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Don't Hand Suitcase With Valuables To Flight Crew!
(10/01)
We've heard stories about passengers not even allowed to step onto the plane unless they surrendered their suitcases, and then the suitcases were lost. The moral of the story is, don't give up that suitcase! The ticket brochure clearly states that valuables and medicine should not be in checked baggage. Also the airline refuses to pay for lost valuables because the ticket brochure clearly states that liability is limited to so many dollars. 1. Be sure the baggage is within size and weight limits, which vary from one airline to another, 22 x 14 x 9 inches and 25 pounds is one example. 2. Ask to see a flight crew supervisor, pointing out that the baggage fits under the seat.as mentioned in the ticket brochure. 3. Take the valuables out of the suitcase and then surrender the suitcase and what is left in it. 4. Walk back out to the ticket counter to purchase insurance for the baggage contents. 5. If worst comes to worst, let the flight depart and take the next flight. If you had checked another piece of baggage, the plane will have to be held while that baggage is removed, which gives the airline more incentive to change their mind and let you carry your valuables on board. 6. Write down the name of every person you talk to. We have been told that passengers have to give up their baggage just so the plane can depart more quickly. This gives the airline all the benefits and the passenger all the inconveniences which is wrong. Airlines are constantly confusing passengers with hard to understand rules and personnel who speak half the truth or even untrue statements. Passengers need to stand up for their rights. It is easier to dispute the charge for changing your reservation than it is to make a claim for lost baggage. The grounds for disputing the reticketing charge is that the airline did not follow its own published rules about carry-on baggage or changed the rules without warning. About disobeying flight crew: Flight crew does not have the right to cause you harm or loss. If they insist on arresting you even if you agree to take your baggage and yourself off the plane, they expose themselves to false arrest. (After all, they don't have the right to arrest you if they tell you to jump out the open door of an airborne airplane and you refuse!) About airlines with a no carry on baggage policy: The airline has the obligation to let you know that in advance of your arrival at the airport to let you plan accordingly, such as leave the valuables behind or send them by insured mail. You can walk off the plane to go to the post office, and dispute any reticketing charge later.
Carry Two Watches Two is enough for most folks, three is enough for the most paranoic.. So long as both/all watches are running and show the same time you can be assured that you are not going to miss something because a watch stopped or was inaccurate. It is very very unlikely for two watches to stop at or about the same time. Your friend's or spouse's watch can be the second watch so long as s/he is not offended by your asking for the time while wearing your own watch.
Mistake In Mail Order Ticket Refundable In a Nutshell "Generally" if you order an airline ticket by mail or over the Internet and it arrives with an error on it, it is refundable. Notify the airline immediately. Use both phone and letter, or both phone and e-mail. ********** The first rule of selling merchandise, goods, or services, is that the customer has a right to inspect it before paying. If you are at the ticket counter, when the agent hands you a ticket and you see a mistake, you can refuse it on the spot and the agent will correct the mistake and hand you another ticket. Then you pay for it. That of course is impossible when buying the merchandise by mail. It therefore must be that when the merchandise does arrive and is defective or not as ordered, the customer has a right to return it for a refund. Sears Roebuck and L.L. Bean and others with famous good reputations for mail order service got those reputations by treating customers excellently. Yes it is possible that the person filling the order made the mistake. I will not accuse any airline of deliberately making a mistake but I claim the airline has to prove that the customer made the mistake, not the other way around. I would feel free to dispute the credit card bill, forcing the airline to get involved that way. The retailing principle described above can be included in the reason. The jury is still out as to whether you can get an incorrect ticket modified without a fare increase. Under the above principle you do not have to pay the $75.00 change fee but you may have to pay a higher fare if the early purchase deadline has