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Posted by
George Hobica on Friday, May 16, 2008 at 5:11 PM to
Actually, they probably are the highest.
You won't believe how high some of these fees for things like excess baggage and shipping pets are. Take a look. Sigh.
Checked Baggage (each piece, each way)
Second bag
$25 (except for first, business, full fare passengers and upper level frequent flyer members)
Excess bags
Travel within the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico
Bags 3, 4, and 5: $80 each
Bags 6, 7, and 8: $110 each (does anyone really fly with 8 bags?)
Bags 9 and 10: $180 each
Travel outside the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico
Bags 3, 4, and 5: $150 each
Bags 6, 7, and 8: $300 each
Bags 9 and 10: $600 each
Overweight bags
Checked baggage weighing over 50 lbs/23 kgs but not more than 70 lbs/32 kgs will be charged at the rate of $80 per piece.
Checked baggage weighing over 70lbs/32 kgs but not more than 100 lbs/45 kgs will be charged at the rate of $150 per piece.
Oversized bags
62–80 inches—total of length plus width plus height: $150 each
Curbside check-in
$3 per bag plus tip,
except:
Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallions
Customers traveling in First Class
Customers traveling in BusinessElite
Customers who have checked-in bags online at delta.com
Booking tickets
Booking online: no charge
Booking by phone: $25
Booking in person: $25
Children
Lap children: 10% of the adult fare on international fares
Unaccompanied minors: $100 each way
Frequent flyer tickets
Travel ticketed 20 days or less: $75 (waived for Platinum frequent flyers)
Same day change of flight: $50
Tickets issued in person or by phone: $25-$50
Redepositing miles: $100
Changing frequent flyer tickets: $100
Non-Delta flight segment in Award Ticket itinerary: $25
More info
Pets
In cabin (domestic flight): $100 each way
As cargo (domestic): $178 to $669 depending on weight, each way
More info
Seating
Advance seat selection: none
Exit row and other “premium” seats: none
Ticket changes (non-refundable tickets, domestic fares)
Changing travel dates after purchase: $100 ($200 or more for international fares)
Fare drop refund (fee charged for re-issuing ticket if a fare goes down between the time you buy and the time you fly): $100
Additional change fees for tickets not issued directly by Delta or Delta.com (includes tickets bought from online agencies such as Orbitz and over the phone or in person, even if by Delta): $30
Same day confirmed standby on an earlier or later flight: $50
More info
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Posted by
George Hobica on Friday, May 16, 2008 at 4:24 PM to
Airlines these days are charging all kinds of extra fees in order to make extra money. We're not just talking fuel surcharges here, which go up and down and are a part of your fare. These are all the other things, many of which are hidden on airline web sites and which you only learn about when it's too late. So in the interest of full disclosure, we're going to start doing what the airlines should have done long ago: put all the fees in one place, airline by airline, so you'll know what you're getting into.
We'll start with American Airlines. Here's what you may be charged for domestic flights:
Checked baggage (each piece, each way)
Second bag: $25 (except for first, business, full fare passengers and upper level frequent flyer members)
Excess bags: $100 per piece for the 3rd, 4th and 5th checked bags; $200 per piece for the 6th checked bag and any additional pieces
Overweight bags: Checked baggage weighing over 50 lbs/23 kgs but not more than 70 lbs/32 kgs will be charged at the rate of $50 per piece.
Checked baggage weighing over 70lbs/32 kgs but not more than 100 lbs/45 kgs will be charged at the rate of $100 per piece.
Oversized bags: $100
Booking tickets
Booking online: no charge
Booking by phone: $15
Booking in person: $20
Changing a reservation not made on AA.com or with an AA representative: $15
Children
Lap children: 10% of the adult fare on international fares
Unaccompanied minors: $60 each way
More info
Frequent flyer tickets
Cashing in miles last minute: Travel ticketed 20 to 7 days prior to departure $50
Travel ticketed 6 days to 2 hours prior to departure: $100
(When multiple awards are claimed at the same time, each additional award is subject to a fee of $25)
Tickets issued in person: $20
Redepositing miles if not used: $100
Changing frequent flyer tickets: $100 (MileSAAver Award tickets for which the only confirmed change is to the date and/or time will not incur the change fee)
More info
Pets
In cabin: $80 each way
As cargo: $100 each way
More info
Seating
Advance seat selection: none
Exit row and other “premium” seats: none
Ticket changes (non-refundable tickets, domestic fares)
Changing travel dates after purchase: $100
Fare drop refund (fee charged for re-issuing ticket if a fare goes down between the time you buy and the time you fly): $100
More info
Same day confirmed standby on an earlier or later flight: $25
More info
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Posted by
Bo Borre on Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 10:37 AM to
Europe/Africa/Middle East Airfares
As they've done before, British Airways will give you a couple of free nights at select London hotels (or just one night for single occupancy) and will even take $20 off for registered customers. From many cities, these so-called sale fares are so high that only the freebies make them worth considering at all. You can read about it on their web site, but as always we've already added in the taxes, so check out our Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted fares before you skip away.
