September 11

I flew from Washington Dulles to Dallas, Texas, on September 10. And came downstairs to the lobby of my hotel to get breakfast the morning of September 11 with no thought but the work I had to do that day.

A lobby full of strangers stared at the small television monitor and my world changed.

I completed my week-long business in Texas, and took my scheduled flight back home the following Monday, one of the first flights to depart after nearly a week of grounded flights. I flew American Airlines back to Washington Dulles on the quietest flight I've ever experienced. As we landed, passengers broke out in spontaneous clapping, in relief and thankfulness to a flight crew that had experienced the loss of colleagues less than a week before.

The days and months ahead would bring several trips to the Pentagon site where my naval chaplain uncle was presiding over the chaplains who were working with the victims of the attack there. A trip to New York where the most indescribable smell met me as I came out of the Brooklyn Bridge subway station. At best it was the smell of burning metal, but it was more than that. A sober New York City and a bomb scare outside my hotel were the many things that marked the post-9/11 world.

September 11 changed air travel forever. It changed the United States and the world. What do you remember?

Ten Most Complained About Airlines

One of my clients objected to the only non-stop flight to her destination this week. Why? The airline that flies that route has lost her luggage. She went with a one-stop flight on an airline she thinks more of. The airline she objected to tops the list of the "Ten Most Complained About Airlines" and brings up an important point:

Pay more for a better airline.
Which hardly seems like a budget travel recommendation.
But the more travel I book, the more I realize that extra value should be placed upon a travel company that has good policies. My mental checklist includes:
1) Do you have to pay more for water? (U.S. Airways charged me $1 for a plastic cup of water. Not cool.)
2) Do I have to pay to select seats? (I paid $10 to put a client in an aisle or a window seat on Sun Country Airlines recently. I won't even consider AirTran for the same reason.)
3) If the price drops, will I get my money back (or credit)? Jet Blue and Alaska Airlines come through on this one for me.
4) If I need to cancel a flight, what is the policy? Most airlines (United, Alaska, Delta, etc...) will give you 24 hours after booking to cancel or change a flight with no penalty. American has no grace period.
5) Change fees? Southwest comes out big here, the only airline that lets you change without a fee.

Customer service matters. For the average person who doesn't book a lot of flights, lists that say who gets the complaints are important.

Sometimes bottom dollar is just not worth it.

New Flier Protections In Effect

A host of new consumer protection policies went in to effect earlier this month. Most of the provisions are a good idea. In fact, the great airlines brought most of them about. But it will be interesting to see what regulating will cost the consumer in rising prices. Not to mention the cost to the taxpayer of regulating those changes.

• Probably the change that will effect most travelers is this one: "Airlines must prominently disclose all optional fees on their websites, including but not limited to fees for baggage, meals, canceling or changing reservations, or advanced or upgraded seating." (Department of Transportation)  Delta's website brought up a spreadsheet about checked and carry-on baggage fees when I booked a flight yesterday. Baggage fees have changed multiple times during the past two years on some airlines and while I book enough flights to know what airlines charge what, for most travelers, having that information up front is a good idea.

• Airlines are now required to refund the fee you paid to check your bag if they lose your bag. They already had to reimburse you for loss or damage to the bag and its contents. Refunding the fee you paid them to take care of your bag when they didn't is common sense, right?

• If you are involuntarily bumped from a flight and your airline can get you to your destination within two hours of your original arrival time, you are owed a refund of twice your original ticket amount up to $650. If it takes longer than two hours, you get four times the ticket amount, up to $1300. While most airlines oversell flights, it is rare that passengers are involuntarily bumped. Most airlines get by with only using incentives for bumped travelers.

• The other change will attempt to curb airline practices. There is now a fine for both domestic (imposed earlier) and international flights (and airlines) that delay takeoff on the tarmac for more than four hours. The airline could be fined up to $27,500 per passenger. That's a pretty hefty fine, scary enough for airlines to be aware of it and comply. Whether or not it will be enforced is to be seen. 

Other regulations are due to go into effect on January 24, 2012. The airlines requested more time to reach compliance.

Sources: USA Today, Budget Travel, Department of Transportation

Aviation Day: The Wonder of Air Travel

August 19 is Aviation Day.

Even with the rising costs of air travel, fees, and long waits on the tarmac, most of us have to admit we are pretty grateful that Orville & Wilbur Wright kept trying until they made it happen.

I grew up flying. My grandfather had his pilot's license and until a heart condition made him give it up, I had the joy of flying in a little Cessna 210. I will never forget hitting air pockets and having my breath taken away as we dropped. And one of my best childhood memories is flying to attend an air show in a different part of our state.

September 11, 2001, changed air travel in ways I wish it hadn't. My children will never know the joy of seeing off someone at the gate, one of my favorite memories.  We no longer get to welcome travelers as they deplane.

But when my 20-month old points to the sky and says "airplane," my heart still thrills at the wonder of it.

Are You Taking a Vacation This Year?

From a European perspective, Americans have never been very good at taking a vacation. While three to four weeks a year of vacation is typical for most Europeans, Americans feel grateful if they take a week or two.

But what is a vacation? Work expectations while vacationing are on the rise, largely due to technology. To really get away, you may have to leave your computer and phone at home and find a deserted island. Thirteen per cent of non-self-employed employees report they are expected to work while on vacation. One in five said they weren't expected to work but had to be available should an emergency arise. If you are self-employed, the economy may demand that you skip the vacation in order to keep your struggling company producing.

And if you can get the time away from work, you may not be able to go anywhere. Nineteen percent of Americans who are taking a vacation are taking it at home this year. "Stay-cations" are becoming more popular with the majority of those taking them stating that rising fuel prices are a primary reason they are choosing not to drive or fly anywhere.

If you are stuck with little opportunity to travel, consider a getaway to a nearby location. Budget Travel put together a list of One-Tank Escapes for seven U.S. cities (in different regions). A short trip may not feel like enough. But it may be all you get.


Sources: Survey Reveals U.S. Workers May Change or Cancel Summer Vacations if Economic Volatility Continues
Top Reasons Americans are Choosing to Vacation Within Their State

What Have You Done to Travel?

I was 21 when I lost my patience with not being able to afford to travel. So I took a job as a live-in nanny on the east coast. I can't say I recommend that kind of desperation. I quit that job shortly after waking up at 2am to the father of my charges standing over my bed when the mother, a flight attendant, was out of town. But I did spend my days off exploring Washington D.C. and thoroughly taking advantage of my time off.

These days, my family gets along with one vehicle. Without that sacrifice we wouldn't be able to afford to travel, particularly with our children. And riding the bus is entirely worth it to be able to take a weekend getaway now and then.

So what have you done to travel?