Filed under: Business, Stories, United Says, Transportation, Airports, Budget Travel, News

Whenever I’ve rented a car, I’ve always felt a bit anxious wondering what option to take when it comes to the insurance–or if the price is going to truly be what the information states it will be. Driving off a automobile lot in something I don’t own is thrilling on one hand, but disconcerting in another. What if something goes wrong?

So far, I haven’t been scammed, but I’ve probably paid for insurance I didn’t need–that loss of use business makes me wary–and I’ve double and triple checked what it is I’m signing up for. In many cases, I’ve been able to work out a superior deal like trading up for a roomier automobile at the same initial rate for a smaller car.

Chris Elliot outlines scams to watch out for in his article “Hell on Wheels: Four Car Rental Scams.” They are scams because they unfairly tip in the vehicle rental companies’ favor if a customer doesn’t pay attention to the fine print. Here are the three that I’ve watched out for myself. For the fourth one, read his article.

1. Refueling- For example, as with happened with us this summer when we rented our vehicle at the Bellingham airport, the car rental person offered us the refueling charge option. At first it seemed like a fair deal, but it only would have been be a fair deal if we brought back the car with an empty tank. In our case, we turned him down and refueled making sure the needle went above the F right before we hit the airport. Elliot says that sometimes vehicle rental companies will charge refueling anyway, even if the tank is full, but the needle is a tad below the F.

2. Doing anything outside of the initial terms of the contract. If you bring a vehicle back early you can pay for a much higher rental feel. If you’ve rented for a week, you’ve a week rate. One day earlier puts you into the pay by the day category. I’ve always stayed within the original contract so this hasn’t been a problem. Years ago I added an extra week to a car leasing deal in Paris for not much extra money, but that sort of deal might be long gone.

3. Damage to the car. Automobile rental companies have also been known to charge for the same dent more than once. Technically, if the car is damaged while in your care, your insurance is responsible, unless you have the insurance through the vehicle rental company. Elliot suggests taking photos of the different sides of the automobile before you drive it off the lot to prevent the chance you may be charged for something you didn’t do. This fall I had a vehicle rental after a automobile accident and made sure the guy marked down any ding I saw no matter how small. The automobile was white which made me feel nervous the whole time I was driving it. I found myself parking far away from other automobiles whenever possible.

[via CNN.com/travel]

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Filed under: Business, North America, United States, Transportation, News

The cost of travel is expected to rise — but this is the least important thing we need to worry about for 2008 — states expert travel-troubleshooter Chris Elliot in his latest piece on MSNBC. He always seems to be out there warning us of travel-traps so we can avoid them.

So what are some of the travel trends that are going to get the better of us in 2008?

• Shelling out “convenience fees”: Paying that extra dollar or two for using your credit card, renting a car, or booking on the internet. According to Elliot, the disclosure of these fees will be negligible so you should be able to speak your way out of paying them.
• Paying energy surcharges that have nothing to do with your bookings: Hotels and cruise-liners are increasingly seen to charge you for energy costs that have nothing to do with your stay or cruise booking. Should you see such surcharges on your contract that have not been provisioned for from the beginning, ask them to be deleted.
• Higher cost for vehicle rentals: Not only will there be a general price increase (2-4%), you might often be convinced to go for additional features/amenities when making your booking: unnecessary insurance, or succumbing to paying extra for a GPS navigation system. Don’t pay for what you don’t really need.
• Awful traffic congestion: With about 250 million cars on the road in the US, this is inevitable. Take the train for a change?
• Hotels taking customers for granted: Seems like you’ll have to pay a bigger price for being in hotels of choice. With the price of room rates increasing by 6%, and a 63% rate of occupancy — hotels can charge what they like and people will have to pay for it.
• Consolidation of companies: Anticipate more mergers next year. This will mean fewer hotel, airline, or vehicle rental companies; not necessarily the win-win situation they claim to be.

These seem to be trends specifically for the US that warrant more fees, more traffic, more headaches oh my. Have a full read of the piece here.

