Tagged With "low fare airlines"
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Re: Ryanair's O'Leary: I have a way to make flying free
It's a shame to see the man who has opened up Europe for flights at bus fare prices being kicked again. He has many ideas to generate income - away from ticket prices. Some are just a reflection of his Irish sense of humour and others are worth listening to. He has succeeded in breaking the mould in Europe where flying was just for the wealthy. A man to be praised - not criticised !
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Re: France Train Service, SNCF, Expands Low Cost Trains and Buses
It's great news for budget travelers. I took the Ouigo train from to Marseille in 2013 and loved it.
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Re: Diamond Head State Monument, Oahu (Where Gumbo Was #230)
On my last visit to Diamond Head we left near to the closing time. A large Limousine was waiting to take us back to Waikiki. I hadn't ordered one but the driver insisted we used him to take us back. "I will charge you the same as the Taxi fare you paid to get here" Sounded like an offer too good to refuse ! Before we arrived back in Waikiki another 4 couples had joined our Taxi ride. Had to admire the driver for ingenuity. Very good earner !
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Re: EU Court rules baggage fees legal
Baggage fees are often avoidable. Links from AirFareWatchdog.com's newletter this morning included this one , a SmartTravel.com piece on ways to do it. While the suggestions don't generally apply to the low-fare airlines such as Spanish carrier Vueling, the subject of DrF's news, they can certainly help us avoid domestic charges.
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other. (Part 5) The Elephants of Pinnawala
Lots to consider. I can't go through Thailand without hanging out a few weeks so the 2 ticket plan may suit me better. I see Cathay Pacific also flies to Colombo, connecting in HKG. Will have to do more research to see if any of the low fare Asian airlines can facilitate a plan. What season is your favorite there? Is there an off-season when there are bargains to be had?
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Re: Pittsburgh's North Side
My parents lived and grew up on the Northside from the 1920's to the 1950's. I was born in the city and baptized on the Northside. My grandparents Northside house is now in a dangerous slum area. There are many great ethnic eateries in the area, especially German in the Northside neighborhood of Deutschtown. Max's Tavern is a great spot for German fare and beer.
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Re: New trend? Some airlines end toll-free calls
Yet another drop in service, but one that likely will have minimal impact on most customers. If it saves millions of dollars, and the savings are used to reduce company overhead (say instead of bonuses for executives), I think consumers will be supportive.
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
We flew Norwegian in May, Orlando-Oslo and were really impressed. The 787 made such a difference and we arrived feeling fresh. The moister air, bigger windows and lighting made a world of difference in how we felt post trip. We brought a decent sized carry-on and personal bag each for free too. As far other extra fees, we didn't pay any. They charge for food or drinks, but we just bought those at the airport. And I think they also charge for blankets, but we brought jackets to cover with and...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
This is sounding very promising, Rob. I can think of no reason to pay more money to pay with miles than for a ticket on Norwegian. I have enough miles to go around the world and only the first leg (or last, depending) is more expensive using miles. It makes no sense. So you were able to carry on your main bag plus a smaller one? I'm speaking of the limits for discounted coach tickets (aka "steerage").
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
Amazing the way these calculations work out. We're going to England next spring, using American Airlines points. The flight selection offered us flights on British Airways and American. The AA flights cost the points plus government fees. The BA flights cost the points plus the government fees, plus enough surcharges to make a $1000+ difference. If I only had the BA flights, I'd certainly rather find a low-cost carrier! It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year as Aer...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
The carry-on limits are posted on the site. Still we were a little worried but there were no problems. We each took a carry-on and a personal bag on for free. A note that my same carry-on was too big for Air China so Norwegian had decent limits.
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
The website states the limits for a carry-on bag are (approximately, stated in cm) 21 x 16 x 9 inches, and 10 kilos/22 pounds. Plus a "small" item that fits comfortably under the seat. Were your bags within these guidelines, Rob?
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
I think that's very similar to American Airlines carry-on allowance. A lot better than EasyJets etc. Whether my bag was over, I can't say. My original bag was lost by Megabus, if you can believe it, so I had a different bag and clothes than what I was planning on The thing about the 787 is there's actually room for the carry-on. in the overhead.
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
I've checked my bag for years but it sounds like in this case it'd be worthwhile to pack light and carry it on. My usual, without trying, is about 13 kilos, so 10 isn't a huge stretch. Sounding like an interesting possibility.
