Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with airlines

You! You with the shifty eyes, step out of the line!

Fortnight Bender — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:38:06 -0800

My brother gets security grief when he flies. Is there a solution? Wondering about airline security. I purchased a flight for myself and my brother online using my credit card. Day of fight I went to do early (within 24 hour check-in) and it says my brother in unable to do it and must show ID at airport. Brother says, yeah this has happened before, his name is on a list and he has filled out a form and sent it in with all the information they (the Gubmint I presume) requested. Apparently that did not solve the problem. We know this is a fairly common issue, and the airline lady at the counter implied it was a waste of time to try and fix it, as he had attempted. Our names are common (or so it seems to me) like Richard and James Smith. Granted that may not be relevant. Because he couldn't be checked in early, and it was an airline whereby you acquire a position in line for seating based on check in time, he was cheated (or so we feel) out of a more favorable position. The only information I gave about him when buying the ticket was his name.

Is there a way to fix this? (Despite what the airline lady said). That is, has anyone successfully fixed this? How do they know he is THE James Smith just by his name (the one who needs further ID check)? Do all of the James Smiths who engage in airline travel enjoy this extra scrutiny? Sorry if that is multiple questions. Neither he nor I fly all that often, but it seems to be a nuisance. Thanks!

Flying With A Canadian Ham to China

mushroom_tattoo — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:58:50 -0800

Can I bring a leg of ham though Hong Kong customs from Canada? I'm flying from Canada to Hong Kong tomorrow to see family and was planning on bringing a 3 kilo leg of ham as a gift. But I'm worried about declaring it in customs. Are there any Canadian pork restrictions currently in effect there?

Time to gut airline pricing.

paultopia — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:31:24 -0800

Arline prices: a specific question (Italy, late September, how to minimize cost?). And a general (airline econ 101). I'm flying from the SF Bay Area to to Milan in late September. How on earth do I minimize my cost on this? Particularly, when do I buy? The fares seem to fluctuate wildly from day to day, with almost a hundred dollar swing in the lowest price in a single day recently. And, based on previous experience, not always upward either -- sometimes they go down, or sales crop up. So I feel like there should be some smarter strategy than just "buy as early as possible."

And, generally: can someone explain to me the economic reasons behind airline pricing? It seems almost impossibly random from day-to-day, airline-to-airline, source-to-source -- far more random than any other competitive industry I can think of. I can understand how if they dealt in extreme commodities like stock, gold, or oil, these fluctuations can happen (and I suppose some of it may be tied to fuel prices). But I can't come up with a theory for this happening in an ordinary service industry.

I'm curious about this in two ways: first, out of general econ-wonk interest. The airline industry seem too competitive for the simple paranoid explanation -- that they randomize prices in order to extract more surplus from consumers -- to work, because randomized prices are basically the same as increased prices and shouldn't be sustainable under heavy competition.

Second, to make buying airline tickets feel less like a gamble! If I wanted to gamble with my money, I'd go to Vegas (preferably not by plane). I don't.

This question may be beyond even mefi... I kind of wonder if anyone has ever just put a crapload of airline pricing data into a stats program with things like calendar date, fuel price, weather, destination, etc., and just thrown regressions at it until it says "ow." If not, perhaps I will one day. But first, I turn to you.

BER --> NYC Any Which Way

foxy_hedgehog — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:19:42 -0800

Please help me find the cheapest way to return to New York from Europe. I need to get back to New York in the last week of July from Berlin. Despite the recession, this is naturally the peak time for travel between Europe and the US, and the cheapest ticket I can find on Kayak (the most comprehensive search engine I know of) is a whopping 600 Euros.

I'm out of work and out of money (which, in fact, is why I'm leaving Berlin) and it would make a huge difference for me to find a cheaper ticket. Unfortunately I can't wait it out until tickets get cheaper again in the fall.

I tried to save money by only booking a one-way flight, but discovered that this seems to cost even more than a round-trip ticket.

I've checked all the travel-related threads on MeFi and read over a bunch of articles on frugal travel from the NYT and others. I've tried to find charter flights or flights with consolidators through Google, but can't seem to find anything less than what I'm finding on standard search engines like Kayak (and when I do, it turns out to be a phantom flight that isn't really for sale at that price).

I looked into buying frequent flier miles or having a friend transfer them to me, but as soon as you are dealing with large quantities of miles it's hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

I thought that perhaps I could make it cheaper by taking a transatlantic flight from another European city and taking a Ryan Air or other discount airline flight from Berlin to my departure city. Thus far, the cheapest route I've found is to take a Germanwings flight from Berlin to Warsaw for 69 Euro, and then take an Air France flight from Warsaw to NYC that night for 349 Euro round trip. Is there another city that might have a cheaper flight? I've already tried Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Zurich, Geneva, and Zagreb.