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Posted by
Bo Borre on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 9:16 AM to
Europe/Africa/Middle East Airfares
May 15 Update: An unofficial fare war has broken out overnight, with American Airlines and partners joining the fray to offer fares as low as $560 from New York, $670 from Boston, $750 from Chicago, and $830 from Dallas, all for August travel.
Delta has teamed up with partners Air France and Alitalia for a half-off bake-off sale that currently makes Copenhagen the cheapest European destination for summer travel and cinnamon rolls. Fares start at $675 from New York (or non-stop on Continental for $75 more from mid-August) and with savings nearly as big, it could well be one of those bake sales that weren't supposed to happen, so better snap this Danish up while it's hot and good to go!
When you've filled up on pastries and butter cookies, you can continue your excess caloric intake on a cruise to Oslo and hike them off again in the mountains of Norway, or you can ferry your extra pounds on down to Poland or other picturesque Baltic ports (see all the major routes here).
If you're more the type to lose your sea legs during sugar highs, why not grab a cheap seat on the fast Swedish Railways to anywhere in Sweden, including Gothenburg and Stockholm, for as little as $15. No, we kid you not - would we do that? - tickets really are that cheap and on sale right now! (Fares may be slightly higher on bullet trains departing Copenhagen, which is spelled 'Köbenhavn' in Swedish for ticketing purposes.)
For fans of little mermaids, swan princesses, naked emperors, ugly ducklings and other fairytale characters, the Danish Railways lets you explore other storybook parts of Denmark with their Orange tickets at over 50% off and will even get you quickly and cheaply across the border to Germany, should you feel the need, with low fares to Hamburg or Berlin coming in around $40 and $60, respectively (you can see details and prices here, but alas only in Danish).
So, whaddya say? Can we make it any easier for you? OK, yes, you do have to pack your own suitcase.
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Posted by
George Hobica on Friday, May 09, 2008 at 9:36 AM to
Airfare Tips
The next time you board a plane and walk through First Class on the way to your cramped coach seat, don't be jealous. If it's a domestic flight at least, Airfarewatchdog.com has found, you could be sitting there yourself.
Okay, so you may think airlines are evil and would rather have empty seats in first or business than see the likes of you sneaking in. Wrong. If the seat has not been sold, or is not being filled by a loyal frequent flyer, it's entirely possible that you could have upgraded your ticket – sometimes for less than you'd think.
"It provides the airline with…revenue on seats that might otherwise go unsold," says Tim Smith of American Airlines, which starts the bidding on available seats at $45, for each 500 miles of your flight. All you have to do is inquire with an agent on the day of travel or check in at a self-serve kiosk and see if you're automatically offered the opportunity.
Goodbye middle seat, hello, hot towels.
THE EASY WAY IN
Many airlines make upgrading so simple, you can almost count on getting in if you play your cards right. Virgin America is a prime example of the easy upgrade. I recently paid nearly $500 for a one-way first class ticket from JFK to San Francisco, only to find out just a day or so before my flight that I was one of the only people in the cabin. The fare was well worthwhile: The seats are roomy and plush -- among the best in domestic first. Plus, the service is top-notch, everything on the airline's extensive entertainment system is free and the food (Watermelon-Mint salad for breakfast? Yes please!) pretty decent.
I felt like a sucker, however, watching the cabin fill up within 24 hours of my flight – I knew that I had probably paid far more than any of my seatmates. Why? Because Virgin America sells off available first class seats for as little as $50 each way, up to $175 for transcontinental fights. Someone who booked a last minute seat in first would be paying upwards of $800 (a sample non-advance one-way fare in first), whereas someone who booked coach in advance for under $300 round-trip is now flying in first, last minute, for hundreds less than what it would have cost if booked far in advance.
