Comments of the Week
With the new second-bag fee, airport check-in lines will only get worse, says reader LizDuffy. (Who can guess which airport I snapped this picture at?)
A few of the travel tips and opinions posted by readers this week:
* WhataTrip had this suggestion for how to get the lowest air fare:
"I like FareCompare because it posts multiple airline prices on the site, sometimes even before the airlines' own Web sites. I also use the 'My Trips' feature to alert me when specific travel destinations that I have selected drop or increase. While the site doesn't book the actual air fare, it allows me to be an informed flier so that I can select the best time to purchase my airline tickets." I rely on those alerts too; and, for serious fare watchers, Rick Seaney's FareCompare blog is a must.
* Zendurango had advice for avoiding ATM fees when withdrawing cash overseas:
"For ATMs, open an online checking account at Bank of Internet (refunds up to $8 in foreign ATM fees per month) or Schwab (refunds all ATM fees)." So did Hoffnung: "Many brokerages (USB in my case) will not charge you foreign currency fees for using non-US ATMs. Don't know if this is true for discount brokerages." Small local banks are also much more likely to charge no overseas ATM fees (or very low ones) than the big banks are.
* LizDuffy had this to say about the airlines' new fee for checking a second piece of luggage:
"I wonder if they have considered the extra time, lines, and delays this
will cause, with that many more people needing to make a payment for their second bag. Now, most of the people who previously used online check-in or kiosks will have to GET IN LINE, making the whole process
even longer than it already is."
* On whether Delta's new second-bag fee (of $25 each way) is fair to those who bought their tickets before the fee was announced, Kayak1 wrote: "It's certainly not fair to impose new fees on travelers after they've purchased tickets. Most airlines seem to realize this. If you're curious about all the checked-bag surcharges and how they compare from airline to airline, you can check out our Checked Bag Airline Surcharge Chart over at the Kayak blog." Thanks for the tool, Kayak1.
* And GLeff suggested avenues of recourse for those Delta ticketholders who believe they shouldn't have to pay the fee: "It would make for an interesting credit card dispute after the fact. In addition to credit card disputes, there's always (1) DOT complaints, (2) FCC complaints (since the charge wasn't disclosed at time of purchase, and if the tickets were purchased by phone), (3) complaints with the state attorney general (consumer fraud) and (4) Better Business Bureau. And if all of the above aren't enough, and if the credit card dispute isn't successful, there's always small claims court. Or maybe an attorney reading this blog might choose to pursue a class action? :) :) " Maybe the folks over at Delta's blog would care to address such important issues instead of congratulating themselves on "50 years of highflying cocktail service"?
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