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Filed under: Activism, Hiking, Books, Transportation

Over at World Hum, Frank Bures has an interesting interview with Will Self, a British novelist, journalist, and ardent defender of the long, meandering walk. Last year, on a journey from London to New York, Self walked the 26 miles from his home in south London to Heathrow Airport, then walked 20 miles from JFK in New York to his hotel in Manhattan.

For this peripatetic author, the urban hikes are about more than fitness; indeed, Self is often seeking puffing on a cigarette during his walks. Self is a student of psychogeography, a very smart-sounding term that is actually relatively simple– it’s about removing city dwellers from their hermetically-sealed modes of transportation– cars, subways, buses– and finding a way for them to really experience the urban landscape.

“People don’t know where they are anymore, ” he stated last year in a story about his lengthy airport walks. “In the post-industrial age, this is the only form of real exploration left. Anyone can go and see the Ituri pygmy, but how many people have walked all the way from the airport to the city?”

In the World Hum interview, Self compares his practice of psychogeography to another of his passions, writing. “Like writing-which is low start-up, all you need is a pen and a piece of paper-psychogeography is bare-bones. You just get out there and experience. It doesn’t require the hypermediated world, it is more akin to a meditational practice.”

Check out Self’s new book Psychogeography right here.

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Filed under: Business, North America, United Says, Transportation, News

The cost of travel is expected to rise — but this is the least important thing we need to worry about for 2008 — says expert travel-troubleshooter Chris Elliot in his latest piece on MSNBC. He always seems to be out there warning us of travel-traps so we can avoid them.

So what are some of the travel trends that are going to get the superior of us in 2008?

• Shelling out “convenience fees”: Paying that extra dollar or two for using your credit card, renting a car, or booking on the internet. According to Elliot, the disclosure of these fees will be negligible so you should be able to speak your way out of paying them.
• Paying energy surcharges that have nothing to do with your bookings: Hotels and cruise-liners are increasingly seen to charge you for energy costs that have nothing to do with your stay or cruise booking. Should you see such surcharges on your contract that have not been provisioned for from the beginning, ask them to be deleted.
• Higher cost for car rentals: Not only will there be a general price increase (2-4%), you might often be convinced to go for additional features/amenities when making your booking: unnecessary insurance, or succumbing to paying extra for a GPS navigation system. Don’t pay for what you don’t really need.
• Awful traffic congestion: With about 250 million automobiles on the road in the US, this is inevitable. Take the train for a change?
• Hotels taking customers for granted: Seems like you will have to pay a larger price for being in hotels of choice. With the price of room rates increasing by 6%, and a 63% rate of occupancy — hotels can charge what they like and people will have to pay for it.
• Consolidation of companies: Expect more mergers next year. This will mean fewer hotel, airline, or automobile rental companies; not necessarily the win-win situation they claim to be.

These seem to be trends specifically for the US that warrant more fees, more traffic, more headaches oh my. Have a full read of the piece here.

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Filed under: Blogs, United Says, Airlines, Transportation, Airports

On December 24th, when I was at the airport in Columbus to send my mom off on Continental Airlines for a trip to see my brother in Manhattan, I heard a few announcements over the loud speaker. One was from an airline about an article of clothing left on the plane. Would the person who left it please return to the gate? Then there was an announcement about a cell phone left in the bin at security.

With travel having a hectic quality about it, leaving belongings behind is general. I hoped whoever was being beckoned heard the come hither notices and thought how nice it was that an effort was being made to reunite people with their belongings even though the loss was due to passenger error. I’ve had my own left behind incidences. Most ended happily.

According to Jaunted, TSA in Newark gets kudos for making more effort than all TSAs to make sure people hook up once more with whatever they’ve left behind. One person left a $30,000 Rolex watch. Can you envision forgetting such a thing? I’d be sad if my Swatch watch with the butterfly on it that I bought in Hsinchu, Taiwan went missing. Come to think of it, where is that thing? The laundry room. I need this TSA in my house.

