I’m currently winging my way down to San Antonio (where The Alamo is), except in a car and not with wings. My wife and I are signed up to join some of the members of The Atlantic Paranormal Society with an investigation of spirit activity in a gorgeous inn. We’ve been talking and daydreaming about doing something like this for years.

Even so, I know some of you will laugh at me, so I won’t spend any more time discussing what’s real and what’s not. Instead, I’ll talk about how much it’ll cost for us to go on Vacation #1.

First, here’s the equipment we’re bringing, which has already been paid for, and not on a credit card:

• Digital voice recorder for capturing electronic voice phenomena – $50 – I wanted something high quality, not only for possible EVPs, but also potentially for on-location interviews for some other future creative endeavors
• Electro-magnetic field detector – $20 – at this price point, it’s basically a toy. More serious investigators get the kind that engineers use, and the one we got actually had the word “ghost” in the name. It’s pretty cute.
• Infrared digital thermometer – $14 – even though this is also inexpensive, it feels pretty solid and seems accurate so far
• Extra batteries – about $9

And then there are the pricier items, the stuff that isn’t paid for yet, and which we won’t be able to make use of again in the future:

• A five-hour class and a four-hour investigation – $300 for the two of us
• Somewhere to sleep Friday and Saturday night (what’s left of it) – $200
• Gasoline to get to and from San Antonio – $50 at the outside, since I recently filled up the car
• Optionally, one of many downtown walking ghost tours – maybe $40 for both of us
• Lunch and dinner – I’ll have to get back to you on that, but it doesn’t have to be expensive

So, ignoring meals, we know we’ll be spending $590 this weekend. Normally, when we go on vacation, I approach it with some excitement and some dread, because 1) I don’t go into a vacation with any estimate of how much we’ll be spending, and 2) most things get charged to a credit card.

This trip is going to be different, because we’re armed with an estimate, and more importantly, we have enough cash in the bank to pay for everything. True, we’re using the money that more prudent people would call an emergency fund, but a twinge of guilt about that is still preferable to the slow panic of knowing that your vacation is going to be charging you interest for a long time to come.

Not this time.

No, that panic will likely come in May, when we go to California for Vacation #2. However, we pre-paid for that conference, which includes lodging and meals. All that’s left is the airplane tickets and the car rental, and the other day my wife said she was going to set aside some of her recent bonus money to help pay for that. The conference tickets themselves went on my credit card, which I’m aggressively paying down, so that sounds fair.

Vacations seem smarter this year, relative scientific merits of ghost hunting notwithstanding.

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Smithee’s First Vacation with Cash

My recent experiences traveling across country gave me more appreciation, or disapproval, of the lengths airlines are now gong to empty the wallets of travelers. The flight industry once positioned itself as luxury travel, with a variety of free amenities, but the industry takes the opposite approach now.

Yes, it is true that airlines compete mostly on airfare. I understand companies need to recover the cost of airport real estate and fuel in other ways. The airlines find it easy to hide the many varieties of fees. Travelers who are rushed — and the security process ensures more people will feel rushed — are more willing to pay for something rather than argue or look for other options. Additionally, it seems like every month an airline decides to begin charging for something that has traditionally been free.

Here are some ways to avoid getting nickel-and-dimed by the airlines.

1. Bring your own food. While you can’t bring much liquid through security, you can bring food with you from outside the airport. Once you enter the airport, the food you will find in the restaurants and shops will be over-priced. If you wait until you are on the plane, not only will the options be more expensive, there will be fewer options. Make something at home, add some snacks to quell your appetite, and bring an empty water bottle to fill at the fountain once you pass security.

2. Pack light. Several airlines now charge if you check a bag. Try to travel with only a carry-on bag if possible. If not, don’t let your luggage exceed the weight limits. And check in online before hand; checking a bag in person can often cost more than checking a bag online.

3. Arrive to the airport early. Leave more than enough time to proceed through security and relax at the gate before boarding time. Avoiding stress at the airport will prevent you from taking the easy way out on choices and buying things with which you can live out.