This style of upgrade used to be one of the few redeeming features on America West, now part of US Airways. But, surprise – the entire US Airways fleet now offers the same deal, but gives you a leg-up over other airlines: You can call reservations 24 hours in advance of your flight, and any unsold seats are yours, starting at $50 each way. It's a similar scenario on AirTran, where upgrades to their decent business class cabin start at $40. The airline says that this is only for those traveling on Y Class (or full-fare) tickets, however, for a “limited time”, all passengers may upgrade from any fare on a standby basis; either at the departure gate or by using the airline's ByePass self-check in kiosks at the airport.
THE SURPRISE AT CHECK IN
US Airways pioneered it, but now many airlines are trying it: off-loading first class seats automatically at self check-in kiosks, with upgrade fees based on mileage flown. For example, while checking in for a United flight from New York's LaGuardia to Denver not too long ago, an unexpected question popped up on the kiosk screen: Would I like to upgrade, for just a little over $100. (Turns out I did.) Last summer, I paid $75 to fly in an empty first-class cabin on Delta from JFK to Atlanta. The plane had come in from India, and was returning to home base, with virtually nobody on it. Delta spokespeople did not get back to me with details on how the airline unloads empty first class seats. United's Jeff Kovick says that the offer is made for the first time at check in, and that customers should feel free to inquire if not asked. Incidentally, this goes for most airlines, all of which are increasingly looking for ways to increase revenue.
THE "SECRET" FARES
Lots has been made recently about what are known in industry jargon as "Q-UP" or "Y-UP" fares – discounted, but restriction-laden, "secret" first class fares that frequent travelers pride themselves on being able to snag out from under the nose of less experienced flyers.
There are many sources of information on how these cheap first class seats can be booked, but some airlines are just putting it right out there. American, for instance, is now showing discounted first class fares when you click the new "Price & Schedule" search on its home page. A recent check for a one-way seat from San Francisco to New York in mid-June found an "Instant Upgrade" fare of just $749 one-way, as opposed to the lowest unrestricted first-class fare of $2,309. Big savings, absolutely -- but don't forget, if there are any seats left on the day of travel, you might snag for for even less. Taking chances sometimes does pay off.
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Posted by
George Hobica on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 at 11:37 AM to
If you live in a Delta hub city or fly them a lot and charge $60,000 or more to your credit cards per year, then the new Delta Reserve credit card from American Express might be a good thing to get.
I already have a Gold SkyMiles card, and when I originally began researching this post I thought to myself, "Oh, just another way to extract extra fees for a little extra status." But by the end of writing this, I was on the phone to American Express to upgrade my card.
It costs $450 a year, on par with Amex's elite Platinum Card ($395 per year if you have another Amex Card with an annual fee of $55 or more). But... it has some unique frequent flyer perks.
1. 10,000 Delta "equity miles"* (MQMs in Delta SkyMiles speak) with your first purchase.
2. If you spend $60,000 or more in a calendar year you'll get an additional 30,000 equity miles . If you have no equity miles to begin with, those 40,000 equity miles give you more than the 25,000 MQMs needed for entry-level Silver Medallion status and put you in striking distance of the 50,000 MQMs needed for Gold status. If you have, say, 35,000 MQMs already, then you'll become a Platinum member, which takes 75,000 MQMs to achieve.
3. You'll also get 30,000 bonus SkyMiles (not to be confused with equity miles) when you hit $60,000 in purchases, for a total of 90,000 SkyMiles. (15,000 for the first $30,000 and another 15,000 for the second $30,000). Of course, if all of that $60,000 was spent on Delta tickets, or at gas stations, supermarkets, drugstores, home improvement stores, wireless phone companies, office supply stores, or the post office, you'll get double miles, for a grand total of 150,000 SkyMiles.
4. A free companion ticket in either first or economy each year (although there are restrictions, which, of course, Amex does not spell out, but we suspect there are minimum fare requirements and certain fare classes are invalid).
5. Free membership in Delta's Crown Room lounges (this alone costs $400 per year plus a $50 initiation fee if bought separately).
6. Access to the dedicated Breezeway priority boarding lane and frequent traveler security line.
If you already have a Delta SkyMiles card, you'll get a pro-rated credit when you upgrade.
So is it worth $395-$450 per year? Obviously, I thought so, and I'll be using my new card exclusively in hopes of reaching that magic $60,000 spend (with gas prices what they are, that should be easy). And after all, Delta may soon be the biggest airline in the world, if the merger with Northwest goes through, so I'll probably be flying them a lot and I might as well get those free upgrades.
