Do you ever wish you could get the flight attendants to skip that boring “here’s how to use the life vest/life jacket” part of their safety presentations? Well, according to a report on ABCNews.com, that won’t be a problem on Air Canada’s regional carrier, Jazz.

Yes, Jazz is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight (and thereby, saving fuel).

Now, it should be noted that Jazz does not fly over the ocean - but it does fly over the Great Lakes, and it seems to me they could qualify as mini-oceans. But not to worry: a Jazz spokesperson says, you can still use your seat cushion as a “flotation device”.

You’re probably wondering what these vests weigh: well, we know a commercial vest weighs about half a kilogram — which is a little more than a pound.

Okay, readers - sound off!

The founders of the discount carrier said today, that they had “left no stone unturned to secure a re-financing package that would have kept our aircraft flying.” Apparently they couldn’t find a stone with deep enough pockets.

I’m sorry to see them go, but not as sorry as folks that purchased airfare for future flights on Zoom. If you are one of the unlucky ones holding now useless tickets, the airline’s website has some information on who to contact, but the smart ones will get on the phone with their credit card companies, right away.

Every Thursday, I like to point out some of the better deals we’ve posted on our Deals Page - and do check out this page everyday - we’re contstantly updating it.

Here’s a sampling of some great deals (click on the airline name for details):

• Virgin America’s Fall Sale - San Francisco to LA, $59+ one-way
• Continental’s THIS WEEKEND Sale - NY to Montreal, $128 roundtrip

Both airlines have lots more flights all over - time to start making plans.

I’ve said this before, and never with more urgency since Tuesday’s debacle - we have to replace our decades old ATC system now.

Yes, I know by year’s end, the FAA says it will have completed upgrades to the “aging” National Airspace Data Interchange Network, and it “has a lot more memory so what happened [Tuesday] could never happen again” but, this strikes me a a patch work job - a piecemeal effort at a “fix”.

I’m also very aware that the FAA has been pushing for a whole new satellite-guided system that equips planes with GPS (and I’ve interviewed FAA officials about this), but that’s expected to take more than a decade. An FAA spokesman described it this way:

“This is one of the largest project management challenges the U.S. government has had since we put somebody on the moon.” — FAA spokesman

But already, it’s been talked about for years. Let’s see - it was 1961 when President Kennedy called for putting a man on the moon - a mission that was accomplished in 1969. How about the same urgency for equipment to handle the flights all of us take everyday?

We’re all about helping you save money when it comes to airfare, but there are freebies and perks to be gained at airports, as well.

I spotted this article on MSNBC — which talked about how airports have been losing revenue, and what some are trying, to lure in customers:

• Kansas City’s airport offers free parking for a day (limited time)
• Mobile Regional Airport in Alabama has a “points” program - points can be used for VIP lounge passes, auto club membership, cruise discounts, etc.
• Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco airports will be handing out coupon books with discounts for airport shops and eateries later this year

If you’re not sure your airport is having a promotion, just ask. And click here for a link to cities and airports, around the world.

Next time you see a flight attendant with something less than a stellar attitude, you might consider their employment situation: United Airlines is laying off 1,500 flight attendants - to cut costs. That’s about 10% of their flight attendant work force.

And earlier this summer, American Airlines warned its flight attendants that layoff’s were coming, and that as many as 1,000 of them could be “furloughed”.

Remember, it wasn’t a flight attendant’s idea to charge you for that blanket and pillow, or to ask that you fork over $2 for that can of Diet Coke.

Most are hard working men and women who do a good job — everyday — despite having to wonder if perhaps this will be the day they’ll get the axe.

Dear Friends,

First, I want to thank everyone for your support of FareCompare — our little technology company has been going through some growing pains and I want to make sure that everyone knows that our entire team comes to work each day with one simple goal:

“Helping Air Travelers Find a Cheap Deal and Make the Best Purchasing Decisions”

Two years ago when we launched our small website, my vision was to change the status quo that all of us endure in air travel shopping today. As technology geeks, it has been a roller coaster these past two years as we have learned, first, how to stay alive and second, how to offer completely free services and create a profitable company in the advertising model.

In the next few months, our “dream site” will be coming to fruition as we use our successes and failures of the past two years to create the air travel website I always wanted to provide to consumers - a perfect mixture of technology, expert advice and tasteful advertising.

Air travel has become more painful, both in price and convenience - but I wouldn’t trade my family trip to London coming up in a few months — or that quick trip to visit a colleague — for anything in the world. And that’s because air travel gives life spice. And for those that take a small bit of their time to learn how to navigate these shark infested waters - I say, shopping for travel can actually be fun.

I hope we can prove this to you, as we begin to rollout our completely new site in early November. Give it a whirl — and as always, tell us what you think.

Kind Regards,

Rick Seaney, CEO
FareCompare.com ]]> http://rickseaney.com/2008/08/27/back-to-basics-and-core-values/feed/ http://rickseaney.com/2008/08/27/dont-get-caught-by-high-minimum-stay-airline-ticket-pricing/ http://rickseaney.com/2008/08/27/dont-get-caught-by-high-minimum-stay-airline-ticket-pricing/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:00:05 +0000 Rick Seaney http://rickseaney.com/2008/08/27/dont-get-caught-by-high-minimum-stay-airline-ticket-pricing/

No time to read my ABCNews.com column on getting around higher airline ticket prices caused by pesky Minimum Stay requirements?

No problem, the highlights are right here:

• “Minimum Stay” rule is back on almost half of all “legacy airline” roundtrip airfares - and business travelers, and those taking quick trips during the week — hate it.
• Many cheaper legacy airline roundtrip airfares require at least a one night stay (no day hops), but most require 2 or 3 days overnight, or even a Saturday night - especially on European trips!
• Airlines call this “fencing in” business travelers who pay up to 5 times the price of flexible leisure travelers

What can travelers to avoid these restrictions?

1. Seems simple, but if possible, try to include another day or weekend when you search for airfare - maybe you can fly the “night before” to pick up another day and be fresh for your meeting (plus, that extra hotel night will likely be cheaper)
2. Checkout lower cost airlines like Southwest, AirTran, jetBlue and even hybrids like US Airways that have one-way airfare structures where minimum stay rules can’t be imposed
3. Caveat #2, when checking lower cost airline sites, try doing two one-way queries (2 separate tickets) because their systems may be programmed to raise prices on each leg, sinceyou told it your intent on buying a return ticket
4. Have your boss spring for 2 airline tickets for you and your spouse — that will be cheaper than the one more expensive ticket without the Saturday night stay, for instance — and you can bring along the significant other (”other” can leave on Friday to meet you during that “Saturday night stay” weekend); have a fun weekend on the company’s dime
5. Buyer Beware - those that take the same trip week after week should Google the term “back-to-back ticketing” - Airlines may have a policy on this so check your airline’s contract of carriage.

New York based hip-hop mogul Sean Combs has grounded his own private plane, because of jet fuel prices.

Combs complained that his twice-a-month trips to Los Angeles set him back about $250,000 - maybe more. According to the New York Post’s “Page Six” column, he claims he now flies American Airlines - and that he sits in coach.

Hmmm. Sitting in coach? Uh…sure.

But some are taking the prices in stride: Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury reportedly just dropped $45 million for his own private jet.

All those delayed flights yesterday, when that FAA facility in Hampton, Georgia had what some have called an “electronic communication failure” — what exactly does that mean?

A software snafu, apparently.

But where are the back-up measures, where is the seamless “Plan B” that air traffic controllers should be able to turn to?

I mean, it was a real mess out there, folks. It’s way past time to get serious about this.