4. Bring your own pillow and blanket. If you are used to the free blanket and pillow traditionally offered for free on long flights, you’ll be disappointed to find they are not available in all cases, and when they are, often you will have to pay. If you can pack a small pillow and blanket your own in your carry-on bag or live without them, your wallet will thank you.

5. Bring your own headphones. Airlines are offering more entertainment for free. Almost every flight I’ve been on for the past two years have featured a monitor in the back of the seat in front of me with a variety of channel options. Most flights will charge you for headphones for listening to the programming, however. In almost all cases, your own headphones or iPod ear buds will work just fine. Even on Continental Airlines flights, where the audio is delivered with two mono jacks rather than one stereo jack, you can use your own headphone and experience half of the audio.

6. Bring your own entertainment. Listen to your own music or watch your own movies on your computer. While many airlines do have some free entertainment, they will want to offer you more for a fee. Even though I had access to free television shows on Delta, the better shows and movies would have cost several dollars. I stuck with the free entertainment provided by the airline as well as my own equipment.

7. Don’t use curbside check-in. If you are dropping off bags to be checked, bring them inside. Curbside check-in may save some time, but if you arrive at the airport early enough, you can save money by dropping your bags off inside the terminal.

8. Use your own internet access. With my BlackBerry, I already paid for a tethering service. While I was sitting in the terminal waiting to board my flights, I could connect the phone to my computer to access the Internet. Some airports have free WiFi now, but not many. If you want to access the Internet while waiting, you may have to pay a fee to access a proprietary Wifi network. Better yet, if your life and work don’t involve constantly being online, try to avoid the Internet completely while traveling.

9. Don’t be picky about your seat selection. I have found that more airlines are charging for reserving an exit row or bulkhead seat in advance, if they allow the practice at all. Thanks to SeatGuru, it’s easy to find the best seats on any airplane, and the airlines want to charge premiums now that everyone wants the best seats. If you would be comfortable wherever they place you, don’t pay any extra money for better placement.

10. Complain to Congress. If Congress was able to force credit card companies to stop their anti-consumer policies of over-charging and double-charging, perhaps they would have some luck with the airline industry as well. Keep in mind, when one door closes another one usually opens; companies usually find a way to get around restrictions and continue making life difficult for customers to protect the bottom line and shareholders.

What other airline fees have you discovered and how do you avoid them?

Photo credits: paalia, georgeparrilla

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How to Avoid Excessive Airline Fees While Traveling

As of this past Saturday, my brother is now a married man. He and his wife live in California, and I spent Halloween attending their wedding and the past week visiting with my family in that state. I am happy I was able to take a week off from my day job and spend it with my relatives for the occasion. It was a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception and party, and within a few weeks, the new couple will be traveling to Costa Rica for their honeymoon.

The wedding was on Halloween, but costumes were not required.

I was happy to find a great deal on airfare for the cross-country travel. Delta Airlines offered a rate of $250 including tax for the round trip travel from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. This rate is about $100 less than the lowest rate I have ever paid for a trip for the Philadelphia or New York area to the Los Angeles area and several hundred dollars less than the typical rate.

In order to qualify for this low rate, I had to make a few sacrifices:

• JFK is not my preferred airport. Either Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) are more convenient.
• When checking in for departure online, I was charged $15 for checking a bag in addition to my carry-on luggage.
• After arriving at the airport, checking my luggage, and proceeding through security, I was directed towards a shuttle bus to take us to our gate at a different terminal.
• On the flight, we are treated to amenities like a full-featured, personal media center but if we want a meal we would need to pay at least $8.
• The seats on the flight offer less legroom than I am used to from other airlines like JetBlue and Continental. By the time I booked the flight, exit rows and bulkhead seats were unavailable.
• LAX is not my preferred airport, either. A better choice for the Los Angeles area, where my brother lives, is Long Beach Airport (LGB). When visiting my mother, I would prefer John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County.
• Unable to check in online in advance for the return trip, I was charged $20 for having a bag checked. I also left a tip for curbside check-in.