* For those new to the game, the main benefit of Medallion status is free upgrades to business or first. You'll get immediate upgrades from "Y" (full fare economy fares) at time of booking; and upgrades from B, M, H, Q, K, L, U and T fares (the cheap seats, which for non-Medallion members are not eligible for free or mileage upgrades) one calendar day in advance of flight. Plus, you get free companion upgrades on Y, B, M, H, Q and K fares. There are other perks, too, such as priority boading, priority waitlisting, and a 25-100 % mileage bonus. As you go up the Medallion ladder, to Gold or Platinum, the perks get even better (for example, you can get a same day confirmed flight change without paying a fee).
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Posted by
George Hobica on Monday, May 05, 2008 at 2:58 PM to
Airline Industry News
So you're in New York, and you need to get to Milwaukee. Your search reveals there are two nonstop services for about the same price. Both of them are out of LaGuardia. AirTran can do it for $202 round-trip; Midwest Airlines can do it for $214.
You might never have flown on either airline, so you do what most people would do. You go for the cheapest seat. Or do you? Don't you want to find out the seating arrangement?
Airlines will tell you that you should never count on a specific plane before actually seeing it at your gate. This can be true. I still remember a particularly grim flight on a circa-1980's Delta 757, after having booked a ticket on the short-lived and superb Song Airlines (Delta’s brand within a brand with its seat back entertainment and leather seats.) Instead, the airline substituted a non-Song mainline Delta 757 with none of those amenities.
Caveats aside, you can generally expect to fly on the plane you were told you'd be flying on at time of booking. A quick search on many booking sites would inform you that AirTran flies Boeing 737 both ways from New York to Milwaukee. For Midwest, it's a Boeing 717 both ways.
Starting at airtran.com, I try to learn a little more about the interior of the 737. While I learn that there's free XM Satellite Radio and "ergonomically correct RECARO brand" seating," I know nothing about the kind of space I'm going to have.
This calls for a visit to Seat Guru. Here, I learn the shocking truth: AirTran seats have a scant 31-inch pitch -- considered one of the worst in the world of domestic economy class.
A quick explanation of pitch, or seat pitch: It's defined as the distance between a specific point on one seat (say, yours) and the seat in front of you (say, that guy whose bald spot is practically in your face) or the seat behind you (the one belonging to that guy tapping on his laptop so hard that the movement of his seat tray is making you feel like you're in the middle of a small earthquake.)
So, AirTran coach seats: rather cramped. What about Midwest? They are flying a 717. On midwestairlines.com, I discover that their 717's offer 2-2 seating (as opposed to the usual 2-3 or 3-3 you find in domestic economy cabins, generally.
Seat Guru's information page on the airline's 717's reveals that while there is just a 32" seat pitch, seat width -- a dimension people tend to talk less about, but one that is important when considering breathing room on a plane -- is a whopping 21 inches. Compare that to AirTran's fairly standard 18.
So for virtually no price difference at all, you get more space on Midwest.
For now, anyway. Spokesman Michael Brophy says that Midwest will be converting its 717's to offer two styles of seating. Forty "Signature" seats (at extra cost) will remain 2x2 and offer better seat pitch – 36 inches -- while 59 "Saver" seats will go 3x2, retaining the 32-inch pitch.
This brings the 717's in line with the company's MD80's, which already have a similar layout (with less Signature seating, however.) Signature seating will cost $65 more than Saver seating, per segment. Some things won't change, however: Nice leather seating, proper in-flight meals for purchase, and, best of all, free, warm chocolate chip cookies.
JetBlue offers most legroom
Midwest was always a special airline -- but it has had to finally learn the hard truth that other airlines finally faced. More room is appreciated, but customer appreciation doesn't always pay the bills. Just ask TWA -- if they were around to ask anymore. Converting coach to the more roomy Comfort Class made waves and won awards in the early 1990's. By 1994, it had been canned. The airline was acquired by American in 2001. (At the time, American was offering a similar service, called "More Room in Coach," which offered seat pitch of 33-34 inches throughout most of their economy cabins. That scheme went the way of TWA by 2004.
United never depended on anyone's goodwill in its Economy Plus scheme, which features a few rows of more spacious seating -- on an Airbus 320, for instance, you'd get a nice 36" seat pitch -- if no more width than the rest of the cabin (18" -- again, fairly normal). You will also pay for this. Prices depend on length of flight, according to the airline. A short hop from their Denver hub would run you $14, while a Denver-Honolulu flight would cost $61 each way. Formerly offered as a complimentary service for its most elite mileage members, the rules have been loosening over time. Spokesperson Jeff Kovick says that all customers may purchase EP seats "at the time of booking or on the day of check-in, pending availability."
