US Airways-United Merger Off ‘At this Time’
Fuel Prices Spark Holiday Crunch as Air Surcharges Soar
Brit Wins Compensation Because His Hotel was Full of Germans
Plane Crash Lands on Golf Course
Best Places in the World for a Cheap Beer
US AIRWAYS-UNITED MERGER OFF ‘AT THIS TIME’ - USA Today
After attempts at forging the world’s largest airline, the CEOs of United Airlines and US Airways have decided against merging “at this time.” While the merger would undoubtedly have taken care of both companies’ finances, it would also have resulted in fewer routes and higher ticket prices. United and US Airways sit at number two and seven spots for traffic, respectively, and would have formed “a powerful carrier with potentially the most extensive U.S. and international route networks.” Tom Parsons, chief executive of travel Web site Bestfares.com, says, “It’s still coming down to the bottom line, though: Can any one of these airlines survive in this era? These airlines are going to have a hard time surviving.”
Link: USA Today
FUEL PRICES SPARK HOLIDAY CRUNCH AS PRICES SOAR - The Times (UK)
It appears as though the era of cheap air travel is coming painfully to an end. And most of the pain is felt in consumers’ pocketbooks. Virgin Atlantic is now imposing new charges, as is British Airways, unabashedly adding £218 onto ticket prices just to cover the cost of fuel. Other airlines are adding charges in impossibly small areas, such as the space between your knees and the back of the seat in front of you. That’s right: more leg room costs more money with some airlines, and so do window seats. Industry experts predict that this is not the the last consumers will see of increased fees, and baggage looks to be what will continue to cost passengers, despite recent hikes in that department.
Link: The Times (UK)
BRIT WINS COMPENSATION BECAUSE HIS HOTEL WAS FULL OF GERMANS - Daily Mail (UK)
Brit businessman David Barnish was upset to discover that his family vacation at a luxury resort on the Greek island of Kos was “full of Germans,” and he took the tour operator Thomson to small claims court to make up for it. Barnish collected £750 after a judge awarded him compensation for false information provided by Thomson, which failed to make clear that it the hotel catered primarily to a German clientele. One of Barnish’s daughters wanted to participate in kids’ activities, yet all timetables were printed in German. “We tried to join a windsurfing lesson and yoga classes but all the instructions were in German so we gave up,” explains Barnish, adding, “I feel we were cheated by Thomson because at no stage did they warn us that this hotel was geared up to catering for Germans, not English people.” Talk about brochure language: Thomson’s Web site describes the Royal Park as a “superb hotel with a first-class service, all the comforts of home and an international atmosphere.”
Link: Daily Mail (UK)
PLANE CRASH LANDS AT GOLF COURSE - WTJM 620
Thanks to a charity event at New Berlin Hills Golf Course, no one was injured when a small Cessna plane crashed landed at the 18th hole. A worker at the golf course recalls, “He [the pilot] came in from the west and flew over our clubhouse and landed before the green and hit a tree.” The plane was en route to Waukesha from Milwaukee.
Link: WTMJ 620
THE BEER NECESSITIES - The Economist
Pintprice.com has released a list of the world’s beer prices that will aid travelers in shaping the perfect lager world tour. Because the prices are compared based upon “anecdotal evidence from beer-drinkers around the world,” the figures are updated regularly. Coming in close to the top of the list, weirdly, are the poor African countries of Zambia and Burundi, at $11 for a pint. But the “frothiest” (most expensive) goes to the Marshall Islands, at over $14 a pint. At the bottom of the list with the “flattest” prices are Djbouti (about 5 cents) and Ethiopia (about 3 cents). Sports fans will be pleased to learn that for the Beijing Olympics, pints in China cost a bit over $2.40.
Link: The Economist
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