Considering the price was half of what I might otherwise pay for a trip to California, I was willing to put up with a few annoyances. Although I like JetBlue, I feel no particular loyalty to any one company. I do not travel enough for frequent flier rewards to have any impact on my purchasing behavior.

Do you have a favorite or preferred airline or airport? Do you stick to your favorites or are you willing to compromise on comfort for a great airfare?

Photo credit: Hong Kong dear Edward

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Delta Airlines: Good Airfare But Not My Favorite Airline

As I’ve mentioned recently, my maternal grandmother passed away a few days ago, my second of two grandmothers to pass away in the past few weeks. A few years ago, she moved out to California to be cared for by my mother and brother who had also moved out to the west coast several years earlier. When my grandmother entered hospice care, I mentioned to my boss that I would be taking a few days off for the funeral with short notice, as I intended to travel to California to be with my family. On Tuesday last week, my mother called me to share the news while I was getting ready to leave work for the day.

I immediately began searching for a round-trip flight that would take me from the New York City or Philadelphia area to the Los Angeles area on Wednesday and back over the weekend. My primary tool for searching for flights online is SideStep, but I also look at websites for individual airlines. Not finding anything and wanting to leave the office to continue searching at home, I notified my boss that I would be out for the remainder of the week.

I decided to give the Visa Signature concierge service a try. I signed up for a Visa Signature card earlier this year for the purpose of putting its service through real-life tests and writing about them here. There is no annual fee, but the card is marketed offering exclusive perks and services, such as a 24-hour concierge and access to exclusive events. I called the Visa Signature concierge during the drive home with the intent of using the service to find and book my flight to California.

The concierge who answered the phone could not have been less helpful. To research flights, a travel specialist needs to be on call, and at the time I called, they had none. The best they could do is take my flight requirements and get back to me within 24 to 48 hours, and the impression I took away from the call is that all travel requests require this excessive turnaround time. Since this was Tuesday evening and I needed to travel Wednesday, this did not meet my needs. A regular travel agent would have been able to take care of my request immediately.

I thanked the representative for her help but I spent an hour or so doing my own research and booking the flight when I arrived home. I determined that bereavement fares, last-minute rates designed for people who need to fly in situations like mine, do no longer exist at most airlines. When they do, the rate is a five or ten percent discount off the full coach fare, not the non-refundable economy fare. I would be better off with the economy rate. I spent more than I would have liked, but the fare I chose was decent for a non-stop flight considering the circumstances.

I’m pleased I was able to be with my family in a difficult time, but I would have liked the process to be smoother, and the concierge service let me down.

Photo: Doug Letterman

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Visa Signature Concierge: Useless for Immediate Travel

Southwest Air, which is the airline I consider when I feel like saving upwards of 50% off the price of a ticket, today introduced a new option for boarding before other people.

If you’ve never flown Southwest before, you may not know that they don’t assign seats like, well, every other airline I can think of. You get put in a group, and something between the honor system and common courtesy then decides exactly when you board, and subsequently, where you sit.

Southwest also offers “Business Select” and “A-List Customer” designations, but now the rest of us also have the opportunity, if we want to spend an extra $10, of boarding early. From their Web site:

EarlyBird Check-in is designed for passengers who have purchased electronic tickets at the Wanna Get Away Fare, Anytime Fare, Senior Fare or DING! Fare

EarlyBird boarding positions are automatically assigned and confirmed 36 hours prior to your scheduled departure time

With EarlyBird Check-in, you’ll receive a better boarding position that is confirmed for your trip. Since you’re boarding earlier, there will be more open seats and overhead bin space from which to choose. Then you can sit back and relax as the other passengers board.

(See more Early-Bird Check-In FAQs.)

(Photo by adotjdotsmith.)

Unlike other airlines, which have recently begun charging for any and all baggage (pretending, I guess, that it wasn’t already included in the price of the ticket, and that they were voluntarily losing money on the proposition for the past few decades), Southwest is offering a somewhat-innovative service for the extra fee.