JetBlue appears to have taken a page from United's playbook. When it removed seats in the front of the cabin to give rows 2-5 on its Airbus A320's a whopping 38" seat pitch, it began charging $10 for short flights, $20 transcontinental and other long flights. But you don't have to upgrade to get ahead – even the regular seats on JetBlue offer an industry-leading 34-inch seat pitch. That is even better than Frontier, known for its fairly friendly 33-inch pitch on its A319 planes.
Best and worst planes
So which airlines and specific aircraft within those airlines have the most and least seat pitch?
We consulted Seat Guru’s handy comparison charts for some answers. Excluding United’s Economy Plus seating, here are the top choices:
1. WestJet Boeing 737-800’s 34 inches
2. Air Canada Embraer ERJ-190’s: 34 inches
3. Air Canada CRJ-705’s 34 inches
4. JetBlue Airbus 320’s: 34 inches (38 inches if you pay extra)
5. Frontier Airlines Airbus 318’s and 319’s: 33 inches
6. American Airlines 767’s: 33-34 inches
7. Southwest Airlines 737’s: 32-33 inches
Which have the most cramped seating? Some of the worst are:
1. Northwest Airlines DC9-30: 30 inches
2. US Airways Boeing 737-400’s and Airbus A319’s and A320’s: 30 inches
3. Airtran 717’s: 30 inches
4. USA3000 Airbus A320’s: 30 inches
In fact, the vast majority of commercial jetliners have 31 inches of pitch, with an additional handful offering 32.
If it’s seat width you’re looking for, stick with the aforementioned Midwest Airlines 717’s, and Virgin America’s Airbuses (19.7 inches). Most other planes have 17-18 inches, according to SeatGuru.
On planes flying international routes, you’ll find similar disparities between airlines. Most carriers will only give you between 30 and 31 inches of seat pitch, even on long haul flights (no wonder we all arrive in such bad shape). Among the airlines affording those all important extra inches (all at 32) are Air Canada, Air France, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, and Virgin Atlantic. But if you really want to sit comfortably, Air New Zealand’s 747-400’s, Asiana’s 747-400’s and Emirates’ 777’s offer a whopping 34 inches.
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Posted by
Bo Borre on Monday, May 05, 2008 at 8:38 AM to
Europe/Africa/Middle East Airfares
Air France is having a small private European sale exclusively from Philadelphia that should be good enough to catch the fancy of anyone from New York to Washington, Baltimore and beyond. Fares start at $750 non-stop to Paris with connections to a slew of favorite summer destinations, including Nice and Venice, Barcelona and Bordeaux, Florence and Lisbon, Copenhagen and Vienna, to mention just a few. Seats are easy to find for August travel and also available for some July departures. So far this year, these types of sales have been extremely short-lived, so don't dilly-dally over these fine Philly fares for too long or they will be gone in a jiffy!
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Posted by
George Hobica on Sunday, May 04, 2008 at 11:15 AM to
Airline Industry News
No surprise here, American has joined the other "legacy" carriers in adding this fee. As with the other airlines, this applies only to domestic flights, and certain frequent flyers, plus first and business class passengers, are exempt. But the real danger to your wallet remains the charges for oversized or overweight bags, which incur charges of $100 each way. So if you have a bag that weighs over 50 pounds and is larger than 62 inches in total linear dimensions (height plus width plus length, which is typical of 32 inch suitcases, such as this snazzy model from Rimowa) then you will pay, get this, $400 roundtrip, or, if it's a second bag, $450 RT. Probably more than your airfare. This is probably why we've noticed that 32 inch suitcases are the same price as smaller models: they're just not selling.
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Posted by
Bo Borre on Friday, May 02, 2008 at 4:19 AM to
Europe/Africa/Middle East Airfares
If you've been praying for a decent fare to Prague this summer, consider your prayers answered with these deals from Boston and Chicago on the new Air One service connecting with Czech Airlines in Milan. Although a bit higher than advertised, they are still at least $400 off the going rate and considering that fares to Prague are currently nearly $1,200 from other East Coast cities or closer to $1,500 from the West Coast, you have the option of either hooking up with these deals by a connecting flight from your home town (and making your vacation plans a done deal) or waiting around for a similar sale closer to where you live, which means you could be waiting a very long time.
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