passed. The airline may accept the refund request but force you to "return and re-buy" as opposed to "exchange". At this time as far as I know, there is still a chance you will be subject to the higher fare if any if you exchange your tickets as opposed to cancelling your trip and demanding a refund. If the airline won't print a corrected ticket without a big fare increase, that is evidence you can use for a true refund request if you did cancel your trip. You are better off paying the change fee and/or a small fare increase now, enjoying your trip, and suing for a refund of the extra costs later as opposed to cancelling the trip and suing for the refund of the tickets themselves. (Negotiate before you litigage.) Therefore if the advance purchase deadline is close, you really should not order the tickets by mail or over the Internet. Go to the airport, or a travel agent, and buy the ticket in person. You should not order merchandise over the Internet unless you know how to print out e-mail messages, order blank screens, and confirmations. You will need to know how to use both word processors, editors, and paint programs., the latter come in handy for screens filled with graphics and emblems. You will need these to prove that you did not make the mistake. But once you printed this information on paper from your own computer, that is adequate proof on your part that you did not make the error. Sure the airline can claim you retouched the screen but the airline has the real burden of proof if their printouts don't match yours and that they did not retouch their screens. A reader of "Complete Traveler, www.trip.com", I believe his/her initials were M.W. wrote, "The Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Consumer Affairs Decision has ruled that when you receive your paper tickets with the 'non-refundable' notice on them you can get a refund if you notify the airline IMMEDIATELY. Write to the DOT Consumer Affairs division in DC (L'Enfant Plaza, 700 Independence Ave SE) and try to get them to help, or get your Congressman to call their DOT Congressional liaison for you. The DOT usually won't take calls from the public, but it's worth a try." As soon as you find an error, call the airline on the phone (using 800, 888, 877 numbers only) and also send a note or an e-mail. If indeed there were numerous instances of incorrect tickets coming from one airline, the chances are much greater that all affected customers will receive refunds. This would include customers who had the tickets modified as opposed to cancelled. This would also include after the fact rebooking at lower advance purchase fares where applicable together with appropriate refunds.
Hotel Room Too Dark? Take the lampshade off. Many lampshades absorb a lot of the light. One other travel tip web site recommends carrying your own 100 to 150 watt lamp (light bulb). There are some cautions: 1. If your suitcase is really tightly packed or is treated roughly by baggage handlers, the lamp might be crushed, leaving broken glass all around inside your suitcase. 2. If you forget to take out your lamp and put back the one the hotel provided, the maid might pilfer (or confiscate) it. Also if the smoke detector beeps because of a nearly dead battery I ask the front desk clerk for a new battery. Meanwhile I take a chance on fire safety and throw the old battery away immediately. I cannot stand the periodic beeping which is a form of Chinese water torture.
Extra Large Carryon Baggage? (10/98) "Fly American Airlines, official airline of the Boston Pops." In September and October of 1998 American Airlines prepared a number of radio and TV commercials featuring the Boston Pops orchestra. In one scene the flight attendant was helping one of the musicians strap a cello into a seat. There is a catch. You must buy a ticket for the large object since it must occupy a seat, not the overhead bin.. In one Internet travel forum a reader reported doing just that. One time the flight was overbooked and the airline personnel still insisted that the large carryon (a cello) be removed to the luggage compartment. It was also reported that tickets bought for objects would not earn frequent flyer miles. Now American Airlines has a new reputation to uphold. From now on they are going to have a hard time telling you to check luggage that sits in a seat for which you bought a ticket. Otherwise they could be subjected to false advertising claims. By the way, I suspect that extra insurance to cover checked baggage can be bought for far less than a ticket to fly the object sitting in a seat. Always pack items sturdily and ruggedly as if they will be checked into the baggage hold. Failure to do this has lead to lots of arguments with flight attendants. Musical instruments need to be put in hard cases.