Southwest Air to charge $10 to board early, Deepa Seetharaman, Reuters, Sep. 2, 2009

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Southwest Air’s $10 Boarding Upgrade

Spurred on by Erica Douglas in response to my thoughts about airline fees for checked baggage, here is a list of the fees charged by airlines for traveling with this particular expected service. I should have done this research before embarking on my previous trip to Arizona. I might not have been able to avoid the fees, but I would have better expected to be charged for a service whose cost was previously rolled into the fare.

The fees below are charged for domestic flights, not international travel. The prices represent the cost to check one or more bags each way. If you’ve booked a round trip flight, you will be charged these fees once for your initial flight and once again for your return flight.

Most airlines offer ways to avoid these fees which usually involve qualifying for second-tier status in their frequent traveler programs.

AirTran: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $50 for each additional bag.
Aliaska Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $50 for the third bag, $100 for each additional bag up to a total of seven bags.
American Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 each for the third, fourth and fifth bags, $200 for each additional bag.
Continental Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 for each additional bag.
Delta: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $125 for the third bag, $200 for each additional bag up to a total of ten bags.
jetBlue: No charge for the first bag, $20 for the second bag, $75 for each additional bag.
Northwest: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $125 for the third bag, $200 for each additional bag up to a total of ten bags.
Southwest: No charge for the first two bags, $25 for the third bag, $50 for each additional bag up to a total of nine bags.
United Airlines: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag if you pay online; $5 extra if you pay at the airport.
US Aiwrways: $15 for the first bag, $25 for the second bag, $100 for each additional bag up to a total of nine bags. If you pay at the airport, the fees are $20 for the first bag, $30 for the second bag.
Virgin America: $15 for each bag up to a total of ten bags.

Are there any major airlines missing from this list? Let me know in the comments and I will update this article.

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Airline Fees for Checking Bags

When I traveled to Arizona in April, I was charged $15 for each flight for checking my luggage. While I knew that many airlines had begun charging extra for services that were once “free,” like meals and baggage check, I didn’t recall seeing any warning when I originally booked the flight several weeks earlier. I have no problem with these add-on fees. On an earlier trip, I was happy to pay an extra $25 in both directions for a better-placed seat, a benefit that I used to be able to receive just by asking for certain exit row placements.

But let’s be clear. These things were never free. Travelers paid for meals, checked baggage, entertainment, and all the other amenities w have come to expect while flying, but the cost was unnoticed. The cost of these items was simply rolled into the cost of the ticket. Airlines, under the strain to compete with each other, have been reluctant to raise fares, the most visible differentiation. With services like SideStep, companies are aware that in most cases, people choose flights based almost solely on the flight with the lowest price.

A number of commentators don’t seem to understand that we’ve been paying for these services all along. This article from CNN Money explains how new or raised amenity fees have saved the airlines from extinction.

Since travelers have always been paying for these services, although they were rolled into the price of the ticket, it might make sense to continue looking at the overall cost of the flight when making comparisons.

The airlines do need to do a better job of explaining all the fees up front so consumers can make educated selections based on total price. But let’s not consider these fees “added” or “extra,” it’s just a case of higher prices.

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Airline Baggage Fees Increasing in Popularity

In order to remain competitive, airlines try to keep fare prices low. When that strategy starts to break down and airlines can’t compensate for the cost of flying in the normal way (increasing bookings, and decreasing flights) and they still resist raising fares, they look for new ways to earn revenue.

So now we’re charged for meals and luggage, both of which were once included in the fare price for most flights. JetBlue Airways is now selling a pillow and blanket set for $7. I’ve noticed the disappearance of the “free” pillows and blankets that once adorned seats while boarding, but now they’ve returned in another fashion.

The $7 will provide you with your own unused pillow and blanket set. As they are charging for the privilege of comfort, at least you don’t have to cuddle with the same bedding used by travelers before you. The set also comes with a $5 coupon for Bed, Bath, and Beyond, making the purchase a little more attractive.

