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Tagged With "airport fees"

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Re: Best and Worst U.S. airports: No surprises

GarryRF ·
I believe Airports should be judged solely on whether you had a pleasant experience. There is no way Orlando isn't in the Top10. New York is a disgrace. But I pass through as an alien - US residents see no problem. Philadelphia is a dream. Excellent Airport.
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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: Just how much tax is in your ticket?

Ron B. ·
My recent, free Air France ticket - LA to Paris to Barcelona and then Venice to Paris to LA the tax was $577.97.
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Re: Just how much tax is in your ticket?

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by Ron B.: My recent, free Air France ticket - LA to Paris to Barcelona and then Venice to Paris to LA the tax was $577.97. That's a lot of travel, Ron, but it certainly makes one relook at the definition of "free".
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Re: October 12, 2016: Randy's Donuts

DrFumblefinger ·
Yummmmm. Randy's donuts are great!
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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: World's most dangerous airport? Would you land here? Lukla, Nepal

PortMoresby ·
Your pictures remind me very much of the Shimla Airport, same end of runway in space, same commitment required by pilot and passengers alike. The plane was tiny, I sat immediately behind the pilot, a Sikh with headphones perched atop his turban rather than over his ears, unique in my experience. The view was a bit too immediate for my liking but we made it off just fine and bounced in the heat all the way to Delhi. Thanks for the memory, DrF.
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Re: World's most dangerous airport? Would you land here? Lukla, Nepal

Paul Heymont ·
I try not to let any aspect of travel faze me, but I'm perfectly happy to have watched the video and call it a day on that one!
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap

PortMoresby ·
Just a note of caution, if, as PHeymont suggests, the airport mall tempts you to pick up holiday cheer and other liquids, don't forget connections and possible second trips through security. Just because you bought it at the airport doesn't mean they won't snag it if you have to leave airside to get to your connection. I can imagine very well supplied TSA holiday parties courtesy of some chagrined passengers.
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap

Paul Heymont ·
PM is right, and the caution applies especially to liquids. There are some exceptions for duty-free items sealed in special bags, but not always.
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Re: Holiday Flying: How to Beat the Wrap

Former Member ·
Thanks for the good information. I would not have thought about the airport mall, Amazon Locker or the big box stores. Those are terrific ideas. I have given up on gift wrapping and just toss a few colorful gift bags and some tissue paper into my luggage. Later, I put the gifts in the bags for the big "reveal" for the recipient.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

Travel Rob ·
DrFumblefinger- I couldn't pull up that link.Does a person need to be a Wall St Journal Subscriber? Frankfurt's airport is also pretty nice for people.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

DrFumblefinger ·
That's strange TravelRob, because I run into the same issue today, while yesterday it loaded fine (and free, I don't subscribe to the WSJ). You can hear about it in the free podcast. I've added the link to this above.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

Former Member ·
This story is a delight. Thanks for posting this. One reads about cases in which customs ceases endangered animals in transport. Perhaps this is ibe reason - some of that cargo is going via Lufthansa Cargo and passing through the Frankfurt Animal Lounge. So that is important work that they are doing there. They both keep the animals safe in transit and look out for those who should not be shipped at all. DrFumblefinger - The pony looks very healthy. You must know a lot about animals. Do you...
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

DrFumblefinger ·
Thanks for the note, Voyager. I did find the piece about animals in transit interesting. I know a little about animals. It's my wife who is the Dr. Doolittle. She loves them in all sizes and shapes and they seem to like and understand her.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

Former Member ·
they seem to like and understand her. Animals - including birds - know who the "friendlies" are. Must be an innate trait for survival.
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Re: The "Noah's Ark" airport

Theodore Behr ·
That's a cool story! I work in showbiz (behind the scenes stuff) and there's a great movie or series to made from this.
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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: Denver airport leads the charge for your phones

DrFumblefinger ·
Having traveled to Denver in the past month, I'll vouch for that fact there a lot of places to charge your devices. And there are still lots of gates that completely lack chargers, so they still have a long way to go. The free wifi at Denver is quite fast and widely available. Much appreciate! I think this should be a top priority for all airlines -- places to charge that phone and iPad before you fly. It would be good if the consumer organizations provided comparative scores.
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Re: "Doggie-Door" makes lockers easier to use

DrFumblefinger ·
It is a good and useful idea. Kudos to the Doggy Travel locker door.
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Re: "Doggie-Door" makes lockers easier to use

Travel Rob ·
Great idea!
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Re: Look both ways...

