Blog – Page 93 – The Travel Curmudgeon

Look for Higher Air Fares and Lighter Planes

June 20, 2018: Increasing fuel prices not only have an effect on the gas pumps we use to fill our motorcars but also on airfares — look for ticket prices to increase in the coming weeks as summer travel hits its stride. No doubt this increase will also go into fall airfares — but with advance booking light, there might still be some great travel deals after the summer family rush. And, as airlines continue to look for ways to save on fuel (United uses over 5 BILLION GALLONS of aviation fuel a year for their 750 fleet of planes) they are doing everything they can to reduce weight inflight — including lighter food and beverage carts, fewer pages in in-flight magazines, and even smaller bathrooms. Gate agents might even ask to look through your food carry on to toss overweight items — and maybe help your waist line?

Airfares to Europe Take a Dive

June 19, 2018: Hold on — US carriers that serve Europe are being “beat up” by the lower cost airlines — like WOW and Norwegian Air — so United and Delta are going to lower fares to select European destinations in the coming months. Watch the fares carefully — the TC says check out airline and online booking site, like Expedia, after midnight — that’s when US carriers do their discounting — and for only a limited time! Expect planes to be crowded and extra charges for just about everything — hopefully not the bathrooms?

Singapore Airlines to Launch World’s Longest Flight

June 15, 2018: Buckle up — Singapore Airlines is set to launch the worlds longest nonstop flight later this year — from Newark to Singapore on a new A350 — 161 passengers — blocked at 18 hours and 45 minutes — over 9500 miles! WOW!!!

Need 911? Get an Uber or Lyft?

June 14, 2018: Emergency rides in an ambulance can easily exceed $1000+++, and many aren’t covered by your insurance. Insurance companies now recommend that if you’re not in a hurry to get to the hospital (non-life threatening) … then dial up Uber or Lyft for transport. And many ambulances are required to take you to a pre-designated hospital while UBER and LYFT can take you to YOUR hospital of choice. And taking it one step further, in Phoenix, fire and emergency service dispatchers offer users a taxi voucher rather than a more costly ambulance ride. Enjoy your trip to the hospital — and maybe a stop at Starbucks along the way?

Forget about a Family Cruise — Charter Your Own Yacht!

June 13, 2018: Yup — for $65,000 to $100,000 — why not gather a group of friends and charter your own private yacht for a week — of course sharing the cost? The yacht goes for about $82,000 a week, sleeps 10, and sails the western Mediterranean. Sounds very civilized and you set your own schedule!

Dream Travel on the Upswing

June 12, 2018: If you’ve got the money — and the time — look for “dream travel” programs that can offer everything from food and sightseeing tours of Vietnam (for as little as $1,000 a day) to Grand Slam tennis finals at Wimbledon ($10,000 – but that includes a room for 3 nights and all the perks from court-side afternoon tea to centre court tickets).

Home Sharing Goes Upscale

June 8, 2018: The TC most unfavorite room booking service, Airbnb, has added a new upscale category to its booking services — Airbnb Plus — that features more “stylish homes” that have actually been “verified” (or so they say) by their inspectors. Prices start on the low end at $250 per night and go up — and can include everything from Wi-Fi to upscale linens. For an additional cost you can even have a private driver. The TC would rather stay in an upscale hotel that has access to everything — even room service!!!