JetBlue Starts Selling Blankets and Pillows, Micheline Maynard, New York Times August 5, 2008.

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JetBlue Now Charges for Pillows and Blankets on Flights

Last week, I spent several days in San Diego with family and friends, including my mother and her long-time boyfriend, my brother and his girlfriend, and my girlfriend. One benefit of visiting family for vacation every April is the fact that my mother seems quite willing to spend money to ensure everyone’s enjoyment, at least through this year. (If I continue to earn more money than I expect, that may not be the case for much longer.)

I decided to estimate how much my mother might have spent on our trip to San Diego as an exercise in curiosity. To be fair, I did pay some of these expenses, but only a small portion.

Lodging. A room with double queen beds at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay may have cost $750 over the course of three nights. We had three rooms for an estimated total of $2,250. I believe she was able to receive one night free, but I’ll stick with estimates based on the full retail value. Add internet access at $10 per room per day and valet service of $20 per day. Add tax. Running total: $2,780.

Travel. The trip from my mother’s home in Orange County, California to the hotel in San Diego was 80 miles. At a rate of 50.5 cents per mile, the round trip in our car “cost” $80. My brother and his girlfriend drove separately, so I would consider than an additional $80. Cab rides throughout the four days added about $120 to the transportation total. Running total: $3,060.

Meals. Tuesday: lunch at a restaurant with an ocean view in La Jolla ($200) and dinner at Osetra ($300). Wednesday: breakfast at the hotel ($150) and dinner at a fondue restaurant in San Diego ($250). Thursday: breakfast at the hotel ($150), lunch by the hotel pool ($50), and dinner on a cruise around the bay ($300). Friday: brunch at a restaurant near the hotel ($200). As I didn’t see any of the bills, these prices are just estimates. Running total: $4,660.

Entertainment. My girlfriend and I visited the San Diego Zoo one day, and the tickets cost a total of $60. Food and souvenirs added an additional $40 to that cost. My brother and his girlfriend attended kayaking lessons, which I’ll estimate at $60. My mother treated herself and the other women to manicures and pedicures at the hotel’s spa. My brother and his girlfriend, only a few days from leaving for the next leg of their band’s country-wide tour, received facials and massages, and I had use of the spa’s shower and steam room. Based on the price list on the hotel’s website, this must have cost over $500 total. Running total: $5,320.

This doesn’t include the money my girlfriend and I spent to fly across the country, about $800. Estimated total: $6,120.

While it’s true that we could have saved thousands of dollars by traveling less over the past week, and I would be happy spending time with my family doing anything, having these yearly vacations gives me something to look forward to every spring. I may be wrong, but I believe my mother would consider this to be money well-spent. I hope to be in a position to provide similar vacation opportunities for my family at some point in the future.

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How Much My San Diego Vacation Might Have Cost

As gas prices approach $4.00 nationally this summer, airlines are looking for ways to keep their profit margins without increasing ticket prices. Even though the average today is still “only” $3.20, some airlines have begun to make some changes.

Carriers have been scrambling for ways to “up-sell” fliers, including selling first-class upgrades, fancy alcoholic drinks and day passes to airport clubs. But they’ve also been stripping out previously free services and charging customers for anything more than basic transportation — everything from use of skycaps and telephone reservationists to on-board meals and, at a few carriers, assigned seats and exit-row or bulkhead legroom.

In my experience on airplanes in the last few years, I’ve been charged extra for food and headphones. In my latest foray booking with Virgin America, they wanted more money to reserve slightly better seats like those in the bulkhead or exit rows.

I’d like to get used to traveling with everything I need in carry-on luggage, but that’s not always possible. Charging for more than one or two checked bags is already part of the flying experience. Check out this chart from Yahoo Finance/Wall Street Journal.

The airlines are doing everything they can to avoid raising ticket prices, thanks to consumers’ tendencies to live and die by the fare price.

