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Tagged With "higher fees"

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Re: Fotografiska, New York's new photography museum

Professorabe ·
Looks interesting, but the entrance fee is rather steep!
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Re: Fotografiska, New York's new photography museum

Jonathan L ·
Yup, it is pricey. On the other hand, Museum prices have been going up in NYC.
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Re: Free Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona

DrFumblefinger ·
Never knew there was so much free stuff to do in Phoenix. Seems like you could spent the better part of a week seeing and doing things without paying one admission fee. Thanks for sharing these, Samantha.
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Re: Now an airline charge for NOT flying!

TravelingCanuck ·
Sadly it seems that the only thing limiting some airlines from charging another fee is their imagination. However, I have faith that they will think out of the box and try to suck more from their passengers.
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Re: Notes and Noticings from the road

Paul Heymont ·
Actually, I think the banks have a fairly minimal (as small as I can make it) impact on my currency transactions, in part because I never deal with exchanges; I use bank ATMs. That way, the exchange takes place not on my account, but as an interbank transaction at the base rate banks use with each other. I used to use my ATM card from Citibank, but eventually they began charging a 3% foreign exchange fee even on withdrawals. At that point, I opened an account with Charles Schwab, a brokerage...
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?

rbciao ·
Free wi-fi is a nice perk that should be a part of the standard room fee. Years ago the introduction of coffee pots and coffee packets in the rooms were a big step in the right direction. Some chains offer a free breakfast, so why not wi-fi. Free wi-fi is just another step in the right direction.
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?

Paul Heymont ·
Technically, it would be possible to create very large WiFi zones, whether free or paid. But since someone gets paid (either on the meter, or a fee for the project) and there is a cost to constructing/installing the equipment to broadcast that signal...it won't happen unless someone is paying. In the case of the hotel, picking up on rbciao's point about breakfast--have you noticed that the free WiFi and the free breakfast tend to come with the budget chains, while the high-end places charge...
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Re: Budget Deal Asks Air Passengers to Pay More

DrFumblefinger ·
This is a massive tax increase hidden as a "small fee". There are millions of people flying every day and paying already steep prices for tickets. I can't see this helping air travel or the economy in any way.
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Re: Budget Deal Asks Air Passengers to Pay More

Travel Rob ·
I especially don't like it that they call it a fee- so members of Congress can keep their pledge not to raise taxes.The above Forbes link was good to compare it to the gas tax. This reminds me of a Simpson episode where Lisa( in Barts vision) is President. she is told to call a massive tax hike a refund adjustment.
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,

Hank ·
Wow, this is turning into a real education!! I checked with my uncle and yes, I can fly Chicago to Manchester and return from either London or Paris to Chicago. The ticket is free to him and he said he would cover any fees as a "graduation gift to me" (he's a pretty cool dude!), but I don't want to burden him with a heavy departure fee, so maybe Paris would be the way to go. I'd like to leave about Friday, May 9th and return 4 weeks later, June 6th. A few days later and returning a few days...
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Re: Up, Up and Away: Airline miles cards with big bonuses

rbciao ·
I have a Delta American Express Platinum card that has served us well. The fee is higher than the gold card, but we can check two bags free, priority boarding, and a free companion pass yearly. We fly two or three times a year and the value of the waived baggage fee and the companion pass far exceed the $150 annual fee. The card also accrues one mile for each dollar spent and lately has offered cash back incentives. For example: spend $15 at Panera's using the card and receive $5 credit on...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline

PortMoresby ·
Continuing my search for an economical way to use my miles and avoid absurd fees, I tried a combination of 2 one-way flights, one with miles, one on Norwegian. One way on Norwegian is as low as $286. If I avoid using BA with points, flights on AA to Paris are 20,000 miles (before May 15th) plus a $5 fee (excellent!) but with a stupid schedule, 3 flights and 2 days to get there. And 1 possibility available. All the rest are BA flights, $326 in fees + 20,000 miles. Next thought, why is AA...
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Re: Canadian airline adopts unpopular US fee

DrFumblefinger ·
Air Canada just announced that it too will have the $25 baggage fee. http://money.ca.msn.com/invest...for-economy-travel-1
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Re: Memphis, Tennessee: 1) Graceland

GarryRF ·
You've put together an interesting tour DrF. I never knew you got that up close and personal on a tour . You mentioned the 2nd floor. Do the family still live there ? I'm surprised to see there's no mention of his manager. 50% - wow - that's some fee. Heard stories but never knew that was the figure. There have been other cases of artists - of that time - being mis-used too.
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member

