Air Travel/Airlines

All about airlines, airports, flying in general. How to navigate them, get the best airfares, maximize your experience in a sector that hasn't exactly been a joy in recent years...come fly with us!

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Ceneri I most recently flew just last week, and by the time I reached the airport — at 8:05 am, meaning I had to get up around four, thank you very much — I was already exhausted, and my flight wasn’t even delayed yet, which felt suspicious. At check-in, a cheerful sign announced: “ALL BAGS MUST WEIGH LESS THAN A SENSE OF OPTIMISM.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but the desk agent sighed, slapped a sticker on my bag, and whispered, “Good luck out there.” read post

Started by José Balido

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5 (sometimes surprising) ways flying affects your body

Gus Ruballo You land. Your throat feels like sandpaper. Your head is heavy. Your eyes sting. You've been sitting still for eight hours… so why does your body feel like it just ran a marathon? Most travelers accept this as the price of flying. But there's nothing inevitable about it. These symptoms have specific, well-documented causes — and understanding them is the first step to actually doing something about them. Here are five things flying is doing to your body right now. Some I´ll bet…

Started by Tripatini

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Travel Budgeting: How to Budget for Your Trip

Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, stressful, or unpredictable. With the right planning, you can enjoy your dream destination while staying comfortably within your budget. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to create a smart travel budget, estimate your costs correctly, save money, and make the most of deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and last-minute flight bookings.Whether you're planning an international adventure or a weekend getaway, mastering travel budgeting allows…

Started by Liam Adamson

1 Reply · Reply by Mark Wood Sep 25

Getting the best possible airfare deals from the USA with Google Flights

If you’ve ever gone down the rabbit hole of searching for flights, you know how overwhelming it can get. Prices jump around, deals disappear, and it’s easy to spend hours refreshing tabs. That’s where Google Flights comes in—it’s one of the most powerful (and free) tools for finding cheap airfares. Here are a few strategies travelers swear by: read post

Started by Tripatini

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David Lawrence October 2, 2010 at 4:08pm

UNITED-CONTINENTAL MERGE: WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST US?
Today's email from United:
1. Merger with Continental will take 12-18 mos. to complete.
2. " For now, it's business as usual. Each airline and frequent flyer program will continue to operate separately. Rest assured, the merger won't affect miles in your account or your elite status."
Alright, but will it affect prices?
Tripatini September 28, 2010 at 5:29pm

Great post on the Southwest/Air Tran merger: click here to check it out!
Charlie Leocha September 27, 2010 at 4:17pm

i am on the conference call right now with Southwest. It looks like a net improvement for the Northeast. SWA will come into DCA, BOS, Newark, LGA with more slots. Destinations should improve dramatically.
Northeast News September 27, 2010 at 3:40pm

This morning's news on Yahoo: Southwest Airlines is being Air Trans. Is this good or bad for the Northeast, where I live?
Charlie Leocha September 22, 2010 at 6:00am

We're thinking about it. Not only are tall people discriminated against, but the elderly who can not lift carry-ons into the overhead bins and normally check baggage are discriminated against, families who need to carry more luggage are discriminated against etc. There have been discussions about this but no good solutions. Lawsuits are only worthwhile if there is a workable solution. Rest assured, it is on the table ... along with privacy, fee transparency, insurance scams, credit card fees, travel taxation without representation, transferability of airline tickets, baggage rules, RFID scanning ... you get the idea.
John Kipper September 22, 2010 at 3:28am

Hey Charlie & Co.,
I read this group all the time and I really respect the work you guys do. Just read something really interesting, a mmeber named Mike DK posted a comment saying "class action for tall people discriminated for needing more leg room.. we are charged more for leg room.... anyone with me?"

what do you all think of this? I'm only 5'10" myself, but my kid brother is 6'4" and this is a real issue for him. Any chance airlines could be required to provide preferential seating for people say over 6' ? I mean it could first-come first-served but the exit rows are reserved for people over 6'?

Not sure about a class action lawsuit, I'd rather see corrective action going forward, but I think Mike DK is definitely on to something.

Thoughts?
Charlie Leocha September 21, 2010 at 6:23pm

No, they are making money these days. Millions and billions. Airlines in the US made more than $750,000,000 on baggage fees alone the first quarter this year according to IATA.
Northeast News September 21, 2010 at 4:26pm

The one thing that keeps me from complaining too much about the airlines is that I know they're losing money, too. But are they? This is from today's Marketwatch:

"The International Air Transport Association more than tripled its 2010 outlook on Tuesday for the world's airlines, predicting the industry will now post a full-year profit of $8.9 billion."
Ed Wetschler September 19, 2010 at 7:15pm

Important comments on emergency exit rows in our Media Only group. Regardless of whether you're a member of that group, have a look.
Tripatini September 15, 2010 at 11:07pm

New on the Tripatini blog: How to avoid airline baggage fees!