Summer’s coming, and with it hordes of travelers. It’s the time of year when you can get stuck in a security line for two hours. Or get a smoky room in a noisy hotel. Or get a rental car that’s ready for the resale lot. Unless, of course, you get an upgrade. But how exactly do you do that?
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The latest salvo against the airline industry came recently when ultra-low cost Spirit Airlines announced a sensible proposal to charge travelers’ for carry-on baggage. Without delay the popular media, including one of my favorite reporters—Neil Cavuto—who berated Spirit’s CEO on Continue Reading…

Joel Widzer’s friends rave about cruising, but he has never understood the appeal. Being stuck on a boat for days at a time just isn’t his cup of tea. After hearing about such cruise-industry problems as noroviruses, missing passengers, pirates and sinkings, Joel hasn’t changed his mind. What are his chances of going on a cruise? Slim to none.
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I have long extolled the benefits of customer databases, which help travelers and travel providers build mutually beneficial relationships. By tracking their best customers’ preferences and purchases, providers can reward them with upgrades, special pricing, personalized service and other perks Continue Reading…

When safety is more important than one person’s comfort Imagine my surprise when the ticket agent told me that I did not have a first class seat. What? I sputtered. But I confirmed that seat just an hour ago!

At the height of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt took the occasion of his first inaugural address to remind Americans of their common enemy: fear. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing Continue Reading…

A lot of noise has been made recently about the coming consolidation of the airline industry and the doomsday effect such mergers would have. In my typical style, if I can’t add much more than a rehash of current events, Continue Reading…

It’s time to give your elite status a boost. I’m not talking about your frequent flier mileage statement – I’m referring to the number of points or miles you have that will provide you elite membership with your preferred airline next year.
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Tips to fight the ills of long-haul flights Jets are great. They allow eager travelers and hard-charging business people to travel thousands of miles in a matter of hours.

Airline travelers have been tempted recently by the lofty idea of a so-called “Passenger Bill of Rights.” The premise of this new proposed legislation is that if Congress gets involved in the airline industry again, air travel will return to Continue Reading…

Let’s be honest: I have wine anxiety. Whenever I’m invited to a dinner party and decorum dictates that I bring a bottle of wine, I go into a little panic. Will I bring a suitable vintage? Will it complement the Continue Reading…

A contrarian’s choice: South Africa

Sure, the 2010 World Cup will stop by, but the time to visit is now
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Also Available at MSNBC.com

It’s a mere six weeks into the new travel year and I’ve already reached the top tier of the loyalty program with my preferred airline. That means that I’ll retain the highest level of membership through February 2009. At this point, most travel theorists would say: “Spread the wealth and move on to another airline.”
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In my last column, I wrote about my friend Maryam, whose trip to Hawaii was tarnished by several booking mistakes. Since that column generated a lot of interest, I thought I would tell a different story this time– a story Continue Reading…

Increasingly, travel is woven into our daily lives. Whether for business, pleasure or holiday merry-making, travel is as much a part of our lives as MP3 players and cable TV.
With so many people traveling (42 million Americans will travel over the holidays alone), I’d like to make the case for treating travel as a hands-on adventure, rather then a passive sightseeing opportunity. It can make a big difference in the rewards you reap.
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After spending a week in Ethiopia with no connection to the civilized world, I returned to Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., to see the most ridiculous headline of the year: “US Airways makes $8.76 billion bid for Delta.�
I thought that maybe I was delusional or suffering from malaria.
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Deadlines are approaching: Don’t miss out on your rewards Are you a frequent flier, frequent car renter or frequent hotel guest? Have you checked the calendar lately? Important deadlines are fast approaching. If you don’t plan ahead, you may lose Continue Reading…

Europe has not been on my list of top travel destinations this year, mainly because of the unfavorable exchange rate. My theory of “contrarian travel” generally takes me to places offering better value but, like many travelers, I sometimes yearn Continue Reading…

How to get a sweet ride without breaking the bank On a recent trip to Spain, I rented a BMW 3 Series car with Hertz’s NeverLost GPS system and unlimited mileage for 92 euros a day.

3rd-party sites have revolutionized travel, but their time has passed For all their usefulness, third-party travel Web sites can be as much a burden as a boon. The conventional wisdom is to check three or four Web sites before purchasing Continue Reading…

A key principle of my travel strategy, which I call “Contrarian Travel,â€? is to travel against the grain: Go off-peak, follow the dollar, look for distressed properties, eschew all trends — in general, look for the destinations and travel providers that need your business the most. Right now, the dollar is somewhat weak, especially in Europe, where it is currently…
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Anyone who’s ever opened a newspaper or flipped on a TV knows the national media is overwhelmingly anti-airline — except, of course, for the flattering attention paid to the industry darlings:

