Airport marriages take off

Steve Surjaputra · July 18, 2008

People often get married in the strangest places. How about at the airport? It’s not so far-fetched, so says USA Today. And what better place to tie the knot and then be ready for take-off to a romantic honeymoon.

 

Had a bad vacation? You may be entitled to a refund

Steve Surjaputra · July 17, 2008

If you bought a tour or vacation through a tour packager and you had a harrowing experience, such as a crash-landing and you survived, you may soon be entitled to a refund of your entire package price.

 

Hong Kong — world’s best airport for 2008

Steve Surjaputra · July 16, 2008

Hong Kong International Airport has again been named the World’s Best Airport. It won the award last year and won for the seventh time in 10 years.

 

Like the mythical Phoenix, Catalina is rising from the ashes

Steve Surjaputra · July 15, 2008

Catalina Island is making a comeback. Last spring, a contractor on the California island illegally used an open-flame torch to cut some steel cables. A spark set off a grass fire which quickly spread. 4,800 acres of chaparral, grassland and woods, parched by two years of drought, went up like a wad of newspaper.

 

Need a parking spot in San Francisco? Check your Smartphone

Steve Surjaputra · July 14, 2008

If you plan to be in San Francisco and you need a parking spot, help can be as close as your Smartphone.

 

Food gets an upgrade on Celebrity Cruises

Steve Surjaputra · July 11, 2008

Tired of the same kind of food when you board a cruise? Celebrity Cruises is about to change that.

 

EU demands truth in advertising for airlines

Steve Surjaputra · July 10, 2008

By the end of the year, all airlines in the European Union must advertise fares which include taxes and fees that passengers must pay. In other words, “all taxes, unavoidable charges, surcharges and fees will have to be included in the advertised fares airlines offer.”

 

Travelers face best of times, worst of times

Steve Surjaputra · July 9, 2008

Last week, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research reported that happiness is rising around the world. A few months ago, the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index reported that travelers are decidedly unhappy about their travel experiences.

 

Big Brother may be watching — and shocking — you on a plane

Steve Surjaputra · July 8, 2008

Should the TSA force us to wear bracelets that can zap us into a stupor if we turn out to be terrorists? The government is seriously considering this shocking idea.

 

Are airline ticket agents an endangered species? Yes, but …

Steve Surjaputra · July 7, 2008

In what may be a sign of things to come, Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport has decided to implement self-service baggage check-ins for KLM passengers on a trial basis. It’s just the latest in a series of moves designed to eliminate human ticket agents.