There are four people with Newark’s TSA who spend their work days helping to make the reunions happen. Most people never get their stuff back because most don’t go looking. If you ever leave anything behind, go find it. Maybe you’ll get lucky. If you’re in Newark, chances are you’ll. There is also a chance that Newark’s TSA methods will be implemented elsewhere since it’s been successful. Hmm, if 15% is successful and they’ve the ideal system, just consider the stockpile of stuff at airports.

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Filed under: Activism, Hiking, Books, Transportation

Over at World Hum, Frank Bures has an interesting interview with Will Self, a British novelist, journalist, and ardent defender of the long, meandering walk. Last year, on a journey from London to New York, Self walked the 26 miles from his home in south London to Heathrow Airport, then walked 20 miles from JFK in New York to his hotel in Manhattan.

For this peripatetic author, the urban hikes are about more than fitness; indeed, Self is often seeking puffing on a cigarette during his walks. Self is a student of psychogeography, a very smart-sounding term that is actually relatively simple– it’s about removing city dwellers from their hermetically-sealed modes of transportation– cars, subways, buses– and finding a way for them to really experience the urban landscape.

“People don’t know where they’re anymore, ” he stated last year in a story about his lengthy airport walks. “In the post-industrial age, this is the only form of real exploration left. Anyone can go and see the Ituri pygmy, but how many people have walked all the way from the airport to the city?”

In the World Hum interview, Self compares his practice of psychogeography to another of his passions, writing. “Like writing-which is low start-up, all you need is a pen and a piece of paper-psychogeography is bare-bones. You just get out there and experience. It doesn’t require the hypermediated world, it is more akin to a meditational practice.”

Check out Self’s new book Psychogeography right here.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Stories, Croatia, Italy, Video, Transportation

With Survivor: China taking the place of Astounding Race December 16, it threw off our coverage. It’s a who’s on first type of story, partly complicated by my Kentucky trip to a funeral and Christmas. Here’s my recap of what happened in episode 7. My apologies for not getting this out there sooner, but I’m following the adage, better late than never.

It also seems like the Breathtaking Race folks are having a time getting their Web site in order. I looked and looked, but only found one photo from this episode posted. Instead, I’m going to point you towards web clips of the various incidents, and a smattering of other visuals. The internet clips are on the Astonishing Race Web site under “Videos.” To get to this page, click on Videos, then web clips, then Episode 7.

If I were on the Astounding Race, this leg of this dash around the world would have given me the feeling of hitting pay dirt. Considering how much the teams ooohed and ahhed over the beauty of Croatia in episode 6, anything else could have been a real let down–not so Italy.

Florence, Rome and Bologna were part of the itinerary depending on the route the teams took to Empoli, the site of the Road Block. Oh, how I love Italy, and Florence is my favorite. Sure, it’s a tourist hot spot, but there’s a reason. I’ve been there three times, and each time was superb. Do not miss the statue of David. I repeat. Do not miss the statue of David

Getting to Empoli was filled with some interesting–and surprising turns of events. Teams that haven’t had much trouble in the past experienced a truth about travel. If you’re on the road long enough, one day can be downright lousy–and you might find yourself doing things you never thought possible. The beginning of the episode was fairly smooth sailing, literally, for most teams–although, I have to say, these early morning departures would do me in. Ron and Christiana departed Dubrovnik, Croatia by bus at 2 a.m. for Split to catch the ferry for Ancona, Italy to in route to Florence.

Since Don and Nick managed to catch up with the other teams for this journey across the Adriatic Sea, and they didn’t leave the Pit Stop until 7:06, I’m wondering about the advantage of leaving so darned early like Ron and Christiana did. I realize that the idea is to get a head begin before everyone else, but doesn’ t it seem that when teams leave so early it doesn’t do much good most of the time?