Before You Leave Home (6/98) These tips are for short vacations. Closing down your summer home for winter requires more complex preparation, descriptions under construction on this web site. Also be careful not to choose the tips that conflict with other plans, for example if someone is going to come and house sit, you of course don't want to turn off the water. o Turn off water heater. Caution: On some gas water heaters you turn the knob all the way to the right to turn it off (unlike a radio or TV). Better yet, turn off the circuit breaker or gas cock. o Turn off wall faucets that feed the washing machine hoses. o If no one is coming to water the lawn, turn off garden hose faucets using the inside shut off valves provided. This prevents vandals from running up your water bill or causing other water related problems. o Unplug appliances except refrigerators and freezers. Also unplug lamps not part of a timer system. But is OK to leave plugged in answering machine, clocks, and devices containing clocks such as VCR's. o If you don't have an answering machine or don't want to leave one running, unplug all telephones. o Turn off garage door opener and lock all garage doors. o Try to give away perishable foods. o You can go to the post office and arrange to have mail held or forwarded. But it is still desirable to have someone check the mailbox for items that persons other than the postman stuffed in. o In winter open cabinet doors under sinks and washbasins, so warmer air in the middle of the room will flow around pipes better. o Send in at least a minimum payment for every bill, especially credit card bills, that have arrived. Some mortgage companies and finance companies treat early payments as principal which does not relieve you of the obligation to send a payment closer to the due date, but they may on request mark your file to take an early payment as a payment. But try to avoid calling anyone to whom you send monthly payments unless they have a toll free number. o Also the usual, stop newspaper and milk deliveries, etc., have someone come and walk around the yard, pick up mail, mow the lawn or plow the driveway, have a few lights operated by timer switches. Optional Advanced Items: o In spring, summer, and fall, turn main water valve almost off. (Don't turn it completely off unless water heater is turned off. Test it by running an upstairs (top floor) faucet for two or three minutes, it should take that long to fill a drinking glass. o In winter, drain plumbing and hot water tank. Do this after all family members have used the bathroom for the last time. (Be absolutely sure water heater fuel or power is turned off before starting this task.) Leave a faucet on the lowest level (such as in a basement laundry sink) open so just in case the main shutoff should be leaky the system won't fill up again. If a friend or relative will visit the house to inspect it, let him know the water is off. o Pour a cupful of undiluted car antifreeze in each toilet and bathtub, half a cupful in each sink drain. If your home has master traps further on down the drain line, pour about a quart of extra antifreeze down one washbasin (not a toilet) to make sure some antifreeze reaches these traps. o If your basement does not reach freezing temperature in winter, take all canned and bottled unrefrigerated foods down to the basement. This prevents freezing if the heating system fails. Non-dry goods will be ruined if they freeze and then thaw. (Swollen cans may spring tiny leaks that admit bacteria even if they aren't burst or leaking out.) You can save freeze burst cans for a little while if you get home before they warm up and you keep them in the 'fridge for a few weeks. o Bring along checks and addresses and toll free information numbers of credit card companies, electric company, etc. so you can pay bills closer to the due dates and keep the money earning interest in your bank account a bit longer.
Almost Official Fare Rules Web Site Have you been bumped off an overbooked airplane? If a competitor has a replacement flight that gets you there quicker than your airline can offer, ask for it. Some airlines will even put you in first class. Have you had your luggage lost on a plane trip? Often airlines give extra bonuses and compensation above what the law requires when they delay you the passenger. But they often deny benefits rightfully yours when they delay your luggage. Throw away the return flight ticket, airline sends you a bill. Although they won't drag you to the airport and make you finish that cheap round trip itinerary you bought as an alternative to an expensive one way ticket. Things we would like to see but not included in the details linked to by the above click. You can ask for them anyway. 1. If you miss your connection because of a delayed flight, you should have priority standing by for the next flight over someone who did not miss a connection. 2. If your flight is delayed and you feel you will miss a connection and be stranded in the connecting city overnight, the airline should give you their choice between a free hotel room and transportation in the connecting city or a free reschedule of the entire trip.