US Airways spends roughly $250 million a year on baggage service, Mr. Parker says, and passing some of that cost to customers who actually use the service helps the airline offer lower basic fares. Consumers will switch airlines over even a $5 fare difference, airlines say, but are less sensitive to fees paid at the airport.

The psychology of money is interesting, and I am a victim just like most humans. I’ll search online for the lowest fare that makes sense for my schedule requirements, but buy overpriced food in the airport and opt for upgrades elsewhere.

Baggage Becomes a Big-Ticket Item [Wall Street Journal Online]

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Get Ready to Pay More to Fly

This weekend, I purchased tickets for the trip my girlfriend I will be taking to California in April. My general method of operation for purchasing airline tickets is to decide which dates will be best for traveling taking into account my schedule and my girlfriend’s schedule. She’s a teacher who doesn’t take vacations or sick days except for calendar vacation days set by the New York City Public Schools, so our vacations coincide with winter break, spring break, and over the summer.

I check SideStep to compare options from a variety of airlines and schedules, usually plus or minus one or two days depending on our available schedule. I take some mental notes and check back about once a week until I’m ready to pull the trigger.

Invariably, I end up waiting until I’m within the “six week window” in which prices are higher. I’m barely within that window now — we will depart on April 21 — and the prices haven’t risen.

We don’t choose the cheapest flight, which would usually involve flying from an inconvenient airport or at an inconvenient time. Given the choice to spend a little extra money and not find a way to the airport at 5:00 am, not take a red-eye flight, and not require battling the Los Angeles rush “hour,” we’ll spend the extra money.

This time, Virgin America presented the best non-stop schedule for the best price. Virgin America is a new airline for me. I checked some reviews online before booking and generally found promising opinions. Rather than booking through SideStep, I booked directly at Virgin America’s website to ensure I was getting the best scheduling options.

I noticed that Virgin America charges more for better seats. Their interface allowed me to choose our seats before finalizing the reservation, and the bulk head and exit row seats, which have more leg room, would cost an additional $25 each to reserve. Other airlines don’t generally allow you to reserve these seats in advance, but I don’t like the idea of being charged more for a seat that’s only slightly better than the others in the main cabin. As far as I know, no other airline shares this policy.

Virgin America sports what seems like a neat entertainment center for each traveler, a step up from jetBlue’s television. Movies and food all cost extra on these flights, however. I’ll probably stick with reading a book or listening to my own music and bringing my own food for the flight.

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Anyone Fly Virgin America?

I received a notice in the mail the other day reminding me to renew my roadside assistance service from AAA. For the last several years, I have been a member of AAA “Plus,” which offers the standard service and extra distance for free towing. I’ve decided to downgrade to the standard AAA plan. Before owning my current car, I could make a case for being a member at the higher level.

Despite the Plus membership’s higher price of somewhere in the neighborhood of $90 a year, every year until owning my current car, the service has paid for itself in car service alone. That’s no longer an issue, so I’ll be renewing my membership at the basic level. I’ll still receive useful roadside assistance and be eligible for the same discounts from a number of companies.

I could cover the basic membership yearly fee of about $50 in discounts alone. Here are some of the deals I can take advantage of:

* 10% off at Circuit City with a number of restictions.
* 6% off at Dell.
* 10% off at Target.com (online only).
* 20% off on movie tickets.
* 15% (up to $50) off of Magellan GPS units when shopping online and 5% off at BarnesAndNoble.com.

A full list of savings is available at AAA’s savings website.

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Members Only: Discounts Offered When Flashing the AAA Card

There’s a new kind of gasoline pump being shipped to gas stations, and it’s the kind of thing guys will like. If you need directions, just check the pump. These new devices are equipped with a stripped-down version of Google Maps, pre-loaded with locations hand-picked by the station owner.

Once you find your destination on the device, you can even print out the directions and coupons. As of now, Google will not place advertising on the service, encouraging gas station owners to work with their local restaurants, hotels, and other destinations.

There’s a strong drawback. If you don’t have a destination address, and the place you want to visit is not one of the gas station’s “partners,” the maps will be useless. You’ll have to suck it up and ask for directions from a live human being anyway.