Not taking a chance, though, is probably the ideal strategy since teams don’t know what to anticipate at each juncture. This holds true for most travel. Whenever I leave late, I tend to get lost or can’t find a place to stay. When I leave earlier, the traffic is lighter and there’s the notion that I have the ability to stop somewhere for a sit down lunch. However, check out the video “A Perfect Day in Split”. There’s something to be said for a more leisurely pace. While TK and Rachel and Nate and Jen waited for their ferry departure, they spent time swimming in the Adriatic. This footage of Nate and Jen frolicking about shows just how those awful road fights can end up behind you.

For an extra look at the ferry ride and some authentic travel experience, check out “Ron’s Makeshift Bed”. You have to hand it to Christina. She has a knack for not letting her dad get so absolutely on her nerves. Ron’s talk about wanting to sleep on the hard floor deck as opposed to being with the other passengers inside on comfy cushions (Christina’s desire) makes total sense. It might seem like he’s a nut, but he knows what he’s speaking about in a way. I loved when he mentioned the soothing vibration. He’s one determined guy when it comes to wanting to be right. From the map, you can see ferries from Croatia to Italy take many routes. Click map for options.

This section brought back my own memories of leaving Skopelos, Greece on a 9 p.m. ferry (or thereabouts) in order to catch a 2. a.m. train (or thereabouts) for Athens in order catch another train for the coast where the ferry to Brindisi, Italy was docked. When we took the ferry to Greece, we hung out with other folks inside, but on the way back, we stayed on the deck, tucked out of the traffic. I was too fatigued to interact and be in a crowd.

The ferry ride was the lull before the real push once they arrive in Italy. Then it was a race through the parking lot to locate their vehicles for the drive through this region of Tuscany to Empoli. Now, the real fun for the viewers began. Considering the drive was in the dark, that must have been hell for anyone with a night vision problem. Rachel’s description of what it’s like to be in a car at 4:30 in the morning after the choice to swim instead of sleep in “A Long Night of Driving” was another I’ve been there experience. It’s the dilemma of wanting to see as much as possible and hoping your body will cooperate. Not so much in her case. She’s struggling to stay awake and presents some staying awake tips. Slap your face is one of them. There should be a prize for this couple at being the ideal at getting along no matter what. I’d like to see where they are in 25 years.

This was also the point in Breathtaking Race 12 for the teams’ families to be brought in via Blackberries. Nick and Don’s family member’s messages in “Nick and Don’s Family” give a terrific look at why Grandpa is the way he’s and why these two don’t get ruffled all that much. Here’s one quote.”that sweet, shy, senile grandpa of yours.” Hah!

Here’s the scoop about driving to Empoli. If you go straight to Florence you’ll get there first (Nate & Jen) because going through Bologna is a longer route and you might end up in a traffic jam (Ron & Christina, Kynt & Vyxsin and Nick & Don), and if you go through Rome, you might have such a great time eating lunch in Ancona that you forget the clue and have to go back to get it. (TK & Rachel)

In Empoli, one team member had to search for the word Vinci while soaring above Tuscany in an ultralight. Now, that would be sweet indeed. Some enjoyed the view, while others became frustrated at not seeing what they needed. Ron was back to putting Christina down. Because TK couldn’t find Vinci until having to refuel the ultralight and trying again, they fell behind to last place.

Don and Nick skipped the ultralight and took the Fast Forward that led to a task that certainly tests ones desire to win a million dollars. I’m not sure what I would have done. The duo ended up in a tattoo parlor getting FF tattooed on their arm. FF=Fast Forward. I might have asked if the tattoo artist could have prettied it up with a butterfly or something. I also wonder if Astonishing Race would fit the bill to have it taken off at the end of the game.

Just consider what this would be like for the rest of your life explaining that the FF does not stand for french fries, or whatever else people might imagine. Here’s some tips in case you decide to get your own tattoo in Italy. The Fast Forward meant they could skip the town of Vinci and head to the Pit Stop at Boboli Gardens in Florence. I would be bummed out in a way to not have the chance to go to Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Here teams chose between two tasks. One was to learn a flag routine at the Piazza Guido Masi.

