Consumer Traveler Today: Feb 19

Consumer Traveler Today: Indecent proposal: Honeymoon cruisers fight for insurance claim
 
Indecent proposal: Honeymoon cruisers fight for insurance claim
What we’re reading: Qantas scraps 1st, FAA fines American Eagle $2.9 million, is Harrah’s too big?
TSA release: Expanded use of Explosive Trace Detection technology
FAA on a maintenance jihad — $10s of millions in fines on their way
Good airline fees? Some are worth the money
First airfare sales, now airline fee sales — UA discounts seat fees
Indecent proposal: Honeymoon cruisers fight for insurance claim
Posted: 19 Feb 2010 03:10 AM PST
Minnesota residents Kristen and Joe Wegleitner just wanted to start their October honeymoon off in grand style with a romantic 7-day Mediterranean voyage on Celebrity Cruises. Unfortunately things began to unravel when bad weather and a hodgepodge of missed airline flight connections forced the newlyweds to scuttle their cruise plans. Thankfully the couple had the foresight to purchase travel insurance and thought the claims process with Travel Guard would be hassle free. Or so the Wegleitners thought.
        

What we’re reading: Qantas scraps 1st, FAA fines American Eagle $2.9 million, is Harrah’s too big?
Posted: 19 Feb 2010 03:00 AM PST
Qantas to scrap first class on most flights, FAA wants American Eagle to pay $2.9 million fine, is Harrah's getting too big?
        

TSA release: Expanded use of Explosive Trace Detection technology
Posted: 18 Feb 2010 09:15 AM PST
This is a simple reprint of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) press release with a short commentary up front. It seems that TSA is now moving down a better track than installing untested and circumventable whole-body scanners. This effort searches for explosives and the method is non-invasive, protecting dignity. That's as long as TSA doesn't decide to have us jam out hands in our pants like their counterparts in Canada have known to require.
        

FAA on a maintenance jihad — $10s of millions in fines on their way
Posted: 18 Feb 2010 08:15 AM PST
Sometimes federal agencies get a wake-up call and go into overdrive. It seems that the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is in just such a mode these days. They have just fined American Eagle millions of dollars. They are investigating that airlines parent company, American Airlines, for "repeated maintenance discrepancies." And they are actively scrutinizing Southwest Airlines' maintenance records and procedures.
        

Good airline fees? Some are worth the money
Posted: 18 Feb 2010 07:15 AM PST
This isn’t another story about airlines and their misguided fees. It’s about the surcharges that are worth paying — and why you should consider saying “yes” to them. That’s right, I said “worth it.” While many fees are outrageous, some aren’t entirely out of line.
        

First airfare sales, now airline fee sales — UA discounts seat fees
Posted: 18 Feb 2010 06:15 AM PST
Airline fees are here to stay. But since airlines cannot resist tinkering with any revenue source, a new development seems to be creating different pricing levels for the same fee. We are starting see advertised fee sales from some of the airlines.