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
I was just reading a Chris Elliott piece on when people get so fed up with air travel they stop flying altogether. He interviewed a man who owned a travel company, Spencer Carlson and the positive airline example he gave was Norwegian. So it seems like my good experience is the norm with them. Here is this link: http://www.seattletimes.com/li...-to-take-it-anymore/
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
I can live indefinitely with 2 sets of clothes, 1 to wear & 1 to wash, 1 extra pair of shoes, all in a day pack. I wouldn't necessarily WANT to do it, but I could, rather than stop flying if, say, the airlines reduced baggage limits to 10 pounds altogether. It's the same old story, I figure, if for any reason, you can't or won't travel (time, money, fed up, whatever), you just don't want to enough. One excuse is as good as another. Good to hear about Norwegian. I repeated the exercise...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
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: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
The AA-BA mashup is tricky, yes, but not as devious as it may seem. Between New York and Paris, for instance, AA has only two non-stops a day; BA has a half-dozen (or more, including Open Skies). And, BA has many seats LON-PAR, so availability is greater. A similar situation exists on this side of the ocean, where BA feeds many AA domestic flights. It's sometimes possible to get around better if you don't mind one stop...we've used AA to Madrid paired with Iberia to Paris (Iberia's charges...
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
Call it whatever you like, but I seem to have missed your point. But, no matter, MY point was simply that I see no excuse for charging astonishingly different prices for the same product, transportation from point A to point B, on partner airlines ostensibly selling the same thing.
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Re: New York Taxis Debut App to Compete with Uber
I seem to remember you posting something about the Nissan Minivan before on TG but I couldn't find it. I'll link to it here if I can come across it I do like the idea of finding out the fare ahead of time with the app. No arguing about what route to take or worrying you'll be over-charged
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air
I recently saw a cheap fare from Norwegian posted on The Flight Deal website. What struck me is what they said in the post (below) and how it really demonstrates the same Skytrain price matching problem . I do think consumers have to think that if they choose the legacy carriers price match ,instead of Norwegians, there might not be these lower fares in the future that Delta or United will match. " Norwegian is a low cost carrier so they will charge you for everything – advanced seat...
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Re: DOT: "mistake fares," won't fly, for now
This is really a blow to those of us who like to find bargain airfares. There were some abuses, but in general the post purchase rule been a good one for consumers and airlines. It's very hard to know a great sale from a mistaken fare. I hope the rule will be enforced in some way in the future.
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Re: Euro airlines: Delays continue in compensation for delays
Rules that may be perfectly reasonable for a large airline, the crew issue for instance, may be less reasonable for a small airline or a low-fare airline that needs optimally efficient practices to make money and continue to offer us the low fares. That may not include extra crews hanging around "just in case". As passengers, we can't have everything - low fares and no occasional delays, although those airlines appear better at avoiding delays than any others, of necessity. At the same time,...
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Re: Airlines defend holding onto fuel surcharges
I agree with Garry. It is dishonest to call something a "fuel surcharge" when it's not used for that purpose. They should just make it part of the fare.
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Re: Need help planning Morocco trip
If you're passing through Europe and plan to go directly on to Marrakech, keep in mind that the low fare carriers more often than not use secondary airports which will add to your travel time if go straight on. For instance, if you fly into London's Heathrow airport a low fare airline will likely use either Luton or Stansted. I believe British Airways has flights from Heathrow so check on the variables and you may find that with time and costs involved to change airports a bit more expensive...
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Re: Chinese Airlines Looking for Bigger Share of Int'l Service
I have, indeed, noticed that Chinese airlines (China Eastern, China Southern) that I've used domestically or from other Asian countries to China, appearing on fare searches lately, usually with very competitive fares. I intend to pay closer attention. Thanks P.
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Re: Behind the Rides: Orlando leads U.S. in visits and low-wage jobs
I am not sure if an employee working in tourism in NYC would have a higher quality of life even if paid more. Orlando at least is cheap. Also many folks in the tourist trade make a lot of their earnings from tips which rarely are fully reported as income. So I never know what to make of studies like this
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Re: Airfare bill would roll back consumer protection
With the continuing unbundling of fares, it's important that people get some idea of what their flight will actually cost. I don't understand the airlines opposition to it. Most of them use the same tactics and it's unlikely someone won't fly because their true fare is revealed (though a few might not). People need clarity to make well-informed choices.
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AirBerlin Black Friday: $499 to Europe R/T!
AirBerlin, a OneWorld member, is offering a $499 roundtrip to several European destinations at cut-rate prices from now to Tuesday, with flights from Jan. 12 to Mar. 22. The $499 rate is for Berlin from Chicago, and Stockholm or Copenhagen from NYC....
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Lonely Planet's Best Bang for Your Buck in 2015
While some of the destinations they include will be no surprise to the well-traveled group here on Travel Gumbo, I was interested in some of the places mentioned. Samoa, for instance, I wouldn't have expected, or South Africa. And I'd...