Those of us filling up in New Jersey are not permitted to pump our own gas, so we probably won’t see this technology. In fact, some gas stations around here haven’t upgraded their pumps since what I imagine would be some time in the 1960s or 1970s. This could be helpful when traveling out of state, though.

Gas Stations Getting Pumped for Google Maps [News.com]

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Stopping at a Gas Station for Directions Just Got Cooler

If you travel in New York, get ready to spend more money. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is putting forth a new proposal to raise toll rates and rail fares.

The toll and fare increases will help pay for a complete replacement of the PATH system and rebuilding the World Trade Center.

• Tolls on the GWB, the Holland and Lincoln tunnels — should go up at least $2.
• Tolls would also take a jump on the outerbridge crossing, Goethals bridge and Bayonne bridge, which connect New Jersey and Staten Island.
• PATH fares are also expected to go up, by as much as 50 cents a ride.
• And drivers who rely on EZ pass could lose their one dollar discount.

Meanwhile, there are plans to widen the New Jersey Turnpike, which would most likely be paid for higher tolls. From the proposal overview, it sounds like the plan is to stretch the car-and-truck lanes south from exit 8A to exit 6 and widen the existing car-and-truck lanes between exits 8A and 9. The last widening project that ended in the early 1990s increased tolls 70 to 100 percent.

Working from home is starting to sound even better.

Port Authority Wants You to Pay More [WABC 7 News]

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Proposal to Raise NYC Transportation Costs

It’s time again for a 10% rate hike for commuters on NJ Transit bus and rail lines. I used to be a mass transit commuter, taking the train to Newark every day to work, but at some point when my work schedule was unpredictable, I started driving for more flexibility.

I haven’t been working in Newark for over a year, and my current job is also located a few blocks from a train station. I still drive, however. This rate hike won’t affect me, but I’m already affected through the price of gasoline. I pay twice as much to fill up my tank as I did when I purchased this car — a car with excellent gas-mileage — several years ago.

The rate hike on NJ Transit takes effect tomorrow, so it might not hurt to stock up on those tickets which do not expire.

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NJ Transit 10% Rate Hike

I arrived back to New Jersey last night to the least frugal part of my trip: paying for parking at Newark Liberty International Airport. Parking for eight days in the daily parking lot cost us $192 ($24 a day).

In the past, I’ve parked at work in Newark and taken the NJ Transit train, but now that I don’t work in Newark, that wasn’t an option. We could have taken the train from somewhere else. We could have even parked in the economy lot for $15 a day for a total of $120. We paid for the convenience of being very close to the terminal. Next time, if there is time, I’ll choose another option.

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Parking at Newark Liberty International Airport

Earlier this week, I purchased my airline tickets for the upcoming trip to California my girlfriend and I will take in April. I went through a number of steps to find the best price including tinkering with SideStep.com.

The lowest cost non-stop flight for the dates and times my itinerary required was split between two carriers. SideStep.com wasn’t the only online tool that produced this result. My suggested flight west would be on Continental Airlines and the return flight would be on American Airlines. Even checking directly on Continental’s own website revealed that no return flights were available on that carrier.

As it turns out, sometimes seats are available but not displayed online. I called Continental Airlines and spoke to their booking agents. It turns out that there is a flight at the time I want, and the total price matches that of the combined Continental/American lowest cost round trip. It’s true that the flight is probably overbooked and they are anticipating some cancellations between now and April; I was not assigned a seat number.

It’s easy to become completely reliant on internet tools, but for flights, it doesn’t hurt to call the carrier directly. In this case, I didn’t save any money, but by combining my flights on a preferred carrier and gaining the airline miles, I’ll now qualify for an upgrade or a free ticket.

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Seats Not Available Online

I travel by airplane twice a year (plus or minus one) and it seems every time I fly, there are new online tools. First, years ago, Expedia allowed me to find low prices across multiple carriers. Then Priceline debuted, allowing travelers to “name their own price.” Although I’ve experimented with the tool, I never used it for booking flights.

