Uncategorized – Page 113 – The Travel Curmudgeon

Travel Feature Tuesday: Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite?

January 12, 2016: For many travelers, finding a hotel with a clean bed is a must — and many will spend 2 to 3 times more to ensure it. However, hotel workers from luxury resorts to motels have begun revealing the dirt of their cleaning rituals through the secret-sharing app, Whisper.

From confessions such as, “We do change all the sheets and towels, but unfortunately the blankets almost never get washed,” to, “sometimes when I’m lazy, I reuse the sheets on the bed and make them look nice … I always feel bad for the next people.”

And if you think the bed is the only thing in danger, keep a close eye on your room service as well. “I work at a hotel and sometimes work room service. We never bring our buy lunch, because we pick off plates before they go up.”

Duct Tape — Never Leave Home Without It!

January 11, 2016: During a private “fly-in” fishing excursion in the Alaskan wilderness, the chartered pilot and fishermen left a cooler with bait in the airplane. A bear smelled it. This is what the bear did to the plane. The pilot used his radio and had another pilot bring him 2 new tires, 3 cases of duct tape, and a supply of sheet plastic… He patched the plane together, and flew it home!

The UAE’s Emirates Air Continues to Spend Heavy $$$$$’s on Self Promotion.

January 6, 2016: Really not sure what the point is on this Emirates Air self-promotion video that seems to focus on adding visual fun to the standard airline pre-take off safety message? Hopefully this doesn’t replace the needed reminder message shown on every flight?

OOPS — Alaska Air Lands On an Active Taxiway at Sea-Tac!

January 4, 2016: Alaska Airlines, one of the better consumer friendly air carriers these days, landed a 737 on an “active” taxiway at their home based Seattle International Airport recently. Apparently not the first time this has happened there — would seem that alert tower air traffic controllers would notice this prior to the plane landing and request the pilot make another try on the correct runway? Maybe pilots and airport officials are just a little too intent on keeping things on schedule these days and compromising safety?

HI HO HI HO It’s Off to Cuba We Go!

December 29, 2015: Several US airlines have announced plans, pending approvals from both the US and Cuban governments, to start scheduled service to Cuba. This would be the first time in more than a half a century that both countries will share scheduled service — although several US airlines have been offering charter service for years. American Airlines wants approval for 20 flights a day to Havana and ten daily to other cities in Cuba; JetBlue Airways and Southwest Airlines are also in line for new services to Cuba. Flights are planned for key travel hubs around the country and could include Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, Newark and JFK. One trip to travelers — Cuba’s tourism infrastructure (hotels, airport support services, etc.) is way behind the expected rush — so plan to rough it some!

Bump and Grind With Southwest?

December 24, 2015: Rapidly expanding Southwest Airlines, adding several international destinations to its schedule in 2016, has had its share of aircraft “bump and lumps” of late. One aircraft mysteriously slid of the runway after landing in Nashville, requiring emergency passenger evacuation; and another mishap at Burbank when two planes touched wing tips when backing out of their respective gates. And if you’re keeping track of Southwest ticket pricing, the once industry leader in low price tickets is no more — their $39 one way fare deals are long gone. Hopefully their flight attendants still share some fun onboard?

Somewhere Above it All?

December 22, 2015: Looking for something new to take the boredom out of flying? Well, an enterprising company called Windspeed has — maybe — come up with just the idea to solve the problem and offer something even better than a window seat. The concept, called SkyDeck, puts seats above the airplane — with a clear view dome observation deck. Passengers would access the view deck via an interior elevator from the aircrafts main cabin. Not sure the FAA will “sign off” on this — and no doubt fee-hungry airlines would up charge for the view. Might also bring new meaning to the “mile high club” experience?

December 20, 2015: In the wake of China’s red alert on air pollution, some brilliant entrepreneurs have begun selling bottled air — yes, bottled AIR — to Chinese consumers looking for a breath of fresh air. Bottled from the freshest source of air in the Rocky Mountains, Canada’s Vitality Air promises their customers a breath as fresh as the Rockies — for a measly $14 to $20 a bottle! It feels like it was only a few years ago people were joking about how bottled water makes as much sense as bottled air. Now, the punchline has become a reality, with the first batch of 500 bottles selling out almost instantly once it hit the market.

Now Where Did I Leave That 747?

December 18, 2015: Now here’s a new one for even the TRAVEL CURMUDGEON: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLA) reported recently that someone had abandoned not one but three Boeing 747 aircraft. The local press and airport officials are asking the owner(s) to please come forward and remove their planes. They are giving them 14 days or the airport claims the right to sell off the “orphaned” jets — no doubt a hefty discount if someone purchases all three? If your interested in color — two white and one off white. Only downside might be that KLA will require the new owner(s) to pay a parking fee prior to take off — more than a year!!!

Starwood-Marriott Merger May Not Be Such a Good Deal for Consumers?

December 16, 2015: Marriott International is now the world’s largest hotel group after buying Starwood for $12 billion plus. The new consolidation now represents 5,500 properties worldwide and over 1 million rooms — dozens of different brands from Ritz-Carlton to Westin and Sheraton (Marriott alone has 30 brands). Marriott has a well establish track record for substantial guest add on fees from resort property mandatory service and facility charges to a confusing array of in room internet charges — some of which have result in numerous lawsuits and FTC intervention. Add to all this combining guest loyalty programs — Starwood users will give up the most — and you’ll have a real mess that most likely will bring higher rates and even more fees. Pretty neat for Marriott, who’s founding family started it all with a simple roadside stand selling root beer for a nickel!