Travel

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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Left Unchallenged, Airfares Skyrocket Until…

Airfares between Boston and Washington, DC — a flight that is only about one hour actually in the air — have skyrocked in recent years to as much as $518 roundtrip.

Take this trip from Wednesday October 27, 2010 until Friday that week:

Over $500 for a one hour flight is crazy, you have to agree, but that is the price being charged by US Airways, Delta, United and American. 

Now, let’s price out that same flight, exactly one week later — leaving on Wednesday Nov. 3 and returning that Friday:

Wow… the fare fell to $149 from $518 on most major carriers — a more than 70% price drop. What’s going on here?

*MOUSE PRINT:

“JetBlue Airways today is proud to announce plans to serve the popular Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), its third airport in the Washington region, with seven daily nonstop flights to Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS) and one daily nonstop flight each to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) beginning November 1, 2010.” — JetBlue press release.

While there was plenty of competition in the Boston to DC market, there wasn’t any real price competition, until JetBlue, a low-cost carrier, entered the market. You really have to wonder how did it come to pass that all those legacy carriers uniformly charged that outrageous $518 price?

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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British Airways Screws Some Frequent Fliers

A friend recently flew from Boston to London on British Airways. He got a very good fare after tinkering around online. To his surprise, however, when he checked his frequent flier mileage statement, he only earned 817 miles in each direction.

We all know that the world is getting smaller, but since when is London only 800 miles from Boston. Thinking an error was made, he contacted the airline. The result?  He got what he was entitled to under their rules:

*MOUSE PRINT:

bafreq2

[ Details on the BA website. ]

One-quarter of one mile for every full mile flown? Whoever heard of any airline giving you less than one frequent flier mile for each actual mile flown?

The lesson — don’t assume  that all airline programs work as you expect.

Consumer World Celebrates 30 Years: 1995 - 2025  
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Travelocity Price Guarantee: Don’t Expect a Refund

For nearly a year, Orbitz has been advertising “Orbitz Price Assurance” that guarantees airline ticket purchasers an automatic refund if someone else books the exact same flights on Orbitz as you did, but for less money.

Not to be outdone, Travelocity has just introduced “Travelocity PriceGuardian” which applies to airfare and hotel packages, not just to airfare as the Orbitz plan originally did. [Since Travelocity added air/hotel packages, Orbitz added hotels to its guarantee.] The Travelocity plan promises to refund the difference if another Travelocity customer books the same package at a lower price.

travelocityguarantee

On the face of it, you might say what a good idea. But stop and think about it (and read the terms and conditions).

*MOUSE PRINT:

If another Travelocity.com customer books the same Flight+Hotel Vacation Package that you booked, meaning their Vacation Package contains the same flight and hotel combination (the same dates/times of travel, on the same airline/s, with the same flight numbers, for the same passenger type, itinerary, cabin, and subject to the same fare refundability, or other restrictions, and the same hotel and room type), and the price they pay is at least $10 lower than the price you booked, then Travelocity will refund the difference to you, up to a maximum of $500 per package.

What are the odds that ANYONE will book the exact same flights as you in both directions (same dates, same class) using Travelocity, and stay at the exact same hotel as you in the same priced room for the same number of nights? Slim and none.

Of course, the benefit is free, and should someone else meet these requirements and pay less (but not by using a coupon or other special offer), then you will automatically get a refund to your credit card.