Finally, is there any chance that tickets will get cheaper if I wait longer? One can hope...

I am very grateful for any suggestions you might have- whether they are tricks of the trade, ideas on how to string flights together, or helpful websites.

Risks of Back-to-Back Ticketing on Airlines?

sdis — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:53:46 -0800

AirlineFilter: How risky is it to do back to back ticketing? Is there any other way I can reasonably get from VIE-CCS-JFK? I need to do VIE-CCS-JFK. Here are some sample prices for the dates I need:

VIE-CCS-VIE: $800
CCS-JFK: $450 (Carribean air)
VIE-CCS: $2500
VIE-CCS-JFK: $3000 (Air France)
(VIE-JFK-VIE): $800-1000

What are my options here? Seems like the cheapest and most convenient is VIE-CCS-VIE + CCS-JFK, and then not show up to the second half of my round trip. However, that violates back-to-back ticketing rules for most airlines. It's fairly not OK with me to get stuck in Venezuela.

Radio Free Southwest

tropikal — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:00:15 -0800

Two part radio scanner question. Part one, Looking for a radio scanner that can receive at least police and commercial airlines. Part two, if and when I get one that picks up airline frequencies would I be able to use it during a flight (when any other electronic device is allowed)?

Help me get the cheapest flights to New York from Australia

crossoverman — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:37:20 -0800

TravelFilter: Will the current cheap flights between Australia and New York remain into 2010? And what times of the year are considered off-peak travel to NYC? Flights to New York from Australia have become really cheap this year (AUD1000-1500) as opposed to normal (AUD2500). This is due to the market opening up: instead of only United and Qantas servicing direct routes, Virgin Australian and Delta are flying direct to the US as well.

I am tentatively planning a trip to NYC in May 2010. (Gives me a full 12 months to save.) It looks like prices will shoot back up to the AUD2500 next year (according to airline websites right now), though most airlines are only listing prices through March 2010 anyway.

Are these prices likely to stay as low as they are currently? With the economic crisis, I suspect this might help to keep prices down AND if I wait six months I'm likely not to be stung by premium rates being offered to people willing to book 12 months in advance. But I'm not really sure how long-haul overseas flight prices fluctuate, if at all.

And is May a good time of the year to visit NYC? I'm flexible to travel between April-June 2010 - don't want to go in the depths of winter or the heat of summer. Is May considered off-peak? (I'll be traveling to other parts of the US, but NYC is my main port of call - everything else can fall in line behind that.)

I don't need suggestions of what to see and do in the city - that list is already LONG - just advice on when is the best time to stay and when the best time is to book the holiday. Thanks.

Hippest Woman in Seattle

tejolote — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:04:53 -0800

Help me fly to Belgium for surgery next month: I'm scheduled for hip surgery in Ghent on the 29th of April, and I have no idea how to schedule my flight. My leave and return dates are flexible, and I plan to go a few days before surgery to do some sightseeing (my first trip to Europe!), but I'm very, very worried about leg room after the surgery.

Business class tickets from Seattle are looking to be $4000 round trip, which I can't afford, nor can I borrow. Coach is around $670 (Continental Airlines) and up. The money I have to spend on a ticket is around $1500. I've heard there's a possibility of buying an upgrade the day of the flight for something that approaches my total budget, but I don't know if this is a rumor, or if not, what the chances are of space being available to purchase an upgrade.

I'm using ITA software to check prices. Should I call an airline directly to buy a ticket? Should I suck it up, and ask the doc for more painkillers for the flight back in coach? Should I find a travel agent? I've never flown internationally, so I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm nervous as hell.

I'm so very excited about finally having surgery and about going to Europe and seeing Ghent. Help me get there safely, and get back as comfortably as I can after surgery.

How can I book a sane vacation?

mhz — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 13:41:25 -0800

What's the safest/best way to book airline tickets? Hey…

I'm planning on flying from New York to Melbourne. I don't have a credit card. What is the best way to make sure my trip is hassle-free?

I've flown many times in the past and have never had a problem with lost baggage. But I figure I'll get screwed sometime, and with the multiple connections (and chances for things to go wrong) I'm seriously debating the extra $60 or so that the booking website charges for insurance. So as far as insurance is concerned:

- Is it worth it?

- What do these things usually cover? I'm landing in Australia a day before my friend's wedding – what exactly happens if Gaffubid my stuff gets lost?

- Is it possible to get a third-party insurer after booking my tickets, with a better cost/benefit ratio? If yes, please provide a link.