Paul Heymont ·
I think you're exactly right, PortMoresby. For quite some time, we've looked mostly at the inexpensive chains precisely because they offer clear and valuable perks: Free breakfast, free parking, free WiFi. Our occasional high-end hotels through Priceline have sometimes moved the per-room fee down to a lower tier, but after you've paid $20/day for parking, $11.99 a day for WiFi...not so lower! The two-tier WiFi issue is becoming a bug for me, too. I recently stayed at a DoubleTree by Hilton...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member

PortMoresby ·
And let us not forget the dreaded "resort fees". Defined as meaning anything the hotel wants it to mean. And charged whether we use the facilities it's said to cover, or not. Look in the dictionary for the definition of "chicken shit" and you'll find "resort fees". If everyone must pay it, it should rightly be included in the room rate. Even my favorite, AirBnB, makes options available for hosts - cleaning fee, security deposit, a charge for more than 1 person and even possibilities for...
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Re: Marriott to offer free wi-fi to all its Rewards member

Paul Heymont ·
I will say one thing for Airbnb, as compared to hotel resort fees: With Airbnb, before you click, you see the total of what's included, and what goes to whom. The resort fee and some of the others are often a surprise on arrival...
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Re: Virgin Hotels Promises No Nickel and Diming

DrFumblefinger ·
If they keep their room rates reasonable, they will be very successful. Especially important to fight that "resort fee" that's creeping up everywhere.
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Re: New trend: airport lounges for non-members

DrFumblefinger ·
A little pampering after a long flight, especially in steerage, is a good investment in my opinion. While I haven't used these lounges a lot, they make great sense if you have many hours of waiting between flights, even at a fee.
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
I'd love it if they collected the bed tax here. Since they don't, and it's my impression that few here pay it, including it as part of my fee creates an imbalance for me, making it appear as though I'm getting more than I do. I state the breakdown in my listing but hardly anyone actually reads the listings. If they collected it, it would give a fair comparison of the room rate with the taxes added on at the end, as the fees are now. I think, though, despite what seems a good idea from the...
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Re: Is Visa everywhere you want to be?

Paul Heymont ·
Very good advice, Rob...and also check with the card-issuer what fees it charges for overseas use...some of them not only charge foreign-exchange fees, but also hefty ATM fees! One idea that may make sense for many travelers: Charles Schwab has a "high-yield investment" checking account that seems almost like a dream. No fees, no minimum balance, no foreign exchange fees, no ATM fees, and if anyone charges you an ATM fee, they refund it. It's linked to an investment account, but you don't...
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Re: Lufthansa: Book with us, or pay 16€ fee

DrFumblefinger ·
It seems a huge and unfair fee. I can't believe a company with Lufthansa's finances really needs to impose something so draconian. And if they do, I think their business will suffer. As we all know, consumers are very price sensitive.
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Re: Airbnb Questions

PortMoresby ·
1. "...is payment for Airbnb places always processed in the US even for stays overseas?" Airbnb processes reservations for guests in their own currency, pays out in the currency of the host. So you, in the US, will always pay in US dollars, a UK resident will pay in £s, etc. The host posts prices in their home currency and when a guest in another country logs in and searches/books, the price is converted by the website at the current exchange rate and they always see the rate in their own...
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Re: How do you buy your travel?

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi TravelGirlJenn, I've used Expedia to buy tickets a number of times, only once or twice with Priceline, never with Kayak. The big advantage is that you get to see often hundreds of competitive prices, not just the few the airline sites directly show you. And often they are cheaper than directly buying from the airline. Whether or not you can pick your seat in advance is completely up to the airline, not to the online travel site (eg. Expedia). Some airlines (eg. United, Alaska) do let you...
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Re: How do you buy your travel?

Travel Rob ·
For accommodation, I almost always use an online travel agency now. I've found that the prices are usually lower and i'm more likely to get an upgrade. There is also a recourse if the hotel tries to charge an undisclosed fee. Booking.com is my favorite, although I've been using Expedia, Priceline and Airbnb . Roger Wade had an interesting article about some of the reasons he thinks booking hotels online is the way to go now. http://www.priceoftravel.com/3...en-get-better-rooms/
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Re: Are ATM's at European airport going to cost you more?

