the same schedule as the front of the plane -- and economy-class travel really is much more in the Smart Car spirit than business class. In fact, the Austrian Airlines Vacation Center is currently booking air-and-land packages for fall for as little as $999 per person, per week. That's what I call smart!
Squaw Valley Panel Discussion on World Travel Topics
Tahoe area panel explores "Conscious Travel"
If I were within striking distance of Squaw Valley, California, I would put the Squaw Valley Institute's panel on "Conscious Travel" on my calendar for tomorrow evening, August 26, at 7:00 p.m. Three women on the panel among them are both expert travelers and travel industry experts. Discussion topics will include modernization of the developing world, "the tipping dilemma," picture taking, bargaining, how to dress, the impact of tourism, environmental considerations and giving back to places visited. The panel discussion will be followed by questions and comments from the audience.
Ruth Anne Kocour is a photographer and world trekker based in northern Nevada whose subjects include the culture and landscapes of the American West, Asia and mounaineering expeditions. Julie Conover is co-host, co-producer and writer of the PBS series,"Passport to Adventure." Toni Neubauer, president of Myths and Mountains, a tour operator headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada, which offers cultural immersion tours that balance American-style luxury travel with cultural insight and sensitivity.
The program at the Inn at Squaw Creek is free, but a $10 donation per person is requested. The Squaw Valley Institute's goal is to "enhance the quality of life within the unique mountain environment of Squaw Valley, North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding communities" through programs and activities "having artistic, cultural, educational and entertainment value..that bring together visitors, residents and friends...[and] foster a sense of community." The Institute is at P.O. Box 3325, Olympic Valley, CA 96146; 530-581-4138.
If I were within striking distance of Squaw Valley, California, I would put the Squaw Valley Institute's panel on "Conscious Travel" on my calendar for tomorrow evening, August 26, at 7:00 p.m. Three women on the panel among them are both expert travelers and travel industry experts. Discussion topics will include modernization of the developing world, "the tipping dilemma," picture taking, bargaining, how to dress, the impact of tourism, environmental considerations and giving back to places visited. The panel discussion will be followed by questions and comments from the audience.
Ruth Anne Kocour is a photographer and world trekker based in northern Nevada whose subjects include the culture and landscapes of the American West, Asia and mounaineering expeditions. Julie Conover is co-host, co-producer and writer of the PBS series,"Passport to Adventure." Toni Neubauer, president of Myths and Mountains, a tour operator headquartered in Incline Village, Nevada, which offers cultural immersion tours that balance American-style luxury travel with cultural insight and sensitivity.
The program at the Inn at Squaw Creek is free, but a $10 donation per person is requested. The Squaw Valley Institute's goal is to "enhance the quality of life within the unique mountain environment of Squaw Valley, North Lake Tahoe, Truckee and surrounding communities" through programs and activities "having artistic, cultural, educational and entertainment value..that bring together visitors, residents and friends...[and] foster a sense of community." The Institute is at P.O. Box 3325, Olympic Valley, CA 96146; 530-581-4138.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Bar Wars
Which cell phone providers offer service where is important for road trippers -- but how can you tell?
While driving through eastern Colorado not long ago, my husband and I occasionally opened our cell phones and compared how many bars we had. Mindful of tedious television commercials that I've seen about coverage, this seemed like an informative diversion. I assumed that a specific number of bars means the same thing on all phones and with all providers.
Not so, reports technology reporter Tom Simonite in a blog posting on New Scientist. He wrote that there are no industry standards for signal bars, and one bar, two bars, three bars, etc. don't always mean the same thing, as we found out. In La Junta, my husband's cell phone showed an impressive array or bars, while mine displayed just one. Yet I received a call -- in a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. Simonite has some ideas on how to improve the system, as do some of the visitors to the New Scientist blog. It makes for an intersting technie read.
While driving through eastern Colorado not long ago, my husband and I occasionally opened our cell phones and compared how many bars we had. Mindful of tedious television commercials that I've seen about coverage, this seemed like an informative diversion. I assumed that a specific number of bars means the same thing on all phones and with all providers.
Not so, reports technology reporter Tom Simonite in a blog posting on New Scientist. He wrote that there are no industry standards for signal bars, and one bar, two bars, three bars, etc. don't always mean the same thing, as we found out. In La Junta, my husband's cell phone showed an impressive array or bars, while mine displayed just one. Yet I received a call -- in a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. Simonite has some ideas on how to improve the system, as do some of the visitors to the New Scientist blog. It makes for an intersting technie read.
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