- Is there a credit card that helps? I vaguely recall something about AmEx guaranteeing something – does it only work for the cardholder? How about someone in the cardholder's household? How about a companion? If so, does the companion ticket need to have been bought together? Are there any other credit cards that would offer this?

- I'm going to start and end in Melbourne, but I will be in Sydney and possibly other cities as well. Is there a better traveler's insurance which will cover all flights and incidentals during my trip?

slightly offtopic
- I will probably be flying Virgin Blue (MEL-SYD-MEL), and I can't seem to figure out from their website if there's a 1 bag limit (using the super cheap fares) or not. I know there's an $8 charge – I just don't know if I can take two bags.

I've flown between the US and Australia multiple times, so I think I've got everything covered, but if there's anything else that may help…

If it helps at all as far as getting insurance things are concerned, I'm 22, male, US and Australian citizen.

Thank you very much

Need a low-cost alternative airline for flying to Hong Kong!

meta87 — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:29:00 -0800

For a friend: Looking for people's advice and experiences flying Air China or Delta to Hong Kong from Los Angeles. Also looking for other low-cost alternatives to Cathay Pacific. I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and moved to the states when I was
just a child. My family and I would travel back every couple of years to visit friends and family and we would always fly Cathay Pacific Airlines from LA to Hong Kong. Last year, we were forced to fly United and the service and plane was horrible. So horrible, that I vowed never to fly United again.

I'm planning my trip back to Hong Kong for this winter and have been looking at airfare for the past couple of weeks. To my surprise, and I don't know why, but Cathay Pacific's airfare is incredibly expensive this winter. $1,300 for a one-way economy ticket from LA to Hong Kong! So, I'm in the market to try flying with another airline.

I did a few searches on Kayak and it seems like Air China ($600 economy one-way ticket) and Delta Airlines ($730) have the cheapest ticket prices for now. How reputable are these airlines? I've read a couple of reviews on Air China and it seems like their airplanes are old and outdated. What other airlines would you suggest flying that are a somewhat low-cost alternative to Cathay Pacific?

Thanks a lot!

Tech advances in commercial air industry?

modernnomad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 05:55:17 -0800

What technological advances are we likely to see in the commercial airline industry over the next 25 years? This is really a two-part question.

First, how close are airlines to implementing fully automated take-off and landing (that is, with a pilot perhaps just overseeing the process)? Is this simply a technical problem or rather a commercial one in that passengers are just unwilling to accept it?

Second, is turbulence something that is susceptible to technological innovation, or is it something that is just a given with powered flight?

We thank you for your patronage.

2bucksplus — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 08:24:07 -0800

Do consumer loyalty programs make sense or is it generally better to pick hotels and flights based on price and convenience? My boss and I travel together on business about 12-15 times per year and all but one or two trips per year are domestic.

My boss is tied to one airline (American Airlines, ugh) and has 2-3 preferred hotel chains that he will go out of his way to patronize, often at a price premium. I prefer to travel on whichever airline is most direct and best for our schedule at a lower price and generally stay in the hotel most convenient to our event.

Is there any general consensus as to whether reward programs ultimately pay off versus lower priced and more convenient schedules? Should we factor in the time spent on a layover when a competing airline offers a direct flight or cab fares to get us across town? Did reward programs make sense at one time and have they worsened over the past 10-15 years? Has anyone ever done the math or should I keep a running tab of the cost and time differential?

I should also mention that I am mid-twenties while my boss is in his fifties and I believe there is a generational difference at play here. Yes he is my boss and also the owner of the company so this question is ultimately academic. Neither of us use our points for "personal" travel (I would but I fly JetBlue personally). To my knowledge, we have never accumulated enough hotel points to get anything free and we only use our frequent flyer miles to upgrade our flights to first class.

Will Christmas airfares get cheaper than they are right now?

blueshammer — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:28:01 -0800

I need to travel the weekend after Christmas, returning the weekend after New Years. Am I likely to find cheaper air fares if I wait? I need to travel either from Minneapolis or Chicago to Denver, and then back, departing Dec. 28 (+/- 1 day) and returning Jan 2. I've found fares in the $250-$300 range that I'm considering, but I'm wondering if, historically, airlines have some sale or release some block of tickets later that I should hope to capitalize on. I can't imagine it's the case, but I know you know.

Have you used atiflights.com?

ascheele — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:17:36 -0800

Has anyone ever used http://atiflights.com/? My sister is buying a ticket to Prague, and this site has the (by far) cheapest flights. I've never heard of it, and wanted to know if it was legit. They don't list the carriers when you search for your flight, which is new to me.

