Turned away from a hotel? You’re in good company
Hotels don’t always make headlines for turning away guests. But there are notable exceptions. Like the Metro Hotel in Surrey, England, which showed a wounded veteran the door because of a misguided “no military” policy.
As airlines reduce fall flights, passengers are making cuts of their own
At any other time of the year, the “A” concourse at Orlando International Airport would be packed with passengers returning from their Disney vacations. But this isn’t any other time of the year. It’s September — the best time of the year to fly.
A bill, but no reservation
Wendell Mrugala makes a hotel reservation through Orbitz. But when he contacts the online agency to confirm his room, he’s told there’s no reservation. Mrugala makes another reservation, but is surprised when he learns the first reservation has gone through. Is there any hope for a refund?
Green like money: airlines release deceptive 2007 “annual report”
Nine months into the year, the Air Transport Association has released its annual report — for 2007. The document (PDF) casts U.S. airlines as both progressive, sporting catchy slogans like “thinking green about our future,” and as innocent victims of economic circumstances.
Hanna becomes a hurricane, heads for the mainland
Tropical storm Hanna has just become Hurricane Hanna. The National Hurricane Center has issued an advisory and projects the storm will slowly turn and take aim at the U.S. mainland later this week. Hanna is currently near Mayaguana Island in the Southeastern Bahamas and will probably strengthen in the next 24 hours, say forecasters. We’ll have more on the storm and its likely effects on travelers soon.
Get the latest National Hurricane Center updates on Twitter
The National Hurricane Center now has an unofficial account on Twitter with the latest storm updates. It’s a great way to receive the most important hurricane and tropical storm information without having to wade through volumes of forecasts rendered in UPPERCASE or sifting through endless RSS feeds. Follow nhc_noaa. Not on Twitter yet? Here’s how it works.
New Orleans International Airport closes at 6 p.m. today
With Hurricane Gustav expected to make landfall in the next 24 hours, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is about to close to all commercial flights.
The Perfect Storms: Gustav, Hanna foil Labor Day travel plans
If this were a movie, they’d call it The Perfect Storms. Travelers haven’t seen a Labor Day like this since 1935, when a record-breaking Category 5 hurricane churned through the Florida Keys, killing 400 people and destroying most of the Overseas Railroad.
Expect major travel disruptions as monster hurricane churns toward Louisiana
If you’re traveling to the Gulf Coast of Texas or Louisiana this weekend, you might want to change your plans. Hurricane Gustav, which is already a Category 4 storm, is headed your way. This one’s serious.
US Airways to Dominican flight victims: “This is not a compensation issue”
By all accounts, US Airways flight 1860 from Punta Cana to Philadelphia did not go well on Aug. 15. A tropical storm forced the airline to cancel the flight. Then, armed guards ordered 274 stranded passengers out of the airport. They were abandoned. Could the airline make things any worse? Yes.