DrFumblefinger ·
Classic sign!
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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: The Reason To Love Cambodia

Paul Heymont ·
So often people travel without real contact with the ordinary people around them...makes moments like yours very special! thanks!
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Re: The Reason To Love Cambodia

DrFumblefinger ·
Somehow I have no difficulty imagining the scene...it seems to fit your nature perfectly, TravelwithLamb. A nice travel moment, thanks!
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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: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure

DrFumblefinger ·
I would hate for Heathrow to get any more complex to get around in that it already is. I like flying into Gatwick, although a lot of carriers don't offer that airport from at least my part of NorthAmerica.
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Re: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure

PortMoresby ·
Maybe part of a proposal for Heathrow could include making it less complex to negotiate. I've never had a problem with it, although I know it's the airport people love to hate. Never having flown into Gatwick, I can't compare. The other 2 I have used are Stansted & Luton, but, like Gatwick, transport to them is limited compared to Heathrow. I'd prefer they get it all right at one, rather than have 4 less than convenient. Maybe I'll just charter a plane and go into City next time, which I...
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Re: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure

Paul Heymont ·
Gatwick, if selected, will have much better transportation than now; in fact, they are committed to building it even with one runway. Every 2.5 minutes, into Central London. DrF: Gatwick is hoping this will bring some North American flights again; US Airways was the last North American carrier into Gatwick, and they stopped in 2009, sucked into the great vacuum of Heathrow. Gatwick used to have a lot of N. America business back when restrictive legislation limited the number of their flights...
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Re: For those who hate Heathrow, Gatwick plans new allure

PortMoresby ·
There is no problem with London City, I wasn't suggesting expansion. Au contraire, and for those who can use it, it's the best.
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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: The Reason To Love Cambodia

Travel Rob ·
Very cool! I love the sights and the food but it's meeting people that is my favorite part of travel
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Re: World's 10 Best Airports? Maybe...

Travel Rob ·
I totally disagree with the list. It's partly because I'm more budget focused and partly because it takes less time and hassle at the smaller airports.My favorite airports are small ones where security is reasonable and you dont need to be there hours in advance. My tops would include John Lennon( Liverpool) Sanford near (Orlando) and Marseilles, France
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Re: World's 10 Best Airports? Maybe...

DrFumblefinger ·
These are all important international hubs, but I'm inclined to agree with TravelRob. Most of these airports are massive and far from user friendly. Maybe they have a large assortment of restaurants from which to choose, etc. But I like short lines, a quick security screen and a reasonable walk to the gate not requiring a bus or train to get there.
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Re: World's 10 Best Airports? Maybe...

GarryRF ·
I don't want Restaurants or a shopping experience at my airport. I want to check in and go as soon as possible. I don't like being overcharged for something I don't want by an airport that insists on holding me hostage for 3 or 4 hours. My worst experience was JFK for 3 days when my flight was cancelled. Like Rob, if you get me away in under an hour of arrival I'm happy. Liverpool has destinations all over Europe.
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Re: World's 10 Best Airports? Maybe...

Paul Heymont ·
I think the comments, and mine are all hitting on the same point: better airport is not more amenities for while you're trapped there...better airport is not trapping you there. I get disbelieving stares when I tell people that Laguardia is my favorite. But, while it looks a bit dated, its size means you don't have ridiculous hikes, and it's easy to get in and get out. Heathrow T5, on the other hand...especially if you are transferring from T3...is an experience that makes you feel like...
 
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