One of my favorite tools is SeatGuru, which has seating configurations for many different aircraft on a variety of carriers. Before you choose your seat when booking a flight, you must check SeatGuru to determine which seat locations provide more legroom (good) or are next to restrooms (bad).

Last time I traveled, I found success with SideStep, which searches more airlines for rock bottom price and is highly configurable. A site which provides is Kayak.com.

I’ve never been on a cruise, but if that’s how you roll, Kayak is now offering metasearch for cruises, so you don’t have to go back and forth to individual travel sites to find the best deals. At first glance, it’s as easy to use as the flight search, but the travel dates are less flexible.

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Kayak.com Lets You Search for Cruises

This story attracted my attention because I am getting ready to flow from East Coast to West on US Airways next Monday. US Airways is looking to purchase Delta Airlines, which is bankrupt, for $8 billion in cash and stock. Any merger won’t affect my flight, although it would be nice if the airline lift the requirement of purchasing a meal if I want to eat on a six-hour flight. I guess I’ve been spoiled with free food in the past.

For me, an airline merger might make it more difficult to find inexpensive flights. I generally fly only twice a year, but New York or Philadelphia to California seems to be one of the more expensive routes.

Here’s the full announcement about the possible merger, sent to USAir Dividend Miles members, in addition to some links. They’re very friendly.

* US Airways Press Release
* Article from New York Times DealBook
* Article from Bloomberg News

The letter I received follows.

Dear Dividend Miles Member,

By now you may have heard that US Airways has made a proposal to merge with Delta Air Lines. Over the coming days there will certainly be much discussion in the media about this proposal, and in advance of that I’d like to make clear our company’s motivation for initiating this process and explain how we believe it would provide enormous benefits for you, one of our frequent flyers.

The merger of America West and US Airways has provided us with a sound platform to grow our business and provide additional opportunities for our customers. We believe a merger with Delta is the right type of opportunity that can positively benefit all of our stakeholders – customers, employees, and investors. The combination will provide an even stronger base from which the merged airline can compete with other domestic and international airlines.

For you, our customer, there will be benefits similar to what you’ve already experienced with the new US Airways:

* A much larger network of routes and frequencies to simplify your travel
* A history of reducing fares and eliminating unfriendly fare rules like Saturday-night stays
* A global frequent flyer program that would combine your Dividend Miles and Delta SkyMiles balances
* Participation in one of the world’s largest airline alliances, opening up even more of the world for your travel
* Peace of mind that you are building a travel rewards investment in a company that will be here for the long term, and that your miles will be here when you’re ready to redeem them

Of course, we don’t overlook the operational challenges inherent with this kind of transaction. Using our experience with the America West/US Airways merger we will work hard to mitigate transition difficulties, particularly with technology online and at the airports. In the short term we know there will be challenges, but in the long run you will be the beneficiary of one of the largest, most convenient airline networks in the United States, designed to make travel as efficient, economical, reliable and comfortable as possible.

This process will undoubtedly take some time to reach its conclusion, but please be assured that in the meantime our current integration processes are moving full speed ahead, including moving to one reservations system scheduled for early second quarter 2007. In addition, should this transaction fail to materialize, please be assured that the new US Airways is in a very good position, competitively and financially, to continue to build the best full-service, low-fare airline in the world.

Thank you again for your support of US Airways. We look forward to the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Sincerely,
Scott Kirby
President

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US Airways and Delta Airlines Might Merge, My Flight Unchanged

Once again, I’ll be traveling to California to visit my family for Thanksgiving. Last year, I wrote about my first flight on jetBlue. This year, the least expensive flight I could find was US Airways out of Philadelphia. I should have looked for tickets before Labor Day. This year, SideStep was a big help in finding the lowest prices. It covers more airlines than most travel sites, such as Expedia.

During the week in California, I should be keeping up with Consumerism Commentary as normal.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is in full swing with new episodes every Sunday. Listen and subscribe now!

Traveling for Thanksgiving