PortMoresby ·
Bank ATMs in the UK are all, I believe "no fee", meaning no use fee charged by the owner bank for using their machines. Other machines and other places, I believe, tell us what the fee will be, if any, before we complete the transaction and allow us to abort if it's too much. And we know that the foreign transaction fee charged by our own cards' bank can vary, usually 1-3%, a given to convert currency using a card. Then there's the exchange rate which has always been the best available using...
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Re: Are ATM's at European airport going to cost you more?

Jonathan L ·
I would love to see this series. BTW, AAA is now offering a no fee refillable ATM card to use overseas and avoid the 1-3% charges from yiur home bank.
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Re: Are ATM's at European airport going to cost you more?

PortMoresby ·
I just opened a Capital One checking account, chip & pin debit card, 1% foreign currency conversion fee, rather than the 3% my local bank charges. The 1% is standard for MasterCard branded debit cards, seems no way to avoid it. But Capital One charges no additional. Will check out the AAA card. The series, 'Anatomy of a Trip', will start September 9th, if all goes as planned (does it ever?)
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Re: Are ATM's at European airport going to cost you more?

PortMoresby ·
Jonathan, do you have a link for the AAA card you mention. This is the one I found: http://www.aaa.com/AAA/Financi..._Travel_Card_FAQ.pdf It charges a 3% foreign transaction fee and it can't be used in some countries I plan to visit. Maybe there's a newer version?
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Re: Are ATM's at European airport going to cost you more?

Jonathan L ·
My computer is not going to the AAA site, but, in looking back at the email, it was a "no purchase fee" card, so that is what I get for not reading the fine print.
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Re: U.S. taxes on flying among world's highest

PortMoresby ·
Oh, darn. I thought this was about paying a fee to sit in a section with our fellow stoned passengers.
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Re: Have you a reservation, sir? Thailand considers selling tickets to country!

DrFumblefinger ·
I think this idea will backfire. A dollar or so a day fee will not discourage anyone from visiting as a sex tourist. A $16 fee might discourage some from even visiting the kingdom. So the sex tourists will likely still fly in for their weekend jaunts. Good serious tourists, say young backpackers on a budget, might be offended by the extra fee and bypass Thailand for one of its neighbors.
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Re: Have you a reservation, sir? Thailand considers selling tickets to country!

PortMoresby ·
I consider it infinitely better to pay a relatively small fee to enter the country than to go through hoops & bother for a visa as we must for a number of Asian countries. Thailand was the first, and I think the only country, where I was required to stop at a booth to pay a departure tax upon leaving the country by air so what possible difference if we pay coming or going (or both?). And I actually prefer the idea of an up front fee rather than having it buried as taxes that can increase...
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Re: Gate-to-Gate WiFi joins Gate-to-Gate devices

Former Member ·
Probably a smart move for Southwest, who has so many business people traveling with them. They are charging an $ 8 per day fee to use the WiFi. I know that they have costs but it does seem a little outside of the Southwest spirit to have a fee. Then again, fees have been creeping into Southwest http://www.southwest.com/html/...ice/travel-fees.html
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Re: Spirit's New Plan: Higher 'Rush Hour' Bag Fees!

PortMoresby ·
New Yorker cartoon, flight attendant announcing, "In case of a loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down in front of you for two dollars".
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Re: Spirit's New Plan: Higher 'Rush Hour' Bag Fees!

Paul Heymont ·
Thanks...that's definitely the "spirit!"
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Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !

PortMoresby ·
So, PHeymont, when you stopped for the week in Stockholm which airline was it and what fees were you charged for the stopover? You mention Madrid. Presumably that was a different trip, so same questions on that one. Also, can these stopovers be scheduled on the AA website or must you speak to an AAdvantage customer service person and pay the ($25?) fee?
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Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !

WorkerBee ·
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: .... can these stopovers be scheduled on the AA website or must you speak to an AAdvantage customer service person and pay the ($25?) fee? I scheduled my flights using the website. When you go to the AAdvantage booking site there are three choices: round-trip, one-way and multi-city. When you choose your flights you see boxes showing the number of miles per leg. The leg between Dallas and San Francisco showed no miles. There was also some kind of comment to...
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Re: I get to Boomerang to Spain ! Cheap !