New Airport Bomb Detectors Spoil Your Vacation Pictures! Before reaching the security check in: 1. Take all metal objects, coins, jackknife, etc. out of your pockets and put them into your carry on suitcase. Put camera accessories, empty cameras, flash units, light meters in the suitcase also. 2. Take the film cassettes or spools out of the boxes, plastic cans, and wrappers and put just the bare cassetes and spools in a plastic bag, preferably transparent. The cans can be put in your suitcase, you may as well throw away the boxes except maybe keep one box of each film speed if there are instructions inside. 3. Tape the cameras so they can't be opened accidentally. Carry the loaded camera(s) separately or hang their straps around your neck. 4. At the security checkpoint "empty your pockets" by pulling out the plastic bags with the film and putting these in the basket they provide. Don't pull out your wallet. A long neck strap can come in handy. The security person can examine the camera while the strap is still around your neck. There is no danger of the camera falling on the floor if it is accidentally dropped. After going through security, open the suitcase and take your keys, loose change, etc. and put that back into your pockets. Put the cameras and film back into the suitcase. So the airline officials say the older style X-rays won't damage your film? Well they are both right and wrong. A suitcase passing normally through the older machine (not the newer bomb detector) probably won't get enough X-rays to damage the film. But the operator may stop the conveyor belt to take a closer look and even discuss things with the supervisor. All the while the suitcase sits under the X-rays for ten, twenty times the X-ray dosage. This is certainly going to spoil the film. Don't take out your wallet and put it in the basket they use to hold loose objects. After showing it to the security officer if s/he asks, put it back into your pocket.
Want the lowest airfare? (Nov. 97) Yes you should wait until a sale (fare war). A long time ago, airlines would refund to you the difference if they offered a lower fare for the same trip after you bought your ticket. You did have to go back to the travel agency or ticket counter and ask. Nowadays you are charged a fee for making a change to your super saver reservation and that usually wiped out your savings. Also, they only give gift certificates, not cash refunds. (A few airlines, I don't know which, will give you the benefit of the lower fare without the change penalty if everything else on your trip stays the same.)
Renting a Car -- In a nutshell (Dec.97) Renting a car is not easy, even the experts get stung. There are too many cases when you arrive at your destination and the car rental agent is unable or unwilling to give you the car for the price and terms you thought you had arranged. Here are some hints.
1. Use a nationwide well known company.
2. Reserve in advance, preferably at least a week
before your trip.
3. Learn the rules and policies before renting.
3. Confirm the price for the entire rental.
4. Allow for late airplane arrival.
5. Use a credit card with collision coverage, if possible.
6. Don't buy an entire tankful of gas.
7. Inspect the car before leaving the rental lot.
8. Fill up the gas tank the night before you return
the car.
9. Allow time to get back to the airport and return the car.
Rental Cars - Gas (Sept. 1997) Most rental companies offer you three choices:
Unfortunately, small local car rental companies are more likely to leave you with problems.
Rental Cars - Pick up time should allow for delayed flight (Dec. 97) If you don't pick up your car on time, your reservation might be cancelled. I have had no problem telling the rental company I will pick up the car a few hours after my plane should arrive and then come early. Some rental companies will take down your flight number and then if the plane is delayed, they will hold the car. You should ask. Rental car pickup may make it difficult for you to volunteer to be bumped, if you like to do that.
Rental Cars - Reserving in advance (Sept. 97) Always reserve in advance, otherwise you may only find very expensive cars. We have observed people going up to the rental counter at the airport and heard the rental agent begin the conversation with "we only have full size cars left".
Rental Cars - Learn the policies and rules (Sept. 99) Some companies require you to buy their collision insurance if you don't have collision coverage on your own car back at home. This part of their rules can be complicated, for example apply only to non-US citizens or persons under 25. Rental Cars - Confirm the price of the entire rental (Dec. 97) Most car rental companies have different weekday and weekend rates, but sometimes quote you only the rate for the first day of your rental. On line Internet reservations often do this too. Be sure to call the rental company and confirm the rates for all of the days.
Rental Cars - Allow time to return to airport (Dec. 97) ABC News has noticed that car rental lots are being moved further and further away from airports, forcing you to ride a shuttle bus. If time is short when returning home I go directly to the car return lot. I do not go to the airport terminal first because that makes it take longer to go return the car. However the others in the party may immediately jump in the first shuttle from the rental lot and I'll take the next shuttle after I check the car back in.
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