Anyone used it?

Traveling tommorow and have lost my photo id. What to do?

jeremias — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:45:43 -0800

I have likely lost my drivers license and am traveling tomorrow morning. I'm with the family and am planning on contacting the airline and arriving early. But need some advice on what else to do to make sure I make it home. I have all my other id (credit cards, etc., although the only photo id I have is for a Costco card. Unfortunately, no other "govt. issued" id.). It's likely that my license was put into another bag and is thousands of miles away, so I'm not filing a police report which some online articles have suggested.

I'm flying on American from California to Boston and there's a transfer in Dallas (it's possible I will have to go through security here again, as we did this on the beginning trip).

Besides showing up early and being real nice, any advice on how to manage this?

Airline scam or not?

boots77 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:43:23 -0800

Why would a major airline help desk consultant ask for my phone number? Was I scammed? Last week while traveling, I called my airline help line to see why my plane was delayed and if there would be any further delays that he knew of. He was very kind and told me that he wasn't sure why my flight was delayed, but as of that point in time, there were no other known delays coming up regarding that flight. Then the person asked me for my phone number so that his airline could contact me if there was any other delay information regarding this flight. I thanked him and gave him my number. Immediately afterwards, I wondered if I had done the right thing.

As a sidenote, I am an American and am pretty sure that my airline farms out much of its phone help to India and the person on I was talking to seemed to have a thick Indian accent. I guess with all of the news about international phone scams, etc... I worried more about this than usual.

Was I scammed into giving out my cell phone number? And what is the worst that can happen to me here if I was scammed (he had my phone number, and any other frequent flyer information he was able to pull up on his computer).

I am a bit nervous because I have already had my identity stolen once and used internationally. Any thoughts. Thanks.

I noticed that the voice of the person helping me had a distinct Indian accent. I know that many phone services are farmed out to foreign countries so this

fly me to the moon...

crazylegs — Sun, 04 May 2008 11:00:52 -0800

How many person-miles are flown every year by commercial airlines? I can't seem to find any statistics online that address this specific question. I want to know how many person miles are flown annually by all commercial airlines worldwide. Meaning: airlines x total miles flown x number of passengers on each flight. Can anyone help?

How can I search for cheap, last minute flights out of a particular city, but with no particular destination in mind?

decoherence — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:01:27 -0800

I often find myself with an open weekend and an urge to fly to no place in particular, just to go exploring. Whether it's Sioux City, Billings, or Biloxi, I figure I can entertain myself anywhere for a weekend. Are there websites that allow you to search for cheap, last minute flights from a given origin, irrespective of destination? Most sites require you to enter a destination, which makes the whole process a lot more difficult.

Should I fly Zoom?

bluefly — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:12:48 -0800

Has anyone ever flown Zoom Airlines for a transatlantic (or other long) flight? I had never heard of them until recently, and the reviews online aren't very good. This is probably due to the fact that disgruntled people take it to the Internet, so I'd like to know of your experiences, good or bad. I'm kind of interested in how no-frills it is. Is it comparable to flying British Airways? They seem to have lots of extra charges for seat selection and water (!) which didn't seem too good to me. But the fares in general are pretty cheap, so those charges might not be too bad. Thanks so much.

Booking Continental flights with Alaska points.

chrisfromthelc — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:14:09 -0800

Has anyone used Alaska Airlines points to book Continental flights? BoA (who I just joined) offers an Alaska Airlines rewards debit card. Which, is great, since I use my debit card like it's going out of style.

However, I live in Houston, TX, which is Continental territory. Alaska does not fly out of here. They are, however, a partner with Continental. As far as Alaska's site, it simply says to call them to book a Continental flight.

My question is...has anyone out there done it, and did you run into any issues when trying to do so?

Drive or fly on upcoming vacations?

forthright — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:53:09 -0800

Advice please on whether to drive or use airlines for two upcoming vacations my wife and I are planning. Issues involved are flying itself, the airlines, package deals. Beyond the decision itself any info related to the trips themselves, airline or money saving advice would be helpful. I live in the general vicinity of Philadelphia, PA USA and the two vacations my wife and I are planning are to Disney World in Florida, and to the Grand Canyon area (this year and next respectively). We are not retired so vacation time is a factor, but so is money to some extent. We have driven to Disney World in the past, stopping over night, but I doubt we could get enough time off from work nor enjoy a drive to/from the Grand Canyon.

More specifically, I have never enjoyed flying, though I did a lot for business in the late 70's and early 80's, then I swore off. Seats tiny, bigger seats too costly, pressurization, some aspects of roller coaster rides which I also hate, possibility of bumps or weather delays or missed connections, etc.

