Travel Babble
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Delta may provide better coach class seats by next year
- The new seats will be staggered and seat backs
thinner to increase legroom by 2 inches. (Terry, at 6'4'' will
be pleased.) The seat cushions will slide forward to make
sleeping more comfortable. Also, armrests are designed so you
won't bump elbows.
United to charge obese fliers more - The
Chicago Tribune reports UAL will start charging for a second
seat or class upgrade if attendants can't find 2 open
seats. UAL received over 700 complaints on being
uncomfortable due to the size of the person next to them.
Airlines bank on added fees - Everything
from seat assignments to food, luggage and amenities brings
in more cash. But for travelers now, it can mean muddled
comparison shopping in seeking the lowest cost seat. A $198
domestic ticket can top $500 with extra or overweight bags.
To find the true cost, go to
www.flyingfees.com for an estimator that shows all added
costs of 29 airlines.
AirTran study - They reveal that customers
spent an average of 3 hours on the Internet to save $8.
AFS Most Stellar Hotels - Last week a man
cancelled a trip feeling that one of the hotels on our
itinerary "was not up to (his) standards" which was fine
with us as we immediately replaced him. His decision was
based on a Trip Advisor review. Please understand that
these reviews are not the word of God and certainly can be
biased. I've learned this through direct experience and
years in the industry.
This prompted me to recall Deluxe hotels that some of our
groups were placed in through the years:
Kempenski Grand -- St. Moritz (we were speechless on
arrival)
Hotel Bauer - Venice (3 past groups)
Shangri La Resort - Borneo
Le Meridien - Tahiti (some had overwater bungalows)
Mt. Kenya Safari Club - in Aberdares
and many other luxury resorts
Most of these properties are priced well over $500 per
night. What's astounding is that our land cost for those
groups was from $1095 to $1598 for 8 days including tours.
One
man and one woman needed for shared accommodation