Cell phones are coming to air travel, that you can bet. Why, just last week Air France opened the Airbus door to ring tones, inane chatter and “Can you hear me now?” Beginning early next year, passengers on some of its routes will be free to use their cell phones in flight. It’s only a matter of time before U.S. carriers follow suit.
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For years, I have heard people complain about the lack of choice in air travel. But now that Northwest has begun selling its choice coach seats — for an extra $15 fee — the moaning and groaning has just become louder. You’d think customers and pundits would be applauding. I certainly am.
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Planning a trip? Wishing your travel dollar could stretch a little farther? It can if you ask the right questions. You just need to think ahead and leverage your loyalty programs with your favorite airlines, hotels, and car rental companies. Here are 10 tips to get you great travel perks.
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Are your frequent-flier requirements running you around in circles? Do you really want to sleep with that hotel chain anymore? It’s time to take a hard look at your loyalty programs. Do this five-point checkup to make sure you’re getting the best perks for the least effort and inconvenience.
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Complain, complain, complain. It seems like the traveling public has not a good word to say about service on the network airlines. Has the Grinch come to town, or have travelers developed a bad case of entitlement? I say: Get real. If you want service guarantees, you’ve got to be loyal.
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What’s the best way to get yourself an upgrade? I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, and I think the best tip I can offer this year is: Give thanks. That’s right. Just say, “Thank you.” It will honor hardworking travel workers, make you feel good, and maybe get you that preferred-customer upgrade.
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A recent ploy by some airlines is raising some eyebrows. Under the guise of “fuel conservation,” flights are being canceled at the last minute. I suspect the motive is more money than conservation — those flights just aren’t full enough to fly for a profit. But what can you do about it?
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Two weeks ago, I wrote a column blasting low-cost airlines and striking airline workers for destroying the great American airline industry. Boy, did I get a lot of mail. This week, I share some second thoughts, extend an olive branch, and put my money where my mouth is.
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How many car rental stories have happy endings? Mine do. Take this recent experience with a Hertz rental in Denver. I arrived at the airport, sauntered right past the rental counter, and immediately boarded the shuttle bus, where I was the only passenger.
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We all mess up sometimes. The world traveler may forget his ticket, and even a five-star hotel can lose your reservation. When mishaps happen, the best travel providers will often go out of their way to make amends. After all, their reputations are at stake.
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Travel with just a carry-on. Never lose a bag. Skip the noisy carousel and go straight to your destination. For the air traveler, these fantasies rank right up there with getting a free in-flight meal or fawning service from a friendly flight attendant. But are they just that — fantasies? Not necessarily.
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When I travel, I like to enjoy a nice view from my room. But over the years, I’ve learned that not all views are equal. Far too often, restaurants and hotels rely too much on their view and ignore what matters – service. Take Orange County, Calif., for example. I remember when the coolest hotel was the Holiday Inn along the 5 freeway. Today’s “OC” offers several fine hotels with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.
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Looking for an upgrade? Be like Columbo. Remember the TV detective who blundered his way from case to case? He often controlled his environment – and the outcome of each case – by what appeared to be dumb luck. A seemingly clueless Columbo use his clumsy appearance to catch his suspects off guard, when, in fact, he knew exactly where he was going and want he wanted to achieve. I suspect that if Columbo was a world traveler he would navigate his way in the same disarming manner.
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My secret to getting travel upgrades is similar to Warren Buffet’s
approach to the stock market: simple and boring, but effective. I have flown over two million miles on more than 1,000 flights, and since 1994 I have been upgraded on every flight I have taken while only paying coach prices. There are no hyped-up gimmicks, tricks, or loopholes.
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The conventional wisdom is that the less money you pay for a trip, the better you’ll feel about it. The conventional wisdom is wrong. How can you put a price on avoiding a long check-in or security line? Or sidestepping employees who are indifferent to your needs?
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Looking for great travel deals is a popular pastime. It seems everyone has a different strategy for reaching the holy grail of travel – a great experience at a reasonable price. That used to be pretty easy. Value-conscious travelers just booked a trip during the off-season. No more.
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Is it time to jettison your preferred airline? If you’re getting bad service, you’ve moved, you can’t get an upgrade any more or your carrier is in financial trouble, the answer might be “yes.” Spend your loyalty dollars wisely. I review my travel partnerships once a year to make sure I’m not throwing away my money. If I need a loyalty tune-up, I switch programs.
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Caving to the protests of its stingiest customers, Delta Air Lines is revamping its SkyMiles program to what it calls a more “customer-focused transformation meant to simplify the Medallion qualification process.” I’ve checked out the changes and I have a different opinion: I think it’s accelerating Delta’s path toward bankruptcy.
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Everyone talks about bad airline service. But what about good service? The nation’s newspapers, Web bloggers, and airwaves are full of stories about the plummeting state of flying. Every day, my e-mail “in” box fills with airline horror stories. So I wonder: am I the luckiest person in world?
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Why go for the miles when loyalty is what really counts?
Face it: miles are all but worthless. In 1999, I wrote how air miles have become akin to a second national currency
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My past columns have stirred strong feelings among travelers. Whether you think, as one writer states, I’m “full of caca” or I am intelligently stating a case, it’s good to have something to think about. My objective is to promote a clearer way of thinking about travel.
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Open any major newspaper, listen to any financial report, or read any number of Web sites offering travel advice and you’ll be sure to hear about the demise of the major network air-carriers. For years, travel pundits have proclaimed that the economy airlines (Southwest, JetBlue, AirTran Airways, Frontier Airlines, and Independence Air) are the Darwinian equivalent of natural selection. Well, it is time to call a spade a spade.
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