Of course, now we're talking post 9/11 and since I haven't flown in 25 years I am totally out of tune with airports and airlines. I did an AskMe search before posting this question and my worries were only confirmed. Lots of vacation ruining possibilities appear to exist for those who do not know all the ins and outs of 21st century flying. I did not find (at least) any posts identical to this one.

My kind, loving wife would be willing to adapt to whichever decision I make (yes, she's a saint). But I don't want to continue to be a problem. Is there a way, armed with sufficient information and preparation, to make the airline experience bearable for me? I don't have to love the idea, but I also want to enjoy the vacations.

As for economics, I gather it's a little more clear cut (?). There's the cost of the mileage on the car including gas and depreciation vs. the cost of the airline tickets minus any savings due to package deals.

Flexibility the car wins, but it loses on sheer boredom (since we have to make time on the trips, we eventually have to get back to our jobs).

Thanks to everyone kind enough to read this long, sincere question, regardless of whether you had time to reply!

To check or not to check?

indyz — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:29:50 -0800

Will Southwest Airlines count my messenger bag as a "personal type item" or as another carry-on item? I'm flying Southwest from Chicago to Phoenix for three days early next month. Southwest allows one bag up to 10x16x24 inches as well as one "personal-type item" which includes "purses, briefcases, cameras, food containers, or laptops (case included)". I am going to be packing my clothes in a small rolling suitcase, which easily fits the carry-on size limits. I also usually carry a messenger bag with my laptop, MP3 player, camera, and a couple of books. It is one of the medium messenger sized bags, about the size of a briefcase, and smaller than many backpack-type laptop cases.

Will I be able claim the suitcase as a carry-on item and the messenger bag as my personal item? Or will I be forced to check the suitcase? I know that it might come down to a particular screener or gate agent making an on-the-spot decision, but has anybody had any recent experience with a situation like this, especially with Southwest?

I can't go back to coach! There are trolls down there!

awenner — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 14:04:52 -0800

How the *$ did I manage to get a first-class flight at a discount price from an online travel retailer? Lest it sound like I'm sock-puppeting, I'll refrain from mentioning the exact website.

I just got back from Mexico, having flown on United First for the return leg. I didn't pay anything extra, nor did I request to be placed in first class. How did this happen?

Details: my parents booked the flight for me, and using [#####.com] found a reasonable price for a return flight from Boston to Puerto Vallarta via Chicago. According to them, when the time came to choose seats for the return leg, only four were available, all of them in the single digits, and all first class. At no point were they asked to pay more; if they had, believe me, they wouldn't have booked the flight. I believe the total cost was in the $400 range, though I can find more details if necessary.

Here's the last thing: when I got to the Puerto Vallarta airport and tried to get in the advance checkout line, I was told that I needed to present a K-Card (proof of membership in United's premium club.) What I surmise from this is that somehow my discount flight option gave me first class seats, though I'm completely at a loss over how it came about. I'd love to know how to make it happen again.

I'm happy to provide additional information/proof to speed along this investigation.

Happy 2008, all!

Hoggle needs your help!

AsRuinsAreToRome — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:58:28 -0800

How can we get my pug on our flight so he can spend Xmas with us on the East Coast? So, my girlfriend and I have thoroughly read through American Airlines' policy on flying with dogs. Putting our pug in a kennel in cargo is not an option. Our little brachycephalic friend would either freeze or suffocate back there. So he needs to be in the cabin with us. He meets the weight requirement of being 20 lbs or less, but when we got back from PetSmart with the largest dog tote we could find that still was admissible according to American Airlines' pet rules page: ( http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/travelInformation/specialAssistance/travelingWithPets.jsp), our pug didn't fit comfortably. And he certainly wasn't able to turn around.

Is there any way we can get our delightful pug, Hoggle, home from Los Angeles to Newark, NJ on the plane with us? One of our friends mentioned that if your dog is registered as a thereputic animal there isn't an airline around that can deny him passage on their flights? Is this true?

Any help on the subject would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Can you one-way to Bom-bay?

ageispolis — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:39:04 -0800

Can you fly into India with a one way ticket? Trying to book flights for an upcoming trip to India and Southeast Asia. We're planning on landing in Mumbai. I don't have a set end date of when to come home so I would like to fly into India with a one way and then buy my ticket home overseas. I heard this is the cheaper method and also allows more flexibility. However, when speaking with the travel agent to book my reservation, she asked me if I was certain I could enter India on a one way. I have no idea, I checked a few embassy websites but couldn't find out any information. Anyone know first hand if this is possible?

Thanks.