Tripso Weekend/August 17, 2007
TRIPSO WEEKEND
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Tripso Columns
How to stop travel’s sad customer-service slide
Fed up with lousy customer service from your airline or hotel? You’re not alone. According to the University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index, Americans think they get better service from the IRS than from their airline. But what can you do about it? Christopher Elliott has some suggestions. (Christopher Elliott)
New name, no credit
Gena Welsh and her husband each receive a $150 travel certificate when their flight is delayed. But now the company that gave them the vouchers — TransGlobal Vacations — has become Funjet Vacations. And Funjet is balking at giving them the credit. What should Welsh do? (Christopher Elliott)
Get well soon
You wake up in a strange bed with a feeling of dread. The hotel alarm clock says it’s 3 a.m., and you know with absolute certainty that you are dead-dog sick. Fever, chills, nausea, crashing headache - the whole bit. Your doctor is 2,000 miles away and you forgot to pack the aspirin. What to do? Amy Bradley-Hole has some answers. (Amy Bradley-Hole)
10 things to do when you’re dead at the airport
Dead time. It’s the time wasted at the airport. You know, the time you spend sitting at the departure gate, staring at the runway, because your airline insisted you get there three hours before your flight. It’s also the time you kill between connecting flights, during delays or waiting for the weather to give you a break. If you fly often, you have been dead many times at the airport. James Wysong takes a look at some airport offerings and tells how to liven things up. (James Wysong)
6 shore excursions that say ‘Wow!’
The ship has docked and it’s time to head to shore. Does the prospect of another sightseeing tour bore you? Does the idea of another shopping “opportunity” makes you want to burn down the gift shop? Then check out these unusual shore excursions, which are all high on the “Wow!” scale. Anita Dunham-Potter reprises six favorites. (Anita Dunham-Potter)
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This week in travel
Passport ‘fast’ track slows to a crawl
For people seeking U.S. passports, faster service is getting slower. The summer’s maddening backlog in passport applications has forced officials to abandon the old standard of a week’s wait for people willing to pay $60 extra for speedy service.
Erin wanes, Dean waxes
Tropical Storm Erin weakened to a tropical depression as it crossed the Texas Gulf Coast early Thursday, bringing localized heavy rain and 35-mph wind.
TS Flossie lashes Hawaii
The Big Island of Hawaii is feeling Tropical Storm Flossie’s pounding rain and strong winds. Flossie has weakened to a tropical storm with top sustained winds of 70 mph. It’s about 175 miles from Hilo.
Foreign roads can be deadly
Motor vehicle crashes - not crime or terrorism - are the No. 1 killer of healthy Americans in foreign countries. And the threat to travelers is poised to increase dramatically as worldwide economic growth gives more people access to motor vehicles.
LAX computer glitch causes hours-long delays
Weary international passengers were stuck at Los Angeles International Airport for hours, unable to set foot in the United States after a computer failure prevented customs officials from screening arrivals.
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