Paul Heymont ·
Similar to WorkerBee's experience, I've done these bookings using the Multi-City function, which allows you to specify a date for each segment. It didn't require assistance. Actually I've never had to pay a fee for help when booking something that could not be done on line, but who knows these days. I've done these stopover trips a number of times (NY-Budapest/open jaw/Prague-London w/stopover and then back to NY, etc.) The AAdvantage desk agents, by the way, are some of their best and can...
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Re: The least loved airline fee is...

Paul Heymont ·
I think you're right that unavoidability is a big factor in the hatred of bag fees. As you point out, not everyone cancels or bothers to pay a seat fee, and many people carry their own food. The other factor is the sheer size of the fee. A couple with two suitcases, round-trip, have added $100 to their cost (regardless of distance). If they decide to take a bigger case and share it, they save $50, but are now condemned to drag an oversize bag as they go. No wonder some of the loyalty credit...
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Re: Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, Redux

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi Garry, and thanks for your comment. The active areas within the National Park are off limits because of toxic fume levels, not so much because of lava. The roads to the Pahoe area (outside the park) of actively flowing lava are closed and access is theoretically restricted. For a fee, one of the locals will guide you to the flowing lava. Remember this is thick fairly slowly flowing lava, not unlike moving pancake batter. But it is hot and you have to be careful. Shoes can melt and worse...
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Re: Airlines investing big in airport lounges

Paul Heymont ·
Worth noting also that some of the high-bonus (and high annual fee for some) credit cards include varying forms of lounge access for cardholders, even when traveling in cattle class. I've got one now that provides Lounge Club, whose members are only occasionally airline-operated, and another that provides AA Admiral's Club. I'm looking forward to trying that one out!
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Re: Replacing iPhone Abroad

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: I'd be inclined to contact the original source of the phone and see if they can Fedex a replacement. Be careful with that. There might be a huge duty/tariff you'd have to pay to do so. Check this out with your concierge before you take this route. But if no customs fee, I'd probably get a new phone from back home, too.
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Re: $6 BILLION in bag and change fees!

DrFumblefinger ·
I'm not sure if it's a great business model to make most of your profits by annoying your customers. I think many have gotten their heads around the baggage fee (note coincidentally the increase in the number and size of bags rolling onto a plane), but some of the airline change fees are obscene. I point to Southwest airlines as one that still does the right thing. You get to check one bag without a fee. And ff you can't make your flight, they give you a credit on the airfare good up to one...
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Re: United Campaign: Enforce carry-on limits, reduce complaints and crowding

PortMoresby ·
I hope this effort is a real and continuing one and that other companies follow. Carrying everything onto the plane, to my way of thinking, is like any trend where if enough people say it's a good idea, even when it's not, hoards fall right into step, like lemmings. If I was offered valet service for a nominal fee to have someone carry my suitcase for me and I wouldn't have to touch it from the time I arrived at the airport until the time I was leaving at my destination, I'd jump at the...
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Re: Dynamic Currency Conversion: The Little Nibble That Can Eat Your Vacation Budget

PortMoresby ·
Very good advice. In many countries, if not all, merchants are required by law to give us a choice. But as you experienced, and I did once when this practice began, they slip it in on us and simply charge us in our home currency. I suspect some merchants have instructed their employees to do it while others are as oblivious to the consequences as their customers. But it really amounts to the same thing as going to the corner currency exchange, like in the old days before ATMs, drawn in by...
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More Frequent Flier changes in the air

Paul Heymont ·
The world of award travel and elite perks continues to shake and shift.   Delta, which like United, has switched for next year to awarding flight miles based not on distance but on price paid for ticket—a move that hurts many frequent...
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Copenhagen: More Than Nyhavn and The Little Mermaid

Caroline Coupe ·
  Copenhagen is an incredible city, a place where a rich history meets modern culture. The Danish capital boasts historic palaces and churches, sprawling gardens and parks, canals, and world-renowned fine dining. In preparing for my move here...
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Memphis, Tennessee 2) The King's chariots

DrFumblefinger ·
      Elvis loved cars and mechanical toys of all types, including motorcycles and airplanes.  He had the money to indulge his passions, and you can see many of his favorites right across the street from Graceland .  The Elvis...
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Lufthansa: Name your own upgrade...

Paul Heymont ·
Lufthansa has come up with a unique new...well, not sure if I should call it an offer, a game, a fee or a lottery! Economy passengers on Lufthansa's 747-8s is offering passengers in economy to bid on an upgrade to premium economy, or from economy to...
 
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