The other was to build a crane based on Leonardo da Vinci’s design in order to lift a boulder to read the clue on the bottom. With crane building not being their forte, Vyxsin and Kynt decided to drive to the flag routine option which lead to getting lost and an emotional meltdown. As Vyxsin sped them along, Kynt threatened to jump out of the automobile and drive instead. Oh, yes, I know that scene. I have lived it in some form or another. Particularly when Kynt had trouble getting the vehicle to shift after he took over and Vyxsin sniped at him. Who hasn’t said, “Just shut up for once this day,” like Kynt did. The moral of this story is, stay where you’re and do what’s in front of you. When driving through towns you don’t know, getting lost is always an option.

TK and Rachel also had their share of vehicle troubles when a flat tire put them behind once more. They are too nice for such turmoil. But, their flat tire didn’t stop them from ending up in Florence in 4th place with Vyxsin and Kynt close behind. Grandpa Don and Nate’s tattoos earned them a five-night trip for two to Cancun where I expect they’ll recount their tattoo story.

Since this was a non-elimination episode, stay tuned for this Sunday when we find out what Vyxsin and Kynt have to do for their Speed Bump to stay in the race. Although Vyxsin and Kynt did have a squabble, in the clip “Vyxsin’s Bad Day” they demonstrate that people can recover from a meltdown and all can be well again.

This photo of a tattoo taken in Florence, Italy says it all. In essense: “Everything happens for a reason.”

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Filed under: United States, Transportation, Airports, News

Most of my trips through airports go smoothly, but, without fail, I’ll always spot a fellow traveler who is upset for one reason or another. Canceled flights, lost luggage, missed connections, weather delays– these are unfortunately, though inevitably, what all of us must deal with at one time or another. When it’s not me, rather than feeling sympathy for the unlucky victim, I find myself thinking, “Thank God that’s not me.”

Some people are more altruistic than your humble correspondent. Most people. (All people?) This Christmas, hundreds of volunteers will work in airports across the country to make some of our flight-related problems a little more bearable. The volunteers are members of Travelers Aid International, a non-profit, social service institution that has been around since 1851 (when there were significantly fewer problems in airports).

They will be operating booths in 24 airports around the country, performing a wide range of services for distraught passengers. Quoted in a New York Times article, one volunteer stated, “It can be as mundane as, ‘Where is the restroom’ or ‘Where can I go smoke a cigarette?’ … But it can also be, ‘My mother was supposed to be on the plane from Peru and I can’t find out whether she was on it.’ And the airlines won’t tell people. But if I go to the airline counter, they might tell me because I’ve on the Travelers Aid badge.”

She added, “I love people. I have a ball out there.”

Full story here.

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Filed under: Business, Transportation, Airports

A $100 yearly fee might make the trip through those dreaded security lanes a lot smoother for some travelers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport (full story here). After TSA background checks, fliers would be issued a Clear card, which would allow them to make it through security in just four minutes. The program was first instituted in Orlando, where about 40,000 people have signed up, and it is under serious consideration at Atlanta’s airport.

This seems like a good idea to me, and I’m certain that some frequent fliers would find the $100 fee a small price to pay to ensure faster movement through security. Plus, it would mean there are that many fewer people in the regular security lines, where I’ll be, thinking of how to spend the $100 I’ll have saved by not buying into this program.

I wonder, would anyone like to see this program implemented more fully? Would you pay the $100 to be able to speed through security for a year?

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Filed under: Airlines, Transportation, Budget Travel

Well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn’t it, Maxjet?

This Christmas Eve, Maxjet, the budget airline flying among New York, London, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, filed for bankruptcy, ending a tumultuous four year journey through the uncharted realm of business-class-only jets.

It was a great idea, offering a low cost alternative to canonical first and business class tickets, but finding traction in a notoriously fickle and petty market is difficult — even without atrocious oil prices. Maxjet’s unfortunate entry into the airline world at this critical time proved to be a death sentence for their company. It’s too bad, I would have liked to fly business class on them some day.

Farewell Maxjet. I hope you gave all of your employees massive Christmas bonuses before you shut your doors.

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