Alert – Strikes And Breakdowns Cause Transportation Havoc in Europe

Heads-up travelers! -  French air controllers go on strike (Wed), Lufthansa pilots begin 4 day walkout (Mon), British Airways union votes to strike – no date set for walkout (Mon), Eurostar breaks down (again) stranding hundreds of travelers in the dark – major technical problems are sited for continued breakdowns (Mon), Air Traffic Controllers strike in Greece and a general workers strike brings all transportation to a halt (Wed).  Yikes!

The transportation news is not promising for those heading to Europe anytime soon.  Will this be the season of the ‘perfect travel storm’ for vacationers?  Will the crumbling economies in Europe bring a spring and summer  full of protests and general strikes?   Only time will tell -  but if you are planning to travel to Europe in the coming weeks and months,  you should be following the above volatile situations.  It’s a good idea to watch the online newspapers in the area that you will be traveling to (find them at OnlineNewspapers.com) or another good resources is TimesOnline.com.

Wishing you speedy travels!

STOP with the fees already – It’s A Study in Absurdity!

Sorry, I need to vent – Two events have me shaking my head this morning.
#1) an appearance of Sir Richard Branson on Fox News to celebrate Virgin Atlantic’s 25 years of flying – AND, (are you paying attention US airlines?), 25 years of PROFITABILITY!
#2) the news that United Airlines and US Airways will now charge passengers an extra $5 fee if they do not pay their $15 baggage fee in advance online.  In other words, if you show up at the airport with a piece of luggage and actually expect to check both your body and your bag in….. it’s going to cost you more.  Who dreams this stuff up???  And by the way Delta will be charging travelers to Europe $50 for that second bag!

Back to Sir Richard – when asked if he could explain how Virgin Atlantic (Virgin Blue & Virgin America) manage to be continually successful in a era when most other airlines (US airlines in particular) are running huge losses, he smiled and said, ‘if you treat people right, give them a good flying experience and do all the small things very well – you will have loyal customers and a successful company’.  (paraphrased)

Brilliant!  Meanwhile our airlines beat us over the head with ridiculous fees, grumpy staff, and policies that simply fly in the face of common sense.  I’m sorry to say, they remind me of our legislators!!!

By the way – there are way too many airline fees for anyone to keep track of.  Here’s a wonderful chart by USA Today that spells out all the absurdity.

Join The Mile High Dating Club

How far are you willing to go to find a perfect mate? Air New Zealand is betting that several hundred travelers will be on board for its first ever Matching Making Flight that departs Los Angeles on October 13, 2009.  Adventurous singles who purchase roundtrip tickets on The Match Making Flight will be treated to a pre-boarding party at the LAX gate, in-flight food, drinks, entertainment and games, and tickets to a grand Match Making Ball in Auckland, New Zealand on October 17th.  The ball will be attended by Air New Zealand passengers as well as local Kiwis (as New Zealanders call themselves).  It’s bound to be an hysterical journey!

Roundtrip airfare starts at $780, and well priced packages are available for hotel stays in Auckland.  In anticipation of the buzz and curiosity about this new concept in blind dating, a social networking site has been created at TheMatchMakingFlight.com - check it out for all the romantic details.

This promises to be the most blind dating fun Downunder since the Aussie favorite “Desperate and Dateless Ball” ended last year!  And if you’re wondering just how cheeky the Kiwis are – you’ve got to see their filming of the “Nothing To Hide” video ad.

Tour The City By Public Transportation

Tour Italy Like A Rich Movie Star

Credit Card Safety When Traveling

How To Avoid Taxi Cab Rip Offs

Rental Car Companies Are Going Green In A Hurry

Continental and United Airlines Become New Best Friends

Gas Calculator – Estimate Gas Costs Before Your Trip

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