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$240 NY-London, LA $320: Norwegian Air
Norwegian Air Shuttle, a low-cost carrier that has begun flying trans-Atlantic from Oslo now plans to offer service by this summer to NYC and LA from London Gatwick. The announced fares are $240 each way to NY and $320 to LA--less than half the cost...
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Watch those search engines: the big ones are not always best!
I was just booking a one-way trip from Barcelona to Marseille for next summer hoping to use some points sitting on a bank-based (but not airline-affiliated) card. Imagine my shock when the ticket (which I knew should cost about $89) showed up as...
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RyanAir Stock Falters on Bargain Airfares
The stock price of RyanAir Holdings dropped because of bargain fares they offered to drum of business this current quarter. They also cited the weak European economy and rising competition. Read More
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Greyhound Fare Sale: Up to 50% Off, 2300 cities
Greyhound, winding down its 100th anniversary celebration, has announced a sale with fare cuts up to 50% for 7-day advance purchase. Planning a trip? Tempted to one by the sale? Click HERE for more details!
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Time to Try the 787 Dreamliner! Round Trip to Norway in May- June for $334.50 Total
This is an exceptional price for a round trip ticket to Europe from Florida in May- June from Norwegian. $334.50 round trip including all taxes and fuel surcharges. If that's not enough to motivate you ,it's non stop and on Boeing's 787...
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JetBlue Sale: NYC to Albuquerque $176 RT Total
This is a great nonstop round trip fare from New York to Albuquerque. $176 round trip total .Search JetBlue for dates . www.jetblue.com Sample date : Jan 29 - Feb. 5, 2015 1 traveler round trip: New York City area (NYC) to ...
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KLM Flash Sale: NYC to Kilimanjaro RT for $798
If Mt. Kilimanjaro has been on your mind since reading Hemingway in high school (or if you've seen the movie), here's your chance. KLM has a 24-hour flash sale at $798 RT from NYC, or $848 if you're leaving from Chicago or DC. The fare is only...
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$399.00 RT Per Person -New York to Milan
This is a good sale on Emirates ,a high rated airline. You must buy two tickets for this price. I saw this-Feb 8 to Feb 16 $399.00 per person total when you buy two tickets. Read More:...
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Cold in Canada? Good Fares to Hawaii
Here is a good deal from Calgary to Honolulu round trip on United.Feb4- Feb11 494.91 Canadian dollars( $ 413.32 US Dollars )If you check the round trip price from Denver- where the connection is- it's a lot higher. There are other...
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Frontier's raising bag fees; will the other "low-costs" follow?
Frontier Airlines, which last year joined Spirit and Allegiant in the ULCC (ultra-low-cost-carrier) class that seems to mean ULC (ultra lots of charges) for most folks, is raising its fees for checked bags. The only checked bags that will not go up by...
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Mexico low-cost carrier adds U.S. flights
Volaris, a Guadalajara-based Ultra Low-Cost Carrier (ULCC) that has an extensive network in Mexico and also serves cities in the southwestern U.S. is pushing to increase its U.S. business by adding flights to further destinations, especially ones with...
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Ryanair's 5-year plan: Trans-atlantic for 10£
The 10£ fare is probably a teaser, but it appears that Ryanair is very serious about finding a way to acquire long-haul planes and enter the U.S. market, flying to 14 cities within five years, according to the Guardian (UK). They plan to serve...
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No Joke! Airplane Tickets Coming to Vending Machines!
On March 24, Transavia will sell snacks in Paris at vending machines, train stations and corner stores that come with a voucher code for a one-way flight from Paris. Different destinations are inside different snacks. At €35, sesame flavored...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr 7, 2015: Obwarzanek vendor, Krakow
Kraków is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland . Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Our visit to Krakow was a surprising delight. Not knowing...
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Hop on the Bus, Gus...or maybe a train
Wanderu, a startup travel aggregator (think Kayak) is now offering schedule and fare information for the major U.S. bus lines (Greyhound, Megabus and Boltbus) and has just signed a distribution agreement with Amtrak that will allow them to include...
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Amtrak's Auto Train - Relax your way to Sunshine
There is a rhythm to train travel that is different. This is especially true when you are taking a train for a long distance. I recently took a round trip excursion on Amtrak’s Auto Train. And it immediately reminded me why I enjoy train travel...
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A little good news from Delta's SkyMiles: a lower fare
After months of mostly bad news for loyalty-program members, as numbers of airlines reduced opportunities for accumulating points by flying, and some also raised the cost in points for award tickets, Delta (one of the most criticized for previous...
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Is there a "best day" to buy tickets? Maybe not!
There's always a lot of talk about when it's best to buy airline tickets—how far in advance, what day, even what time. A recent study that got a lot of publicity, even a Wall Street Journal article, suggested that Sunday is the best day because...